Catholic Church in Solomon Islands

{{short description|none}} {{Use British English|date=July 2015}} The '''Catholic Church in Solomon Islands''' is part of the worldwide [[Catholic Church]], under the spiritual leadership of the [[Pope]] in [[Rome]]. [[File:Holy Cross Cathedral, St Mary Catholic. Front view.jpg|thumb|Holy Cross Cathedral in Honiara]]

Catholic evangelisation of the [[Solomon Islands (archipelago)|Solomon Islands archipelago]] in the nineteenth century was mostly in the hands of the [[Society of Mary (Marists)|Marist Fathers]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Laracy |first=Hugh |date=1976 |title=Marists and Melanesians. A History of Catholic Missions in the Solomon Islands |url=https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/114791 |location=Canberra |publisher=Australian National University Press |isbn= 0708104045}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Laracy |first=Hugh |date=2013 |title=Watriama and Co: Further Pacific Islands Portraits |publisher=ANU Press |pages=53–68 |chapter=Chapter 3: Insular Eminence: Cardinal Moran (1830-1911) and the Pacific Islands |chapter-url=http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p260041/pdf/ch033.pdf |isbn=978-1-921666-33-9}}</ref>

There are over 140,000 Catholics in [[Solomon Islands]] in 2022 (one-fifth of the total population).<ref name=US2022>[https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/solomon-islands US State Dept 2022 report] ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].''</ref> In 2020 there were 89 priests and 120 nuns serving across 34 parishes.<ref>[https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/solomon-islands Catholics and Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08]</ref>

The country is divided into three dioceses: the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Honiara|Archdiocese of Honiara]], the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Gizo|Diocese of Gizo]] and the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Auki|Diocese of Auki]].

In 1957 the current cathedral, Holy Cross Cathedral in Honiara, was blessed and opened to the public. Solomon Islands sent a delegation of young people for the first time to [[World Youth Day 2008]] when it was held in [[Sydney, Australia]].<ref>{{cite web|date=September 8, 2006 |title=Oceania Plans Bigger Turnout for Youth Day '08 |work=[[Zenit News Agency]] |url=http://www.archdioceseofagana.com/aoa_history.htm |access-date=2008-12-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510134551/http://www.archdioceseofagana.com/aoa_history.htm |archive-date=May 10, 2008 }}</ref> Peter Houhou became the first locally-born bishop when he was consecrated as Bishop of Auki in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mediablog.catholic.org.au/historic-ordination-solomon-islands/ |title=Historic ordination for Solomon Islands |date=25 Oct 2018 |website=Australian Catholic Bishops Media Blog |publisher= |access-date=2021-11-14}}</ref> He served for 5 years and in mid-2023, the bishopric was vacant.<ref>[https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dauki.html Catholic Hierarchy website, retrieved 2023-09-18]</ref>

Holy Name of Mary Seminary at Tenaru in Guadalcanal was founded in 1995 and serves the three dioceses. It is under the care of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentian Fathers and Brothers).

The bishops of the Solomon Islands are represented in the [[Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands]].

==See also== * [[Religion in Solomon Islands]]

==External links== * [https://www.pngsicbc.com/ Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands]

==References== {{reflist}}

{{Oceania topic|Catholic Church in|groupstyle=background-color:gold|titlestyle=background-color:gold}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Catholic Church in Solomon Islands}} [[Category:Catholic Church by country|Solomon]] [[Category:Catholic Church in the Solomon Islands| ]] [[Category:Catholic Church in Oceania|Solomon]]