Pope appoints seminary professor as new bishop in Laos

Apostolic Vicariate of Pakse was with no bishop since 2017

Pope Francis has appointed Father Andrew Souksavath Nouane Asa, a local clergy and seminary professor, because the apostolic vicar of Pakse in Laos.

Father Nouane, 50, is the second native bishop of the vicariate. Cardinal Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun, the primary one, was transferred to the Apostolic Vicariate of Vientiane within the nationwide capital in 2017, shortly after Pope Francis made him the nation’s first cardinal.

The priest has served because the apostolic administrator of Pakse since then.

Father Nouane was born on Aug. 5, 1972, in Pakse, the capital of Champasak province and second-largest metropolis in Laos.

He attended a neighborhood minor seminary from 1988-91 and accomplished postgraduate research on the Pedagogical College of Vientiane from 1992-96 and obtained a licentiate in English instructing.

From 1998 to 2002, he studied philosophy at Christ the King Seminary in British Columbia, Canada, and from 2002-05 he studied theology at St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta.  

Catholicism in Laos, a tiny communist-ruled Southeast Asian nation of seven.2 million, dates again to the seventeenth century. Jesuits had been among the many first missionaries to reach and evangelize in Laos

He was ordained a priest on Dec. 30, 2006. He served as a pastor from 10 mission stations from 2007-09 and youth director of the Apostolic Vicariate of Paksé from 2007-12.

He then studied dogmatic theology at St. Vincent College of Theology in Adamson College in Manila, Philippines (2008-10).

Again house, Father Nouane served as a pastor answerable for 12 mission stations from 2010-17. Since 2012 he has been instructing philosophy at St. Jean-Marie Vianney Main Seminary in Savannakhet province as a visiting professor. Since 2017 he has been pastor answerable for 10 mission stations in Bolivene.

He has additionally been serving as secretary-general of the Episcopal Convention of Laos and Cambodia (CELAC) since 2019.

Pakse Vicariate covers the provinces of Champasak, Saravan, Xeguang and Attapu and is house to an estimated 1.37 million folks. Greater than 15,000 Catholics are unfold throughout 46 parishes and mission stations in Pakse.

Catholicism in Laos, a tiny communist-ruled Southeast Asian nation of seven.2 million, dates again to the seventeenth century. Jesuits had been among the many first missionaries to reach and evangelize in Laos.

Some 17 Catholic missionaries and laymen had been killed by communist forces in 1960 throughout the brutal communist rebellion. In 2016, the Vatican beatified them as martyrs

Nonetheless, Catholicism didn’t have a powerful presence till the arrival of missionaries from the Paris International Missions Society (MEP) within the second half of the nineteenth century. French missionaries are credited with establishing the primary indigenous church in Laos in 1885.

The missionary actions gained new impetus following the arrival of Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) missionaries who concentrated their actions in mountainous areas within the north of Laos.

Christianity is a acknowledged faith within the nation however many Buddhists view Christianity as an alien Western religion. In rural areas, Christians are routinely victimized for his or her religion and expulsion of Christians by different villagers is widespread.

Some 17 Catholic missionaries and laymen had been killed by communist forces in 1960 throughout the brutal communist rebellion. In 2016, the Vatican beatified them as martyrs.

There are an estimated 60,000 Catholics in Laos, principally ethnic Vietnamese and different ethnic teams just like the Hmong, concentrated in surrounding areas alongside the Mekong River.

Laos has 4 bishops however no dioceses and Catholics are coated by 4 apostolic vicariates.

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