Republic of the Congo–Holy See relations Republic of the Congo–Holy See relations Republic of the Congo–Holy See relations refers to the current relations between the Republic of the Congo and the Holy See. The Catholic Church has considerable influence in the Republic of the Congo as about half of the population identify as Roman Catholic. Although the two states established relations in February 1963, their cooperation has only started to increase recently, with their first major bilateral agreement being signed in early 2017. The Holy See maintains an apostolic nunciature in Brazzaville, while Congo does not yet have any diplomatic or consular mission to Vatican City.
Foreign relations of the Holy See is sovereign, the two entities are separate and distinct. The State of the Vatican City was created by the Lateran Treaty in 1929 to "ensure the absolute and visible independence of the Holy See" and "to guarantee to it an indisputable sovereignty in international affairs" (quotations from the treaty). Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, the Holy See's former Secretary for Relations with States, said that the Vatican City is a "minuscule support-state that guarantees the spiritual freedom of the Pope with the minimum territory." The Holy See, not Vatican City, maintains diplomatic relations with states, and foreign embassies are accredited to the