LIBREVILLE, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - It is located in French Equatorial Africa and originated from the apostolic vicariate of the Two Guineas (v. GUINEA). In fact, the beginnings of the evangelization of the territory of the present vicariate go back to 1842. The apostolic vicar resided at the church of St. Mary in L., and thus that mission has the honor of having been the center of all the others on the western coast of Africa. For this reason the said church obtained from Pius XI the indulgence "ad instar Portiunculae," to be gained by the faithful on September 29 of each year, the anniversary day of the first Mass said in Gabon. Following successive divisions of the ancient apostolic vicariate of the Two Guineas, the territory was greatly reduced, and in 1886 it received the name of Gabon because it corresponds almost exactly to the territory of the colony of the same name. By decree of July 10, 1947, it received the name of L. It is entrusted to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit.
It has an area of about 280,000 sq. km. and is crossed by the equator. The climate is particularly unhealthy, humid and hot. The indigenous population belongs to the Bantu family and is divided into about twenty tribes and subtribes with a rudimentary social constitution, in which only the authority of the head of the family is recognized. Polygamy and slavery prevail.
Out of 350,000 inhabitants, the indigenous Catholics number 120,000, distributed in 23 parishes and 787 mission stations, served by 17 diocesan priests and 33 religious, who are assisted by 18 male and 14 female religious congregations. There are 80 educational institutions and 14 works of charity and welfare. Associations of Catholic Action are not lacking, and the periodical Echos du Gabon is printed there with about 2,000 copies (Ann. Pont., 1951, p. 677).
Bibliography
Saverio Paventi