Africa has given the Church many good leaders

Launch the slideshow

Christianity appeared in Africa in the 1st century, when St. Mark the Evangelist established the Church of Alexandria in Egypt. While its growth has been hampered by several factors, especially the spread of Islam beginning in the 7th century, Christianity has seen great expansion over the past century. In a little more than 100 years, the Catholic population has gone from about 2 million to more than 230 million. While the continent has been looked at as mission territory in some periods of history, Africa may very well be providing the missionaries of tomorrow for places like Europe and North America.

Here are just a few of the Church leaders who have come from Africa over the past two millennia.