African popes once stood at the heart of Christian leadership, emerging from North Africa — a region that was a thriving Christian hub before becoming predominantly Muslim. During the Roman Empire, this area, spanning present-day Tunisia, northeast Algeria, and western Libya, produced influential religious leaders who left a lasting legacy in the Catholic Church.
“North Africa was the Bible Belt of ancient Christianity,” says Professor Christopher Bellitto of Kean University in the US.
As Catholics now look ahead to Pope Francis’s eventual successor, many across the continent hope for the return of the papacy to Africa — a place it hasn’t touched in over 1,500 years. This article explores the legacy of African popes, particularly three who helped shape core Christian traditions like Easter Sunday and Valentine’s Day. All three are recognized as saints by the Catholic Church.
Pope Victor I (189–199 AD)
Believed to be of Berber origin, Pope Victor I led the Catholic Church during a time of Roman persecution, as Christians were forbidden from worshipping the Roman gods. His most significant contribution was establishing Easter Sunday as the official celebration date.
In the 2nd century, some Christians in Asia (modern-day Turkey) celebrated Easter during Passover, which could fall on any day. Western Christians, however, believed that Jesus rose on a Sunday and insisted on celebrating Easter on that day. This disagreement — known as the “Easter controversy” — symbolized larger tensions between Eastern and Western Christian practices.
Victor I resolved this dispute by convening the first Roman Synod and threatening excommunication for bishops who didn’t comply with Sunday observance. Prof Bellitto notes, “He was a rather forceful voice for getting everyone on literally the same page.” Victor I’s leadership was particularly impressive, given that he served as Bishop of Rome when Roman law still considered Christianity illegal.
Additionally, Victor I made Latin the common language of the Catholic Church, replacing Ancient Greek. Latin was widely spoken in North Africa and became the Church’s liturgical and administrative language.
Pope Miltiades (311–314 AD)
Pope Miltiades, also of African descent, served during a transformative period when Christianity began gaining legal recognition within the Roman Empire. Although he wasn’t responsible for this shift, Miltiades benefited from Emperor Constantine’s favor.
Constantine granted Miltiades a palace — the Lateran Palace — and authorized him to build what is now the oldest public church in Rome, the Lateran Basilica. Today, the Lateran Basilica remains symbolically significant and is often referred to as “the mother of all churches.”
Pope Gelasius I (492–496 AD)
Historians believe that Pope Gelasius I, though born in Rome, was of North African descent. He is regarded as the most influential of the three African popes. Gelasius I was the first pope to officially be called the “Vicar of Christ,” emphasizing his role as Christ’s representative on Earth.
Gelasius I introduced the Doctrine of the Two Swords, which defined the separate but equal powers of church and state, both derived from God, but with the Church holding ultimate authority. This doctrine paved the way for future popes to exert influence over secular rulers.
Gelasius I also played a significant role in resolving the Acacian Schism, a rift between the Eastern and Western churches. His assertion of Roman papal supremacy went further than any pope before him.
One of his lasting contributions was establishing St. Valentine’s Day. In 496, Gelasius I set February 14 to honor the Christian martyr Valentine, who, according to legend, secretly performed marriages during Emperor Claudius II’s ban. Historians believe Gelasius I intended this decision to Christianize the pagan Roman festival of Lupercalia, which celebrated love and fertility.
The Influence of African Popes: Their Impact on Christianity and Traditions
There are no reliable depictions of what the three African popes looked like. As Prof Bellitto explains, race in the Roman Empire was defined by ethnicity and culture rather than skin color.
“People in the Roman Empire didn’t deal with race the way we do now,” he told the BBC.
Prof Philomena Mwaura of Kenyatta University in Kenya adds that Roman Africa was ethnically diverse, with Berbers, Punic peoples, freed slaves, and Roman settlers. Most residents of the Roman Empire identified as Roman, regardless of their ethnic origins.
Why the Absence of African Popes: Historical and Modern Challenges
There hasn’t been an African pope since Gelasius I, more than 1,500 years ago. Prof Mwaura suggests that the decline of Christianity in North Africa followed the collapse of the Roman Empire, with the Islamic expansion in the 7th century playing a major role.
However, some experts argue that Islam’s rise doesn’t fully explain the absence of African popes. Prof Bellitto points to the longstanding Italian dominance in the papal election process. For many years, the selection of a pope was largely an Italian monopoly.
This trend may be shifting. Today, Catholicism is growing most rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2023, Africa had 281 million Catholics, representing 20% of the global Catholic population.
Three prominent African cardinals are among those speculated to succeed Pope Francis:
- Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (Ghana)
- Robert Sarah (Guinea)
Prof Mwaura believes that as African churches grow more self-reliant and influential, the likelihood of an African pope will increase.
The legacy of Africa’s popes — from Pope Victor I’s leadership during Christian persecution to Pope Gelasius I’s doctrinal innovations — has shaped Christianity as we know it today. These figures not only helped establish key Christian observances like Easter Sunday and St. Valentine’s Day but also laid the foundation for the Church’s authority. With Catholicism growing in Africa, the possibility of an African pope may no longer be a distant hope, but a near-future reality.
