Christianity in the Maghreb

Introduction

The Christianisme was established in the countries of the the Maghreb (North Africa) about the 3rd century. It however was supplanted by the Islam at the 7th century.

Nowadays, North Africa is regarded as a ground of Islam: Islam is thus religion of State to the Morocco, in Algérie, Tunisia like in Libya. The free exercise of the other worships is guaranteed there by a specific legislation.

Although the proportion of Christians is weak in North Africa, one finds churches there. In addition, it seems that there has been for a few years an increase in the number of conversions to Christianity. This number remains however very weak relative with the populations of these countries.

History

Primitive Christianity

The Roman Africa extended on Mediterranean banks from the Africa and included/understood roughly speaking the parts most populated nowadays of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It is in this Roman Africa, of the Maurétanie to the Numidie while passing by the Africa proconsulaire, that Christianity in the first centuries is propagated after Jesus-Christ.

Among the most famous churches of Africa, one counts Carthage and Hippone whose holy Augustin is bishop between 396 and 430. Saint Augustin is one of the fathers of the Church, just as Tertullien and holy Cyprien, which lived in Carthage in IIIe century.

The Donatisme is a Hérésie in the beginning of which the Christian of North Africa Donatus Magnus is.

Moslem conquest

See also: History of the Moslem conquest

The conquest of all North Africa by the Omeyyades, at the end of VIIe century, substitutes an Islam triumphing for Christianity over the North-African churches divided by internal conflicts because of the heresies. Moreover, isn't Islam itself then perceived like a form of heresy?

In the new Moslem order, the Christians and the Jews have a row of Dhimmi. This irrefutable fact can push the Christians to convert with Islam or to emigrate, leading during the centuries to erosion, even to the extinction, of the presence of Christianity in the countries of North Africa.

Primitive Christian churches, only the church Copte still remains in Egypt. The coptes represent between 6% and 10% of the Egyptian population.

French colonization

Officially, the French colonization is not proselyte in the countries of North Africa: it does not aim to convert the Moslems with Catholicism and the authorities generally seek to avoid the clashes between religious communities. Thus, in Morocco, Hubert Lyautey enacts in this direction a certain number of rules always in force. Here however what declares the general Juchault de Lamoricière in 1843: The only thing which enables us to hope to be able one day to strengthen our steps in Algeria, it is to populate this country by Christian colonists being devoted to the agriculture.

However, of many missionaries on the occasion, thanks to it, to go to North Africa. Charles de Foucauld in is an emblematic figure. Moreover, colonization involves the construction of some churches (like Notre-Dame of Africa to Algiers or Saint-Vincent-of-Paul with Tunis) which are intended for the use of the French colonists.

Christianity in XXIe century

Since a score of years, one attends in the countries of North Africa with an renewed interest with regard to Christianity, not with the profit of the Catholicisme or the orthodoxy but rather the profit of the evangelic churches. This phenomenon is nevertheless to relativize: these conversions are extremely marginal and relate to at most only a few thousands of people in countries where the population amounts of ten million. However, it inspires by the controversies within the Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian companies.

Conversions with Christianity seem accompanied by persecutions, or at least by rejection, because they are regarded as treasons in several connections. Some see there the fruit of handling of the the United States: according to them, the emergence of a Christian Minorité (still very hypothetical) would legitimate the interference of the United States in the policy of their country. Others think that it is the ignorance or the attraction of a visa which push to convert. The new converts call upon 2 types of motivations in general: an escape of the Islam perceived like a social yoke and not like a true faith and the attraction of the Christianity seen like a religion of tolerance and love.

Whatever the motivations of these conversions, certain aspects of the models socio-monk of the countries of North Africa are questioned: in particular, the place of the other religions and their relationship to Islam. Moreover, one can see in these conversions an effect of the Mondialisation and opening of the world which feeds the commercial but also cultural exchanges.

Christianity in Morocco

See also: Catholicism in Morocco

The population of Morocco is estimated at 31.432.511 inhabitants in 2005. The majority religion is Islam there (with 98,63% of the Morrocans claiming itself some). It seems that this proportion decreased compared to the figures of the Années 1980 where this number is then estimated at 99,5% (the 0,5% remainder being divided between 0,3% from Jews and 0,2% of other affiliations).

According to World Christian Database of the Center for the study of world Christianity, in comparison with the figures of 1985, Christianity is the religion whose growth rate in Morocco is highest. In its center, the Catholicism (- 0,28%), the Orthodoxy (- 0,94%) but especially the Anglicanisme (- 1,71%) lowers of many adhesions. These confessions are especially the fact from abroad. On the other hand, the independent Christians (Protestant evangelic in general) know a growth (approximately 84.000 members is an increase of 3% in 2005) with respect to the other denominations followed by the more traditional Protestants (+1,41%). They account for 73,11% of Moroccan Christianity thus. If this phenomenon of increase is explained partially by a recrudescence of the immigration come from sub-Saharan Africa, to which a certain number of conversions is added, between 2000 to 2500 converts in 2005.

The Christians known as “marginal” (Témoins of Mormon Jéhovah or ) know a low level of growth (+0,41%), but overall it is noticed that the independent Christians the most quickly increase of number on all the affiliations spiritual, religious or philosophical in Morocco, to be followed by the atheistic (+2,51%), the bahaïs (+2,26%), the “not-monks” (+1,75%) and finally the Moslems traditional (+1,72%).

Conversions with the Christianity (of which the number is difficult to evaluate) are suspectées by certain being constant by the United States. It seems that the missions of evangelization are primarily the fact of evangelic churches resulting from the United States. Because proselytism is interdict in Morocco and the churches recognized by the Moroccan State, like the Catholic church, adopt a position of neutrality which perhaps justifies the interest of the converts towards the evangelic churches considered more undertaking. Moreover, article 220 of the Moroccan penal code stipulates:

Is punished of a 6 months imprisonment to 3 years and of a fine from 100 to 500 dirhams, whoever employs means of seduction with an aim of shaking the faith of a Moslem or of converting it with another religion, either by exploiting its weakness or its needs, or while using for this purpose of the orphanage or asylum, health, educational establishments. In the event of judgment, the closing of the establishment which was used to make the offense can be ordered, either definitively, or for one duration which cannot exceed 3 ans.

Christianity in Algeria

The percentage of Christians in Algeria is weakest of the three countries of North Africa: less than 0,1% (figures going back to 2002).

The Diocese of Algeria east established in 1838 with the conquest of Algeria by the French colonial troops. However, any proselytism near the Moslems is prohibited for a long time and the role of the Catholic church is confined with actions of Charité (see the article concerning the catholic Missions at XIXe and the XXe centuries).

At the beginning of the 20th century, one estimates at approximately a million the number of catholics in Algeria.

In 1996, Mgr Pierre Claverie, bishop of Oran, is assassinated by islamist . This murder is followed those of the 7 monks Trappists of Tibhérine in March of the same year and those of 6 nuns of various congregations. Nevertheless, the interreligieux reports/ratios appear alleviated at present.

In 2002, UNO counts 10.000 catholics and from 5.000 to 20.000 Protestants in the country.

Conversions with Christianity more particularly seem to touch the Kabylie, especially in the Wilaya of Tizi-Ouzou. In spite of the big number of Moslems and irreligious, one would count there between 1% and 5% of Christians.

Christianity in Tunisia

the number of Christians in Tunisia account for 1% of the total population. However, conversions with Christianity would be fewer there than in other countries.
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See too

white Father
Arab Christians
Eastern Christianity
List of the old Saints of North Africa

References

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