What the world doesn't know: Africa has already given us three Popes

As the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis, an old question takes on fresh urgency — could the next pope be black? Could the next spiritual leader of over 1.3 billion Catholics be African? 

For many across the continent, this is not just a possibility — it is a hope, quietly whispered in churches, debated in seminaries and contemplated by millions who see themselves increasingly represented in the heart of the Church. 

But here’s what most people don’t know: Africa has already given the Catholic Church not one, not two — but three popes. And they weren’t symbolic figures or distant footnotes in forgotten church history. 

These were real men, spiritual giants of their time, who led during the formative centuries of Christianity. All the three were canonised as saints. 

All three were from the Roman province of Africa — regions that today are part of modern-day Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya. Their stories are not only historical; they are deeply human. 

They are stories of leadership, controversy, faith and transformation — moments that shaped the Church we know today.

Pope Victor I: Africa's forgotten Pontiff 

Long before the towering white pillars of the Vatican became symbols of Western Catholicism, the papal throne was once held by a man from Africa. 

Pope Victor I, who led the Roman Church in the late second century, stands out in history, not just for where he came from, but for the boldness with which he led. 

Pope Victor 1

Born in the Roman province of Africa — likely in Leptis Magna, an ancient city along the Mediterranean coast of what is now Libya — Victor was of Berber descent and lived at a time when Christianity was still carving out its identity under the looming shadow of the Roman Empire. 

He became bishop of Rome around 189 AD, during an era when Christianity was still illegal and persecuted under Roman rule. Despite this dangerous climate, he rose to become one of the most assertive and consequential popes of the early Church. 

Among his many contributions, one momentous act stands out — he standardised the Christian celebration of Easter. At the time, there was widespread disagreement among Christian communities over when Easter should be observed. 

The churches in Asia Minor followed an ancient tradition — celebrating Easter on the 14th of Nisan, the date of the Jewish Passover, regardless of what day of the week it fell on. 

They did this to commemorate the Crucifixion as having occurred on that date, aligning with their interpretation of apostolic teaching. These believers were known as Quartodecimans. 

On the other hand, the Roman Church — and most churches in the West — celebrated Easter on the Sunday, following the 14th of Nisan, emphasising the resurrection rather than the crucifixion. 

This practice honoured Sunday as the Lord’s Day and as the weekly reminder of Christ’s victory over death. Victor, unlike his predecessors who had tolerated the diversity of practice, took an unprecedented and controversial step. 

He called synods across the Christian world to settle the matter — and when the Quartodecimans refused to conform, he excommunicated them. 

It was a bold and divisive move, criticised even by fellow bishops like Irenaeus of Lyon, who urged unity over uniformity. But Victor held his ground. 

In doing so, he laid the groundwork for what would become the universal Christian observance of Easter on a Sunday — a tradition still followed by most of the Christian world today. 

Though his hard stance sparked controversy, his leadership helped forge a sense of doctrinal cohesion at a time when the young Church risked splintering. 

Victor died around 199 AD and was later canonised as a saint and martyr, with his feast day commemorated on July 28. 

Though the Church venerates him, the world seems to have forgotten that one of its earliest popes — arguably the first pope of colour — was a man from Africa. 

But in modern memory, his African heritage and historic impact — especially his role in shaping the calendar of the Church — remain largely forgotten. 

So, when people ask, Is the Church ready for a black pope? — perhaps the better question is: Why did the world forget the first one? And why do we rarely remember that an African pope gave us the very Easter rhythm we now take for granted?

Pope Miltiades: African Pontiff who ushered in peace for the church 

Long before opulent basilicas rose in Rome and long before popes wielded global influence, a quiet revolution was taking place — led by an African man named Miltiades. 

Pope Miltiades

Also known as Melchiades the African, he served as bishop of Rome from 311 to 314 AD, during one of the most critical turning points in Church history: the end of persecution and the beginning of imperial support for Christianity. 

Though little is known about his early life, sources identify him as a North African of Berber descent and a Roman citizen, likely shaped by both the richness of African Christian thought and the complexities of imperial politics. 

His ascension to the papacy marked not only the end of a leadership vacuum in Rome, but also the dawn of a new era — one in which the Church moved from the catacombs into the courts of emperors. 

Miltiades was pope when Emperor Constantine defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 — a watershed moment after which Constantine became the sole ruler of the Western Roman Empire. 

For the first time in history, the Church would no longer operate in the shadows. With the Edict of Milan in 313, Christianity was not only legalised, but also protected under imperial law. 

Churches reopened, confiscated property was returned and Christians, once hunted, could now worship freely. All of this unfolded under Miltiades’ stewardship. 

In a gesture both symbolic and strategic, Constantine presented the pope with the palace of Empress Fausta, his wife. 

That estate would eventually become the Lateran Palace — the first official papal residence and the administrative heart of the Catholic Church for centuries to come. 
Miltiades thus became the first pope to live, not in hiding or exile, but in a palace.

From Africa to Rome, from persecution to privilege, his journey embodied the transformation of the Church itself. 

But Miltiades’ papacy wasn’t merely ceremonial. He also presided over one of the earliest recorded Church councils in Rome — the Lateran Synod of 313 — to resolve a theological and political rift with the Church in Carthage. 

The conflict stemmed from the rise of Donatism, a movement led by North African clerics who insisted that clergy who had lapsed during persecution must be rebaptised and reordained. 

