 This litany of Black Catholics would not be complete without some acknowledgement of the three black popes. According to The Book of Pontiffs(Liber Pontificalis), there were three popes from Africa. Pope St. Victor I was the first. He reigned from 186-197 A.D. as the 15th Pope. We should thank Pope Victor I for settling the controversy about when to celebrate Easter. Pope St. Militiades was the second pontiff from Africa. He reigned from 311-314 A.D. as the 32nd or 37th Pope (there are conflicting accounts as to his place in the Papal line). He was very busy during his tenure in the papacy while being consumed with promoting papal infallibility and writing hymns and epistles. The third African Pope was Pope St. Gelasius I who reigned from 492-496 A.D. as the 49th Pope. He was pope during a time of peace and religious toleration as Constantine became emperor and legalized Christianity. All three of these Catholic heroes embraced the faith with sincere hearts and complete devotion to our Lord and the Universal Church.
I would be remiss if I neglected to mention several Black Catholics who I have termed "Saints In Waiting". These extraordinary heroes will become saints one day. Their lives serve as African American models of charity, faith and hope for the entire world to embrace. In this light, I must mention Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Mother Elizabeth Lange, Mother Theodore Williams and Henriette Delille.
Black Saints in the Universal Church are nothing new. There have always been black Catholics. We did not decide just recently to embrace the Catholic faith. Rather, we have always been contributing members to the spiritual growth of the church as well as the global community at large. Our gifts, talents and contributions were often not documented but indeed, we were present, even if only God gives us the credit.
Dr. Camille Brown is the Principal of St. Cyprian School in Philadelphia. She is an adjunct faculty member at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and Strayer University. Dr. Brown's latest project is The Bakhita Fund which provides spiritual and educational assistance for children around the world. Currently, she is working on her book about the lives of African Saints.
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