Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Manuel António Mendes dos Santos as Bishop of the Diocese of S. Tomé, having been in charge of the Church in S. Tomé e Príncipe for 15 years. Bishop Manuel, of the Claretian Missionaries, was appointed on December 1, 2006 Diocesan Bishop of S. Tomé by Pope Benedict XVI, being ordained on February 17, 2007, in the Sanctuary of Fátima, by Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, Former Prefect for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He took possession of the Diocese of São Tomé in March 18, 2007.
Bishop Manuel was an active member of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and S. Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST) and also of IMBISA. IMBISA thanks him for his dedication to the Church in the Southern African region and wishes him a good apostolate the best in all future endeavours.