An Original Missionary Bishop
In spite of all the problems and misunderstandings faced, Daniel strove to drive home his intuition: that European society and the Church were called to become much more concerned with the mission of Central Africa. He undertook a tireless round of missionary appeals throughout Europe, begging for spiritual and material aid for the African missions from Kings and Queens, Bishops and nobles, as well as from the poor, simple people. As a tool for missionary animation he launched a missionary magazine, the first in Italy. He was also the first bishop of Central Africa.
His faith in the Lord and trust for Africa lead him to establish, in 1867 and 1872 respectively, two missionary Institutes of men and of women: these become known more widely as the "Comboni Missionaries" and the "Comboni Missionary Sisters", also known as the "Verona Fathers and Sisters". With unusual courage for those days, he was the first to bring missionary Sisters into the work in Central Africa.
Daniel took part in the First Vatican Council as the theologian of the Bishop of Verona, and was able to get 70 Bishops to sign a petition for the evangelisation of Central Africa: Postulatum pro Nigris Africæ Centralis. The Postulatum was not discussed by the Council due to its premature end.
On 2 July 1877, Comboni was named Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa, and ordained Bishop in August 1877: this was seen as a confirmation that his ideas and his activities, which were considered by some to be foolhardy, if not crazy, were recognised as truly effective means for the proclamation of the Gospel and the liberation of the African continent.
In 1877 and 1878 he and the missionaries in Africa were tormented in body and spirit by the tragedy of a drought, followed by mass starvation that was considered without precedent. The local population was halved, and the missionary personnel and their activities reduced almost to nothing.
Read more about this topic: Daniel Comboni
Famous quotes containing the words original, missionary and/or bishop:
“The world is forever babbling of originality; but there never yet was an original man, in the sense intended by the world; the first man himself—who according to the Rabbins was also the first author—not being an original; the only original author being God.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“We crossed a deep and wide bay which makes eastward north of Kineo, leaving an island on our left, and keeping to the eastern side of the lake. This way or that led to some Tomhegan or Socatarian stream, up which the Indian had hunted, and whither I longed to go. The last name, however, had a bogus sound, too much like sectarian for me, as if a missionary had tampered with it; but I knew that the Indians were very liberal. I think I should have inclined to the Tomhegan first.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Should we have stayed at home and thought of here?
Where should we be today?
Is it right to be watching strangers in a play
in this strangest of theatres?”
—Elizabeth Bishop (1911–1979)