U.S. Dep't of State, 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: Cabo Verde

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The constitution and other laws protect the right of individuals to choose, practice, profess, and change their religion. The law provides for freedom of religion and worship and provides for equal rights in accordance with the constitution and international law. A concordat between the government and the Holy See recognizes the legal status of the Catholic Church and recognizes Catholic marriages under civil law. The law requires religious groups to prove they have 500 members before they may register formally as such and accords registered groups certain rights and privileges.

In July, the government and the Holy See celebrated the 10th anniversary of their concordat, which government representatives said helped spur the development and 2014 passage of the law on religious freedom. In October, the Ministry of Education promulgated guidelines for the 2023-24 school year on the Catholic Moral and Religious Education (EMRC) class, which was introduced in the country’s public schools on an experimental basis in 2022 within the scope of the concordat. In January, the Bishop of the Diocese of Santiago de Cabo Verde announced the Catholic Church’s initial program of activities that would culminate in the celebration of 500 years of Christian evangelism in the country in 2033. In meetings with religious representatives during the year, the Ambassador stressed religious freedom as a U.S. policy priority.

In meetings with representatives of different denominations, U.S. embassy officials stressed the importance of religious tolerance and encouraged interfaith engagement to promote broad support for religious freedom. Section I. Religious Demography The U.S. government estimates the total population at 603,900 (mid-year 2023). The 2021 national census (the most recent) figure is 505,000. According to the 2021 census, 73 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, 2 percent Seventh-day Adventist, 2 percent Nazarene, 2 percent Christian Rationalist, and 1 percent Muslim; 16 percent do not identify with any religion.

Groups that together constitute less than 5 percent of the population include Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church of Jesus Christ), Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, New Apostolic Church, Assemblies of God, and other Christian groups. There are small Baha’i and Jewish communities. Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom Legal Framework The constitution states freedom of conscience, religion, and worship are inviolable and protects the right of individuals to choose, practice, profess, and change their religion and to interpret their religious beliefs for themselves.

It provides for the separation of religion and state and prohibits the state from imposing religious beliefs and practices on individuals. It prohibits political parties from adopting names associated with specific religious groups. The constitution prohibits ridiculing religious symbols or practices. The law codifies the constitution’s religious freedom provisions by providing for equal rights and guarantees for all religions in accordance with the constitution and international law.

The law separates religion and state but allows the government to sign agreements with religious entities on matters of public interest. Specific sections of the law guarantee the protection of religious heritage, the right to religious education, freedom of organization of religious groups, and the free exercise of religious functions and worship. The penal code provides for punishment for discrimination on religious grounds, incitement of hatred against a religious group, planning the destruction of a religious group or a part thereof, prevention or disturbance of religious worship through violence or the threat thereof, and destruction or desecration of a place or object of worship or religious veneration. Moreover, the law identifies religious hatred and commission of a crime due to the perceived religion of the victim as aggravating factors warranting more severe sentences for certain crimes, including murder.

Violations of religious freedom are crimes subject to penalties of between three months and three years in prison. These crimes may include discrimination against individuals for their expressed religion or lack thereof, violence or the threat of such that impedes or disturbs the practice of religion, violations of the freedom of and from religious education, denial of religious assistance in hospitals and prisons, denial of free speech to religious organizations, threats against places of worship, and violations of conscientious objection within the bounds of the law. A concordat between the government and the Holy See recognizes the legal status of the Catholic Church and its right to carry out its apostolic mission freely in the country. The concordat further recognizes Catholic marriages under civil law and the right of Catholics to carry out religious observances on Sundays, and it specifies a number of Catholic holidays as public holidays.

It protects places of worship and other Catholic properties and provides for religious educational institutions, charitable activities, and pastoral work in the military, hospitals, and penal institutions. The concordat exempts church revenues and properties used in religious and nonprofit activities from taxes and makes contributions to the church tax deductible. The law requires all associations, whether religious or secular, to register with the Ministry of Justice. To register, a religious group must submit a copy of its charter and statutes signed by its members.

