Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Catholic cathedral in Bangui, Central African Republic.
The Cathédrale Notre-Dame is a cathedral in Bangui built with red brick construction following French colonial architectural styles. The building retains the characteristic design typical of tropical religious structures from that period.
Spiritan missionaries settled in Bangui in 1884, a year after the post was founded. The cathedral was built in the 1930s on a four-hectare concession that Bishop Jean René Calloc'h obtained from Governor Augagneur by decree of 9 April 1924. In 1977 it hosted the coronation of Emperor Bokassa I and his wife Catherine; in March 2013 it was looted by the Seleka coalition.
The cathedral is the center of Catholic faith in Bangui where worshippers gather for masses and religious celebrations. It shapes the spiritual life of the city and serves as a gathering place for the community.
The cathedral is centrally located in Bangui and is easy to reach on foot or by local transport. Visitors should be respectful when entering during prayer times and wear appropriate clothing.
On 29 November 2015, during his African tour, Pope Francis opened the first Holy Door of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy here, days before the Jubilee officially began. The event led the press to call war-scarred Bangui, one of the world's poorest capitals, the "spiritual capital of the world".
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