The Vatican Secretary for Relations with States receives an honorary doctorate from the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and praises agreements between the Holy See and African countries as promoting “ecclesiastical freedoms” and the “common good.”
By Edoardo Giribaldi
The Holy See’s diplomacy with contemporary African states is a “service to humanity,” focused on maintaining “ecclesiastical freedoms,” even amid “political changes,” and on preserving the “common good.”
This was the core message of Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, during his address at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon.
This marked the fourth and final day of his visit to the African country, where he received an honorary doctorate.
The role of the Church in international diplomacy
The agreements signed by the Holy See, Archbishop Gallagher emphasized, are a fundamental aspect of the Catholic Church’s longstanding diplomatic tradition.
While the Church remains a “profoundly spiritual entity,” it is also a significant actor in “multilateral diplomatic relations” with “almost every state in the world” and with “international organizations such as the United Nations.”
On 8 January, 180 ambassadors attended the Pope’s annual greetings to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See.
Currently, there are 91 diplomatic missions accredited to the Holy See. Vatican diplomacy, rooted in the era of Pope Martin V (1417–1431), operates through the Secretariat of State, which Archbishop Gallagher described as “the very center of papal diplomacy.”
A “long and rich collaboration” with African countries
Accepting with “emotion” the honorary doctorate awarded by the Cameroonian university, Archbishop Gallagher highlighted the importance of the “Framework Agreement” between the Holy See and the State of Cameroon, ratified in Yaoundé on 13 January 2014.
He also noted that relations between Africa and the Vatican date back centuries, with early agreements signed with Tunisia and the Belgian Congo marking the start of a “long and rich collaboration.”
A pivotal moment in these relations was the colonial era, during which “almost all of Africa—except Ethiopia and Liberia—was under the rule of European powers,” Archbishop Gallagher recalled.
During this time, the Holy See acted as a voice for the faithful and the local clergy, gradually participating in conventions concerning colonized territories.
Agreements with the Congo
For instance, in the Belgian Congo, Archbishop Gallagher mentioned two agreements: one on May 26, 1906, under Pope Pius X, and another on December 8, 1953, under Pope Pius XII.
The first aimed to “promote the spread of Catholicism while supporting the government’s educational efforts through the establishment of schools and vocational training centers.”
The second sought to “adapt the Church’s organization in the Congo to new circumstances, characterized by the growing Catholic population and local clergy, alongside the gradual emergence of a modern state striving for independence.”
Early missions on the continent
With the end of the colonial era, Archbishop Gallagher noted, “the Holy See’s diplomatic activity in Africa accelerated.”
Starting in 1960, new apostolic delegations were established in cities such as Lagos (Nigeria), Nairobi (Kenya), and Antananarivo (Madagascar), while other missions were upgraded to nunciatures. The first nunciature for Francophone Africa was opened in Dakar (Senegal) in 1961, becoming the fourth on the continent after Cairo (Egypt), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), and Monrovia (Liberia).
In Cameroon, the Apostolic Delegation in Yaoundé was established on 3 April 1965, with jurisdiction over all districts of what is now Central Africa. However, it was only in 1997 that the Holy See ratified its first “Framework Agreement” with an African state, Gabon.
Religious freedom and the common good
Today, 51 out of 54 African states maintain stable diplomatic relations with the Holy See. These relations are guided by principles from the Second Vatican Council, aimed at upholding religious freedom “without distinction” and preserving the “common good.”
The Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes defines this as “that set of social conditions which allows groups and their individual members to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.”
Archbishop Gallagher emphasized that “in signing agreements with states, the Church no longer seeks privileges, as it did in the past, but merely claims the benefit of religious freedom for the Catholic Church and its people.”
Agreements with Cameroon
The Archbishop highlighted the agreements signed with Cameroon, including those related to the Catholic Institute of Yaoundé.
The first, on 5 July 1989, enabled the establishment of a Pontifical University in Cameroon, contributing to higher education in a country that then had only one public university and no private universities. The second, on 17 August 1995, allowed the institute to issue degrees recognized by Cameroon’s civil institutions.
Archbishop Gallagher outlined the benefits of the 2014 Framework Agreement on two levels: “immediate” and “long-term.”
In the short term, it strongly reaffirmed the parties’ commitment to religious freedom as the essential framework for the Church’s activities in Cameroon.
From a long-term perspective, it provides the ecclesial community with clear principles and legal provisions for its relations and collaboration with the Cameroonian state.
Among the “essential” elements of the agreement, Gallagher noted the “recognition” of various legal personalities, the “simplification of the procedure” for their acquisition, the Church’s autonomy in establishing, modifying, or dissolving ecclesiastical entities, and managing episcopal appointments, transfers, and resignations.
Additionally, the agreement commits the Church to “serving integral development and the common good by creating institutions with legal personality under Cameroonian law.”
Benefits for local communities
Concluding his address, Archbishop Gallagher stressed that “the Holy See’s diplomacy is a service to the Church and humanity, with all its vulnerabilities.”
It serves as a foundation for maintaining “ecclesiastical freedoms” protected against potential “political changes” and as a vital resource for local communities to advance their apostolic commitments to human dignity.
“All states must rediscover a spirit of service with the aim of building global solidarity expressed concretely in aiding those who suffer,” Archbishop Gallagher stated during the High-Level Week of the 78th United Nations General Assembly on 18 September 2023.
Recalling that address, the Archbishop expressed hope that the Framework Agreement with Cameroon, as it approaches its 10th anniversary, will yield “even more fruits for the well-being of Christians and citizens of this noble country, Cameroon, and especially for the most vulnerable.”
