List of venerated persons from Africa

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This article is about List of saints. For other uses, see List of saints (disambiguation).
Josephine Bakhita, Sudan-born saint

This is a list of saints, blesseds, venerables, and Servants of God from Africa, of African descent or who resided in Africa, as recognized by the Catholic Church and other Christian churches.[1] These people were born, died, or lived their religious life in any of the states or territories of Africa.

Before the Arab Conquest

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In the first centuries of the Catholic Church, Africa produced many of her leading lights. The Catholic presence in Africa was weakened by the schism following the Council of Chalcedon which resulted in the separation between the Catholic and Coptic Orthodox Church, and even more so by the rise of Islam. Following the Arab conquest of northern Africa, the Catholic Church was largely absent from the continent before modern times, although the Coptic, and later Ethiopic, Orthodox Churches remained. The following are some of the notable saints from the first to seventh centuries, though it is a very incomplete list.

Popes

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Three of the early popes were either from Africa themselves or children of African immigrants to Rome. All three were from this time period and are traditionally considered saints. They are:

Doctors

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Three of the thirty-five Doctors of the Church were from Africa, all of them from this time period. They are:

Writers and theologians

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Many of the early writers and theologians had connections with Africa. A partial list would include:

Others

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Modern times

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It would be difficult to say who the first saint to be associated with Africa after the Arab conquest would be. Francis of Assisi famously went on a mission to Egypt in 1219. Berardo, Ottone, Pietro, Accursio, Adiuto, martyrs in Morocco (1220). Daniel Fasanella, Samuele, Angelo, Leone, Niccolò, Ugolino, Domno, martyrs in Morocco (1227). Louis IX of France died in Tunisia en route from the Holy Land in 1270. But after the canonization of saints came to be reserved to the papacy around AD 1000, and especially after the establishment of the Congregation of Rites in 1588, the list of official saints with African connections is more clear.

List of saints

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The following is the list of saints, including the year in which they were canonized and the country or countries with which they are associated.

List of blesseds

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List of venerables

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List of Servants of God

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Other proposed causes

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Others have been proposed for beatification, and may have active groups supporting their causes. These include:

  • Anna Ali, religious in the order of The Most Holy Eucharist and reported mystic. (Kenya) The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret has appointed a task force to investigate the life of Anna Ali. Hundreds of pilgrims visit her burial place every year to commemorate the nun who is reported to have received messages from Jesus for 25 years and to have photographed him.


See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ For a more comprehensive list, see: sw:Orodha ya Watakatifu wa Afrika
  2. ^ "Pope Francis adds 21 Coptic Orthodox martyrs to Catholic list of saints - Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 2023-05-11. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  3. ^ "Bienheureux Agathange de Vendôme et Cassien de Nantes". Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  4. ^ "BLESSED LIDUINA MENEGUZZI :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)". Catholic News Agency. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Ghebre Michael - Vincentian Encyclopedia". Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  6. ^ Index ac status causarum beatificationis servorum dei et canonizationis beatorum (in Latin). Typis polyglottis vaticanis. January 1953. p. 36.

Sources

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