The late Pope Francis was called a strong voice and full of interest in Africa when he was the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Throughout the Pope, he showed a deep commitment to the continent, often talking about its problems and advantages. He has always condemned the exploitation of African resources and figures, called for peace and reconciliation among African countries, and stressed the importance of respecting and maintaining the rich cultural diversity and local traditions of the continent. During his 12-year tenure he visited 10 African countries and regarded each of these extensive publicity and famous visits as an opportunity to emphasize the significance of Africa to his church and the world.

Francis had good reason to focus his attention on Africa. After all, the fastest growing area of ​​Catholic population. In 1900, there were only about 9.6 million Christians on the entire continent. As of 2025, Africa has about 750 million Christians. Of this total, there are about 281 million Catholics, accounting for 20% of the global Catholic population.

Therefore, Francis' successor will be elected in a meeting that begins on May 7, and he must continue to focus on Africa. But as Africa quickly becomes the main demographic center of the church, African Catholics will expect frequent visits and complementary speeches from their new leaders.

Despite the increasing popularity of the relationship between the Catholic Church and Africa, it is not always direct. The church has caused unimaginable horror to Africans over the years and has benefited greatly from their suffering, with the consequences extending to the present.

If he was to continue to build the legacy of Pope Francis and prove his commitment to Africa and Africans, the new pope must address the role played by the Catholic Church in the transatlantic slave trade and colonization of the continent.

Three years ago, in July 2022, the Global Compensation and Rehabilitation Circle (GCRH) was a coalition of compensation advocates, scholars, artists and activists from around the world, meeting with the Cultural Council Secretary Paul Tighe.

At this meeting in the Vatican City, the alliance aims to discuss the significant damage it has caused to the transatlantic slave trade for Africa and its global diaspora.

To promote a collaborative process of recovery, GCRH representatives shared a comprehensive 15-page display with the church, documenting their historical abuse in Africa.

There is no longer the sin of the Catholic Church under brushing the carpet under the teeth.

Starting from the 15th century, the Portuguese monarch sought the approval and assistance of the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church to promote his territorial ambitions in Africa. In response to these royal requests, several religious officials (professed to be representatives of Jesus Christ) issued Pope Bulls or official public decrees that approved military operations in Africa and supported the transatlantic slave trade, as well as the ongoing African slavery. These bulls provided moral and legal basis for trafficking and enslavement of Africans and for the European imperialism and colonization of Africa, allegedly in the name of Jesus Christ.

After the slave trade ended, the church shifted its focus to supporting colonization on the African continent. For example, what is crucial for our colonization is Zimbabwe - both a catalyst and a beneficiary of its blood soaking benefits.

Missionary initiatives are often associated with the expansion of colonial territory, attempting to transform the “primitive” indigenous population and verify the dominance of Europe. In 1890, two pastors - one priest - one associated with the Roman Catholic Church and the other associated with the Anglican Church - became part of the "Pioneering Pillar Force" which involved military conflicts against African communities, leading to the current Mashonaland colonization of Zimbabwe.

After conquering Mashonaland, the Catholic Church quickly established mission stations on land stolen from local communities. Over time, Catholic missionaries played a dual and often contradictory role. They provided a moral and cultural basis for violent European expansion, but also established missionary hospitals and schools in areas lacking such services, including the famous Kutama College and Gucomel High School in St. Francis Xavier. However, their active contributions in health care and education failed to eliminate the damage they caused to the land and its people by supporting and participating in colonial takeover.

The enthusiastic support provided by the Church to Western imperialists not only proved useful in the colonization of the continent, but also established a racial hierarchy that held Africans inferior and legitimate white supremacy. Even after the abolition of slavery, the influence of this once-church-approved racial hierarchy continues to shape the social systems, governance, law enforcement and economic opportunities for Africans in diaspora (from South America) to Africans in Europe and North America.

In May 2020, in the United States, George Floyd's murder of the global Black Lives Matter movement was just one example of the lasting consequences of the church's active establishment of these racial hierarchies. The situation outside the United States is not much better. In August 2024, Ashwini KP, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, said that Brazilian African people also “continue to endure multifaceted, deep interconnections and universal systemic racism, which is the result of the legacy of colonialism and colonialism and slavery.”

The church must urgently take meaningful actions to compensate for its historic sins and help Africans endure the fatal consequences for the continent and diaspora.

In March 2021, the Jesuits are a major Catholic order dedicated to raising $100 million for the descendants of 272 enslaved people and promoting racial reconciliation projects. Although the amount is much less than the $1 billion originally requested by future generations, the commitment is a step in the right direction, as it represents the most important effort of the Roman Catholic Church to face its historical role in African slavery.

The Vatican is not entirely opposed to compensation for historical errors, but always argues that any such action should be managed in a decentralized manner. However, small progress in this regard shows that a new approach is urgently needed.

The National African American Compensation Commission (NAARC) and the GCRH call for a Vatican-accredited program that includes acceptance of general accountability, full formal apology, formal compensation and a real recovery process. This responds to the annual demands for compensation from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Union.

The new pope will have a unique opportunity to improve the close rapport of Frances and the Africans. He could be a pope in his history, and he finally made the church a true friend of Africa and helped make up for its worst mistakes by establishing a comprehensive global compensation program.

African Catholics have become an important source of church power and influence in the 21st century. They have little expectations for the upcoming leaders.

The views expressed in this article are the author's own views and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.