Other Nations—2
East Africa, West Africa, and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans
This blog is the second of six to discuss nations that do
not have ecclesiastic provinces.
Typically the jurisdictions are subject directly to the pope.
This blog discusses Catholicism in six nations in eastern
Africa and off the coast of eastern Africa:
Comoros and Mayotte, Djibouti, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles, and
Somalia; and seven nations in western Africa and the Atlantic Ocean: Cape Verde, the Falkland Islands, The Gambia,
Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, and
Sao Tome and Principe.
East Africa
Comoros
and Mayotte
Portuguese
explorers first visited these islands in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of
Africa in 1503 and the French colonized them in 1841. Comoros became independent in 1975, but
Mayotte voted to remain a French territory.
Comoros and Mayotte together have a population of 1.1 million and about
98 percent are Muslim. There are 8,000
Catholics that are served by the Apostolic Vicariate of the Comoros. The Vicariate, which is immediately subject
to the Pope, was established as an apostolic administration in 1975 before
being raised to a vicariate in 2010.
Djibouti
The
territory that is now Djibouti became part of France in the late 19th
Century, but Djibouti obtained independence in 1977. Almost all of the Djibouti people are
Muslim. Evangelization efforts began in
the 19th Century by Capuchin priests, but were largely unsuccessful
and today there are only 5,000 Catholics.
These Catholics are served by the Diocese of Djibouti which is
immediately subject to the Pope. The
diocese was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1914 before becoming a
diocese in 1955.
Our
Lady of the Good Shepard Cathedral
Source: Wikipedia
Mauritius
Mauritius, an island off the east coast of Africa, was
uninhabited until Arab sailors discovered it in the Middle Ages. The Portuguese
came in 1507 and established a base, but not a colony. The Dutch colonized Mauritius (and gave it
its name) in 1638, but the colony was never profitable and was abandoned in
1710. France took control in 1715 and
established sugar plantations and a naval base.
The British took control from France in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars,
but the French settlers were allowed to stay.
The British abolished slavery in 1835 and many of the slaves were
replaced by indentured servants from India.
Mauritius, which consists of the island of Mauritius, the island of
Rodrigues, and other islands, gained independence in 1968. (Mauritius was the only known home of the
dodo bird, made extinct by human activities.)
About half of Mauritius’ population of 1.4 million are
Hindu and about 360,000 (26 percent) are Catholic. Vincentian missionaries brought Catholicism
to Mauritius in 1722. Today’s Catholics
are served by two jurisdictions, both of which are immediately subject to the
Pope. The Diocese of Port-Louis serves
328,000 Catholics on the island of Mauritius.
It was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1837 and became a
diocese in 1847. The current Bishop of
Port-Louis was named a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2016. The Apostolic Vicariate of Rodrigues serves
37,000 Catholics on the heavily Catholic island of Rodrigues. It was established in 2002.
St. Louis Cathedral in Port-Louis
Source: Wikipedia
Reunion
In 1507, Portuguese explorers were the first Europeans
to come to Reunion, which was uninhabited.
The French took control of the island, off the east coast of Africa,
around 1640. The French brought in
Africans, Chinese, and Indians, mostly as slaves, to work in the sugar cane
fields. After the abolition of slavery
in 1848, these former slaves became indentured workers. Reunion became an overseas department of
France in 1946.
Missionaries introduced Catholicism in 1667 and over 80
percent of Reunion’s 865,000 people are Catholic. Most of the others are either Hindu or
Muslim. Catholics are served by the
Diocese of Saint-Denis-de-La Reunion which is immediately subject to the Pope. It was established as an apostolic prefecture
in 1712 and became a diocese in 1850.
Saint-Denis Cathedral
Source: Wikipedia
Seychelles
European sailors saw the uninhabited islands now known
as the Seychelles, but it wasn’t until 1756 that France claimed the island and
started settlements. The British and the
French contended for control from 1794 until 1814, when the British won. Throughout the colonial period, slaves were
imported from Africa to work on plantations.
The Seychelles became a British crown colony in 1903 and gained
independence in 1976.
Catholicism was introduced in the 18th
Century and over 76 percent of the Seychelles population of 95,000 are
Catholic. Another 13 percent belong to
other Christian traditions. Catholics
are served by the Diocese of Port Victoria which is immediately subject to the
Pope. It was established as an apostolic
prefecture in 1852, became an apostolic vicariate in 1880, and a diocese in
1892.
Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Source: Wikipedia
Somalia
The
British and the Italians formed colonies in the coastal areas of what is now
Somalia in the late 19th Century.
Italy eventually gained control over a larger part of Somalia. Both nations gave up claims in 1960 and
allowed Somalia its independence.
Somalia has over 11 million people and almost all are Muslim. Catholicism came to Somalia with the Italians
and some converts were made among the Somali people. A Marxist government came to power in 1969
and many Christians left Somalia, although the Church continued to provide some
social services. Internal strife erupted
and in 1989, the Bishop of Mogadishu was murdered. The following year, the Cathedral and much of
the Church’s property was destroyed.
Almost all Christians left at this time because of rising Muslim
fundamentalism. One priest who stayed
was murdered in 1991.
Today,
there may only be 100 Catholics in Somalia.
