Catholic Church in Cape Verde

The Catholic Church in the Cape Verde is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. The country is divided into two dioceses: Mindelo and Santiago de Cabo Verde.

In 2022, more than 94% of the population of Cape Verde is Christian, with almost 85% being Roman Catholic.[1] Other figures state that 77% of the population is Catholic.[2]

History

The Catholic Church was established by Portuguese traders in 1533 on the island.[3] Diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Cape Verde were established in 1976.[4]

The Diocese of Mindelo was divided from the original Diocese of Santiago in 2003, creating the current configuration of two diocese covering the island country.[3] In 2011, an agreement was signed between the Government of Cape Verde and the Vatican creating a legal foundation for the Catholic Church in the country, allowed for Catholic schools, and a church role in formalizing marriages.[5] On February 14, 2015, Pope Francis made Bishop Arlindo Gomes the first Cardinal from Cape Verde.[3]

See also

References
  1. World Religion Database 2020 at the ARDA website, Retrieved 2023-08-01
  2. International Religious Freedom Report 2022: Cape Verde. United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. "Cape Verde, Africa getting its first cardinal". Catholic News Agency. 2015-02-03. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
  4. "Agreement Ratified Between Holy See and Cape Verde". Zenit News Agency. 2014-04-04. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
  5. "Catholic Bishops of Cape Verde on their ad limina visit". Vatican Radio. 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2015-03-05.


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