The Republic of Mauritius, a volcanic island nation in the Indian Ocean, lies east of Madagascar. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, it was later occupied by the Dutch and then claimed by the French in 1715. British control began in 1810, leading to independence within the Commonwealth of Nations in 1968.
Location of Mauritius
The Introduction of Christianity
Christianity first arrived in Mauritius with the Dutch inhabitants. However, the Dutch abandoned the island in 1710. The French reintroduced Christianity upon their arrival in 1715. A law was enacted in 1723 mandating the baptism of all slaves arriving on the island into the Catholic faith, though this law was not consistently enforced.
Early Churches and Missionaries
Vincentian missionaries evangelized the native tribes from 1722 to 1819. Port Louis then became the center of a vast vicariate, which at one point included Australia, South Africa, Madagascar, the Seychelles Islands, and Saint Helena.
Bishop Collier, known for his organizational skills, facilitated the arrival of Jacques Laval of the Holy Ghost Fathers, whose work among freed slaves earned him the title "Peter Claver of modern times." In 1847, Port Louis became a diocese, and Benedictines primarily led the vicars apostolic and bishops until 1916, when the Holy Ghost Fathers took over.
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Jesuit missionaries focused on the native tribes, and later, Chinese secular priests ministered to immigrants from Asia and India.
Denominations and Religious Freedom
Mauritius gained independence in 1968, with its constitution not defining a state religion. The religious organizations present at the time of independence, including the Roman Catholic Church, Church of England, Presbyterian Church, and Seventh-day Adventist, were recognized by parliamentary decree. The constitution and other laws protect freedom of religion.
The government provides an annual sum to recognized groups for the benefit of their adherents. Overseas missionary groups are allowed to operate on a case-by-case basis, with residence and work permits issued for a maximum of three years. The numerous government holidays, many of which are religious, reflect the heterogeneity of religions in Mauritius.
Catholic Church Today
According to the 2022 census, Christianity is adhered to by 32.3% of the population of Mauritius, with 80.3% of these being Roman Catholics. The Mauritian Creole and Franco-Mauritian ethnic groups are mostly Christian, and significant parts of the Sino-Mauritian ethnic group are also mainly Christian.
As of 2000, there were 49 parishes served by 57 diocesan and 30 religious priests. Over 25 Christian Brothers and six communities totaling over 270 sisters directed the region's Catholic schools and attended to other social service needs.
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The Catholic Church in Mauritius is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are just over 300,000 Catholics in Mauritius, about a quarter of the total population.
The major and oldest church in Mauritius is the St. Louis Cathedral, Port-Louis. Originally built by French during the 18th century, the church was destroyed in a cyclone during the early 19th century. It was rebuilt in 1925 and expanded with a twin tower in 1932. A fountain built in 1786 by Governor Vicomte de Souillac and an oil painting depicting a biblical scene, painted by A. Richard in 1855, are the major artefacts in the church.
Another famous church is the Notre Dame Auxiliatrice Chapel, also known as the 'Red Roof Church' in Cap Malheureux. It is a popular spot for tourists, offering beautiful views and snorkeling opportunities near the bay.
Red Roof Church in Cap Malheureux
Key Figures and Events
- Père Jacques-Désire Laval: A French missionary priest who worked among the freed slaves in the mid-19th century.
- Pope John Paul II: Visited Mauritius in October 1989.
- Pope Francis: Celebrated Mass in Port Louis on September 9, commemorating the anniversary of Père Jacques-Désire Laval's death.
On Sept. 9, Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Port Louis, a small island in the Indian Ocean and the capital of Mauritius. Over 100,000 people waved palm branches and sang the Creole song “Un soleil se léve sur notre église” (“The sun is rising on our church”) as Pope Francis arrived at the Monument of Mary Queen of Peace.
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In his homily, he urged them to live the beatitudes in daily life, reach out and involve young people and develop a “missionary momentum.”
This celebration was special for another reason; today is the anniversary of the death of Pére Jacques-Désire Laval, the French missionary priest who worked here among the recently freed slaves in the mid-19th century. The government declared today a national holiday in honor of the pope’s visit.
Francis celebrated Mass under a canopy, over which stands the statue of Mary Queen of Peace, which the islanders erected in 1940 to thank God that Mauritius was spared from the First World War.
Speaking from that vantage point, where he could see the city and the sea beyond, Francis delivered his homily in Italian, with simultaneous translation into French and Creole, and focused on the Sermon on the Mount, which was read at Mass. He told the vast crowd before him: “We are part of a great multitude. A sea of faces come from Mauritius and other islands of this Indian Ocean region to hear Jesus preach the beatitudes.
The beatitudes “are like a Christian’s identity card,” he said. “If anyone asks: ‘What must one do to be a good Christian?’ the answer is clear.
Francis said that “love for Christ and for the poor so marked [Laval’s] life that he could not conceive of an aloof and sanitized preaching of the Gospel. He knew that evangelization entails becoming all things to all people, and so he learned the language of the recently freed slaves and taught them the Good News of salvation in simple language.”
He urged them not to lament the lack of vocations but to work first and foremost for vocations “to holiness” along the lines of the beatitudes. He said: “When we hear the threatening prognosis that ‘our numbers are decreasing,’ we should be concerned not so much with the decline of this or that mode of consecration in the church but with the lack of men and women who wish to experience happiness on the paths of holiness.
He concluded by inviting everyone to “pray for our communities, that they may testify to the joy of Christian life and see a flowering of the call to holiness in the many and varied forms of life that the Spirit proposes to us.”
He reminded them that “Blessed Father Laval also experienced moments of disappointment and difficulty with the Christian community, but in the end, the Lord triumphed in his heart. For he had put his trust in the Lord’s power.
The government allows overseas missionary groups to operate on a case-by-case basis, although there are no rules that prohibit proselytizing activities. The missionaries should obtain both residence permit and work permit to operate, which is provided for a maximum of three years, without any extension.
🇲🇺Virtual Tour of Mauritius
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