Christianity in Cape Verde

Cape Verde, also known as Cabo Verde is an archipelago comprising of several islands. The country is located in Central Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of West Africa, close to Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania. The capital and largest city is Praia, while the official language is Portuguese. Cape Verde has a human population of 561,901. There are several ethic communities in the country. These include Ethnic Cape Verdeans, Balanta, Papel, Biafada, as well as foreigners, notably Chinese and Europeans. Roman Catholicism is the dominant faith practiced by 72.5% of the population. The configuration of other religions is Protestantism, 9.2%; Atheism, 15.6%; Islam, 1.3%, unspecified, 1.2%.

Modern History

The islands were colonised by Portugal in the mid-15^th century. After centuries under Portuguese rule, Cape Verde won its independence in 1975. Aristides Pereira, the Secretary-General of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde (PAIGC), and Pedro Pires, militant commander became first President and Prime Minister respectively. A military coup in Guinea-Bissau in 1980, deeply resented by some political actors in Cape Verde broke the political unity between both countries. The PAIGC subsequently split, with the Cape Verde branch thereafter known as the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). Pereira and Pires remained in power in the one-party state until PAICV permitted its dissidents to form the second party, the Movement for Democracy (MpD). The latter party emerged victorious in the two-party elections held in January 1991. The incumbent President is Jose Maria Neves, while the Prime Minister is Ulisses Correia e Silva.

God’s Canvass

The country is a horse-shaped cluster of ten islands (nine inhabited) and eight islets. Three of the islands, Sal, Boa Vista and Maio are fairly flat, and dry. The others are dotted with rocks, but with more vegetation. The fauna and flora of the country are presented below.

Fauna

Cape Verde has five mammals out of which three are threatened. These are grey long-eared bat, feral goats, monkeys, mongoose and rodents. It is a migration points and breeding location for pilot whales, humpback whales and bottlenose dolphin. The country also has 75 species of birds, 19 species of reptiles and 132 varieties of fish. Some of the respective species are shown below.

Flora

Over 240 species of plants are native to the country. These include bellflower, sagebrush, losna, date palm and tamarisk. Some of them are shown below.

Beaches

Culture

The culture of the country is built on music, storytelling and food. These were the only ways the indigenous tribes could express themselves under Portuguese rule. These days, they still sing as they work, strum the violao after dinner, and celebrate Carnival and saints’ fiestas with a West African flourish.

Traditional Attire

The recognised traditional dress of Cape Verde is the panu di terra. Its people also adorn Western-style clothes. Some traditional attires are shown below.

Cuisine

Cape Verdean cuisine is influenced by the cultures of other West African countries, the Portuguese and Western Europeans. Some of the popular dishes are presented in the pictures below.

Status of Christianity

The people of Cape Verde are largely Roman Catholic in faith. However, many of them also lean towards ancestral worship and voodoo. This does not paint a good picture of Biblical spirituality. It is therefore incumbent on all believers of Christ to intercede for unsaved souls in the country, using the following prayer points or as led by the Holy Spirit.

Prayer Points

1. Pray that the Holy One of Israel would break the influence of satan and his demons in the lives of all Cape Verdeans.
2. Ask the Father to judge these demonic principalities and powers and set all their captives free.
3. Pray that God would pour out His Spirit upon these people and help them to receive His mercy in Christ Jesus.
4. Pray that God would destroy the roots of all false religions and the demons associated with them.
5. Ask the Father to send workers into His harvest in the country.
6. Pray that He would empower genuine believers with His Spirit to enable them minister to those that would renounce their occult practices and witchcraft.
7. Pray that the Lord would sanctify them with His word.
8. Ask the Father to purge Christians of pollutions from their associations with ancestral worshippers and other false religions.
9. Pray that God would open doors for Christians to minister Christ in areas dominated by adherents of false religions.
10. Pray for the protection of believers as they minister in areas dominated by occult and voodoo practitioners.

Intercession Checklist

From the map of the country presented in the text, select a city, region or town for focused prayer. Present the chosen geographical space before the Father and tell Him that you are claiming its people for Christ as His ambassador, in line with the instruction in Psalm 2:8, “Ask of Me, and I will give You the heathen as Your inheritance and the uttermost part of the earth as Your possession.”

***** Additional materials sourced from Cape Verde, https://en.m.wikipedia.org; Cape Verde, https://www.britannica.com.