The Vatican and Botswana established full diplomatic relations Nov. 4, raising to 177 the number of countries that exchange ambassadors with the Vatican.A Vatican statement said that although just over 5 percent of Botswana's 1.6 million people are Catholic, good relations exist between the government and the Catholic Church.
"The church is particularly involved in assistance to the sick and orphans, in the prevention of disease and in opening new schools," the statement said.
Botswana enjoys a stable, multiparty democracy, but a high percentage of its people are living with the HIV virus.
The Vatican said Catholic missionaries first arrived in the southern African country in 1850, but opened their first school and mission only in 1928.
Currently, the country has one diocese and one apostolic vicariate, 27 diocesan priests, 38 parishes, 40 religious-order priests, four religious brothers, 77 sisters and about 300 lay catechists.
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(Source: CNS)