Vicariate Apostolic Luang Prabang
| Vicariate Apostolic Luang Prabang | |
 |
|
| Basic data | |
|---|---|
| Country | Laos |
| Ecclesiastical province | Immediate |
| Apostolic Vicar | Sedis vacancy |
| Apostolic Administrator | Tito Banchong Thopanhong |
| surface | 83,700 km² |
| Parishes | 6 ( AP2015 ) |
| Residents | 1,248,690 ( AP2015 ) |
| Catholics | 2,560 ( AP2015 ) |
| proportion of | 0.2% |
| rite | Roman rite |
| Liturgical language | Lao |
| address | BP 74, Luang Prabang, Laos |
The Apostolic Vicariate Luang Prabang (Latin Apostolicus Vicariatus Luangensis Prabangensis ) is an Apostolic Vicariate of the Catholic Church in Laos with its seat in Luang Prabang .
history
It includes the 6 northernmost provinces in the country: Luang Prabang , Sayaburi , Phongsali , Luang Namtha and Bokeo . The Vicariate was created on March 1, 1963 by splitting off the northern part of the Apostolic Vicariate Vientiane .
Since the communists came to power in Laos in 1975, the Catholic Church has been severely suppressed here. There were three churches here in 1975, one of them was destroyed, one was converted into a police station and one is used as a residential building. The bishop is also only allowed to travel to two of the six provinces, namely Luang Prabang and Xaignabouli, and must also stay in Vientiane , as the government does not issue him with a permanent residence permit for the north. But recently the situation began to improve. In 2005 the first church since 1975 was built in Ban Pong Vang , and in 2003 the church was allowed to buy land in Luang Prabang to build a residence for the vicariate.
Ordinaries
Vicars Apostolic of Luang Prabang
- Lionello Berti OMI (March 1, 1963– February 24, 1968, Titular Bishop of Germanicopolis )
- Alessandro Staccioli OMI (September 26, 1968– November 29, 1975, titular bishop of Taurianum , then auxiliary bishop in Siena)
Apostolic Administrators of Luang Prabang
- Thomas Nantha (November 29, 1975- April 7, 1984)
- Jean Khamsé Vithavong OMI (1984–1999)
- Tito Banchong Thopanhong , since April 1999