[ad_1]
Three days of mourning have been decreed by the Mozambican government in honor of the country’s first black priest, who died Wednesday at the age of 103.
Cardinal Alexander José Maria dos Santos was ordained in 1953. The Portuguese bragged about bringing Christianity to Mozambique in the 15th century – but it took 500 years before a black man could ascend to the priesthood.
Cardinal Dos Santos’ career saw him become the first black bishop of Mozambique, then the archbishop of Maputo – and finally, in 1998, he was appointed to the College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II.
Cardinal Dos Santos was instrumental in the creation of the University of Sao Tomas and also played an important role in the negotiations that led to the signing of the General Peace Agreement in 1992 in Rome, ending the civil war between the Renamo rebels and the Frelimo government. .
He must rest as is at Maputo Cathedral before being buried next Thursday.
Source link
