Papal Visit to DR Congo: Bird’s Eye View of Congolese Church
The Church of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the oldest Churches in the sub-Saharan region, dating back to 1491. In that year the King of Kongo Nzinga-a-Nkuwu (King João I) and his family were converted and baptized by Portuguese missionaries. He was succeeded to the throne in 1506 by his son, Nzinga Mbemba (King Alfonso I), who strived to convert Kongo to a Catholic country. In 1596 the Diocese of Sāo Salvador (now Mbanza Kongo) was erected. However, Christianity took root in the Congolese society only three centuries later.
Source: Vatican News
