NGAOUNDÉRÉ MARCH 18, 2016(CISA) – Pope Francis on March 15 appointed Fr Emmanuel Abbo as Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ngaoundere, the regional capital of Adamawa.
Fr Abbo has replaced the late Bishop Joseph Djida who died of cardiac arrest on January 6, 2015. The bishop-elect was born on July 17, 1969 in Mbe, in the diocese of Ngaoundere and he studied Philosophy and Theology at the Saint Augustin Inter-diocesan Major Seminary of Maroua-Mokolo.
He obtained a Licentiate in Management Sciences (Administration of Companies) at the Catholic University of Central Africa, in Cameroon.
He was ordained a priest on June 14, 2000 and incardinated in the diocese of Ngaoundere. Since his ordination he has served the following academic and pastoral roles: 2000-2001: Assistant priest of the Cathedral; 2001-2004: Studies in Management Science and Administration at the Catholic University of Central Africa, Yaounde (Cameroon).
In 2004-2008: Served as Diocesan secretary for Catholic Education; 2005-2015: Parish priest of St. Peter’s parish in Gada-Mabanga, diocesan Bursar, diocesan Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies; 2006-2015: Diocesan Director of Caritas; 2010-2015: Head of the Economic diocesan Administration, Episcopal Vicar; since 2015: Apostolic Administrator of the diocese of Ngaoundere.
The diocese of Ngaoundere, erected in 1982, is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Garoua and has an area of 64,930 square kilometers and a population of 1,015,622 inhabitants, of whom 43,776 are Catholic.
There are 25 parishes, 26 diocesan priests and 10 religious priests, 10 permanent deacons, 29 religious brothers, 67 religious women and 13 major seminarians.
