The Apostolic Prefecture of Lower Congo (or Apostolic Prefecture of Portuguese Congo) was a Roman Catholic pre-diocesan missionary jurisdiction in Central Africa's
Congo Basin
The Congo Basin () is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It contains some of the larg ...
.
History
The Apostolic Prefecture of Lower Congo, an exempt jurisdiction (i.e. directly subject to the Holy See), was established in 1640 on colonial territory split off from the then
Roman Catholic Diocese of São Paulo de Loanda in then
Portuguese Congo
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
.
On 22 November 1886, it lost territory to establish the
Mission sui juris of Belgian Congo (alias Belgisch Kongo or Congo Belge, the official names of the meanwhile explored Belgian colony). Still in 1886, the remainder was renamed as Apostolic Prefecture of Lower Congo in Cubango
In 1900 it lost territory again, to establish the
Mission sui juris of Lunda (alias Mlundi).
On 4 September 1940, it was suppressed and its territory merged into the
, in then still Portuguese
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
.
Incumbents
(all
Roman Rite
The Roman Rite () is the most common ritual family for performing the ecclesiastical services of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The Roman Rite governs Rite (Christianity) ...
and missionary members of the Latin
Congregation of the Holy Spirit
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit (officially the Congregation of the Holy Spirit under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary; ) is a religious congregation for men in the Catholic Church. Members are often known as Holy ...
C.S.Sp.)
; ''Apostolic Prefect of Lower Congo''
* Ignace Schwindenhammer, C.S.Sp. (1866.01.14 – 1881), also
Superior General
A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of an 'order' of religious persons (nuns, priests, friars, etc) or, in other words, of a 'religious institute' in the Catholic Church, and in some other Christian denominations. The super ...
of the
Holy Ghost Fathers
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit (officially the Congregation of the Holy Spirit under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary; ) is a religious congregation for men in the Catholic Church. Members are often known as Holy ...
(Spiritans, Congregation of the Holy Spirit) (1853.02.10 – 1881)
; Apostolic Prefects of ''Lower Congo in Cubango''
* Pascal Campana, C.S.Sp. (1887.12.11 – 1901.12.26)
* Faustino Moreira dos Santos, C.S.Sp. (1919.06.01 – 1941.01.28), afterward Bishop of
Santiago de Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) (1941.01.28 – 1955.07.27)
See also
*
Catholic Church in Africa
The Catholic Church in Africa is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See in Rome.
Christian activity in Africa began in the 1st century when the Patriarchate of Alexandria in Egypt was formed as one of the ...
References
External links
GigaCatholic, with incumbent biography links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lower Congo, Apostolic Prefecture
1640 establishments in Africa
1940 disestablishments
Apostolic prefectures
Former Roman Catholic dioceses in Africa
1640 in Christianity