The cathedral of Notre Dame de Miséricorde, commonly known as Cotonou Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral

Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

, located near the Ancien Pont Bridge

Ancien Pont Bridge

The Ancien Pont Bridge is a bridge in Cotonou, Benin....

 in Cotonou

Cotonou

-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...

, Benin

Benin

Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...

. It is noted for its distinct burgundy and white striped tiled architecture. Its tower stands towards the rear end left side of the main building.

The cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cotonou

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cotonou

The Archdiocese of Cotonou is the Metropolitan See for the Ecclesiastical province of Cotonou in Benin.-History:* 1883.06.26: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Dahomey from the Apostolic Vicariate of Benin Coast, Nigeria...

.The diocese was originally created on June 26 1883 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Dahomey from the Apostolic Vicariate of Benin Coast, Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

. After several names changes under Dahomey

Dahomey

Dahomey was a country in west Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state that was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until 1894. From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. The independent Republic of Dahomey...

, on 14 September 1955 it was promoted as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cotonou.

Cardinal

The cathedral was run by Cardinal Bernardin Gantin (died 2008) from 1960 to 1971. Cardinal Gantin later became one of Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II

Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

's closest counselors as Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops

Congregation for Bishops

The Congregation for Bishops is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the selection of new bishops that are not in mission territories or those areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches who deal with the Eastern Catholics, pending papal...

 and then as Dean (primus inter pares

Primus inter pares

Primus inter pares is Latin phrase describing the most senior person of a group sharing the same rank or office.When not used in reference to a specific title, it may indicate that the person so described is formally equal, but looked upon as an authority of special importance by their peers...

, or first among equals) of the Sacred College of Cardinals. As such, he was the highest-ranking native of Africa in the modern Roman Catholic Church.

External links

• Image at travelpod.com