Archdiocese of Cotonou

The Archdiocese of Cotonou (Latin: Archidioecesis Cotonuensis) is the Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Cotonou in Benin. It is the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province of Cotonou.

Archdiocese of Cotonou Archidioecesis Cotonuensis French: Archidiocese de Cotonou
catholic
Cathedral of Notre Dame de Miséricorde (Our Lady of Mercy)
Location
Country	Benin
Territory	Atlantique Department and Littoral Department
Episcopal conference	Episcopal Conference of Benin
Ecclesiastical province	Cotonou
Coordinates	6°21′23″N 2°26′21″E
Statistics
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2021) 2,160,650[a] 920,997[a] (42.6%)
Parishes	111
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	14 September 1955; 69 years ago (1955-09-14)
Cathedral	Notre-Dame-de-Miséricorde
Secular priests	354[a]
Language	French
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Archbishop	Roger Houngbédji [fr]
Bishops emeritus	Antoine Ganyé [fr]
Website
archidiocesedecotonou.org (in French)

History

• 26 June 1883: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Dahomey from the Apostolic Vicariate of Benin Coast, Nigeria.
• 25 May 1901: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Dahomey.
• 13 May 1948: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Ouidah.
• 14 September 1955: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cotonou.
• 1983: Foundation of the organisation Charity Service for the Integral Development of Man (SCDIH; French: Service de la Charité pour le développement intégral de l'homme) as the social arm of the diocese. It is a member of Caritas Benin.^[2]

Special churches

The seat of the archbishop is the cathedral of Notre Dame de Miséricorde (Our Lady of Mercy) in Cotonou. Basilique de l'Immaculée Conception (Basilica of the Immaculate Conception) is a minor basilica in Cotonou.

Bishops

• Metropolitan Archbishops of Cotonou, in reverse chronological order
  • Roger Houngbédji: 25 June 2016 – present^[3]
  • Antoine Ganyé [fr]: 21 August 2010 – 25 June 2016; formerly bishop of Dassa-Zoume, Benin
  • Marcel Honorat Léon Agboton: 5 March 2005 – 21 August 2010
  • Nestor Assogba: 29 October 1999 – 5 March 2005
  • Isidore de Souza: 27 December 1990 – 13 March 1999
  • Christophe Adimou [fr]: 28 June 1971 – 27 December 1990
  • Bernardin Gantin: 5 January 1960 – 28 June 1971; appointed Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; future cardinal

Coadjutor archbishop

• Isidore de Souza (1981-1990)

Auxiliary bishop

• Bernardin Gantin (1956-1960), appointed Archbishop here; future cardinal

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

• Lucien Monsi-Agboka, appointed Bishop of Abomey in 1963
• Martin Adjou Moumouni [fr], appointed Bishop of N'Dali in 1999
• Eugène Cyrille Houndékon [fr], appointed Bishop of Abomey in 2007

Suffragan dioceses

• Abomey
• Dassa-Zoumé
• Lokossa
• Porto Novo

See also

• Catholic Church in Benin
• List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Benin

Notes

1. Annuario Pontificio (2021) via Catholic-Hierarchy.org^[1]