The Presence of the Society of Jesus in Africa from the Beginnings to the Present Day

Abstract

We are celebrating this year the 450th anniversary (1548-1998) of the arrival of the first Jesuits in Africa, that is, in Angola and in the Congo. There was a king in the Congo, Dom Afonso, who was a fervent and enterprising Christian. One of his children, Henrique, was invited to study in Portugal. He became the first black bishop in the Congo. On his visits to the villages of his vicariate, he was often accompanied by his father who feared that enemies might harm his son. Some years later, his nephew, King Dom Diogo I, realized with regret that the Christian faith was clearly on the decline among his people.