Registered religious groups may receive exemptions from taxes and fees in connection with places of worship or other buildings intended for religious purposes, activities with exclusively religious purposes, institutions and seminaries intended for religious education or training of religious leaders, goods purchased for religious purposes, and distribution of publications with information on places of worship. Unregistered associations may conduct the same activities to the extent permitted under the law but are not eligible for tax benefits. Legally registered churches and religious groups may use broadcast time on public radio and television at their own expense. The law requires religious groups to obtain the notarized signatures of 500 members before they may begin any activities related to developing their presence in the country.

Failure to present the required signatures prevents religious groups from completing their formal registration process and obtaining tax-exempt status and protections for their property and presence in the country. The law permits conscientious objection to mandatory military service on religious grounds. Conscientious objectors are not required to perform alternative service, and no such alternative is provided under law. According to the law, registered churches and religious communities or organizations may apply for and obtain authorization to provide moral and religious education in public schools.

Such education is optional. By law, the government is to ensure necessary conditions to provide moral and religious education in schools without discrimination. The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Government Practices In July, the government and the Holy See celebrated the 10th anniversary of their concordat.

Government representatives characterized the concordat as contributing to stability in the relationship between the government and the Holy See and as spurring the development and 2014 passage of the law on religious freedom. Minister of Health and Social Security Filomena Goncalves, who is also responsible for the government’s relations with religious denominations, said the agreement made it possible for the government and the church “to jointly plan and execute actions for the common good and human dignity.” In October, the Ministry of Education, through the National Directorate of Education, promulgated guidelines for the 2023-2024 school year on the Catholic Moral and Religious Education (EMRC) class, which was introduced in the country’s public schools on an experimental basis in 2022 within the scope of the concordat. In July, Minister Goncalves met with bishops of the country’s two dioceses to discuss implementation of this project with the aim of harmonizing the guidelines and procedures for implementing the class. Officials described the EMRC class as in an expansion phase during the year.

In June, Minister Goncalves met with Si Mohamed Rifki, the Secretary General of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Oulema, a Moroccan organization of Islamic scholars. During the meeting, the Minister stated that Cabo Verde, as a secular country with religious freedom, has all the conditions to establish and maintain cordial relations with Muslim countries, within a regulated and transparent framework for the exercise of that religion. The Minister expressed the government’s interest in continued cooperation with the foundation to promote interfaith dialogue, openness, and tolerance. In August, Minister Goncalves took part in the “For the Strength of Youth” event for the young people of the Church of Jesus Christ.

The event was attended by approximately 1,000 participants from all over the country. The government sent representatives to the XXVIII World Youth Day in August, an event that brought together young Catholics from all over the world for an ecumenical meeting with Pope Francis in Lisbon, Portugal. Hundreds of young Catholics from Cabo Verde took part, with logistical support and encouragement from the government. Section III.

Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom In January, Cardinal Arlindo Gomes Furtado, Bishop of the Diocese of Santiago de Cabo Verde, announced the Catholic Church’s initial program of activities that will culminate in the 2033 jubilee celebrating 500 years of evangelism in the country. Gomes Furtado said that the jubilee celebrations would represent the soul and history of the country regardless of whether one was Catholic or not.” Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement In meetings with religious representatives during the year, the Ambassador stressed religious freedom as a U.S. policy priority. In meetings with representatives of different religious groups, embassy officials stressed the importance of religious tolerance, solicited views on the state of religious freedom in the country, and encouraged interfaith engagement to promote broad support for religious freedom.

During the year, embassy officials accompanied a visiting Peace Corps delegation who met with missionaries and the leadership of the local Church of Jesus Christ congregation to discuss religious freedom and levels of tolerance, as well as broader social issues in the country. On This Page search > < EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Section I. Religious Demography Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom Legal Framework Government Practices Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom Section IV.

U.S. Government Policy and Engagement Tags Bureau of African Affairs Cabo Verde Office of International Religious Freedom Religious Freedom Reports