Moscow, June 4, 2025
Delegation learns about Orthodoxy at St. Nicholas Ugreshky Monastery. Photo: afrinz.ru
A delegation from Equatorial Guinea arrived in Moscow late last month to discuss the potential registration of the Russian Orthodox Church in their country, with officials expressing particular admiration for the Church’s charitable work that extends help regardless of recipients’ religious beliefs.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Religious Affairs and Human Rights Namadal Bilingun Ngungu, who is leading the delegation, was struck by the Church’s inclusive approach during visits to Orthodox charitable institutions in Moscow.
“What impressed me most was the situation at the House for Mothers, where we met a girl from Nigeria. She’s a student who found herself in a difficult situation with a child. They took her in, and I was surprised that your Church doesn’t look at the faith of those who need help, whether you’re Catholic, Muslim, or atheist. They simply help people,” Ngungu said in an interview with African Initiative.
The delegation visited several Orthodox institutions, including a hospital, the Church-run House for Mothers, and a center serving homeless people. These experiences will be included in its report to the government.
The visit is part of a formal process required under Equatorial Guinea’s laws for registering new religious organization. A government commission must visit the country representing the organization, meet with its leadership, and prepare a report.
Registration would grant the Russian Orthodox Church significant rights in Equatorial Guinea, making it “a full participant in relations with the state.” Benefits would include exemptions from customs duties and taxes for humanitarian shipments, the ability to request land for church construction, and permission to hold conferences and events without additional permits.
“The church will be able to both provide charitable assistance and receive it: from private individuals, from companies, and also from the state,” Ngungu noted.
The registration initiative comes as Equatorial Guinea, where 90% of residents are Christians, maintains religious freedom while keeping church and state separate. “Every citizen is free to choose what religious beliefs to adhere to. Therefore, the Russian Orthodox Church is invited to work in Equatorial Guinea,” Ngungu said.
The official emphasized that Orthodox Christianity’s emphasis on helping others aligns with Bantu cultural values. “One of the foundations of Bantu culture, to which our country and people belong, is helping one’s neighbor. So when a church comes to the country that takes the same position, they will welcome it.”
Ngungu stressed that any future Orthodox Church activities would need to remain apolitical and avoid interfering in internal affairs.
Metropolitan Konstantin of Zaraisk, head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Exarchate of African, made his first visit to Equatorial Guinea in December, meeting with local believers and public officials. Equatorial Guinea is included in the Exarchate’s Southern Africa Diocese. According to the Metropolitan, Exarchate Church life is in its very early stages there, with the first parish still being formed.
Before the foundation of the Exarchate in late 2021, Equatorial Guinea was already represented by the Patriarchate of Alexandria’s Metropolis of Cameroon, which includes 65 parishes with 35 clerics in Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and the Islands of St Thomas and Principe.
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