A Catholic dominance
From the very beginning of settlement, the islands have been Catholic and remain so to this day. Some 90% of the local population have ostensibly adopted the Roman Catholic religion, even if priests lament having lost some of their influence. It's not uncommon to see believers dressed in their Sunday best on their way to a fervent mass. The Catholic Church remains one of the institutional molds on which social relations (particularly between men and women) have been and still are structured in Cape Verde. The breakthrough of other religions, such as the Adventists, is undoubtedly making itself felt in society, and the number of their followers is growing. There are currently two dioceses on the islands, Mindelo and Santiago de Cabo Verde. Both the constitution and the government guarantee Cape Verdeans freedom of religion, not forgetting the separation of church and state: so there is no state religion either. However, the government does grant the Catholic Church free television broadcasting time for religious services. Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Easter, All Saints' Day and Christmas are declared official national holidays, while the day on which a municipality honors its patron saint is considered a local holiday.
The protestant church
The second dominant religion is represented by the various Protestant churches and their branches, such as the Adventists, Pentecostals and Baptists, and accounts for around 5% of the population. The Nazarene Reformed Church is the largest of this group, but it already has a long history, having been present in Brava since the 1900s, when it was brought back from the USA in the luggage of returning emigrants. It was they who began translating their gospel songs into Creole. Other Protestant groups include the Assemblies of God, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Mormons, and the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, whose places of worship are multiplying. More recently, Brazilian churches such as Templo Maior and currents such as Christian Racionalism have taken root in Portuguese-speaking countries and have taken up positions on the various islands of the archipelago.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church
This church has become much stronger over the years: being in a country with a Christian majority, the new adopters didn't have to make too radical a change. In 2015, the Adventist Church celebrated 80 years of presence in the archipelago, having arrived in Nossa Senhora do Monte in 1935. The church is extremely active, taking part in a variety of programs designed to bring the Word of God to the young people of the community, educating them through music courses, English classes, Bible courses, health courses, conferences on sex life, marriage and more.
Islam
Despite its proximity to the African coast and the influence of neighboring Senegal, Islam has never been widespread in Cape Verde. The construction of the first mosque in Praia dates back only to 1990. However, the growing presence of African nationals and the opening of borders to ECOWAS countries, which has led to economic immigration, leads us to believe that this religion will eventually spread and achieve a significant presence. At present, the number of Muslims in Cape Verde is estimated at around 80,000.
The Judaic religion
History has it that the islands of Santo Antão and Boa Vista were home to successive waves of Jewish families over the centuries, although no precise chronology is given. It is estimated that Jewish converts to Christianity(conversos) were present on the islands as early as the 16th century. More recent immigration includes Moroccan Jews who came from Gibraltar in the 19th century to trade. However, no traces have survived, apart from a few Hebrew inscriptions on tombstones that leave no doubt as to their presence, place names such as the village Sinagoga, and surnames (Benros, Pinto, Benoliel, Levy...). The descendants of these families, most of them notables, proud of their heritage, continue to honor their "Jewishness" through associations or genealogical research, but no longer really practice it for lack of a synagogue. In the Catholic cemetery of Varzea de Praia, Jewish graves have recently been found. Against all expectations, it was a Muslim, in the person of Mohamed VI, King of Morocco, who financed the rehabilitation of the "Jewish square", inaugurated in 2013, which is now being discovered... Isn't that the best symbol of religious tolerance!
Ancestral African beliefs
In Africa, cults, rites and other more or less occult ceremonies originating on the continent are practiced openly. Imported by the first settlers, fetishism, spiritualism and ancient animist traditions have survived and are still widespread: it's not uncommon to turn to a witchdoctor to cure an incurable disease, consult the spirits, bring back an unfaithful husband or even... cast a spell on your enemy. Fetishists and other healers are still at the service of an Africa that has never ceased to perpetuate its age-old rites.
The Catholic religion has always rubbed shoulders with these African religious beliefs that have never disappeared, even though they were strongly prohibited by the colonialists. Today's religious manifestations are the result of the fusion and adaptation of these two spiritual currents. Religious syncretism is therefore an integral part of pilgrimages, processions and popular saints' festivals, making these events so specific to this deeply religious archipelago.
The community of Rabelados, "rebels" of the faith
On the island of Santiago, there's a rather special community called Rabelados. Apart from the fact that they don't recognize the state, they have the particularity of remaining apart from society and being deeply religious. Their beliefs date back to the 17th century and have remained intact. Reading the Bible, the Old Testament, prophecies, prayer and the principles that guided the life of Jesus are all part of their daily lives.
