The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rabaul is a Latin Rite Metropolitan Archdiocese in Papua New Guinea. It has its cathedral episcopal see Sacred Heart Cathedral in Vunapope and a Co-Cathedral, St Francis Xavier's Co-Cathedral, in Rabaul. On June 19, 2020, Rochus Josef Tatamai, M.S.C. was appointed the new Archbishop. History In 1844, it was established as Apostolic Vicariate of Melanesia (a pre-diocesan jurisdiction, entitled to a titular bishop and exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See) on territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Western Oceania. On 8 December 1890, it was renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of New Pomerania. It lost territories repeatedly, to establish : on 1896.02.24 the Apostolic Prefecture of Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land on 1897.06.28 the Apostolic Vicariate of Gilbert Islands on 1897.07.27 the Apostolic Prefecture of British Solomons on 1898.05.23 the Apostolic Prefecture of German Solomon Islands (now its suffragan diocese Bougainville) in 1905 the Mission sui juris of Marshall Islands. On 14 November 1922, it was renamed after its see as Apostolic Vicariate of Rabaul. On 5 July 1957, it lost territory again to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Kavieng (now its suffragan diocese). On 15 November 1966, it was promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Rabaul. On 4 July 2003, it lost territory to establish another suffragan see, the Diocese of Kimbe. Coat of arms The new coat of arms of the Archdiocese was adopted in 2016. The proposal of coat of arms created Marek Sobola, a heraldic specialist from Slovakia, who also made a coat of arms for the Archbishop Francesco Panfilo S.D.B. Province Its ecclesiastical province comprises, besides the Metropolitan's Archdiocese, the following suffragan bishoprics : Roman Catholic Diocese of Bougainville Roman Catholic Diocese of Kavieng Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimbe. Bishops (all Roman Rite; so far missionary members of Latin congregations) Ordinaries Apostolic Vicars of Melanesia Jean Baptiste Epalle, Marists (S.M.) (1844.07.19 – death 1845.12.19), Titular Bishop of Sion (1844.07.19 – 1845.12.19) Jean Georges Collomb, S.M. (1846.02.19 – death 1848.07.16), Titular Bishop of Antiphellus (1846.02.19 – 1848.07.16) Father Paolo Reina, Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions M.E.M. (1852.01.11 – death 1861.03.14) Louis-André Navarre, Sacred Heart Missionaries (M.S.C.) (1887.05.17 – 1889.05.10), Titular Bishop of Pentacomia (1887.05.17 – 1888.08.17); later Titular Archbishop of Cyrrhus (1888.08.17 – 1912.01.17), Apostolic Vicar of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea) (1889.05.10 – retired 1908.01) Apostolic Vicars of New Britain Stanislas Henri Verjus, M.S.C. (1889.05.10 – 1889.12.28), Titular Bishop of Limyra (1889.05.10