Religion Practices

Gabon has a wide range of belief systems. Around 75% of Gabonese are Roman Catholics, 20% are Protestants, less than 1% are Muslims, and the remainder are animists. In reality, many Gabonese believe in animism while also practicing Christianity or Islam. Animism, a set of beliefs held by tribal and pre-industrial people all over the world for thousands of years, does not generally identify a human-like god concerned with Earthly activities. Animist gods are amorphous and abstract, and inanimate objects can have spiritual power.

There are several rituals and holy places. Ngangas lead the Bwiti ceremonies, which are held to honor the ancestors (medicine men). These ceremonies are held in special wooden temples, and participants dress in bright costumes, paint their faces white, remove their shoes, and cover their heads.

Witchcraft is another form of animism that exists in Gabon; belief in evil spirits and sorcerers who can summon them is widespread. Death, according to traditionalists, is not a natural phenomenon and can only be explained as the work of a malevolent.