{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] --> {{Catholic Church by country}} [[File:Santa Isabel Malabo 20131224 140204.jpg|thumb|upright|Santa Isabel Cathedral in Malabo]] The '''Catholic Church in [[Equatorial Guinea]]''' is part of the worldwide [[Catholic Church]], under the spiritual leadership of the [[Pope]] in [[Rome]].
In 2023 almost 90% of the population are Christian. Of these 71% are Roman Catholics, though there are also a few thousand [[Protestants]].<ref>[https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?u=75c ARDA website, Retrieved 2023-07-25]</ref><ref>[https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-report-on-international-religious-freedom/equatorial-guinea/ US State Dept, 2021 report]</ref>
Equatorial Guinea has one of the highest proportions of Catholics in Africa, a legacy of its status as a former Spanish colony. There are five [[diocese]]s, including one [[archdiocese]]. Equatorial Guinea consists of a single ecclesiastical province, Malabo, with four suffragan dioceses in Bata, Ebebiyin, Evinayong and Mongomo. The [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malabo|Archdiocese of Malabo]] has the Archbishop of Malabo as metropolitan archbishop and spiritual leader of the catholic faithful of Equatorial Guinea. The current archbishop of Malabo is Nsue Edjang Mayé, former bishop of Ebebiyin. The [[emeritus]] archbishop is [[Ildefonso Obama Obono]].
The bishops are members of the [[Episcopal Conference of Equatorial Guinea]] (Conferencia Episcopal de Guinea Ecuatorial). President of the Episcopal Conference is Ildefonso Obama Obono, archbishop of Malabo. Furthermore, the Episcopal Conference is a member of the Association des Conferences Episcopales de l'Afrique Centrale and the Symposium des Conférences Épiscopales d'Afrique et de Madagascar.
On April 1, 2017, the Holy See erected two new dioceses in Equatorial Guinea. The Diocese of Evinayong was erected from territories formerly belonging to the Diocese of Bata and the Diocese of Mongomo was carved out of the current Diocese of Ebebiyin.<ref>[http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2017/04/01/170401c.pdf/ Erection of the dioceses of Evinayong and Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, and appointment of the first bishops] (Accessed 1 April 2017)</ref>
On March 29, 2018, Archbishop [[Julio Murat]], the titular archbishop of [[Ancient Diocese of Orange|Orange]], was appointed as the [[Apostolic Nunciature to Equatorial Guinea| Apostolic Nuncio to Equatorial Guinea]].<ref>[https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2018/03/29/0233/00509.html Rinunce e nomine, 29.03.2018] (Accessed 31 December 2020)</ref> He held the post until 9 November, 2022.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2022/11/09/0837/01748.html |title= Rinunce e nomine, 09.11.2022 |accessdate=November 9, 2022}}</ref> Archbishop [[José Avelino Bettencourt]] was named as the new Apostolic Nuncio on August 30, 2023.
==Archdiocese==
* [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malabo|Archdiocese of Malabo]]
===Dioceses===
*[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Bata|Diocese of Bata]] *[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Ebebiyin|Diocese of Ebebiyin]] *[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Evinayong|Diocese of Evinayong]] *[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Mongomo|Diocese of Mongomo]]
==Nuncios==
===Apostolic Pro-Nuncio===
* Archbishop [[Luigi Poggi]] (31 October 1966 - 21 May 1969 later Cardinal) * Archbishop Ernesto Gallina (July 16, 1969 - March 13, 1971) * Archbishop [[Jean Jadot]] (15 May 1971 - 23 May 1973) * Archbishop Luciano Storero (30 June 1973 - 14 July 1976) * Archbishop Giuseppe Uhac (October 7, 1976 - June 3, 1981) * Archbishop Donato Squicciarini (16 September 1981 - 1 July 1989) * Archbishop [[Santos Abril y Castelló]] (2 October 1989 - 24 February 1996)
===Apostolic Nuncio===
* Archbishop [[Félix del Blanco Prieto]] (4 May 1996 - 28 June 1996) * Archbishop [[Eliseo Antonio Ariotti]] (17 July 2003 - 5 November 2009) * Archbishop [[Piero Pioppo]] (January 25, 2010 - September 8, 2017) * Archbishop [[Julio Murat]] (March 29, 2018 - November 9, 2022)
==See also== *[[Religion in Equatorial Guinea]] *[[Protestantism in Equatorial Guinea]] *[[Reformed Presbyterian Church of Equatorial Guinea]]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Africa topic|Catholic Church in|groupstyle=background-color:gold|titlestyle=background-color:gold}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Catholic Church in Equatorial Guinea}} [[Category:Catholic Church by country|Equatorial Guinea]] [[Category:Catholic Church in Equatorial Guinea| ]]