The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Libreville ( French: ''Archidiocèse catholique romain de Libreville'') is the Metropolitan

See See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...

of the Latin

Ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

covering all

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...

. Its

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episcopal see is the Cathédrale Notre Dame de l’Assomption of

Libreville Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. Occupying in the northwestern province of Estuaire, Libreville is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea. As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904. The area has been inh ...

, the national capital, which also has a former cathedral of the same name (both dedicated to the

Assumption of Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows: We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...

History

* 22 January 1842: Established as the Apostolic Prefecture of Two Guineas and Senegambia on vast

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

n and

central Africa Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...

n territories split off from the

Diocese of Funchal The Diocese of Funchal ( la, Dioecesis Funchalensis) was created originally on 12 June 1514, by bull ''Pro excellenti præeminentia'' of Pope Leo X, following the elevation of Funchal from a village to the status of city, by King Manuel I of Po ...

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and the Diocese of Tomé in

São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe (; pt, São Tomé e Príncipe (); English: " Saint Thomas and Prince"), officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe ( pt, República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe), is a Portuguese-speaking i ...

, both Atlantic islands in colonial

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

* 1846: Promoted as the Apostolic Vicariate of Two Guineas and Senegambia, entitled to be led by a

titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

* Lost territories on 10 October 1855 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Annobon, Corisco and Fernando Poo Islands, on 13 April 1858 to establish the

Apostolic Vicariate of Sierra Leone The Archdiocese of Freetown (''Archidioecesis Liberae Urbis'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Sierra Leone. Its episcopal see is the city of Freetown, the capital and most populous city of the Afric ...

and on 28 August 1860 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Dahomey * 6 February 1863: Renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Two Guineas (Deux Guinées), having lost territory to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Senegambia * Lost more territories on 3 July 1879 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Cimbebasia, on 27 September 1879 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Gold Coast, on 2 May 1884 to establish the

Apostolic Prefecture of Upper Niger The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, ...

, on 4 June 1886 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Congo français and on 22 November 1886 to establish the

Mission sui juris of Congo Belge The Archdiocese of Kinshasa (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Kinshasana''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Kinshasa'') is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its ecclesiastic territory includes the capital city ...

* Renamed on 18 March 1890 the Apostolic Vicariate of Gabon, having lost territory to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Cameroun * 10 July 1947: Renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Libreville after its see * 14 September 1955: Promoted as the Diocese of Libreville * 11 December 1958: Promoted as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Libreville * Lost territory on 29 May 1969 to establish the Diocese of Oyem as its own suffragan * Was visited by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

on 18–19 February 1982 * Lost territory on 19 March 2003 to establish the Diocese of Port-Gentil as its suffragan.

Leadership

; Apostolic Prefects of Two Guineas and Senegambia * Edward Barron (1842.10.03 – 1844.09.03),

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

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(1842.10.03 – 1844.03.02), emeritus as Titular Bishop of

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(1844.03.02 – death 1854.09.12) * Fr.

Eugène Tisserant Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant (; 24 March 1884 – 21 February 1972) was a French people, French prelate and Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal of the Catholic Church. Elevated to the cardinalate in 1936, Tisserant was a prominent ...

1844 – death 1846, ; Apostolic Vicars of Two Guineas and Senegambia * Jean-Benoît Truffet,

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1846.09.22 – death 1847.11.23, Titular Bishop of Callipolis (1846.09.22 – 1847.11.23) * Jean René Bessieux, C.S.Sp. (1848.06.20 – death 1863.02.06), Titular Bishop of Callipolis (1848.06.20 – 1876.04.30) ; Apostolic Vicar of Two Guineas * Jean-René Bessieux, C.S.Sp. (1863.02.06 – death 1876.04.30) ; Apostolic Vicars of Gabon * Pierre-Marie Le Berre, C.S.Sp. 1877.09.07 – 1891.07.16, Titular Bishop of Arca in Phoenicia (1877.09.07 – 1891.07.16) * Alexandre-Louis-Victor-Aimé Le Roy, C.S.Sp. 1892.07.03 – 1896.05.24, Titular Bishop of

Alinda Alinda ( grc, Ἄλινδα) was an inland city and bishopric in ancient Caria, in Asia Minor ( Anatolia). Modern scholars identify Alinda with the Hellenistic foundation of Alexandria ad Latmum (Ἀλεξάνδρεια πρὸς τῷ Λάτμ� ...

