The discreet witness of a tiny Catholic flock in an Islamic republic

Saint Joseph Cathedral in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, looks very much like a tent from the outside. 

Each Sunday between 400-600 people join to celebrate the Eucharist in French.

After Mass some people, dressed in wax cloth emblazoned with images of saints, linger in the courtyard.

"People from all continents and all walks of life come together. This gives a liveliness to our Church that is not found elsewhere," says Bishop Martin Happe.

The 76-year-old German, who is a member of the Missionaries of Africa (the “White Fathers”), has been bishop of Nouakchott since 1995. In the 22 years before that he was an apostolic administrator in Mali. 

Bishop Happe points out that none of the people in his flock are from Mauritania. And he says the Sunday gatherings are an opportunity for these Catholics to meet, even though many of them live in great poverty.

"The Church is also a way for Christians and foreigners to come together," says Laurent, a native of Guinea-Bissau who oversees the altar boys in the cathedral parish.

A tiny minority 

Nouakchott, the lone Catholic diocese in Mauritania, was established in 1965. It has a parish in the capital and one in Nouadhibou, the country's second largest city. There are also mission posts in four other places – Atar, Rosso, Kaédi and Zouérate – although they have no faithful.

There is only a small Christian presence in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, a country of some 4.4 million inhabitants on the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa. 

Islam is the state religion, and all Mauritanians are Muslims. The 4,000 Catholics in the country are all foreigners and come from about 40 countries, mostly in Africa.

"One third of the parish in Nouakchott is renewed every year because many are passing through: it is a challenge. But that keeps us from falling asleep!" smiles Bishop Happe.

His pastoral co-workers include a dozen priests, most of them missionaries. There are also about 30 religious sisters from various congregations.

Intercultural dialogue

"At Nouakchott airport, a Mauritanian remarked, amused, that I was wearing a cross in an Islamic republic without that posing a problem, whereas in Europe it is debated!" Bishop Happe points out.

"In my 27 years here, I have never felt hostility," he says.

The German-born bishop tirelessly advocates intercultural dialogue.

"The only way to change ideas is to get to know each other, rather than to let ourselves be locked behind walls. I especially notice a great lack of knowledge and misconceptions about our religion," he says.

Mauritania and the Holy See forged full diplomatic relations in December 2016, proof that the Mauritanian authorities have great respect for the Catholic Church in their country. 

Pope Francis appointed US-born Archbishop Michael Bannach the following May as the first apostolic nuncio to the country, an assignment that also included representing the Holy See in the nearby counties of Senegal, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau. 

"The idea that Christians are razing the walls is false," says Bishop Happe.

But the population remains very sensitive about proselytizing, which is formally prohibited.

"There is no question of trying to convert people," the bishop insists.

According to Article 306 of the penal code, heresy, apostasy, atheism and blasphemy are punishable by death.

Five Mauritanians were sentenced to prison terms in October 2020 for insulting Islamic morals.

A strong social commitment

The mission of the Church is thus essentially focused on social action, as about 30% of the population lives below the poverty line.

This includes offering help to burn victims, support for prisoners and handicapped children, fighting against malnutrition. Catholics are also involved in education and professional training, assistance to migrants, running libraries... 

The many projects are managed by the diocesan office and often carried out with Caritas Mauritania, the only non-Muslim religious NGO recognized by the authorities. 

In Nouakchott, Caritas supports two projects in particular.

One is in the working-class neighborhood of Dar Naïm, where there is a professional integration center that offers training to young people who have dropped out of school or are illiterate.

And the other is in Dar El Barka, where there is a center that combines vocational training and literacy courses for women. There is also a kindergarten there.

Islamist pressure

Although they strive to live in peace in the majority Muslim country, members of the small Catholic community have felt pressure the past several years coming from Islamic fundamentalists financed by Saudi Arabia.

"The first victims of this hardening are the Mauritanians," Bishop Happe says.

"It is the Islam of the brotherhoods that is targeted because, for the Wahhabis, it is about syncretism."