Pope raises Nepal Church to the rank of Apostolic Vicariate

(Feb. 10, 2007) Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday raised the Apostolic Prefecture of Nepal to the rank of Apostolic Vicariate. At the same time Apostolic Prefect, Jesuit Msgr. Anthony Sharma has been raised to the rank of Apostolic Vicar, i.e. a bishop, being assigned the titular diocese of Gigti. Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal extends an area of over 147 sqkm covering the whole of Nepal, with a total population of some 23.7 million. The Himalayan kingdom’s tiny Catholic population numbers some 6,681, spread across the nations 5 parishes, 2 semi parishes, 6 mission stations and 22 sub-stations. Catholics are served by 11 diocesan and 40 religious priests. There are 112 sisters and 5 major seminarians. The church of Nepal manages 44 educational and 16 health and social service institutions. Diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Nepal and the Catholic Church was established on Oct. 7, 1983, when the Holy See separated Nepal from the Patna diocese and erected the Missio sui Iuris of Nepal. Since then, Msgr. Anthony Francis Sharma, the first native Jesuit, has been heading the Church in the Himalayan kingdom. The first papal representative to Nepal was Pronuncio, Archbishop Agostino Cacchiavillian, in 1985. Nepal was elevated to Apostolic Prefecture in 1996.