Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, has sent a telegram of condolence in the Holy Father’s name to President João Lourenço of Angola following the death of its longtime leader, José dos Santos, who served as prime minister (1975-78) and president (1979-2017).

Educated in Moscow, dos Santos abandoned Marxism in the early 1990s. He hosted Pope Benedict XVI during his apostolic journey there in 2009.

The southwestern African nation of 33.6 million (map) is 93% Christian (57% Catholic) and 5% ethnic religionist.