The Catholic Church in Angola is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Igreja_Benguela%2C_Angola.jpg/250px-Igreja_Benguela%2C_Angola.jpg)
Catholicism was introduced to Angola by the Portuguese explorers since 1491 when the first missionaries arrived.[1]
Many of the missionaries saw themselves as Portuguese, rather than integrating into Angolan society. Non-Portuguese missionaries were required to renounce the laws of their own country and submit to Portuguese law, as well as prove their ability to speak and write the Portuguese language.[2] The Colonial Act of 1930 advanced the view that Portuguese Catholic missions to the country were "instruments of civilization and national influence".[2]
Demographics
editThe last census in 2014 noted that 56.4% of the Angolan population identified as Roman Catholic.[3]
As of 2020, approximately 53.85%[4][5] of the population professed the Catholic faith, due largely to Angola's history as a former Portuguese colony.
Internal structure
editThe Catholic Church has 19 dioceses in Angola, including 5 archdioceses.[6] All the bishops are members of the regional Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé.
Influence
editThe Catholic University of Angola opened in 1998.[7]
In 2020, the Vatican noted that there are over 1200 priests and 2200 nuns in Angola, serving 469 parishes and 44 Catholic hospitals.[8]
The Catholic radio station Ecclesia is broadcast in 16 of Angola's 18 provinces. Vatican Radio and Maria Radio also operate in the country.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ The World Of Info website
- ^ a b Warner, Rachel (1989). "Christianity". In Collelo, Thomas (ed.). Angola: a country study. Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 94–97. OCLC 44357178. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ "Angola". Association of Religion Data Archives. 2015. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- ^ "Angola". Association of Religion Data Archives. 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ Catholics And Culture website, Retrieved 2023-07-05
- ^ The World Of Info website
- ^ The Conversation website
- ^ Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2020 (Vatican City: Librera Editrice Vaticana, 2022) as presented on the Catholics And Culture website
- ^ US State Dept, International Religious Freedom Report for 2021