Southern Africa

This blog covers five countries in Southern Africa—South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, and Namibia.

South Africa

Portuguese explorers came to South Africa in 1488, but it was the Dutch who settled in the Cape area and established Cape Town in 1652.  The British came at the beginning of the 19^th Century and fought the Dutch (known as the Boers) and the Native people (including the Zulus) for the next century for control of the whole territory.  South Africa became an independent nation in steps between 1910 and 1961.

The Portuguese brought the Catholic Faith to the region, but after the Dutch gained control in 1651, the Catholic Faith was banned.  The British allowed the Church to return in the early 19^th Century and the first vicar apostolic was appointed in 1818.  There are 3.8 million Catholics in South Africa or 7 percent of the total population.  There are five ecclesiastical provinces:  Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, and Johannesburg.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Ingwavuma was established in 1990 and is immediately subject to the Vatican and thus is not part of any province. There is also a separate diocese for the armed services.

Province of Cape Town

The province consists of southwestern South Africa, including the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces and the southern portion of the Northern Cape Province.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Cape of Good Hope was established in 1818.  It became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cape Town in 1951 with the creation of the new Province.  

The Neo-Gothic Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flight into Egypt opened in 1851.  Additional detail can be found at stmaryscathedral.org.za and catholic-ct.co.za.

Both are from Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses. 

• The Diocese of Port Elizabeth began as an apostolic prefecture in 1847, became an apostolic vicariate in 1939, and a diocese in 1951.
• The Diocese of Oudtshoorn began as an apostolic prefecture in 1874, became an apostolic vicariate in 1948 and a diocese in 1951.
• The Diocese of Aliwal was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1923, became an apostolic vicariate in 1936, and a diocese in 1951.
• The Diocese of Queenstown began as a mission sui juris in 1929 before becoming an apostolic prefecture in 1938, an apostolic vicariate in 1948, and a diocese in 1951.
• The Diocese of De Aar started as an apostolic prefecture in 1953 and became a diocese in 1967. 

Province of Durban

The province consists of east central South Africa, including the KwaZulu-Natal Province.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Natal was created in 1850 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Durban in 1951 with the creation of the new Province.

Construction of Emmanuel Cathedral in Durban was completed in 1903.  The Gothic Cathedral is made from local clay brick.  It has a single octagonal tower.  The Stations of the Cross were made in France and were installed in 1904.  Additional information can be found at emmanuelcathedral.org.za and www.catholic-dbn.org.za.

From Flickr.

The Province has six suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Eshowe began as an apostolic prefecture in 1921, became an apostolic vicariate in 1923, and a diocese in 1951.
• The Diocese of Mariannhill started as an apostolic vicariate in 1921 and became a diocese in 1951.
• The Diocese of Mthatha began as an apostolic prefecture in 1930, became an apostolic vicariate in 1937, and a diocese in 1951.
• The Diocese of Kokstad began as an apostolic prefecture in 1935, became an apostolic vicariate in 1939, and a diocese in 1951.
• The Diocese of Dundee started as an apostolic prefecture in 1958 and became a diocese in 1982.
• The Diocese of Umzimkulu was created in 1954.

Province of Pretoria

The province consists of far northeastern South Africa (including Limpopo Province and portions of Gauteng and North West Provinces) and Botswana.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Pretoria was established in 1948 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Pretoria in 1951 with the creation of the new Province.

The main portion of Sacred Heart Cathedral was completed in 1933.  The Cathedral is of French Gothic design with a Latin cross floor plan.  The building is made of pre-cast concrete and has two towers.  The Cathedral has beautiful stained glass windows and bas relief Stations of the Cross.  See cshpretoria.co.za  and archdioceseofpretoria.org.za.

Both are from the Diocesan website.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Polokwane, South Africa, was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1910, became territorial abbacy in 1939, and a diocese in 1988.
• The Diocese of Tzaneen, South Africa, was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1962 and became a diocese in 1972.
• The Diocese of Rustenburg, South Africa, was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1971 and became a diocese in 1987.
• The Diocese of Gaborone, Botswana, started as an apostolic prefecture in 1959 before becoming a diocese in 1966.  Great Britain annexed Botswana in 1885 to connect the Cape Colony (South Africa) with its colonies north of Botswana.  Botswana became independent in 1966.  Protestant missionaries came to Botswana in the two decades before British colonization and tribal chiefs essentially made Christianity the state religion early in the 20^th Century.  The first successful Catholic mission opened near Gaborone in 1928.  Botswana has 110,000 Catholics or 5 percent of the total population.
• The Diocese of Francistown, Botswana, was created as an apostolic vicariate in 1998 and became a diocese in 2017.

