Pope Pius XII created a Mission “sui iuris” comprising the then overseas colony of Portuguese Guinea on September 4, 1940, until then under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Santiago de Cabo Verde, in Cape Verde islands. It was promoted to an Apostolic Prefecture on April 29, 1955. After the independence of Guinea-Bissau, on September 10, 1974, it was renamed as Apostolic Prefecture of Guinea-Bissau the January 1st, 1975. The Diocese of Bissau was finally created on 21 March 1977. The first Bishop of the Diocese of Bissau was Italian-born Settimio Ferrazzetta, who held office until his death, at 26 January 1999. He was succeeded by the first Bissau-Guinean native bishop, José Câmnate na Bissign, aged 57 years old. On 13 May 2011 Pope Benedict XVI named Father José Lampra Cà as Auxiliary Bishop-elect of Bissau. Lampra Cá was born in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1997. He was formerly the Rector of the St. Kizito Minor Seminary and Professor of Philosophy at the Major Seminary of Bissau.
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