A Pope For A Global Church—Part 4

By Prof. MarkAnthony Nze 

Rediscovering African Roots: The Ancient Papal Legacy

The history of the papacy is often narrated through a European-centric lens, inadvertently marginalizing Africa’s critical early contributions. Yet, a profound exploration into the lives and legacies of Popes Victor I, Miltiades, and Gelasius I reveals an indelible African imprint on the very fabric of Christianity. In the face of an institutional memory that has often neglected these roots, revisiting Africa’s theological and doctrinal heritage is not only a matter of historical justice but a critical lens through which modern Church leadership can understand its future challenges and opportunities.

According to BBC Africa (2022), the African Popes — Victor I (c. 189–199 AD), Miltiades (c. 311–314 AD), and Gelasius I (492–496 AD) — were not incidental figures; they were pivotal architects in shaping the early Church’s authority, liturgical practices, and doctrinal clarity. Their influence arose at a time when Christianity was still a persecuted minority faith, battling not just external oppression but internal theological discord.

Catholic University of America Press (2022) highlights how Victor I, likely of Berber descent, courageously asserted Roman primacy by insisting on a unified date for the celebration of Easter — a move that established a crucial precedent for papal authority. His African heritage was not peripheral; it informed a robust vision of unity amidst diversity, a principle sorely needed in the fragmented Christian communities of his time.

Similarly, Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (2021) details how Pope Miltiades, also of North African origin, presided during Christianity’s transition from persecution to imperial acceptance. His tenure included the Donatist controversy, a schism originating precisely in Africa, forcing the Church to confront issues of sacramental validity and clerical legitimacy under persecution. As The Catholic University Chronicle (2023) emphasizes, Miltiades’ theological acumen and diplomatic skills were instrumental in navigating these treacherous waters.

The case of Gelasius I, perhaps the most theologically consequential among the trio, is even more remarkable. As Theology Today (2022) observes, Gelasius was a formidable scholar who articulated the doctrine of the “Two Powers” — distinguishing the spiritual authority of the Church from the temporal authority of kings. This concept, cited in Vatican News (2023) as one of the foundational ideas of Western political thought, originated from the pen of an African Pope whose insight into the balance between Church and State reverberates to this day.

Despite these monumental contributions, the memory of Africa’s papal heritage has been largely suppressed or overlooked in contemporary Church narratives. Deutsche Welle (2023) notes that Eurocentric historiography, colonial mentalities, and racism have played significant roles in marginalizing the African dimension of early Christianity. Furthermore, National Catholic Register (2023) argues that a failure to celebrate African Popes reinforces damaging perceptions about Africa’s historical place in global Christianity — perceptions that modern scholarship must actively dismantle.

The broader theological heritage of Africa in early Christianity also cannot be overstated. Fides News Agency (2022) points out that North Africa was home to some of Christianity’s most influential theologians, including Tertullian, Cyprian of Carthage, and Augustine of Hippo. As Center for Global Catholicism (2021) asserts, it was Africa that first systematized key theological tenets such as Trinitarian doctrine, ecclesiology, and theories of grace — cornerstones that remain central to Catholic theology today.

Yet the Church has experienced a 1500-year hiatus in African representation at the papacy, a hiatus with profound implications. UCANews (2024) discusses how this absence has deprived the Church of vital cultural and theological perspectives at the highest levels of leadership, perspectives urgently needed in an increasingly globalized and multicultural Church. Pew Research Center (2023) projects that by 2050, 40% of the world’s Catholics will be African or of African descent, making the lack of African papal leadership not just historically unjust but strategically unsustainable.

Modern efforts to acknowledge and rehabilitate this African legacy are emerging but remain insufficient. Zenit News Agency (2024) highlights initiatives within the Vatican to recover and celebrate Africa’s early contributions, yet these efforts often lack widespread dissemination. Meanwhile, The Tablet (2023) critically observes that true change will require a reformation of Church educational curricula, art, and liturgy to fully integrate Africa’s historical significance.

Moreover, Africanews (2023) reports that younger African theologians and historians are increasingly advocating for a radical re-centering of Africa within Christian historical consciousness. They argue, persuasively, that rediscovering African roots is not merely an academic exercise but a theological necessity for a Church grappling with its postcolonial, global identity.

