Afonso Mendes Arrives: Catholic Mission to Ethiopia
Afonso Mendes, appointed Latin Patriarch of Ethiopia by Pope Gregory XV, arrived at Beilul from Goa to spearhead the Catholic Church's campaign to convert the Ethiopian Orthodox kingdom. His aggressive imposition of Roman rites triggered a civil uprising that ultimately expelled Jesuit missionaries entirely, reinforcing Ethiopian religious independence for centuries.
May 2, 1625
401 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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