Three Faces of Public Catholicism in Africa: Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC
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Authors
Carney, J.J.
Issue Date
2024
Volume
25
Issue
Type
Journal Article
Language
Keywords
Catholic Church , Uganda , Rwanda , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Democracy , Reconciliation , Development
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Abstract
Public religion assumes a variety of diverse expressions in Africa, the continent with the most Christians and fastest-growing Catholic population in the world. Through the lenses of reconciliation, development, and democratization, this article analyzes public Catholicism in three of Africa’s most Catholic countries: Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These three “public faces” of Catholicism reflect the social, cultural, and economic strengths of the church in deeply religious countries. Whatever its extensive public engagement, however, the Catholic Church in the African Great Lakes region has struggled to sustain a prophetic witness in the midst of semi-authoritarian, patronage-based political systems. Notwithstanding the manifold cultural and social differences, the African Catholic public witness contains important lessons for Catholic leaders operating in the U.S. context.
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Citation
Publisher
Rabbi Myer and Dorothy Kripke Center, Creighton University
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Volume
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PubMed ID
DOI
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ISSN
1941-8450