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A History of the Church in Africa

sixteenth century, and this apparently led to the decline of the Great
Zimbabwe Kingdom.

After seeking permission to enter the kingdom, da Silveira met King
Mwene Mutapa and in time succeeded in baptizing him. However,
Hildebrandt notes:

When the Muslim traders in the capital saw what was happening
they became afraid that the Portuguese would take the gold trade
away from them. So they went to the king and told him that da
Silveira was a clever witchdoctor who had put a curse on the king
by baptizing him. They said the only way to stop the curse was to
kill da Silveira. In March 1561, da Silveira was strangled to death
at the city of Monomatapa. (63)

Although military attempts by the Portuguese to conquer the Kingdom
of Mutapa during the sixteenth century were unsuccessful, the Portuguese
would renew further missionary efforts in the seventeenth century.

Sixteenth-Century Ethiopia

In terms of early missionary efforts, we must mention Ethiopia. In
the middle of the sixteenth century, Jesuit missionaries went to Ethiopia.
Pedro Paez, a Spanish Jesuit, also went as a representative of the Roman
Catholic Church. Since Catholics viewed the Coptic Church of Ethiopia
as heretical, they wanted to unite the Ethiopian church with Rome, but
the king and the people resisted. However, Paas observes:

In 1622 King Susenyos decided to become a Roman Catholic.
In 1626 the union of the Ethiopian Church with the Roman Catholic
Church was officially proclaimed. But in the meantime, Paez died.
He was succeeded by Alfonso Mendez who tried to use his influence
to bring the Church under the authority of Rome. Mendez also
demanded the abolition of Ethiopian rites and customs. This led
to a rebellion and much bloodshed, so that King Susenyos in 1632
stopped the campaign of Romanization by a public proclamation
that restored the Ethiopian Coptic Church. (45)

One marvels at the failure of the early Portuguese mission—even
though at times many people were converted. Concerning the mission

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