U.S. Dep't of State, 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: Sao Tome and Principe

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The constitution and the law on religious freedom provide for freedom of religion and worship and equality for all, irrespective of religious belief, and provide for judicial protection to all religious denominations. Both the constitution and the religious freedom law grant religious groups autonomy and the right to teach their religion. Religious groups must register with the government. In September, President Carlos Vila Nova signed a government agreement with the Holy See, which remained pending the Holy See’s ratification at year’s end.

Officials of the Seventh-day Adventist Church reported that recruitment examinations for government jobs taking place on Saturdays conflicted with worship services, limiting possible job opportunities. In August, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God inaugurated a church-run radio station. The president of the National Assembly took part in a ceremony welcoming the new station. Officials from the U.S. embassy in Luanda, Angola, which oversees U.S. relations with the country, met with government officials, encouraging respect for religious freedom and discussing the registration process for religious organizations.

Embassy officials also met with local religious groups to discuss relations among religious denominations and the government’s relationship with different religious groups. Section I. Religious Demography The U.S. government estimates the total population at 220,000 (midyear 2023). The Roman Catholic Bishop’s Office estimates approximately 54 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, approximately 12 percent Protestant, and less than 2 percent Muslim. The U.S. government estimated in 2012 that the country was 55.7 percent Catholic, 4.1 percent Seventh-day Adventist, 3.4 percent Assembly of God, 2.9 percent New Apostolic, 2.3 percent Manna, 2 percent Universal Kingdom of God, 1.2 percent Jehovah’s Witnesses, 6.2 percent other, 21.2 percent none, and 1 percent unspecified.

Other Christian groups include Methodists, the Universal Church of Christ, and the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the World (Tocoists). The number of Muslims has increased over the past two decades due primarily to migrants from Lebanon, Nigeria, Cameroon, and other African countries. Some Christians and Muslims also adhere to aspects of Indigenous beliefs. Section II.

Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom Legal Framework The constitution establishes a secular state and provides for freedom of conscience, religion, and worship. It provides for equality of rights and obligations irrespective of religious belief or practice and for freedom of religious groups to teach their faith and to organize themselves and their worship activities. According to the constitution, these rights are to be interpreted in harmony with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and may be restricted only in cases envisaged in the constitution or suspended during a state of emergency or siege declared according to the terms of the constitution and law. The religious freedom law provides for religious freedom for all and judicial protection for religious denominations.

According to the law, the state does not profess any religion and ensures that its relations with religious organizations are based on the separation of religion and state. The law also states that all religious denominations are entitled to equal treatment. The law criminalizes mocking or vilifying religious worship with up to one year’s imprisonment, but there have been no known instances of enforcement. Religious groups must register with the government.

If a religious group does not register, it is subject to fines and possible expulsion if it is a foreign religious group. To register, a group must send a letter requesting authorization to the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration, and Human Rights. Once the group obtains authorization, it must submit the following documents to a notary public: the ministry’s approval letter; the group’s statutes; the minutes or report from a meeting attended by at least 500 representatives of the group and signed by its president and secretary; copies of the national identity cards of those who attended this meeting; a list of board members; and a certificate from the registrar’s office attesting that no existing organization has the same name. After a payment of 1,000 dobras ($45) for notarial fees, an announcement is published in the government gazette, and the group may then operate fully as a registered group.

Once registered, a religious group does not need to register again. Registered religious groups receive the same benefits, such as tax exemptions, as registered nonprofit organizations. According to the government, there are 33 registered religious groups in the country. Religious education is not a part of the official public school curriculum.

There are two schools run by religious groups, one Catholic and one Seventh-day Adventist; both provide a general education and require all students to take religion classes. The Ministry of Education provides oversight on the curricula of religious schools. The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Government Practices During the year, the government did not receive any registration requests for new religious groups.

Government officials stated that only two religious groups had ever been denied registration and that this was due to their practice of child marriage, which is illegal. In August, the National Assembly approved a government agreement with the Holy See, which the President signed in September. At the end of the year, it remained pending the Holy See’s ratification. The extensive agreement covers such matters as the status of Catholic Church properties, the right to build schools and conduct social services, the nontaxable nature of contributions to the church, and the right of the church to conduct legally recognized marriages.

Officials of the Seventh-day Adventist Church reported that recruitment exams for government jobs taking place on Saturdays conflicted with worship services, limiting possible job opportunities for church members. Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom In August, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God inaugurated a church-run radio station. President of the National Assembly Celmira Sacramento attended the opening ceremony and gave statements welcoming the new media outlet to the country.

In November, the Catholic Church organized events for young persons who participated in World Youth Day to share their experiences, including their meeting with Pope Francis. According to a spokesperson for the youth ministry, more than 650 individuals from the country registered to participate in the event, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal, in August. Individuals were welcome to participate in this and other events regardless of their religious affiliation. Section IV.

U.S. Government Policy and Engagement There is no permanent U.S. diplomatic presence in the country. The U.S. Embassy in Luanda, Angola, oversees U.S. relations with Sao Tome and Principe. During the year, embassy officials and locally based staff met with Ministry of Justice, Public Administration, and Human Rights officials to encourage respect for religious freedom. They also discussed the legal framework and registration process for religious organizations.

In addition, embassy officials met with representatives of the Catholic diocese, leaders of the Seventh-day Adventists, and the imam of a local mosque to discuss relations among religious denominations and the government’s relationship with different religious groups. 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 Office of International Religious Freedom Religious Freedom Reports Sao Tome and Principe