Republic of the Congo–Holy See relations and Prime Minister Clément Mouamba of Congo were present at the signing of the agreement, as were a number of high-ranking government and religious officials. Cardinal Peitro Parolin visited Brazzaville for the signing of the bilateral agreement, as part of his African tour. 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
Foreign relations of the Holy See Vatican sources said that it is not the practice to vet the personal ideas of those who are proposed as ambassadors to the Holy See, though in the case of candidates who are Catholics and who are living with someone, their marital status is taken into account. Divorced people who are not Catholics can in fact be accepted, provided their marriage situation is in accord with the rules of their own religion. In September 2008, French and Italian press reports likewise claimed that the Holy See had refused the required diplomatic approval of several candidates proposed by Paris for the