Holy See, Angola Agreement “will allow Church to work for common good”: Archbishop

The Framework Agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Angola was signed on 13 September 2019 and came into force a couple of months later, on 21 November 2019.

Under the Framework Agreement, the Republic of Angola and the Holy See commit to cooperate for the spiritual and material wellbeing of all, while respecting the dignity and rights of the human person.

In the document, the Angolan State recognizes the juridical personality of the Catholic Church in the Southern African nation and ownership of its properties.

Addressing journalists during the October 12 event, Bishop Belmiro Chissengueti of Angola’s Cabinda Diocese said the “signing of the Agreement in 2019 had an immediate application within the international legal system and therefore in Angola.”

The instruments, he explained, lacked regulation, as there were aspects that needed clarification for a better realization.

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A case in point was the issue of Church Marriage, Bishop Chissengueti said, and explained, “In practical terms what is intended is to end the issue of civil and religious marriage. But the religious marriage will only have civil validity, as long as the civil and canonical aspects are fulfilled.”

Once the marriage has taken place, the transcription of the act to the civil registry “must be made,” he further said.

The member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (CSSp – Spiritans) added, “Civil marriage would be recognized by the State provided that the process was started at a civil registry office.”

The legal instruments of the agreement between the Holy See and Angola further establish tax exemption for the Catholic Church and free entry visas for Catholic missionaries.

“The issue of visa facilitation for missionaries, foreseen in the Framework-Agreement is a sigh of relief, since it will allow citizens from other parts of the world invited to do missionary work in Angola to enter the country without many constraints,” Bishop Chissengueti said.

The task of evangelization, the Angolan-born Bishop said, “requires qualified personnel and in this sense the Church has encountered some difficulty in obtaining visas.”

“With this instrument, we gain a lot in our missionary work,” he added.

On his part, the Apostolic Nuncio in Angola, Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, said during the October 12 event, “The documents approved mark the expression of a new form of relationship, of collaboration and friendship, in which the parties commit themselves to fulfilling their responsibilities.”

For Angola's Minister of State and Head of the Civil Cabinet of the President of the Republic, Adão de Almeida, the “Catholic Church is a faithful partner of the state in working for the good of Angolans.”

“Angola will continue to count on the strategic partnership of the Catholic Church, to deal with the present problems and challenges and together build a better future,” the Angolan government official said.

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Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.