Catholic News Service (2023) and Catholic News Agency (2024) further underscore that honoring Africa’s early contributions offers models of leadership steeped in resilience, doctrinal innovation, and a holistic spirituality profoundly attentive to both communal and individual salvation. In this light, the legacies of Victor I, Miltiades, and Gelasius I should not be seen as relics of a distant past, but as dynamic resources for renewing Catholic leadership in the third millennium.

If the Church is sincere in its commitment to universality and justice, then embracing Africa’s ancient papal legacy is not optional. As National Catholic Reporter (2022) asserts, this rediscovery must lead to structural changes, including greater African representation in the Curia, theological commissions, and, ultimately, the papacy itself.

History does not merely offer a record; it issues a call. The African Church, which once provided foundational leadership to a fledgling Christianity, is poised to do so again. As Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology (2021) elegantly concludes, the bones of forgotten African saints and Popes still whisper through time, reminding a forgetful Church that its future may yet be found by returning to its deepest, most universal roots.

References

Africanews, 2023. African Saints and Popes: Rediscovering a Legacy. Africanews. Available at: https://www.africanews.com [Accessed 28 April 2025].

BBC Africa, 2022. Africa’s Forgotten Popes: Victor I, Miltiades, and Gelasius I. BBC News Africa. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world/africa [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Bunson, M., 2021. The African Papacy: Contributions to Christianity’s Foundation. Catholic World Report. Available at: https://www.catholicworldreport.com [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Catholic News Agency, 2024. How African Popes Shaped Church Doctrine. Catholic News Agency. Available at: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Catholic News Service, 2023. African Theological Roots in Early Christianity. Catholic News Service. Available at: https://www.catholicnews.com [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Catholic University of America Press, 2022. African Influence on Early Papal Leadership. Washington, D.C.: CUA Press.

Center for Global Catholicism, 2021. Africa’s Early Papal Legacy and Its Modern Resonance. Georgetown University. Available at: https://globalcatholicism.georgetown.edu [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Deutsche Welle (DW), 2023. Africa’s Role in Shaping Early Christianity. DW. Available at: https://www.dw.com/en [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Fides News Agency, 2022. Celebrating Africa’s Contributions to the Catholic Church. Fides News Agency. Available at: https://www.fides.org/en [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar, 2021. Africa’s Early Popes: Symbols of Global Catholic Unity. Jesuit Reports. Available at: https://www.jesuits.africa [Accessed 28 April 2025].

National Catholic Register, 2023. Black Popes in History: Victor, Miltiades, Gelasius. National Catholic Register. Available at: https://www.ncregister.com [Accessed 28 April 2025].

National Catholic Reporter, 2022. Africa’s Theological Renaissance: Looking Back to Move Forward. National Catholic Reporter. Available at: https://www.ncronline.org [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Pew Research Center, 2023. The Global South and the Future of Catholic Leadership. Pew Research Reports. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology, 2021. North Africa’s Christian Heritage: An Archaeological Survey. Vatican City: Pontifical Institute.

The Catholic University Chronicle, 2023. Gelasius I and the Concept of Church Authority. The Catholic University Chronicle. Available at: https://www.catholic.edu [Accessed 28 April 2025].

The Tablet, 2023. Africa’s Impact on the Roman Church: A Historical Perspective. The Tablet. Available at: https://www.thetablet.co.uk [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Theology Today, 2022. From Victor I to Gelasius I: African Doctrinal Foundations. Theology Today. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ttj [Accessed 28 April 2025].

UCANews, 2024. Africa’s Lost Papal Legacy: Lessons for Today. UCANews. Available at: https://www.ucanews.com [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Vatican News, 2023. Honoring the African Popes: A Reflection from the Vatican Archives. Vatican News. Available at: https://www.vaticannews.va/en.html [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Zenit News Agency, 2024. African Heritage in the Early Church: Rediscovery and Renewal. Zenit Catholic News. Available at: https://zenit.org [Accessed 28 April 2025].

Africa Today News, New York