(1892.07.03 – 1921.05.13); later

superior general A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of a religious institute in the Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations. The superior general usually holds supreme executive authority in the religious community, while t ...

of the

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(1896.07 – 1926), retired as

Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Caria (see) (1921.05.13 – 1938.04.21) * Jean Martin Adam, C.S.Sp. 1897.02.16 – 1914.05.07, Titular Bishop of

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(1897.02.16 – death 1929.01.14) * Louis Jean Martrou, C.S.Sp. 1914.05.07 – death 1925.03.22, succeeding as former Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Gabon (Gabon) (1912.12.10 – 1914.05.07) & Titular Bishop of Corycus (1912.12.10 – 1925.03.22) * Louis-Michel-François Tardy, C.S.Sp. 1926.01.04 – death 1947.01.28, Titular Bishop of

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(1925.12.18 – 1947.01.28) ; Apostolic Vicar of Libreville * Jean-Jerôme Adam, C.S.Sp. (1947.07.10 – 1955.09.14 ''see below''), Titular Bishop of

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(1947.07.10 – 1955.09.14) ; Bishop of Libreville * Jean-Jerôme Adam, C.S.Sp. (1955.09.14 – 1958.12.11) ; Metropolitan Archbishops of Libreville * Jean-Jerôme Adam,

(1958.12.11 – 1969.05.29), emeritus as

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(1969.05.29 – 1976.10.27) * André Fernand Anguilé (1969.05.29 – retired 1998.04.03), also President of Episcopal Conference of Gabon (1970 – 1981) * Basile Mvé Engone, S.D.B. (3 April 1998 – 12 March 2020); also President of Episcopal Conference of Gabon (1989 – 2005), President of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of the Central Africa Region (1994 – 1997); previously

Coadjutor Bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...

Oyem Oyem is the capital of Woleu-Ntem province in northern Gabon, lying on the N2 road and the River Ntem. Geography The town lies on a plateau at an elevation of about . It is the administrative and transport center for the surrounding agricultural ...

(1980.04.24 – 1982.08.23), succeeding as Bishop of Oyem (23 August 1982 – 3 April 1998) * Jean-Patrick Iba-Ba (12 March 2020 - present), previously bishop of Franceville

Coadjutor Vicars Apostolic

* Aloys Kobès (1848-1863), did not succeed to see; appointed apostolic vicar of Senegambia, Senegal * Louis Jean Martrou, C.S.Sp. (1912-1914)

Auxiliary Bishops

* Mathieu Madega Lebouankehan (2000-2003), appointed bishop of Port-Gentil on 19 March 2003 * François Ndong (1960-1969), appointed Bishop of Oyem

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

* Jean-Patrick Iba-Ba, appointed bishop of Franceville on 4 November 2017; later returned to Libreville as archbishop * Euzébius Chinekezy Ogbonna Managwu, appointed bishop of Port-Gentil on 12 January 2016

Province

Its

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

comprises the Metropolitan's own see and the following suffragan bishoprics, all in Gabon: *

Roman Catholic Diocese of Franceville The Roman Catholic Diocese of Franceville ( la, Francopolitan(us) in Gabone, French: ''Diocèse catholique romain de Franceville'') is a diocese located in the city of Franceville in the ecclesiastical province of Libreville in Gabon. History * ...

Roman Catholic Diocese of Mouila The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mouila ( la, Muilaën(sis), French: ''Diocèse catholique romain de Mouila'') is a diocese located in the city of Mouila in the ecclesiastical province of Libreville in Gabon. History * 11 December 1958: Established ...

Roman Catholic Diocese of Oyem The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oyem ( la, Oyemen(sis), French: ''Diocèse catholique romain d'Oyem'') is a diocese located in the city of Oyem in the Ecclesiastical province of Libreville in Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the ...

Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Gentil The Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Gentil ( la, Portus Gentil(is), French: ''Diocèse catholique romain de Port-Gentil'') is a diocese located in the city of Port-Gentil in the Ecclesiastical province of Libreville in Gabon. History * 19 March 2 ...

References

External links

GCatholic.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Libreville, Diocese Roman Catholic dioceses in Gabon Libreville Religious organizations established in 1842 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 19th century 1842 establishments in Africa A