Province of Bloemfontein

The province consists of central South Africa including Free State Province and portions of Northern Cape Province.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bloemfontein was created in 1951 with the creation of the new Province.  The Metropolitan Cathedral is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  There is a Facebook page.

I could not find an non-copyright picture.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Keimoes-Upington began as an apostolic prefecture in 1885 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1898.  The diocese was created in 1951.
• The Diocese of Kimberly started as an apostolic vicariate in 1886 and became a diocese in 1951.
• The Diocese of Kroonstad began as an apostolic prefecture in 1923, became an apostolic vicariate in 1935, and a diocese in 1951.
• The Diocese of Bethlehem was created as an apostolic vicariate in 1948 and became a diocese in 1951.

Province of Johannesburg

The province consists of northeastern South Africa (including Mpumalanga Province and portions of Gauteng and North West Provinces) and Swaziland.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Transvaal was established in 1886 and became the Apostolic Vicariate of Transvaal in 1904.  The name was changed to Johannesburg in 1948 and it became a Diocese in 1951.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Johannesburg was established in 2007 with the creation of the new Province.

The Cathedral of Christ the King opened in 1960 and is made of reinforced concrete with a red granite finish and with brick.  The modern-style Cathedral has large stained glass windows.  Pope John Paul II visited the Cathedral in 1995.  See the following websites for more information:  catholic-johannesburg.org.za and catholicjhb.org.za/about/the-cathedral.

Both are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Klerksdorp, South Africa, was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1965 and became a diocese in 1978.
• The Diocese of Witbank, South Africa, was created in 1923 as an apostolic prefecture and became an apostolic vicariate in 1948.  It became a diocese in 1951.
• The Diocese of Manzini, Swaziland, was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1923, became an apostolic vicariate in 1939, and became a diocese in 1951.  The British ruled Swaziland from 1903 until independence in 1968.  Successful Catholic evangelization began when Servite missionaries arrived in 1913.  Swaziland, also known as Eswatini, has 59,000 Catholics or 5 percent of the total population.

Lesotho

After several years of war, the British took control of Lesotho in 1869.  Lesotho gained independence in 1966.  The Oblates of Mary Immaculate established the first Catholic mission in Lesotho in 1862.  The Church built an extensive network of schools—75 percent of all schools in Lesotho in 2000 were run by the Catholic Church.  Lesotho has 1.4 million Catholics or 55 percent of the total population.  There is one province:  Maseru.

Province of Maseru

The province consists of Lesotho.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Basutoland was created in 1894 and became the Apostolic Vicariate of Basutoland in 1909.  It became the Diocese of Maseru in 1951 and the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Maseru in 1961 with the creation of the new Province.  The Cathedral is dedicated to Our Lady of Victories.  The Cathedral has a Facebook page.

From tripadvisor.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Leribe was created in 1952.
• The Diocese of Qacha’s Nek was created in 1961.
• The Diocese of Mohale’s Hoek was created in 1977. 

Namibia

Germany gained control of Namibia in 1884, but lost it to South Africa in 1920.  It became independent in 1990.  Almost 90 percent of the people are Christian, with about half being Lutheran.  Namibia has 439,000 Catholics (18 percent of the total population).  There is one province:  Windhoek.

Province of Windhoek

The province consists of Namibia.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Lower Cimbebasia was established in 1892 and this became the Apostolic Vicariate of Windhoek in 1926.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Windhoek was established in 1994 with the creation of the new Province.

The Metropolitan Cathedral is dedicated to St. Mary.  The Cathedral was built between 1906 and 1908 in a Romanesque Revival architectural style.  The façade is flanked by two towers rising 40 feet above street level.  The towers are topped with white crosses.  See rcchurch.na.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan territories.

• The Diocese of Keetmanshoop started as an apostolic prefecture in 1909, became a vicariate apostolic in 1930, before becoming a diocese in 1994.
• The Apostolic Vicariate of Rundu was created in 1994.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also archdioceses that are not part of a province that are directly under the jurisdiction of the Pope.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include apostolic vicariates and apostolic prefectures.  Both are missionary territories below the level of a diocese.  The difference is that a vicar apostolic holds the rank of a bishop and the prefect apostolic is a priest, but not a bishop.  There is also a jurisdiction called a mission sui juris.  A mission sui juris may be part of a province and is often administered by a bishop of another diocese.  A territorial abbacy is a defined territory surrounding an abbey or monastery that is not part of a diocese.  The abbot serves as the bishop for all Catholics and parishes within the territory.