Importance Score: 75 / 100 π΄
Across Africa, millions of Catholic faithful and numerous national leaders are expressing grief for the late pontiff, a figure widely regarded as a voice for the continent.
Africa Mourns Influential Pontiff
With approximately 272 million adherents, representing nearly one-fifth of the global Catholic population, Africa’s significance within the Catholic world is on the rise. Observers note that the late Pope significantly elevated the continent’s prominence within the Church.
Continental Leaders Pay Tribute
Heads of state echoed widespread sentiments, emphasizing the Pope’s advocacy for those on the margins of society.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu lauded him as an “untiring advocate for the impoverished,” while South African President Cyril Ramaphosa underscored his “global perspective of inclusivity and parity.”
Catholicism’s Growth in Africa
According to Vatican reports, the past year witnessed seven million conversions to Catholicism in Africa, establishing the continent as one of the Church’s most rapidly expanding regions.
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Personal Reflections from African Catholics
“This Pope invested considerable effort in fostering inclusivity within our faith. I remember him fondly,” remarked Aba Amissah Quainoo, a Ghanaian Catholic, in Accra, the nation’s capital, during an interview with the BBC.
Reverend George Obeng Appah added, “He was truly esteemed by all, owing to his firm stance on behalf of the poor and the marginalized.”
Kenya: Remembering a Champion of Equality
At the Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi, Kenya, worshipper Rosemary Muthui conveyed that congregants will remember the Pope as a transformative figure who championed change within the Church, particularly in promoting equality.
“His deep affection for the African Church was profound, and his absence will be keenly felt,” she stated to the BBC.
Ms. Muthui recounted meeting the Pope during his visit to Kenya a decade prior, the first of his five journeys to the continent, encompassing a total of ten African nations.
His final African visit occurred in 2023, to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Encounter in Kinshasa: A Journalist’s Blessing
In Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, journalist Kitsita Ndongo Rachel recounted her determined efforts to personally greet the Pope, even bypassing protocol.
“My heart raced as I found myself within 100 meters of him. I slipped past the security personnel, knelt, and requested the Pope’s blessing,” she recalled.
“He granted me his blessing, and also blessed my rosary.”
She explained that the Pope’s teachings deeply resonated with her, providing guidance on navigating the challenges in her conflict-stricken nation.
“Listening to him, we perceive his commitment to justice for the Democratic Republic of Congo, his awareness of the millions who have perished.”
Africa’s Prominent Catholic Communities
Nigeria and Kenya demonstrate some of the highest rates of weekly church attendance globally. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Uganda, and Angola also host substantial Catholic populations.
Pope Francis’ Impact on Africa’s Global Church Role
Charles Collins, managing editor of Crux, a prominent Catholic news platform covering Vatican affairs, asserted, “One of Pope Francis’ most significant contributions to Africa was to bring global recognition to the continent’s central role in the Catholic Church.”
Father Stan Chu Ilo, president of the Pan-African Catholic Theological Network, added, “He not only addressed Africa’s tribulations but also physically journeyed to marginalized regions, expressing solidarity with those afflicted by war, displacement, and injustice.”
Symbolic Gestures of Peace
During his 2015 visit to the Central African Republic, the Pope emphatically conveyed a message of peace amidst ongoing conflict.
In a highly symbolic gesture in 2019 at the Vatican, the Pope knelt and kissed the feet of South Sudan’s opposing leaders. His subsequent trip to the nation four years later served as a dedicated peace mission, including the participation of then Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
In a letter dispatched in late March, Pope Francis implored President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar to “prioritize peace, reconciliation, and progress for the betterment of the South Sudanese populace.”
However, the necessity for such appeals underscores the limitations of Papal influence, particularly given mounting concerns about the potential for renewed civil conflict in South Sudan.
Africa’s Future Influence in the Church
Despite the remarkable expansion of the Church in Africa and the appointment of additional African cardinals, the continent remains underrepresented in senior Vatican roles.
Mr. Collins observed, “The trajectory of the Catholic Church is toward Africa, yet this has not fully translated into tangible authority within the Vatican. That transformation is still pending.”
Attention is now shifting to the selection of his successor and the prospect of an African assuming Papal leadership for the first time in 1,500 years.
Father Ilo concluded, “An African Pope is not a matter of conjecture, but of timing β given the Catholic Church in Africa’s current status as a theological, spiritual, and demographic powerhouse.”
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