Miltiades opposed this rigorism, defending the unity and grace of the Church against what he saw as needless division. Under his leadership, the synod condemned the practice of rebaptism and ruled in favour of Caecilianus, the bishop of Carthage supported by Rome. 

Though the controversy would linger, Miltiades’ rulings laid the groundwork for future ecclesiastical authority and marked one of the first times a pope exercised judicial oversight over far-flung Christian communities. 

Miltiades died on January 10, 314, just months after Christianity was given full legal status. But his legacy endures — not just as an administrator or diplomat, but as the first African pope to preside over a legally recognised Church, the first to receive an imperial palace and a symbol of Christianity’s transition from martyrdom to majesty. 

Today, his feast day is commemorated on January 10.

Pope Gelasius I: The African defender of Papal supremacy and church unity 

Amid the crumbling grandeur of the Western Roman Empire, when emperors were losing their thrones and barbarian kings ruled from ancient capitals, a strong voice rose from the See of Peter — an African pope named Gelasius I. 

Serving from 492 to 496 AD, Gelasius stood at the crossroads of antiquity and Christendom, articulating with unmatched clarity the spiritual authority of the papacy in an age of political chaos and theological division. 

Born of North African descent, Gelasius carried within him the legacy of African Christian thought — deeply rooted, intellectually rigorous and profoundly aware of the Church’s global mission. 

Pope St Gelasius I

He was likely born in Rome to parents of African origin and his sharp intellect and command of doctrine quickly elevated him through the ranks of the clergy under Pope Felix III. 

When elected bishop of Rome in 492, he inherited a fractured Church and a world desperately searching for order. But Gelasius was not merely a caretaker of tradition. 

He was a visionary theologian, shrewd diplomat, and a writer of extraordinary clarity. 

In his brief, but impactful pontificate, he boldly asserted the doctrine that would echo through centuries: that spiritual authority (auctoritas sacrata pontificum) and royal power (regalis potestas) were distinct and that in matters of faith, the Church held supremacy even over kings. 

His famous “Duo Sunt” doctrine, laid out in a letter to Emperor Anastasius, would shape medieval political theory and later influence the rise of papal independence in the face of imperial pressure. 

As tensions mounted between Rome and Constantinople — both politically and theologically — Gelasius fiercely defended the primacy of the Roman See. 

He rejected the claims of the patriarch Acacius of Constantinople, whose alignment with heretical positions had caused a deep schism between East and West. 

Gelasius not only condemned Acacius, but also refused communion with those who continued to recognise him, drawing a hard line in the sand to protect doctrinal purity. 

Yet, Gelasius was more than a polemicist. He was also a liturgical reformer and pastoral leader. He contributed to the development of the Roman liturgy, refining the structure of the Mass and possibly helping to compile the Sacramentary that bears his name. 

He promoted the celebration of the Feast of St. Valentine, encouraged devotion to the saints and emphasised Eucharistic piety, proclaiming the Real Presence of Christ in the consecrated elements with eloquence and fervour. 

In a time when barbarian kings like Theodoric the Ostrogoth ruled Italy and imperial power waned, Gelasius’ intellectual leadership kept the Church centred. 

His pen was as mighty as any sword — writing over 100 surviving letters and treatises, each revealing his pastoral heart and theological depth. 

Pope Gelasius died on November 21, 496, leaving behind not only a clearer definition of the relationship between Church and State, but also an enduring witness to the universal nature of the Church — rooted in Rome, shaped by Africa and destined for all nations. 

Venerated as a saint, his feast is celebrated on November 21. Today, he stands as one of the most influential early African popes, a towering figure whose legacy still shapes the Church’s understanding of authority, liturgy and orthodoxy.

Why Africans became Popes in early Church

The rise of three African popes — Victor I, Miltiades and Gelasius I — can be attributed to the unique historical and cultural context of Roman Africa, a region that played a significant role in the Roman Empire. 

After the Roman conquest of Carthage in 146 BC, the territory now comprising Tunisia, northeastern Algeria and western Libya became known as the Roman province of Africa. 

Over time, this region became one of the wealthiest and most Romanised provinces in the empire. 

It was not only economically vital — feeding the Roman populace for much of the year — but also culturally integrated into Roman society. 

The east of the province, especially, was heavily populated by Roman colonists and Romanised Berbers, many of whom spoke Latin and embraced Christianity. 

This deep Roman influence meant that North Africans were not seen as outsiders, but rather as full participants in the civic, religious and intellectual life of the empire.

Christian communities in Roman Africa were strong, well-organised and Latin-speaking, providing fertile ground for the development of Church leadership. 

From this rich environment emerged many influential Church Fathers and theologians — Tertullian, Cyprian and Augustine, among others — as well as leaders of the universal Church. 

Thus, when Victor I, Miltiades and Gelasius I were elected to the papacy, their African origin did not present a barrier. Instead, it reflected the inclusive, cosmopolitan nature of the Roman world, in which people from different provinces could ascend to the highest spiritual office, provided they were Roman citizens and leaders within the Christian community. 

Their rise to the papacy was made possible because they came from Roman Africa — a region firmly under Roman rule, deeply Christianised and culturally integrated with the empire. 

They were not seen as foreigners but as products of a Roman province that contributed significantly to the Church and the Empire.