Congo-Brazzaville: A forgotten Church

In December, Maxime François-Marsal, the coordinator of ACN projects in French-speaking Africa, travelled to Congo-Brazzaville, also known as the Republic of the Congo, a nation that borders Angola, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, among others. In this interview, he speaks about the state of the Congolese Church and how ACN contributes to its development.  

Congo-Brazzaville isn’t in the news much. How would you describe the country? 

That’s true, you don’t hear much about this country, and what’s more, it is often confused with the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is much larger and is more widely discussed in the media. Congo-Brazzaville covers 142,000 square miles and has a population of about six million people.

Despite its natural wealth, and income generated by exports of wood and oil, the people are very poor, not only financially, but morally, too. Congo-Brazzaville has a turbulent history, which has left its mark on the population.

It went through a terrible war at the end of the 1970s, which saw the current President Denis Nguesso, a military man, rise to power. In 1997, forces loyal to Nguesso fought in another civil war against supporters of Pascal Lissouba, who had been elected President of the Republic in 1992. As a result of that war, Lissouba had to go into exile. All of this had a deep effect on the people. Thousands were killed and displaced. Nguesso has been in power since then, and people live their daily lives, just trying to survive and find some peace.   

What is the current state of the Church? 

The Church acts with a certain amount of freedom, but that has not always been the case. The country was a French colony and gained independence in 1960. After that, in 1970, there was a period of socialism, with terrible consequences for the Church. One day, with no prior warning, the socialist government nationalized all Catholic schools and imposed restrictions on religious activities, as well as on Church participation in public affairs. Until 1991, the national flag was red, with the hammer and sickle as the national symbols. The Church has regained some of that lost ground, but there is still very much to do. In other countries, like  Cameroon, for instance, about 50 percent of the schools are Church-run, while in the Congo, only about 10 percent of them are. Catholics make up around 47 percent of the population, and Protestants around 48 percent. And an estimated 1.5 percent is Muslim. There is also a small group that follows traditional African religions.  

One of the victims of the regime at that time was Cardinal Emile Bianyenda. Is he still remembered by the faithful?  

He is greatly beloved because he was a man who strived for peace. Even the non-Catholics admire and respect him. He was murdered in 1977, at the start of the civil war. In the course of one week, three very important national figures were murdered: then-President Marien Ngouabi, Cardinal Biayenda, and former President Alphonse Massamba-Débat, who was executed. The Cardinal urged people to “stay calm and trust in God.” And despite the growing danger, he refused to leave the country, saying: “I would gladly give my life for Christ.” Unfortunately, a few hours later, he was shot. There is currently a cause open for his beatification.  

What are the main challenges for the Church in Congo-Brazzaville? 

There are few vocations for the religious life among women, and the rise of Protestant sects is worrying. Poverty fills people with despair, and the fight for survival is extremely tough. But I believe that the Church in Congo-Brazzaville is full of wonderful people and exceptional priests. They need us to give them hope, and to help their communities prosper.  

What would you highlight from your trip? 

One of the most moving moments was in Impfondo, when we had to stop the car to ask for water, since the radiator had just burst. There, in the middle of nowhere, we ran into a family, Congolese people who live in the jungle (they are sometimes referred to as pygmies, though this is a slur in Congo). Many of them live in great poverty and have no access to education. Few of them have become Catholic because they tend to reject anything new. One of the children started crying when he saw us, and when we asked why, they told us it was because he had never seen a white person, since they don’t have contact with outsiders. But it was very impressive, because when we found this family and asked them for water, not only did they give it to us, but they received us very warmly and insisted we stay in their house. These are very small houses, made of branches and leaves. They are very poor people, yet they offer everything they have.  

How does ACN help the Church with its work? 

ACN has carried out many projects: formation of seminarians, the purchase of vehicles, educational projects, houses for priests. During our visit to the seminary in Brazzaville, where we celebrated Mass, I was impressed by the attitude of the formators, who are very dedicated to preparing good priests. We were also very warmly welcomed by the boys, girls, and religious sisters at the orphanage of Saint Marie Veronique in Owando. They greeted us with songs and seemed overjoyed at our visit. We recently helped the orphanage buy a car. We have many of these projects in Congo-Brazzaville, because there is a great need for vehicles; the distances covered are enormous, and the roads are in a pitiful state. They are often flooded, too.  

With all these challenges, is there reason for hope in Congo-Brazzaville? 

It is true that the people are very poor, and they feel powerless and desperate, but their faith is strong. Despite all the difficulties, they work tirelessly and in extreme conditions, persevering in their mission. Recently, new bishops were nominated, and they have very positive and refreshing attitudes. As the sisters told us at the orphanage we visited, the mission of the Church could be summed up like this: “Keep on struggling for the cause and the mission.” So yes, there is hope.   

Since 2017, Aid to the Church in Need has funded more than 200 projects in Congo-Brazzaville: the formation of over 1,700 seminarians, as well as the provision of Mass stipends, catechetical materials, and parish houses, all contributing to the mission of the Church in the country. The charity has also supported construction and transportation projects to strengthen pastoral work.  

—Lucia Ballester