The Roman Catholic Diocese of Djibouti (Latin: Gibuten(sis)) is the Latin sole diocese in the country of Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.
It is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See and its missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
It has its Cathedral episcopal see, the Our Lady of the Good Shepherd Cathedral, Djibouti (French Marian Cathédrale de Notre-Dame du Bon-Pasteur; dedicated to the Our Lady of the Good Sheperd), in the national capital Djibouti City.
As per 2014, it pastorally served 5,000 Catholics (0.6% of 850,000 total) on 23,200 km² in 5 parishes and a mission with 4 diocesan priests and 29 lay religious (1 brother, 28 sisters).
Established on April 28, 1914 as Apostolic Prefecture of Djibouti, on the colonial territory of French Somaliland, canonically split off from the vast Apostolic Vicariate of Galla (based in Ethiopia, from which also sprang the Apostolic Prefecture of Benadir, for British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland, which became the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mogadiscio covering all modern Somalia)Promoted on September 14, 1955 as Diocese of Djibouti.(all Roman rite and so far members of missionary Latin congregations)
Apostolic Prefects of DjiboutiFriar Pasquale da Luchon, Capuchin Friars Minor (O.F.M. Cap.) (1914 – death 1923)Fr. Marcelliano da La Guerche, O.F.M. Cap. (1937.10.22 – death 1945)Fr. Henri-Bernardin Hoffmann, O.F.M. Cap. (1945.09.28 – 1955.09.14 see below)Exempt Bishops of DjiboutiHenri-Bernardin Hoffmann, O.F.M. Cap. (see above 1955.09.14 – death 1979.03.21)Michel-Joseph-Gérard Gagnon, White Fathers (M. Afr.) (1980.03.28 – retired 1987.07.03); later Bishop of Laghouat (Algeria, another former French colony) (1991.02.04 – death 2004.06.01)Georges Perron, O.F.M. Cap. (1992.11.21 – retired 2001.03.13), previously Apostolic Administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of Harar (Ethiopia) (1982 – resigned 1992.11.21)Giorgio Bertin, Friars Minor (O.F.M.) (2001.03.13 - ), also Apostolic Administrator of Roman Catholic Diocese of Mogadiscio (Somalia) (1990 – ...)
