Apostolic Vicariate of Eritrea
The Apostolic Vicariate of Eritrea (later of Asmara; originally an Apostolic Prefecture) was a Latin Catholic missionary jurisdiction in Eritrea.
History
On 13 September 1894, the Holy See established an Apostolic Prefecture of Eritrea, then an Italian colony.
On 7 February 1911, it was promoted to Apostolic Vicariate (requiring a titular bishop as ordinary.
It was renamed on 25 July 1959 as Apostolic Vicariate of Asmara, the capital of Eritrea.
On 21 December 1995, after a quarter of a century of apostolic administration, it was suppressed in favor of three eparchies of the Eastern (Alexandrian Rite) Eritrean Catholic Church, the existing Diocese of Asmara (now the Asmara Metropolitanate sui juris), and two newly established dioceses (now its suffragans), Barentu and Keren, which henceforth cover its former territory exclusively, leaving Eritrea without any Latin (Roman Rite) ordinary.
Incumbent ordinaries
- All incumbents were missionary members of the Latin congregation of Capuchin Franciscans
- Prefects Apostolic of Eritrea
- Friar Michele da Carbonara, O.F.M. Cap. (1894 – 1910)
- Friar Camillo Francesco Carrara, O.F.M. Cap. (1910 – see below, later Bishop)
- Vicars Apostolic of Eritrea
- Camillo Francesco Carrara, O.F.M. Cap. (see above), becoming Titular Bishop of Agathopolis (1911.02.07 – 1924.06.15)
- Celestino Annibale Cattaneo, O.F.M. Cap., Titular Bishop of Busiris (1925.03.24 – 1936.03.03) (from his retirement Titular Archbishop of Sebastopolis in Abasgia)
- Giovanni C. Luigi Marinoni, O.F.M. Cap., Titular Bishop of Pisita (1936.07.21 – 1959.07.25 see below)
- Vicars Apostolic of Asmara
- Giovanni C. Luigi Marinoni, O.F.M. Cap., Titular Archbishop of Amorium (see above) 1959.07.25 – 1961.08.12; later Archbishop)
- Zenone Albino Testa, O.F.M. Cap., Titular Bishop of Tinista (1961.08.12 – 1971.06.12; previously Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Asmara from 1959.07.10)
- Apostolic administrator Friar Luca Milesi, O.F.M. Cap. (1971 – 1995.12.21); from 1995.12.21 first Eparch (Bishop) of the Eritrean Catholic Diocese of Barentu
