Archdiocese of Libreville
archdiocese of the Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Libreville (French: Archidiocèse catholique romain de Libreville) is the Metropolitan See of the Latin Ecclesiastical province covering all Gabon.
Its cathedral episcopal see is the Cathédrale Notre Dame de l’Assomption of Libreville, the national capital, which also has a former cathedral of the same name (both dedicated to the Assumption of Mary).
History
22 January 1842: Established as the Apostolic Prefecture of Two Guineas and Senegambia on vast West African and central African territories split off from the Diocese of Funchal on Madeira and the Diocese of Tomé in São Tomé and Príncipe, both Atlantic islands in colonial Portugal
1846: Promoted as the Apostolic Vicariate of Two Guineas and Senegambia, entitled to be led by a titular bishop
Lost territories on 10 October 1855 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Annobon, Corisco and Fernando Poo Islands, on 13 April 1858 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Sierra Leone and on 28 August 1860 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Dahomey
6 February 1863: Renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Two Guineas (Deux Guinées), having lost territory to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Senegambia
Lost more territories on 3 July 1879 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Cimbebasia, on 27 September 1879 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Gold Coast, on 2 May 1884 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Upper Niger, on 4 June 1886 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Congo français and on 22 November 1886 to establish the Mission sui juris of Congo Belge
Renamed on 18 March 1890 the Apostolic Vicariate of Gabon, having lost territory to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Cameroun
10 July 1947: Renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Libreville after its see
14 September 1955: Promoted as the Diocese of Libreville
11 December 1958: Promoted as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Libreville
Lost territory on 29 May 1969 to establish the Diocese of Oyem as its own suffragan
Was visited by Pope John Paul II on 18–19 February 1982
Lost territory on 19 March 2003 to establish the Diocese of Port-Gentil as its suffragan.
Leadership
Apostolic Prefects of Two Guineas and Senegambia
Edward Barron (1842.10.03 – 1844.09.03), Titular Bishop of Constantina (1842.10.03 – 1844.03.02), emeritus as Titular Bishop of Eucarpia (1844.03.02 – death 1854.09.12)
Fr. Eugène Tisserant 1844 – death 1846,
Apostolic Vicars of Two Guineas and Senegambia
Jean-Benoît Truffet, C.S.Sp. 1846.09.22 – death 1847.11.23, Titular Bishop of Callipolis (1846.09.22 – 1847.11.23)
Jean René Bessieux, C.S.Sp. (1848.06.20 – death 1863.02.06), Titular Bishop of Callipolis (1848.06.20 – 1876.04.30)
Apostolic Vicar of Two Guineas
Jean-René Bessieux, C.S.Sp. (1863.02.06 – death 1876.04.30)
Apostolic Vicars of Gabon
Pierre-Marie Le Berre, C.S.Sp. 1877.09.07 – 1891.07.16, Titular Bishop of Arca in Phoenicia (1877.09.07 – 1891.07.16)
Alexandre-Louis-Victor-Aimé Le Roy, C.S.Sp. 1892.07.03 – 1896.05.24, Titular Bishop of Alinda (1892.07.03 – 1921.05.13); later superior general of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (1896.07 – 1926), retired as Titular Archbishop of Caria (see) (1921.05.13 – 1938.04.21)
Jean Martin Adam, C.S.Sp.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Archdiocese of Libreville” is archdiocese of the Catholic Church. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Archdiocese, Libreville and archdiocese, not as a finished interpretation.
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The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jan 8, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q949690. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1842, 1846, 1855 and 1858.
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