The Church of Our Lady of Muxima, built by Portuguese colonisers at the end of the 16th century, became a key hub in the slave trade. Pope Leo XIV is set to visit the shrine on Sunday as part of his Africa tour, recognising its status as a popular Catholic pilgrimage site after reports of a Marian apparition in 1833.
Before that, the white-walled church on the Kwanza River was used to baptise enslaved Africans before they were marched 145 kilometres to Luanda for shipment to the Americas. The Portuguese were emboldened by 15th-century Vatican directives authorising the enslavement of non-Christians. Over 5 million people were taken from Angola on the trans-Atlantic slave route, nearly half of all African slaves.
It remains unclear if Pope Leo will address slavery directly, as St John Paul II did in the 1980s. Some African Catholics see deep symbolism in the pope—himself an American with Creole heritage—reciting the Rosary at the site. Reverend Celestino Epalanga said the visit could give the place a "new significance", transforming it from a place of evil to one of sanctity.
The pope's heritage adds complexity: genealogical research revealed that his maternal great-grandparents in Louisiana were people of colour, including both enslaved individuals and slave owners. Historians note that some of the first slaves in Louisiana came from Angola. Professor Mariana Candido of Emory University said the visit could help connect the Church to a new generation of African Catholics.
Pope Leo has been elevating African figures in the Church, such as Monsignor Anthony Ekpo of Nigeria. He said the Africa trip was "very special" and planned since his election. Angola, a Portuguese colony until 1975, later endured a 27-year civil war that killed over half a million people. African priests hope the pope's visit will renew the Church in Angola, despite its colonial origins.
