Catholicism in Mauritius or the Catholic Church in the Republic of Mauritius is part of the worldwide Catholic Church. The number of Catholics in Mauritius is about 312 thousand people (25% of the total population [1] ).
Content
History
The Catholic Church began to develop its missionary work in Mauritius from the first quarter of the 18th century. The first Catholic missionaries to arrive in Mauritius in 1722 were monks from the Catholic Order of the Lazarists who stayed in Mauritius until 1819, when they were replaced by the Benedictines . At the same time, Jesuits also worked on the island, who were engaged in the conversion of Indians living in Mauritius.
In 1810, the island passed to Britain and the activities of the Catholic Church in Mauritius somewhat weakened. In 1819, Mauritius became the center of the apostolic vicariate , which included the vast territory of the Indian Ocean . This apostolic vicariate included Mauritius, Helena , Cape of Good Hope , the territory of today's South Africa , Seychelles , Madagascar and Australia .
On December 7, 1847, the Apostolic Vicariate in Mauritius was transformed into the diocese of Port Louis . The Benedictines led the dioceses of Port Louis until 1916, when the leadership of the local Catholics was entrusted to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit .
On October 11, 2002, a separate Apostolic Vicariate of Rodriguez was established on Rodriguez Island.
In 1970, diplomatic relations were established between the Vatican and Mauritius.
From October 14 to October 16, 1989, Pope John Paul II paid a pastoral visit to Mauritius.
Catholic Church Structure
Currently, the country has one Catholic diocese of Port Louis and the Apostolic Vicariate of Rodriguez , which are members of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Pacific Ocean .
Notes
- ↑ Catholic Encyclopedia, p. 3
Source
- Catholic Encyclopedia, ed. Scientific book, ed. Franciscantsev, M., 2007, p. 3, ISBN 978-5-91393-016-3