Pope Francis Appoints Diocesan Administrator of Monrovia Archdiocese in Liberia Archbishop

Monrovia, 29 February, 2024 / 8:23 AM

Pope Francis has appointed the Diocesan Administrator of the Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia in Liberia as the Local Ordinary of the same Metropolitan See that became vacant in June 2021 following the retirement of Archbishop Lewis Jerome Zeigler.

The Holy See Press Office published Pope Francis’ appointment of Mons. Gabriel Blamo Jubwe who has also been serving as the Parish Priest of St. Pio X Parish on Wednesday, February 28.

Born in September 1958 in Lagos Archdiocese, Nigeria, Mons. Jubwe was ordained a Priest for the Archdiocese of Monrovia after completing his Priestlystudies and formation at the St. Paul Major Seminary in Gbarnga, Liberia.

As a Priest, he has served in various capacities, including Director of the Diocesan Pastoral Center; a member of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Liberian Council of Churches, and Inter-Religious Council of Liberia.

He also served as the Rector of the Queen of Apostles Minor Seminary and St. Charles Lwanga Preparatory Seminary of Monrovia; Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Monrovia and Secretary General of theCatholic Bishops’ Conference of Liberia (CABICOL)

The alumnus of the Pontifical University of Sant'Anselmo in Rome where he obtained a Doctorate in Liturgy also served as Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS); Rector of St. Paul Major Seminary in Gbarnga; he was also a member of the College of Consultors of the Archdiocese of Monrovia.

Once he is ConsecratedBishop, Mons, Jubwe will become the sixth Local Ordinary of the Liberian Catholic Archdiocese that was erected in April 1903 as Vicariate Apostolic of Sierra Leone before it was elevated to an Archdiocese in December 1981.

The Archdiocese, which measures 15,971 square kilometers has a population of 147,259 Catholics representing 6.1 percent of the total population of the Metropolitan See, according to 2021 statistics.