Posted inFaith and Reason

The future of Catholicism in Africa: Looking beyond the numbers

by Ludovic Lado, S.J. August 13, 2026

Pope Leo XIV greets a family as he celebrates the final Mass of his apostolic journey to Africa at Malabo Stadium in Equatorial Guinea on April 23, 2026. Credit: OSV News photo/Matteo Pernaselci, Vatican Media.

What is the future of the church in Africa?

Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic journey to Africa from April 13 to 23 provided a timely occasion to reflect on Africa’s contribution to global Catholicism and on the continent’s place in the future of the church. The choice of Algeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Angola as countries to visit was particularly significant. Taken together, these four countries offered a symbolic journey through the major historical stages of Catholicism in Africa. Algeria evoked the church of Late Antiquity, the land of St. Augustine and one of the great centers of early African Christianity. Angola represented the medieval and early modern encounter between Africa and Catholicism, dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, meanwhile, embodied the contemporary African church, characterized by rapid growth, vibrant local communities and the challenges of evangelization in an increasingly pluralistic and globalized world.

Editorial: Church anti-death penalty stance hits deaf ears. We're looking at you, DeSantis.

 

Editorial

Opinion

Editorial: Church anti-death penalty stance hits deaf ears. We're looking at you, DeSantis.

NCR Editorial Staff

They built careers and their own lives. The call to the priesthood came later.

 

They built careers and their own lives. The call to the priesthood came later.

News

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Podcast: Trump admin made a U-turn on war against poverty, says David Beckmann

 

Podcast: Trump admin made a U-turn on war against poverty, says David Beckmann

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Subsidiarity: The Catholic principle guiding popes through tech upheavals, from the Industrial Revolution to AI

 

Guest Voices

Opinion

Subsidiarity: The Catholic principle guiding popes through tech upheavals, from the Industrial Revolution to AI

Walter Scheirer, The Conversation

We are not the main characters in God’s story

 Catholic Voices

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Rebecca Bratten Weiss  US CATHOLI

How do you want to be buried?

 

Our Faith

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Herman Stark   US CATHOLIC

 

Editorials

The editors: It is time to consider age limits for our political leaders

by The Editors August 13, 202

Sen. Mitch McConnell speaks at an event in August 2025. His months-long absence from Congress has raised the question of whether he should continue to serve in the Senate, a question that has been raised about older politicians including President Biden and President Trump. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File

Ronald Reagan was 73 years old when he ran for re-election in 1984. In a debate against his Democratic opponent, Walter Mondale, Mr. Reagan appeared visibly tired and confused, leading to speculation that he was too old to be an effective president. When queried about that possibility at a second debate two weeks later, a famous quip silenced his critics and effectively ended Mr. Mondale’s chances for an upset.