LEOPOLDVILLE, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. — In the western part of the Belgian Congo, it is entrusted to the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Scheut missionaries).
On 22 January 1886, in reorganizing the missions of equatorial Africa, Propaganda decided to erect the mission of the Belgian Congo or independent, formed by the territory of that name as recognized by the Berlin Treaty (15 November 1884), excluding only the part of territory assigned (brief of 11 January 1887) to the new vicariate of Upper Congo (now Baudouinville [v.]).
This mission of the Belgian Congo was elevated to an apostolic vicariate on 11 May 1888 and subsequently underwent numerous divisions with the creation of new vicariates and apostolic prefectures. With the latest modification of 26 May 1950, the apostolic vicariate of L. has an area of approximately 170,000 sq. km., and, according to 1949 statistics, approximately 475,000 inhabitants, 115,130 Catholics (of whom 106,201 indigenous, 8,150 others, and 689 of mixed race), 11,762 catechumens, 60 dissenters of Eastern rite, 40 Jews, 1,371 Muslims, 62,553 Protestants, the rest (approximately 284,000) pagans. It is served by 110 regular priests and 4 indigenous priests, distributed in 23 districts, 30 mission stations, with 31 churches and 510 chapels. It has 3 male religious congregations and 10 female, 261 schools, 11 hospitals, a home for the elderly, 1 lazaretto, 1 leper colony, and 9 maternity homes. It publishes 6 periodicals in a total of 8,500 copies; and there are numerous confraternities and charitable associations of Catholic Action.
