Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bujumbura (Agenzia Fides) - On August 15, the Catholic Church in Burundi will celebrate the final events of the Jubilee for 125 years of Evangelization, which began on October 1, 2022 (see Fides, 17/3/2023).
Despite the proliferation of new religious movements, the presence of other Christian denominations, the extreme poverty in which the population lives and the years of civil war that have never led to a definitive reconciliation, the local Catholic Church has seen an increase in the number of believers in recent years. In fact, according to estimates by the local Church, the country has experienced a boom in vocations to the consecrated life and to the priesthood. However, due to the difficult economic situation in the East African country, the four major seminaries in the eight Catholic dioceses cannot meet the demand of all the candidates who apply each year. Hence the recent decision to set the number of registrations for each Seminary at 13. In Burundi, two thirds of the population are Catholic, with 90% Christians.
However, there is no shortage of traditional religions and many new religious movements. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 27/7/2023)
