The Padroado Real in Kongo and the Prelude of the Capuchin Missio Antiqua (Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries)

Abstract This article examines the role of the Padroado Real in shaping Portuguese influence over the Kingdom of Kongo, emphasising the complex interplay between religion, politics, and colonialism during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Through the Padroado , the Portuguese Crown maintained control over the ecclesiastical structures of the African kingdom, using religion as a tool for political influence. The paper highlights Kongo’s persistent efforts to establish direct diplomatic relations with the Papacy, aiming to diminish Portuguese dominance over its Church. It also explores how this influenced Rome’s efforts to regain universal authority over the evangelisation process, which culminated in the creation of the Congregation of Propaganda Fide . Finally, it shows the Congregation’s immediate attempts to establish Capuchin Missio Antiqua in Kongo, whose foundation marked Propaganda ’s first breach in the territories under the Padroado Real.