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Catholic Church In São Tomé And Príncipe
The Catholic Church in São Tomé and Príncipe is part of the Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome and forms the largest religion in the country. A majority of the residents São Tomé and Príncipe adhere to Catholicism. In 2005, about 118,000 (88%) residents of São Tome and Principe were members of the Catholic Church. The country consists of a single diocese, Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe, which has Manuel António Mendes dos Santos as bishop since 2006. The bishop is a member of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé whose president of the Episcopal Conference is Gabriel Mbilingi, bishop of Lubango (Angola). Furthermore, one member of the Inter Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa and Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar. The Nuncio of São Tome and Principe is Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa, also Nuncio for Angola. The main Catholic church in the country is the Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions and has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilization.Gerald O'Collins, O'Collins, p. v (preface). The church consists of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites#Churches, ''sui iuris'' (autonomous) churches, including the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, which comprise almost 3,500 dioceses and Eparchy, eparchies List of Catholic dioceses (structured view), around the world, each overseen by one or more Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishops. The pope, who is the bishop of Rome, is the Papal supremacy, chief pastor of the church. The core beliefs of Catholicism are found in the Nicene Creed. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Symposium Of Episcopal Conferences Of Africa And Madagascar
The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar or SECAM () is an agency of the Catholic Church that comprises the bishops of Africa. History The SECAM was born, on the occasion of the Second Vatican Council, to express the will of the African bishops to speak and act together, overcoming the language difference, historical and cultural. The project, submitted to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, was approved in 1968. The Symposium was convened for the first time during the visit of Pope Paul VI to Uganda in 1969. Organization SECAM includes a presidential council, a General Secretariat, and special committees: the committee on doctrinal and pastoral, social and legal committee, the Committee on Finance and Administration, the Committee for African Affairs, the union of African collaboration. Presidents # 1969 – Laurean Rugambwa # 1969–1978 – Paul Zoungrana # 1978–1981 – Hyacinthe Thiandoum # 1981–1984 – Paul Zoungrana # 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Religion In São Tomé And Príncipe
Christianity is the predominant religion in São Tomé and Príncipe, with Catholicism being the largest denomination. There is also a substantial minority of the adherents of Baha'i faith. São Tomé and Príncipe is a secular state, and the nation's constitution provides for freedom of religion and worship. History In 1469, Portuguese sailors discovered a deserted island in the Gulf of Guinea near the equator, which was named São Tomé. On January 17, 1472, a neighboring island was discovered, which was called Príncipe. Settlement on the São Tomé island began in 1493, when Álvaro Caminha received the territory from King John II, along with a special privilege to buy slaves for the development of the area. During the Inquisition, Portuguese Jews were sent to the island, either as convicts or immigrants. Similarly, Príncipe island was inhabited in 1500. The Portuguese spread Catholicism, being the first religion of the islands. On January 31, 1533, Pope Clement VII cre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apostolic Nunciature To São Tomé And Príncipe
The Apostolic Nunciature to São Tomé and Príncipe is an ecclesiastical office of the Catholic Church in São Tomé and Príncipe. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio with the rank of an ambassador. The title Apostolic Nuncio to São Tomé and Príncipe is held by the prelate appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Angola; he resides in Angola. The Holy See and São Tomé and Príncipe established diplomatic relations on 12 December 1984, and the Holy See established its Nunciature to São Tomé and Príncipe on 21 December 1984. List of papal representatives to São Tomé and Príncipe ;Apostolic Pro-Nuncios *Fortunato Baldelli (4 May 1985 - 20 April 1991) * Félix del Blanco Prieto (31 May 1991 - 4 May 1996) ;Apostolic Nuncios * Aldo Cavalli (2 July 1996 - 28 June 2001) *Giovanni Angelo Becciu (15 November 2001 - 23 July 2009) * Novatus Rugambwa (6 February 2010 - 5 March 2015) *Petar Rajič (15 June 2015 - 15 June 2019) * Giov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
São Tomé
São Tomé is the capital and largest city of the Central African island country of São Tomé and Príncipe. Its name is Portuguese for " Saint Thomas". Founded in the 15th century, it is one of Africa's oldest colonial cities. History Álvaro Caminha founded the colony of São Tomé in 1493. The Portuguese came to São Tomé in search of land to grow sugarcane. The island was uninhabited before the arrival of the Portuguese sometime around 1470. São Tomé, situated about north of the equator, had a climate wet enough to grow sugarcane in wild abundance. In 1497, 2,000 Jewish children, eight years old and under, were kidnapped from the Iberian peninsula, and forcefully converted to receive catholic education, following the national policy of conversion to Catholicism. The nearby African Kingdom of Kongo eventually became a source of slave labor as well. The island of São Tomé was the main center of sugar production in the sixteenth century; it was overtaken by Brazil b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Our Lady Of Grace Cathedral, São Tomé
