ation ▁of ▁this ▁Ord in ari ate ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁E rit re an ▁Catholic ▁community . ▁ ▁The ▁infl ux ▁of ▁It ali ans ▁into ▁E rit rea , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁led ▁to ▁rapid ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁Vic ari ate , ▁although ▁it ▁had ▁thus ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁ceased ▁to ▁have ▁responsibility ▁for ▁Eth iop ic - R ite ▁C athol ics . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 5 ▁July ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁when ▁already ▁in ▁ste ep ▁decl ine , ▁it ▁was ▁renamed ▁as ▁the ▁Apost ol ic ▁Vic ari ate ▁of ▁As m ara , ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁E rit rea . ▁ ▁Dec line ▁and ▁supp ression ▁Although ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁nearly ▁ 2 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Italian ▁E rit rea ▁were ▁C athol ics , ▁mostly ▁It ali ans ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁Latin ▁Church , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁pron ounced ▁fall ▁in ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁It ali ans ▁present ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁when ▁E rit rea ▁was ▁at ▁first ▁under ▁British ▁military ▁administration . ▁The ▁British ▁census ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁showed ▁that ▁As m ara , ▁the ▁capital , ▁had ▁only ▁ 1 7 , 1 8 3 ▁It ali ans ▁out ▁of ▁a ▁total ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 2 7 , 5 7 9 . ▁The ▁departure ▁of ▁It ali ans ▁acceler ated