Abstract
This chapter analyzes the factors that shaped the remarkable quantitative and qualitative growth of the Roman Catholic church in postcolonial Africa. Beyond the statistics, African Catholicism has been marked by an indigenizing turn, including liturgical adaptation and theological inculturation, even as the centralizing influence of Rome has continued to be felt. Shaped by the humanitarian impulses of Vatican II, African Catholic leaders have supported political democratization and economic development in the public square, including a deeper commitment to human rights, good governance, and social reconciliation. In conflictual and war-torn situations, this witness has often come at great cost, and not without accommodations. In the twenty-first century, the African Catholic church continues to face significant challenges, especially in contested areas of sexuality and gender, the environment, inter-religious relations, and navigating its relationships with the worldwide church.