Catholic Church in Africa

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Catholicism in Africa by percentage
Countries in Africa with an important catholic population.
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Latin as the official language of the Catholic Church
in 195 A.D.

The Catholic Church in Africa is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See in Rome.

Christian activity in

Patriarchate of Alexandria in Egypt was formed as one of the four original Patriarchs of the East (the others being Constantinople, Antioch, and Jerusalem
).

However, the Islamic conquest in the 7th century resulted in a harsh decline for Christianity in Northern Africa.

Yet, at least outside the Islamic majority parts of Northern Africa, the presence of the Catholic Church has grown in the modern era, in Africa as a whole, one of the reasons being the French colonization of several countries in Africa.[1] Catholic Church membership rose from 2 million in 1900 to 140 million in 2000.[2] In 2005, the Catholic Church in Africa, including Eastern Catholic Churches, embraced approximately 135 million of the 809 million people in Africa. In 2009, when Pope Benedict XVI visited Africa, it was estimated at 158 million.[3] Most belong to the Latin Church, but there are also millions of members of the Eastern Catholic Churches. By 2025, one-sixth (230 million) of the world's Catholics are expected to be Africans.[4][5]

The world's largest seminary is in

papal conclave of 2013
.

History

Ancient era

Many important members of the early Church were from Africa, including

Africa Province. These were Pope Victor I (reigned c . 189 to 199), Pope Miltiades (reigned 311 to 314) and Pope Gelasius I
(492 to 496); all three were North African men.

Under Islamic conquests and rule

Archaeological and scholarly research has shown that Christianity existed after the Muslim conquests, though the Catholic church gradually declined along with local Latin dialect.[9][10]

Many causes have been seen as to leading to the decline of Christianity in Maghreb. One of them is the constant wars and conquests as well as persecutions. In addition many Christians also migrated to Europe. The Church at that time lacked the backbone of a

Donatist heresy, and that this contributed to the early obliteration of the Church in the present day Maghreb. Some historians contrast this with the strong monastic tradition in Coptic Egypt, which is credited as a factor that allowed the Coptic Church to remain the majority faith in that country until around after the 14th century despite numerous persecutions. In addition, the Romans and the Byzantines were unable to completely assimilate the indigenous people like the Berbers.[11][12]

Another view is that Christianity in North Africa ended soon after conquest of North Africa by the Islamic Umayyad Caliphate between AD 647–709 effectively.[13] However, new scholarship has appeared that disputes this. There are reports that Christianity persisted in the region from Tripolitania (present-day western Libya) to present-day Morocco for several centuries after the completion of the Arab conquest by 700. A Christian community is recorded in 1114 in Qal'a in central Algeria. There is also evidence of religious pilgrimages after 850 to tombs of Christian saints outside of the city of Carthage, and evidence of religious contacts with Christians of Arab Spain. In addition, calendrical reforms adopted in Europe at this time were disseminated amongst the indigenous Christians of Tunis, which would have not been possible had there been an absence of contact with Rome.

Local Catholicism came under pressure when the Muslim fundamentalist regimes of the

Almohads came into power, and the record shows persecutions and demands made that the local Christians of Tunis to convert to Islam. We still have reports of Christian inhabitants and a bishop in the city of Kairouan around 1150 – a significant report, since this city was founded by Arab Muslims around 680 as their administrative center after their conquest. A letter from the 14th century shows that there were then still four bishoprics left in North Africa, albeit a sharp decline from the over four hundred bishoprics in existence at the time of the Arab conquest.[14] Berber Christians continued to live in Tunis and Nefzaoua in the south of Tunisia until the early 15th century, and "[i]n the first quarter of the fifteenth century, we even read that the native Christians of Tunis, though much assimilated, extended their church, perhaps because the last of the persecuted Christians from all over the Maghreb had gathered there." They were not in communion with the Catholic church of that time, however.[15]

Another group of Christians who came to North Africa after being deported from Islamic Spain were called the

Innocent IV.[16]

Christians in Morocco had mostly become slaves by the time of

Honorius III had requested the Almohads to allow the Christians to freely practice their faith.[17] In June 1225, Honorius III issued the bull Vineae Domini custodes that permitted two friars of the Dominican Order named Dominic and Martin to establish a mission in Morocco and look after the affairs of Christians there.[18] The friars of Francis of Assisi were dispatched to Morocco to evangelize to the Muslims but were killed.[17]

Honorius III on 20 February 1226 told

Church of Africa on 19 December 1246.[19]

The medieval Moroccan historian

Marrakech for the Christians to freely practice their faith at Fernando III's insistence. Innocent IV asked emirs of Tunis, Ceuta and Bugia to permit Lope and Franciscian friars to look after the Christians in those regions. He thanked the Caliph al-Sa'id for granting protection to the Christians and requested to allow them to create fortresses along the shores, but the Caliph rejected this request.[17] García Peréz was the archdeacon of Morocco during 1250s, but the local church was unable to support him and he had to depend on the Castilian church.[20]

Before the

Portuguese conquest of Ceuta, Franciscans were established there. A document dated 10 March 1413 shows that the Antipope John XXIII had chosen Aimary de Aurrilac as the bishop of Morocco in place of Fray Diego de Jerez.[21]

Modern era

Heinrich Scherer, Mappa Geographica exhibens Religionem Catholicam alicubi per Africam sparsam, circa 1710

Another phase of Christianity in Africa began with the arrival of Portuguese in the 15th century.

