Pope Francis is about to leave for a pastoral visit to the Congo. The Vatican News website provides readers with some basic information about the church community in the country.
(Vatican News Network)The Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the oldest church groups in sub-Saharan Africa, dating back to 1491.That year, King Nzinga of the Congo·Ah·Nkuu (King John I) and his family were baptized to Catholicism at the hands of Portuguese missionaries. In 1596, the Diocese of San Salvador (now the Diocese of Mbanza Congo) was established. However. At that time, the Christian faith did not take root here.
Three centuries later, the Catholic faith was firmly established in the Congo under Belgian colonial rule. The Belgian Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Mary came to the Congo first, followed by the Missionaries of the Society of Holy Spirit. The colonial authorities actively supported the establishment of Catholic schools and hospitals, and in 1954 the Congo’s first university, the Jesuit “Lovanium”, was established in Léopoldville, now Kinshasa.
The first Congolese bishop, Pierre Kimbondo, was ordained in 1956, followed in 1959 by Joseph Malula, the first native Archbishop of Leopoldville, who was later called Elevated to the country’s first cardinal. Pope Pius XI established the Holy See Mission in the Belgian Congo in 1930 and upgraded it to the Holy See Embassy after the independence of the Congo in 1963.
Mobutu·Good relations between the state and the Church deteriorated during the long term of President Mobutu Sese Seko, who forcibly nationalized Catholic schools and universities. These nationalization policies have strained relations with Congolese bishops, who have been outspoken critics of Mobutu’s authoritarian and corrupt regime.
Even after Mobutu was forced to nationalize schools and Pope Saint Paul II made two pastoral visits to Congo, then Zaire, in the early 1980s, the tension Persistence, the church is still under threat.
Corruption, violence and abuse continue to plague the Congolese people even after the death of President Mobutu, and Congolese bishops continue to speak out critically, even at the risk of their own lives. On October 29, 1996, Archbishop Christophe Munzihirwa of Bukavu was killed by Rwandan militias allied with Kabila for denouncing injustice and civil war in the Great Lakes region.
Despite the ongoing political turmoil in the country, the Catholic Congolese Church remains one of the most vibrant ecclesiastical groups in Africa. Catholic believers account for 33% of the country’s population; young people actively participate in church life, and vocations are flourishing; lay believers are widely active in social life and mass media.
There are 4,602 diocesan priests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, distributed in nearly 1,500 parishes in 48 dioceses. There are also many priests of the Congolese “Fidei Donum” missionary community working in Africa, Europe and America. There are 11,000 religious men and women engaged in various pastoral tasks throughout the Congo.
An important feature of the Catholic Congolese community is its very lively lay faithful, and the National Lay Apostolic Council (CALCC) brings together many kinds of lay associations and movements. Many catechesis and laymen and women bear witness to the Faith in the political, economic and cultural spheres. The Church has a wide influence in the mass media, with more than 30 radio stations, several diocesan TV channels, newspapers and publications.
In addition, the church community is at the vanguard of social activity and is the country’s primary partner in the fields of education and health. The local church makes up for the lack of public services through its affiliated network of hospitals, social centers and quality schools.
But on the other hand, the Catholic Congolese community also faces some challenges. Even within the Catholic community, resorts to superstition and witchcraft were common. In addition, some independent sects are spreading in the country. Another important challenge is preventing young people from becoming involved in gang violence and militia groups; in the conflict zone in the east of the country, several militia groups are involved in armed clashes.
For the past three decades, the Congolese Episcopal Conference (CENCO) has been closely following the local socio-political situation. The priests issued pastoral letters and statements at critical moments, condemning rampant corruption, poor governance and abuse of power by the authorities. The Congolese Bishops’ Conference promotes concrete initiatives to educate the country’s citizens in the values of peace and democracy and to encourage the active participation of the laity in the country’s political life.
Due to its high reputation and trustworthiness, the Congolese Bishops’ Conference has also been invited to mediate conflicts on many occasions. Over the past few years, Congolese bishops have repeatedly called for peace in the eastern provinces, lamenting that foreign powers continue to destabilize the region with violence and illegal exploitation of its rich mineral resources, including coltan, which is used to make electronics. An important raw material for equipment.
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