KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo - Bishop Nicolas Djomo of Tshumbe, President of the Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, travelled to Belgium to pay tribute to the missionaries who brought the Catholic faith to his central African nation.
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Congolese independence from Belgium. The missionaries 'braved harsh social and climatic conditions and indeed, many paid with their lives as they toiled to build up local Churches which bring together men and women of every tribe, tongue and race in the name of Jesus,' said Bishop Djomo. He added that the missionaries 'knew how to combine the proclamation of the Good News with the promotion of human development. Catholic missions opened all over the country became centres of development with poultry farms, medical clinics, schools and other essential social services.'
There are 33.0 million Catholics in Congo, 53% of the nation’s population and 3,081 seminarians
|