Saadi dynasty. A small Franciscan chapel and monastery in the mellah of the city existed until the 18th century.[24]

Lagos, Nigeria
around 1917.

Eastern Catholic Churches

The

Alexandrian Rite Eastern Catholic Churches: the Coptic Catholic Church, the Ethiopian Catholic Church, and the Eritrean Catholic Church
(2015).

Catholic monarchs

Despite prevalent republican governments in contemporary time, Africa has a tradition of Catholic monarchs, such as in the kingdoms of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.

Modern African papabili

Our Lady of Victories Cathedral, Dakar

In 1920

John Paul II selected many Cardinals from Third World nations, and by 2001 they made up over 40 percent of the body.[25] In 2002, Italian Cardinals made up just 15 percent of the College, a drop from 60 percent in the 1950s.[26]

Jenkins saw the

Benedict XVI.[27] As Arinze was considered theologically conservative, Jenkins suggests he would have brought African "notions of authority and charisma" to the office, rather than democracy.[25]

Jenkins states, "The prospect of a Black African pope understandably excites Christians of all political persuasions."

Baptist, and Evangelical denominations.[28] The Daily Telegraph has said that an "African papacy is the logical outcome" given that the majority of Catholics now live in the developing world, and in particular, the Catholic Church in Africa "has grown by 20 times since 1980."[26]

In the

papal conclave of 2013, Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana was called "the most likely" candidate from Africa and was considered the favorite to win the papacy before the election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 2013.[29] Furthermore, Cardinal Robert Sarah has mentioned in the press as a possible candidate for the papacy, both in 2013 and in future conclaves.[30][31][32]

Issues

Islamist persecution

Islamists, such as Boko Haram in Nigeria
, remains one of the hardest issues to solve for the Catholic Church in Africa.

Celibacy

Although

concubines. Isolation of priests working in rural Africa, and the low status of women, is said to add to the temptation. A breakaway sect of married previously Catholic priests in Uganda, called the Catholic Apostolic National Church, formed in 2010 following the excommunication of a married priest by Pope Benedict XVI.[33]

See also

References

  1. ^ Seay, Laura (2019). "How did the Catholic Church respond to Africa's decolonization? This new book explains". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019.
  2. ^ The Catholic Explosion Archived 14 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Zenit News Agency, 11 November 2011
  3. ^ a b Rachel Donadio, "On Africa Trip, Pope Will Find Place Where Church Is Surging Amid Travail," New York Times, 16 March 2009.
  4. ^ David Barrett, International Bulletin of Missionary Research, Vol. 30, No 1, January 2006, 29.
  5. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Pubblicazione dell'Annuario Pontificio e dell'Annuario Statistico della Chiesa" [Publication of the Pontifical Yearbook and the Statistical Yearbook of the Church]. Sala Stampa della Santa Sede (in Italian). 25 March 2020. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  7. America
    , 12 October 2009.
  8. ^ "Bona, Algeria". World Digital Library. 1899. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  9. ^ Der Nahe und Mittlere Osten By Heinz Halm, page 99
  10. ^ Ancient African Christianity: An Introduction to a Unique Context and Tradition By David E. Wilhite, page 332-334
  11. ^ Ancient African Christianity: An Introduction to a Unique Context and Tradition By David E. Wilhite, page 336-338
  12. ^ The Disappearance of Christianity from North Africa in the Wake of the Rise of Islam C. J. Speel, II Church History, Vol. 29, No. 4 (December 1960), pp. 379–397
  13. ^ "Office of the President – Bethel University". Archived from the original on 2 February 2007.
  14. ^ Phillips, Fr Andrew. "The Last Christians Of North-West Africa: Some Lessons For Orthodox Today".
  15. ^ "citing Mohamed Talbi, "Le Christianisme maghrébin", in M. Gervers & R. Bikhazi, Indigenous Christian Communities in Islamic Lands; Toronto, 1990; pp. 344–345".
  16. ISBN 9789966150691
    .
  17. ^
    ISBN 978-0812203066
    ., page 117-20
  18. ISBN 978-0812203066
    .
  19. ISBN 9781843838098
    ., page 103-104
  20. ISBN 9780521023351
    ., page 103-104
  21. ISBN 9783487422169
    .
  22. ISBN 9781608331499
    .
  23. ISBN 9781137524812
    .
  24. ISBN 9004097910
    .
  25. ^
    ISBN 0-19-514616-6
    .
  26. ^
    Sydney Morning Herald
    . Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  27. ^ Carroll, Rory. 2003, 3 October. "The Guardian Profile: Francis Cardinal Arinze." The Guardian.
  28. ^ Andrew England (4 April 2005). "Kenyans pledge to carry on papal projects". Financial Times. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  29. ^ Greg Watts (2 November 2007). "A mission to speak out of Africa". The Times. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  30. ^ Le Bars, Stéphanie (12 March 2013). "Portraits de "papabili"". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  31. ^ Allen Jr., John L. (1 March 2013). "Papabile of the Day: The Men Who Could Be Pope". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  32. ^ "The unstoppable rise of Cardinal Sarah". Catholic Herald. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  33. ^ Lisa Miller (7 April 2010). "The trouble with celibacy". Newsweek. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
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