Kinshasa, September 27th, 2026 (ACP).- The Archdiocese of Kinshasa has pledged its support for the general population census scheduled to take place in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), starting September 28, 2026, during the opening of its pastoral year on Saturday at Notre-Dame du Congo Cathedral.
“I urge you, diocesan faithful, to welcome the agents of the Ministry of Planning who will visit our neighborhoods and parishes as part of this census operation, to receive them warmly and provide them with true and reliable information,” Cardinal Ambongo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kinshasa, said. According to the Catholic prelate, this second population census is important for the DRC, which does not yet have an exact figure for its population and has faced a deficit in the identification of its citizens for several decades. “This second population census is no less important for a country that has neither identity cards nor an exact number of Congolese people, especially from the standpoint of national security, since the Congolese population has not been identified for several decades,” Cardinal Ambongo said.
“The Catholic Church in Kinshasa, which has more than 230 parishes, needs this information because the establishment of a new parish depends on the number of faithful living in a neighbourhood (…) The Church needs the exact number of people or faithful living in that area,” he added. The Metropolitan Archbishop explained that demographic data are an important element in pastoral planning and the establishment of new parishes. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo’s appeal follows a letter sent by the Ministry in charge of Planning to the Archdiocese of Kinshasa, requesting its support in raising public awareness in order to ensure the success of the operation.