The Church plays an important role in the development of the country, where about half the population claims to be Catholic.

The evangelisation of the country dates back to the second half of the 19th century, with the arrival of the missionaries of the Holy Spirit, who founded two Apostolic Vicariates, in the north and south of the country, in 1886 and 1889, respectively.
The following year, on October 14, 1890, the Apostolic Vicariate of the so-called Upper French Congo was erected. In 1895, the first Congolese priest was ordained. Only in 1961 was the first native bishop, Théophile Mbemba, consecrated. And in 1973, the Church had its first cardinal, the Archbishop of Brazzaville, Émile Biayenda. He was kidnapped from his residence near the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Brazzaville on the afternoon of March 22, 1977, and killed on the night of March 23, 1977, by a group of soldiers. The causes are still unknown today.
John Paul II was the first pope to visit the country in 1980. The Republic of Congo now has about 6 million inhabitants, divided equally between Catholics and Protestants, with an increase in Pentecostal groups and a small minority of Muslims and followers of traditional religions. The Archdiocese of Brazzaville, the capital, governed by Archbishop Bienvenu Manamika Bafouakouahou, is divided into 53 parishes and has a population of about 1.5 million inhabitants, 48% of whom are Catholic.

Members of the Episcopal Conference of Congo-Brazzaville. The Catholic Church includes three archdioceses and six suffragan dioceses. Photo CEC.

In total, the Church includes three archdioceses and six suffragan dioceses. After the colonial era and independence in 1960, the 1970s were dominated by a socialist government that pursued a very repressive policy towards the Church. Without warning, the socialist government nationalised all Catholic schools and imposed restrictions on religious activities, as well as on the Church’s participation in public affairs. Catholic institutions have suffered along with the population from the turbulent history of the country, which was already marred by a first civil conflict in 1959, when it was still under French control. This was followed 45 years later by another four more years of civil war.
The consequences were the spread of extreme poverty among the population despite the abundant natural resources and the income generated by the export of wood and oil. In this context, the Church, over time, has regained a considerable role in both the pastoral and social spheres. Today, there are almost 200 parishes, the priests and religious alongside the bishops are over 600, and social and development works have multiplied with dozens of schools, dispensaries and clinics, women’s promotion centres and humanitarian aid initiatives.

Archbishop Bienvenu Manamika Bafouakouahou of Brazzaville. The Archdiocese is divided into 53 parishes and has a population of about 1.5 million inhabitants, 48% of whom are Catholic. Credit: Vatican Media

Monsignor Manamika Bafouakouahou spoke about the role of the Church in a recent interview: “We are poor people who live in potentially very rich countries,” said the prelate in reference to Congo but also to all the countries in the region. The bishop then acknowledged that the Church works without problems and enjoys stability in the country, but must face some critical situations such as the reduction in vocations, especially female, and the increase in the so-called “revival churches” financed mainly by the USA: Pentecostal communities that – as denounced by the archbishop – conduct a sort of “guerrilla warfare” in the pastoral and spiritual field, bitterly opposing the Catholic Church. “They put the faith of Catholics in crisis – explained Msgr. Bienvenu – by offering easy solutions to the problems of their life. Many faithful, who often live in conditions of indigence and poverty, struggle to accept our announcement and reject immediate solutions to their pressing problems. They therefore find “magic solutions” with fundamentalist pastors, but then find themselves disappointed because nothing changes in their condition”.  (Open Photo: Brazzaville. The Sacred Heart Cathedral. iStock/mtcurado)
(G.C.)