Catholic Population in Guinea Bissau Increased after COVID-19 Lockdown: Missionary Priest

“In our Parish of St. Francis of Assisi in Antula, in Bissau, there are many catechumens. More than 3,000 have applied for baptism, but here with us, the preparation lasts even 7 or 8 years: therefore, one must be convinced in order to take this path,” Fr. Corbioli says in the December 7 report. 

Appreciating religious inclusivity that the people of God in Guinea Bissau embrace, the Italian-born Catholic Priest expresses hope that the good relationship among people of different faiths will continue in the West African country.

“Thanks be to God, here there is no problem of religion and relationships with other faiths. We hope that this continues and that the problems and conflicts that occur in other parts of Africa, some even close to us, will not be experienced,” Fr. Corbioli says.

He also highlights the country’s struggling health and education sectors and attributes the challenges to the political instability that he says has been going on since the country’s last elections in November 2019.

“From a social point of view, the situation in Guinea Bissau is rather difficult. Hospitals do not have anything; health personnel have not received their salaries for months and are on strike, while the mission hospitals are overcrowded,” Fr. Corbioli says.

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He adds, “Volunteer doctors are coming from all over the world to support a situation that is collapsing, not to mention the school. Similarly, months go by without teachers receiving wages.”

The OMI member who has been the Spiritual Director of the Major Seminary of Bissau since 2003 says that the infrastructure of the country is in a terrible condition and that nothing is being done to improve the situation. 

He says that the results of the presidential elections of 2019 were not well received by the candidate who lost and also by observers who insisted on recounting the votes.

“The victory went to Umaro El Mokhtar Sissoco Embaló but many observers say he did not really deserve it. The candidate, Domingos Simões Pereira, asked for a recount but the Electoral Commission never accepted,” the Catholic Priest is quoted as saying in the December 7 report.

Media reports indicate  that President Embaló of Guinea Bissau took office in February 2020 amid tensions that followed the disputed election results.

Prime Minister Nuno Gomes Nabiam was appointed to replace Prime Minister Aristides Gomes who was dismissed February 28 by President Embaló.

Fr. Corbioli says that peace existed only for some time as there was unity between the two highest offices, but the relationship between the offices deteriorated, further reverting the country into tension.

He further says that the West African nation is not poor, noting that the country has enough resources that can be utilized to sustain the people.

“We have many resources and tourism could be an inexhaustible source of wealth for the population. We are not poor; there are many opportunities for trade,” the missionary Priest says.