RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Democratic Republic of the Congo

Top 4

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Congolese Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Congolese Religious Figures is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.

1. Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (b. 1960)

With an HPI of 65.99, Fridolin Ambongo Besungu is the most famous Congolese Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 31 different languages on wikipedia.

Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (born 24 January 1960) is a Congolese Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Kinshasa since 2018. He was previously Bishop of Bokungu-Ikela from 2004 to 2016, Apostolic Administrator of Kole from 2008 to 2015, Archbishop of Mbandaka-Bikoro from 2016 to 2018, Apostolic Administrator of Bokungu-Ikela from 2016 to 2018, and Coadjutor Archbishop of Kinshasa in 2018. He is a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. Ambongo served as a parish priest and as a professor before his episcopal career and since becoming a bishop has been a leading voice among his conferees for national peace. Pope Francis raised him to the rank of cardinal on 5 October 2019. In 2023 he became president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar. He is a member of the Council of Cardinals.

2. Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya (1939 - 2021)

With an HPI of 64.03, Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya is the 2nd most famous Congolese Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya (7 October 1939 – 11 July 2021) was a Congolese prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the Archbishop of Kinshasa from 2007 to 2018. He became a cardinal in 2010. He was widely recognized as a champion of peace, dialogue, and human rights.

3. Simon Kimbangu (1887 - 1951)

With an HPI of 61.04, Simon Kimbangu is the 3rd most famous Congolese Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Simon Kimbangu (September 12, 1887 – October 12, 1951) was a Congolese religious leader who founded the Christian new religious movement Kimbanguism. Kimbanguists consider him to be an incarnation of the Holy Spirit.

4. Gérard Mulumba Kalemba (1937 - 2020)

With an HPI of 55.30, Gérard Mulumba Kalemba is the 4th most famous Congolese Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Gérard Mulumba Kalemba (8 July 1937 – 15 April 2020) was a Congolese prelate of the Catholic Church. Born in Kananga, Mulumba Kalemba was ordained to the priesthood in 1967. He was appointed bishop of Mweka in 1989, serving until his retirement in 2017. His brother, Étienne Tshisekedi, and nephew, Félix Tshisekedi, both served as President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On 15 April 2020, during the DR Congo coronavirus pandemic, Mulumba Kalemba died due to COVID-19 in Kinshasa. He was 82.