BANGUI, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. — New name given in 1940 to the Apostolic Vicariate of Ubangui-Chari, in French Equatorial Africa, following the detachment of part of its original territory to form the new Prefecture of Berberati. The mission had been established, with the rank of Apostolic Prefecture, in 1909 from French Congo (now Brazzaville), with only two stations. In 1910 evangelization began among the tribes of the interior, very numerous and speaking different languages, so that in 1929 stations were opened in three centres inhabited by the best tribes: among the Saras at Maundu, among the Bayas and Karrès at Bozoum, and among the Nzakards at Bangui. The principal difficulties of the apostolate are the multiplicity of languages and the indigenous mentality, jealous of its freedom and distrustful of the white man. The centre of the works, with a catechists’ school, vocational schools, works for engaged women, plantations, etc., is the station of S. Paolo near B.
In 1937 the prefecture became a vicariate, and in 1940 it assumed its new name. In 1931 there were 2,367 Catholics; now, according to the statistics for 1948, there are 32,669, and 22,022 catechumens, out of a population of approximately 663,000 inhabitants. There are 20 dissidents, 20,000 Protestants, 30,000 Muslims, and 560,000 pagans. The primary stations number 13, the secondary stations 520; there are 34 elementary schools with 3,507 pupils, 5 secondary schools with 81 pupils, 3 vocational schools with 160 pupils, and 1 normal school with 11 pupils. The Fathers (of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit) number 33, the Brothers 8, and the Sisters 23.