The Framework Agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Congo, on relations between the Catholic Church and the State — signed at Brazzaville on February 3, 2017 — came into force on Tuesday, July 2, 2019, announced the Holy See.
The exchange of instruments of ratification of the Framework Agreement took place in the Vatican in the presence of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States, and Jean-Claude Gakosso, Minister of Foreign Affairs, of Cooperation and of Congolese Abroad.
The Framework Agreement “guarantees to the Church the possibility of fulfilling her mission in the Congo.” In particular, that “the juridical personality of the Church and her institutions is recognized.” The two parties “safeguard their independence and their autonomy, committing themselves to collaborate for the spiritual and material wellbeing of man and for the common good, in respect of the dignity and rights of the human person.”
Present also at the solemn ceremony were:
For the Holy See: Monsignor Robert Murphy, Adviser of the Nunciature at the Secretariat of State; Monsignor Mislav Hodzic, Secretary of the Nunciature at the Secretariat of State;
For the Republic of Congo: Rigobert Itoua, Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Federic Lefa. Technical Adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Jean Paul Ganongo and Ibara Ngoualea, in charge of the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
