White Fathers: Difference between revisions

| name = WhiteMissionaries of Africa Fathers

| native_name = {{lang-la|Missionarii Africae}}

| abbreviation = MAfrM.Afr.

| headquarters = Via Aurelia 269, [[Rome]], [[Italy]]

| leader_name = Fr. Stanley Lubungo, MAfrM. Afr.

| membership leader_title2 = 1,428 membersMinistries

| affiliation parent_organization = [[Roman Catholic Church]]

The '''White Fathers''' ({{lang-fr|Pères Blancs}}), officially known as the '''Missionaries of Africa''' ({{lang-la|Missionarii Africae}};) and abbreviated '''MAfr'''),<ref>{{Cite web|title=Missionaries of Africa (M. Afr.)|url=http://www.gcatholic.org/orders/030.htm|access-date=2021-12-12|website=GCatholic}}</ref> are a [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] [[society of apostolic life]]. Foundedof Pontifical Right (for Men) founded in 1868 by then [[Archbishop]] of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Algiers|Algiers]] [[Charles Lavigerie|Charles-Martial Allemand-Lavigerie]].<ref>{{cite web|work=Gcatholic|title= Missionaries of Africa (M.AFR) White Fathers |year=2021|url=http://www.gcatholic.org/orders/030.htm|accessdate=15 November 2021}}</ref>

The society focuses on [[evangelism]] and [[education]], mostly in [[Africa]]. In 2021, there were 14281,428 members of the Missionaries of Africa of 36 nationalities, working in 42 countries, in 217 communities.<ref name="blanc" />

A novitiate was established in 1868. Missionary posts were established in [[Kabylie]] and in the [[Sahara]]. In 1876 three missionaries on their way to [[Timbuktu]] were killed by desert nomads.<ref name=blanc/> In 1878 ten missionaries left [[Algiers]] to establish posts at Lakes [[Lake Victoria|Victoria]], [[Lake Malawi|Nyassa]] and [[Lake Tanganyika|Tanganyika]].<ref name=Forbes>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15613d.htm Forbes, John. "White Fathers." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 3 March 2020{{PD-notice}}</ref> In 1878, a caravan of several missionaries arrived at the port of [[Mombasa]], and after a three-month trek reachreached [[Lake Victoria]].

The White Fathers were the largest [[missionary]] society to operate in Zambia, as well as one of the earliest to settle in the country. Their first station was among the [[Mambwe people|Mambwe]], in the Tanganyika- Malawi corridor, established in 1891 (prior to the establishment of British rule). The people of Mambwe had been dominatedharassed by the politically and linguistically stronger ethnic group of Northern [[Zambia]], the [[Bemba people|Bemba]], towards whom the White Fathers directed subsequent efforts. The establishment of the Chilubula mission by the bishop of Nayasa Vicariate, [[Joseph Dupont (bishop)|Joseph Dunpont]], in 1898, marked the beginning of the White Fathers’ colonisation of Lubemba. This allowed the missionary society to extend their work further than any other missionary society in Northern Rhodesia. By the mid-1930s, the White Fathers had around twenty missions, all of them located in present-day Northern [[Luapula Province|Luapula]] and, to a lesser extent, Eastern provinces of Zambia.<ref>Marja Hinfelaar, Giacomo Macola, ‘The White Fathers’ Archive in Zambia’, History in Africa, Vol. 30, Publisher: Cambridge University Press, (2003).</ref>

In 18801882, at the request of the Holy See, the White Fathers established [[:commons:Category:St. Anne's Seminary (Jerusalem)|St. Anne's Seminary]] at Jerusalem to train [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church|Greek Melchite]] clergy of that rite. The seminary would operate until 1967.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bouwen |first=Frans |title=Servir l’Église à Jérusalem |date=2008 |url=https://www.peresblancs.org/jerusalem.htm}}</ref>

In 1894 a mission in [[French Sudan]] (now [[Mali]]) was founded.<ref name=Forbes/>

At present, in 2021, the Society is repartedconstituted as follows:  

-1516 in Asia  

BecomingPresently, athe Whiteprocess Fatherto inbecome thea presentWhite Father is much longer than before. To complete the process of preparation, the candidates must first spend one year in a preparatory centre. Then comes the study of [[Philosophy]] for 3 or 4 years. The next step is the Spiritual Year which takes place in one of 3 centres in Africa. Two are English-speaking, one is French-speaking. The final period of study of 4 years takes place in [[Africa]] or [[Jerusalem]].<ref name="Preparation"/>

| 1922-1936 || Fr. [[Paul Ulrich Villard|Paul Voillard]]

Africa is a continent with high levels of Islamic worship which meant that the White Fathers would wear robes that resembled those of [[Arab-Berber|Algerian Arab]]s. Algerian Arab robes were ones filled with colours and patterns which were known as [[kaftan]]s, while the White Father missionaries were usually pure white and, in some cases, black. The design was also different as it resembled more of a [[cassock]], whichthe is a coat that is a piece of Christiantraditional clerical clothingattire and is worn mainlyfor in the Catholic ChurchCatholicism. However, the climate across Africa meant that wearing a cassock would not be suitable, so robes were designed with inspiration from a [[gandoura]], which is a popular article of clothing in Africa made from cotton and a light material, which suits the weather conditions. To accompany this was a long white cloak known as a [[burnous]]. These men would wear a rosary around their neck to show that they were men of religion and prayer, and the rosary resembled the [[misbaha]] of the [[Marabout]]s.  

This centralised archive is deemed essential to those researching [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]nAfrican history as it contains a wide availability of resources.<ref name="mafrome.org"/> However, many are unaware of the regional ‘White Fathers’ archives that exist within Africa itself.