The Our Lady of Grace Cathedral (), also called Cathedral of São Tomé, is a church in the city of São Tomé, capital of the African and island country of São Tomé and Príncipe. It is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe. It stands at Praça do Povo (People's Square) in the city centre, close to the Presidential Palace.Cathedral São Tomé Heritage of Portuguese Influence Construction of the first church of Our Lady of Grace was started at the end of the fifteenth century under Captain . This church was situated near the present cathedral. It became the seat of a diocese in 1534. The building was reconstructed between 1576 and 1578, during ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Novatus Rugambwa
Novatus Rugambwa (born 8 October 1957) is a Tanzanian prelate of the Catholic Church and diplomat of the Holy See. Biography Novatus Rugambwa was born on 8 October 1957, in Bukoba, Tanzania, and was ordained a priest on 6 July 1986, for the Latin Catholic Diocese of Bukoba, Diocese of Bukoba. He holds a degree in canon law. In 1987, he was admitted to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy to study diplomacy. Diplomatic career Rugambwa entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1 July 1991, and served in the pontifical diplomatic missions in Panama, Republic of Congo, Pakistan, New Zealand and Indonesia. He was named undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants on 28 June 2007. On 6 February 2010 he was named Titular Archbishop of Tagaria and Apostolic Nunciature to São Tomé and Príncipe, apostolic nuncio to São Tomé and Príncipe. He was named apostolic nuncio to Angola on 20 February 2010 as well. His episcopal consecra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nuncio
An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is appointed by and represents the Holy See, and is the head of the diplomatic mission, called an apostolic nunciature, which is the equivalent of an embassy. The Holy See is legally distinct from the Vatican City or the Catholic Church. In modern times, a nuncio is usually an Archbishop. An apostolic nuncio is generally equivalent in rank to that of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, although in Catholic countries the nuncio often ranks above ambassadors in diplomatic protocol. A nuncio performs the same functions as an ambassador and has the same diplomatic privileges. Under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to which the Holy See is a party, a nuncio is an ambassador like those from any other country. The Vienn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gabriel Mbilingi
Gabriel Mbilingi C.S.Sp., (born 17 January 1958 in Bândua, Bié, Angola) is the current Angolan Archbishop of Lubango Lubango, formerly known as Sá da Bandeira, is a municipality in Angola, capital of the Huíla Province, with a population of 914,456 in 2022. The city center had a population of 600,751 in 2014 making it the second-most populous city in Angola a .... Since 20 November 2009 he is the president of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Principe, or CEAST (''Conferencia Episcopal de Angola e São Tomé e Príncipe''). Life On February 26, 1984 Gabriel Mbilingi joined the Religious congregation, Congregation of the Spiritan (Latin: ''Congregatio Sancti Spiritus; CSSp'') and received the ordination. On 15 October 1999 he was appointed by Pope John Paul II as Coadjutor bishop of the Diocese, Diocese of Lwena; on 6 January 2000 the Pope himself consecrated him as bishop. Later he followed the resignation of his predecessor, José da Próspero Ascen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pope
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of state of the Papal States, and since 1929 of the much smaller Vatican City state. From a Catholic viewpoint, the primacy of the bishop of Rome is largely derived from his role as the apostolic successor to Saint Peter, to whom Petrine primacy, primacy was conferred by Jesus, who gave Peter the Keys of Heaven and the powers of "binding and loosing", naming him as the "rock" upon which the Church would be built. The current pope is Leo XIV, who was elected on 8 May 2025 on the second day of the 2025 papal conclave. Although his office is called the papacy, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, jurisdiction of the episcopal see is called the Holy See. The word "see" comes from the Latin for 'seat' or 'chair' (, refe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Episcopal Conference Of Angola And São Tomé
The Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (Conferência Episcopal de Angola e São Tomé or CEAST) is the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Principe. It has its headquarters in Luanda. In its pastoral letters, CEAST calls repeatedly for dialogue and social justice. Leadership The organization has been headed by: *Manuel Nuñes Gabriel, Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Luanda, Luanda (1967-1975) *Eduardo André Muaca, Archbishop of Luanda (1975-1982) *Manuel Franklin da Costa, Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lubango, Lubango (1982-1990) *Cardinal Alexandre do Nascimento, Archbishop of Luanda (1990-1997) *Zacarias Kamwenho, Archbishop of Lubango (1997-2003) *Damião António Franklin, Archbishop of Luanda (2003-2009) *Gabriel Mbilingi, CSSp, Archbishop of Lubango (2009–2015) *Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias, Archbishop of Luanda (2015–2021) *José Manuel Imbamba, Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saurimo, Saurim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manuel António Mendes Dos Santos
Manuel António Mendes dos Santos, CMF (born 20 March 1960) has been the Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe since 1 December 2006. Mendes was ordained a priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ... on June 13, 1985. He succeeded Abílio Rodas de Sousa Ribas, CSSp in the São Tomé and Príncipe see in 2007. He resigned in 2022. References External links Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe, São Tomé and Príncipe 1960 births [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
