**POINCARÉ, RAYMOND** – French politician, b. 20 Aug. 1860 at Bar-le-Duc (Meuse), d. 15 Oct. 1934 at Paris. At the age of 27, in 1887, he was first elected deputy. Re-elected in 1889, he served as Minister of Public Instruction (in 1893 and 1895), held the portfolio of Finance (1894–95), and was Vice-President of the Chamber from 1895 to 1898. He entered the Senate in 1903, became President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1912 during the Balkan crisis, and in 1913 was elected President of the Republic.
Eager to strengthen the Franco-Russian alliance, which was particularly vital in the event of war with the Central Powers, he traveled to Russia in July 1914 to visit the Tsar. At the outbreak of war he appealed for the *Union sacrée* of all Frenchmen and remained head of state until 1920, the end of his seven-year term. He again served as President of the Council from 1922 to 1924 and from 1926 to 1929, when he resigned for reasons of health. He contributed to the improvement of relations with the Holy See. A forthright representative of doctrinal laicism—as defined by Y. De La Brière—Poincaré, without degenerating into sectarianism, respected others’ religious faith as a matter of individual liberty, yet granted it no rights in the public sphere, where the sovereignty of the state was unchallenged. He was, in the strictest sense, a “legist” and fully subscribed to the separation of Church and State implemented in France in 1905. He published his memoirs covering the period 1912–18 (Au service de la France, Paris 1926–33).
Silvio Furlan
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**POINTE-NOIRE, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF (in French Equatorial Africa).** – Originated from the Apostolic Vicariate of French Congo, erected on 28 May 1886 with territory detached from that of the Two Guineas, from the Apostolic Prefecture of Lower Congo (Portuguese) and from the Mission of Upper Northern Congo, the latter having been entrusted by Propaganda to the White Fathers on 27 Sept. 1880.
By a papal brief of 21 Dec. 1881, the erection of the Apostolic Vicariate of French Congo was confirmed, comprising all the territory of the Congo assigned to France. Later, the Brussels Convention (14 Apr. 1894) modified the borders of French Congo, and Propaganda likewise recognized these as the limits of the vicariate. On 14 Oct. 1890 it was divided into two: the Apostolic Vicariate of Upper French Congo or of Ubangui, and the Apostolic Vicariate of Lower French Congo, which took the name of Loango on 22 Apr. 1907. By decree of 4 Sept. 1907 the northern borders were more precisely defined, and by another decree of 14 Feb. 1911 the eastern borders were also adjusted; these were further modified on 11 Aug. 1929. It took the name of Pointe-Noire on 20 Jan. 1949. It is entrusted to the Fathers of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit.
It covers an area of approximately 100,000 sq. km and includes the regions of Kouilou, Niari, Pool, belonging to the territory of Middle Congo, and the regions of Nyanga, Ogooué-Maritime, Matimba, Ngounié, of the territory of Gabon. The soil is not very fertile. The climate is humid and hot and generally unhealthy for Europeans. Communications, though steadily improving, remain very scarce. Diseases are frequent. The inhabitants, almost all of the Bantu group, number 294,103. About 1,500 are Pygmies, 5,600 are of mixed race, and 3,000 are white. The Bantu are divided into some twenty tribes, often speaking distinct languages. The pagans are animists. Catholics number 70,274; catechumens, 9,150; Protestants, 36,594 (from the Swedish evangelical missions and the Salvation Army); Muslims, 782; unbelievers, 177,303.
The vicariate is divided into 12 districts, with 34 missionaries, 8 indigenous priests, 12 brothers (6 indigenous), and 14 sisters. Two indigenous religious congregations have been established, one of sisters and one of brothers. There are 315 catechists, 295 secondary stations, 13 churches, 68 chapels, 12 dispensaries, 12 orphanages with 660 children, 60 elementary schools with 4,523 boys, and 4 vocational schools with 100 students. Catholic associations and Catholic Action are well developed. Twenty-one young men are studying at the minor seminary.