Millions of African Catholics and leaders across the continent are mourning the death of Pope Francis, a religious figure many say gave a voice to Africa within the global Catholic Church. As home to nearly 272 million Catholics about a fifth of the Church’s global followers, Africa has grown to be one of the most vital and rapidly expanding regions for Catholicism, and many credit Pope Francis with championing the continent’s spiritual and social causes.
African leaders were among the first to pay tribute. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described Pope Francis as a “tireless champion of the poor,” while South African President Cyril Ramaphosa praised his inclusive worldview and fight for equality.
According to recent Vatican figures, over seven million Africans have converted to Catholicism in the past year alone, making Africa one of the Church’s fastest-growing regions. Ghanaian Catholic Aba Amissah Quainoo said, “This Pope has made a lot of efforts to make our faith inclusive. I remember him with joy.”
In Nairobi, Kenya, worshippers at the Holy Family Basilica recalled his 2015 visit with gratitude. “His love for the African Church was great, and we will miss him,” said Rosemary Muthui. She, like many others, credited him with bringing change to the Church, particularly in promoting equality.
Pope Francis visited 10 African countries during his papacy. His final trip to the continent was in 2023, when he traveled to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Kinshasa, Congolese journalist Kitsita Ndongo Rachel recalls breaking through security to kneel and receive his blessing. “My heart was beating. He blessed me and my rosary. That moment changed me,” she said.
For many, Pope Francis’s visits to conflict-ridden regions showed solidarity not just through words but action. His 2015 trip to the Central African Republic included a symbolic visit to a mosque where he called for peace and the rejection of hatred. In 2019, he made headlines when he knelt and kissed the feet of South Sudan’s rival leaders in a dramatic plea for peace.
In a letter sent in March 2025, just weeks before his death, Pope Francis urged South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar to prioritize reconciliation and development amid renewed tensions that many fear could spiral into civil war.
Pope Francis’s legacy in Africa is marked not just by his diplomatic outreach, but also by his consistent advocacy for the poor, the displaced, and the marginalized. Father Stan Chu Ilo, president of the Pan-African Catholic Theological Network, emphasized the late Pope’s unique commitment: “He has physically gone to the margins, showing solidarity with victims of war and injustice.”
Despite the tremendous growth of the Catholic Church in Africa and the creation of several African cardinals under Pope Francis, the continent remains underrepresented in high-ranking positions within the Vatican. Charles Collins, managing editor of Crux, notes, “The Catholic Church’s future is African, but it hasn’t yet translated into real influence at the Vatican. That shift is still to come.”
As the global Church now looks toward the future and a new papal leader, discussions around an African Pope have intensified. “An African Pope is not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when,’” says Father Ilo. “The Catholic Church in Africa is now a theological, spiritual, and demographic powerhouse.”
With growing numbers, deep-rooted faith, and an expanding influence, Africa’s role in the Catholic Church is poised to become even more central in the years ahead. Pope Francis’s legacy, many believe, has laid the foundation for a future where African voices and leadership will take their rightful place at the highest levels of the Church.
Leave a comment