Apostolic Vicariate of the Congo
The Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of the Congo, the administrative region covering Catholic mission activity in the Congo area of Central Africa, was by the end of the nineteenth century already fragmented.
The first
vicar apostolic appointed for Congo was in 1518, and the intended territory was within modern northern Angola.[1]
Over a period of about eighty years, from 1880, the territory of the present
Democratic Republic of Congo became divided into dioceses with their bishops, with apostolic vicariates
being the intermediate stage.
Early missions
The evangelisation of the Congo began as early as 1484, when
Diogo Cam discovered the mouth of the Congo River, known as Zaire until the seventeenth century. Cam's naval chaplain set himself at once to preach to the natives, and won to Christianity the chief of the Sogno, a village on the right bank of the Congo, where he first landed. Some of the inhabitants of this village accompanied Cam on his return voyage and were solemnly baptised at the court of John II of Portugal
.
Later, the head chief of the
Leo X
Vicar Apostolic of Congo. He died before quitting Europe.
From the beginning the Portuguese undertook to introduce Portuguese customs in Congo. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, a native chief,
Bernini
; it still stands at the entrance to the choir of the basilica.
The Dominicans, Franciscans,
Lower Congo, as early as the seventeenth century the missionaries had traversed the course of the Zaire and a seventeenth-century map has been discovered which traces the river according to data supplied by them.[2]
Wikisource has the text of a 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article about Apostolic Vicariate of Central Africa.
Timeline
- 1640: The Prefecture Apostolic of Portuguese Congo is founded[2]
- The mission of the Upper Congo was begun in 1880; it was erected into the Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Congo in 1895[3]
- Vicariate Apostolic of Belgian Congo
- Vicariate Apostolic of French Congo
- Vicariate Apostolic of Congo Free State
- 1886: The Vicariate Apostolic of Loango (or French Congo, or Lower Congo) was detached from the Vicariate Apostolic of Gaboon[4]
- 1886: Mission created, in 1888 the Apostolic Vicariate of Two Guineas
- 1887: Apostolic Vicariate of Upper Congo was created from the Apostolic Vicariate of Tanganyika
- The Vicariate Apostolic of Ubanghi (Upper French Congo) was created in 1890[5]
- 1892: The mission of Prefecture Apostolic of Kwango[6]
- 1901: The Prefecture Apostolic of Upper Kassaiis created from the Vicariate Apostolic of Belgian Congo
- In 1909 the Prefecture Apostolic of Ubanghi-Chari was created from the Vicariate Apostolic of Ubanghi; it covered parts of what is now Chad[7]
- The Katanga mission was separated from the Vicariate Apostolic of Belgian Congo in 1910[8] The Matadi mission likewise was separated in 1911[8] Also in 1911, the Prefecture Apostolic of Belgian Ubanghi was created from the Vicariate Apostolic of Belgian Congo[9]
- 1929: Apostolic Vicariate of Kivu created from the Apostolic Vicariate of Upper Congo
- 1952: Apostolic Vicariate of Baudouinvilleand the Apostolic Vicariate of Kivu
References
- ^ "Notes on the failed Mission of Congo, 1518". Archived from the original on 27 April 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
- ^ a b Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1908). "Congo Independent State and Congo Mission". Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Vicariate Apostolic". Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 16. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1910). "Vicariate Apostolic of Loango". Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1912). "Vicariate Apostolic of Ubanghi". Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1910). "Prefecture Apostolic of Kwango". Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1912). "Prefecture Apostolic of Ubanghi-Chari". Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ a b Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Prefecture Apostolic". Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 16. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1912). "Prefecture Apostolic of Belgian Ubanghi". Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company.