Yesterday, Pope Francis received President Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca of the Republic of Cape Verde in audience at the Vatican Apostolic Palace. President Fonseca then went on to meet with the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
During the course of the cordial discussions, the good relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Cape Verde were recalled. Spoken of in particular was the Accord between the Republic and the Apostolic See regarding the Catholic Church’s juridical status in that country, which will be signed shortly in the capital, Praia, during Archbishop Mamberti’s upcoming trip to the archipelago.
Also mentioned was the cultural and religious identity of the Cape Verdean population, which is almost entirely Christian, as well as the role that the Catholic Church has played and continues to carry out in the country with her educational and health institutions.
In conclusion, some important challenges and situations that particularly concern the region and the topic of the presence of numerous Cape Verdeans in various countries around the world were also noted.
