The Catholic Church and Blacks

The Liber Pontificalis is composed of a series of biographical entries, which record the dates and important facts for each pope. It is the oldest and most detailed chronicle dating from the Early Church. According to the Liber Pontificalis, only three popes-Pope St Victor I (186-198AD), Pope St Miltiades (311-14), and Pope St Gelasius (492-496)-were Africans. The African popes are said to have come from the North African area that is present-day Algeria, Mauretania, Numidia, and Tunisia. The indigenous people of North Africa are Berbers, brown skinned as among the Tuaregs and Algerians. Today, this region is mostly Muslim. Pope St Victor I (186-198) was a North African, and was the first Latin-speaking pope. Black Romans gained political and military control of the world in 193. The Black Roman African, Septimius Severus (September), was the Roman Emperor. Septimius Severus, and was seceded as emperor by his Black son Caracalla from 211 AD until 217 AD. St Miltiades (311-14) is the second African pope, and was pope in Rome at the time of the victorious battle of the Milvian Bridge when Constantine the Great defeated and killed Maxentius. It was also during his reign that Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity after receiving a vision of the cross. St Gelasius (492-496) is the third African in the Liber Pontificalis. He proclaimed his authority as pope over the emperor, Anastasius in Constantinople, and devoted himself to uplifting the poor. He Helped to establish the Papacy as the foremost authority in western ecclesiastical affairs. He was the first pope to be titled "Vicar of Christ," and he is credited with putting an end to the Roman pagan festival Lupercalia. Most people are unaware that there was a vibrant black Christianity and church-life existing in North Africa long before St. Patrick was even born (~389). In the 2nd - 3rd centuries, Ethiopia became a Christian country, as did Nubia south of Egypt; traces of their famed liturgy still exist today. These churches gave birth to numerous well-known black Christians, many of whom were martyred for their beliefs. Examples are Moses the Black, Cyril of Alexandria, Perpetus, Benedict the Black, Felicity, John of Egypt and likely even the famous St. Augustine and his mother St. Monica. Today the 270 million Catholics of African descent represent almost 25% of the one billion Roman Catholics throughout the world in more than 59 countries. U.S. Black Catholics consists of 250 African American Priests, 300 African American Sisters, 380 African American Deacons, and 1300 parishes. (Research done by the Catholic African World Network.)