These Catholics are served by the Diocese of Mogadishu, which is
immediately subject to the Pope. The
diocese began as an apostolic prefecture in 1904, became an apostolic vicariate
in 1927, before becoming a diocese in 1975.
The Diocese has not had a bishop since 1989 and is administered by the
Bishop of Djibouti.
West Africa and the Atlantic Ocean
Cape
Verde
Cape
Verde, a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, was uninhabited until
Portuguese explorers discovered it in 1456.
The Portuguese used it as a base for the slave trade until the late 19th
Century when it became an important stopover on shipping routes. Cape Verde gained its independence in
1975. Portuguese Franciscans brought the
Faith to Cape Verde, but many lapsed between the 17th and 19th
Centuries. Religious orders returned in
the 1940s to once again evangelize the people.
Today,
Catholics make up 90 percent of the total population of 570,000. Cape Verde has two dioceses, both of which
are immediately subject to the Pope. The
Diocese of Santiago de Cabo Verde in Praia was established in 1533 and serves
those Catholics in Cape Verde’s Sotavento Islands. The Bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde in Praia
was named a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2015.
The Diocese of Mindelo was established in 2003 to serve Catholics in the
Barlavento Islands.
Our Lady of Grace Cathedral in Praia
Both from Wikipedia
Falkland
Islands
The Falkland Islands
were uninhabited when a British ship landed in 1690. The French first settled the islands in 1764,
but soon relinquished the islands to Spain.
The British took control of the Falklands in 1840 and they are now a
self-governing British Overseas Territory.
The Falkland Islands has a population of 3,200 people and of these, 400
are Catholic. The Catholics are served
by the Apostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands, which was established in
1952 and is immediately subject to the Pope.
The
Gambia
The Gambia is a small
English-speaking nation surrounded on three sides by Senegal. Portuguese explorers came to the mouth of the
Gambia River in the 15th Century.
The Gambia became a British colony in 1783 and Catholic missionaries
came in the early 19th Century.
About 45,000 Catholics, or over 2 percent of the total population of
less than 2 million, live in The Gambia.
These Catholics are organized under the Diocese of Banjul. The Diocese began as a Mission sui juris in
1931, became an apostolic prefecture in 1951, before becoming a Diocese in
1957. The Diocese is immediately subject
to the Pope.
Cathedral of Our Lady of the
Assumption
Source: Pinterest and Wikipedia
Guinea-Bissau
Parts
of what is now Guinea-Bissau became a Portuguese colony in the 16th
Century. Guinea-Bissau became
independent in 1974. The nation has 1.8
million people and 45 percent are Muslim.
There are about 400,000 Christians, equally divided between Catholics
and Protestants. Franciscans came to
Guinea-Bissau with the Portuguese colonists, but missionary work was severely
hampered by the slave trade and it was not until the 1930s that French
Franciscans were able to bring the Faith to people of Guinea-Bissau. There are two dioceses in Guinea-Bissau and
both are immediately subject to the Pope.
The Mission sui juris of Portuguese Guinea was established in 1940 and
became an apostolic prefecture in 1955.
This became the Diocese of Bissau in 1977. The Diocese of Bafata was created in 2001.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Candelaria in Bissau
Source: Wikipedia
Mauritania
Mauritania was conquered by France
in 1912 and became part of French West Africa in 1920. France granted Mauritania independence in
1960 and ethnic tensions have plagued the nation ever since. The Mauritanian government has been accused
of many human rights violations and it is estimated that 2 percent of
Mauritanians are enslaved. Almost all
3.8 million Mauritanians are Muslim.
There are about 4,000 Catholics, mostly foreign workers from West Africa
and Europe. These Catholics are served
by the Diocese of Nouakchott which was established in 1965 and is immediately
subject to the Pope.
Saint
Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha are islands in the South
Atlantic Ocean and together form a British Overseas Territory. The Portuguese first came to the islands
between 1502 and 1504 and found them uninhabited. The British colonized the islands in the 17th
Century and have (mostly) controlled them ever since. The population of the English-speaking
Territory is 7,800, most of whom live on Saint Helena Island. About 69 percent of the population is
Anglican and 7 percent belong to other Protestant denominations. There are only about 100 Catholics. These Catholics are served by the Mission sui
juris of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, which was established in
1986 and is immediately subject to the Pope.
The Mission is administered by the Apostolic Administrator of the
Falkland Islands.
Sao Tome
and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe are Atlantic islands off the west coast of
Africa. The uninhabited islands were
claimed by Portugal around 1470 and priests came with the colonists. Portuguese farms produced sugar, coffee, and
cocoa, mostly with slave labor, until the 20th Century. Sao Tome and Principe gained independence in
1975. The nation has 205,000 people—60
percent are Catholic and 16 percent are Protestant. The Catholics are served by the Diocese of
Sao Tome and Principe, which is immediately subject to the Pope. The Diocese was established in 1534 and
acquired its current name in 1957.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace
Source: Wikipedia
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 jurisdictions below the level
of a diocese. These include apostolic
vicariates, apostolic prefectures, and apostolic administrations. All are
missionary territories below the level of a diocese. The difference is
that a vicar apostolic holds the rank of a bishop, while the others are led by
a priest, below the level of 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.
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