Vatican creates new ecclesiastical province in Africa after cardinal defies resignation request

(LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV has moved to strip Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, CSSP, of effective authority over the Church in the Central African Republic after the cardinal refused a Vatican request to resign, appointing a coadjutor archbishop with succession rights and carving several dioceses from Bangui’s jurisdiction.

On April 25, Pope Leo decreed the creation of a new ecclesiastical province in Berbérati in the Central African Republic, appointing Bishop Dennis Kofi Agbenyadzi as metropolitan archbishop and naming Jesuit Father Joseph Samedi as coadjutor archbishop of Bangui, thereby introducing a new governing structure and direct oversight alongside Nzapalainga, whose archdiocese loses a portion of its jurisdiction by the creation of several new dioceses.

In an accompanying statement, Leo is said to have written: “Where tensions obscure the witness of the Church, it is the task of the Apostolic See to open paths of clarification and renewal.”

The newly erected ecclesiastical province of Berbérati includes the dioceses of Bouar, Mbaïki, and Bossangoa, all previously subject to Bangui. This division reduces the territorial and administrative scope of the archdiocese based in the national capital, which until now had encompassed all dioceses in the country.

Simultaneously, the appointment of Samedi as coadjutor archbishop introduces a figure with the right of succession and significant governing authority. Such appointments, in canon law, are typically associated with transitional phases or situations requiring reinforced governance.

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According to a report by Katolisches.info, the Vatican justified these decisions by calling for “renewed pastoral leadership in the spirit of transparency and ecclesial unity,” adding that the Church’s mission requires pastors marked by “humility, accountability, and fraternal cooperation.”

According to the same report, these measures follow a period of increasing tension between the Archdiocese of Bangui and the apostolic nunciature. Local media and individual journalists had raised allegations concerning financial management, nepotism, and relationships with Church-linked non-governmental organizations. These claims remain unverified in judicial terms to date.

Katolisches.info also indicated that Cardinal Robert Sarah travelled to Bangui in early 2026 to examine the situation, with his findings reportedly transmitted to the Holy See. During Holy Week this year, the Vatican is said to have requested Nzapalainga’s resignation; he declined and instead sent a personal letter to the Pope. Resistance to the appointment of an auxiliary bishop had also been reported prior to the current decisions.

Nzapalainga, Archbishop of Bangui, has been a central figure in the African Church for over a decade. Appointed archbishop of Bangui in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI, he was elevated to the cardinalate in 2016 by Pope Francis at the age of 49, becoming the first cardinal from his country and one of the youngest members of the College of Cardinals at the time.

His elevation followed Pope Francis’ visit to the country in 2015 during its civil war, and he subsequently became closely associated with the pontificate’s emphasis on peacebuilding, interreligious dialogue, and outreach to conflict zones. He has also expressed positions strongly aligned with Pope Francis on migration.

Nzapalainga gained international recognition for his role in interreligious initiatives during the civil conflict, notably through a platform founded in 2013 with Muslim and Protestant leaders aimed at reducing violence. He has participated in several synods, including those on the family (2014) and youth (2018).

At the same time, his tenure has not been without internal difficulties. In 2017, during his leadership involvement with Caritas in the country, a case emerged involving the appointment of a priest later implicated in abuses.

The recent decisions by Pope Leo XIV – both the removal of several dioceses from Bangui’s authority and the appointment of a coadjutor with succession rights – occur in a context described in terms of “tensions” and the need for “clarification and renewal,” marking a significant intervention in the governance of one of Africa’s most visible Catholic jurisdictions.