FERNANDO POO, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - By decree of 10 Oct. 1855 the apostolic prefecture of the Islands of Annobón, Corisco and F. P. belonging to Spanish Guinea was erected, with territory detached from the apostolic vicariate of the Two Guineas. It was entrusted to the secular priest don Michele Martinez y Sanz and by decree of 18 July 1857 to the Jesuits.
Propaganda, then, by another decree of 16 Dec. 1858 united to the aforesaid prefecture the two islands of Eichoy Major and Minor and by decree of 4 Jan. 1860 the continental territory of Cabo S. Juan and the neighboring zone then subject to Spain. In 1872 the Jesuits left the mission, which was entrusted to military chaplains and to some secular priests until 1883, when the Missionaries, Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Claretians), went there. In that same year the Apostolic Prefecture was again erected with the territories annexed in 1860. The continental territories had no precise boundaries and finally on 25 Apr. 1903 the whole zone of Rio Muni was annexed to the prefecture, which on 12 May was elevated to a vicariate with its present name.
The climate is hot and humid, the soil very fertile. The natives are of the Bantu race, many of whom understand Spanish. The area is about 29,000 sq. km. According to the statistics of 1948, in the vicariate there are 44 Claretian missionaries with 17 coadjutor brothers, 114 sisters. Major seminaries 14 and minor 18. The population exceeds 190,000 inhabitants, of whom 116,898 are native Catholics, 6,000 foreigners, 422 of mixed stock, 12,818 catechumens, 8 Oriental dissidents, 9,372 Protestants, 700 Muslims and about 45,000 pagans. There are 12 parochial districts, 18 elementary schools with 2,350 pupils, 1 middle school with 64 pupils, 1 higher school with 17 pupils, hospitals, 2 dispensaries, 18 orphanages with 484 children, 2 leprosaria with 2,500 patients. Two periodicals are also published there.
Bibliography4 works
Saverio Paventi