Daniel Comboni

The work of Daniel Comboni crystallized around an intuition formulated in 1864, during a stay in Rome: a "Plan for the regeneration of Africa," whose motto remains famous, "save Africa through Africa" (Salvare l'Africa con l'Africa). Convinced that the lasting evangelization of the continent must come through the Africans themselves, trained as clergy, catechists, and pastoral agents, he broke with the idea of a mission purely imported from Europe. To carry out this project, he traveled throughout Europe to solicit prayers and support, and on June 1, 1867, in Verona, he founded the Institute for the Missions of Nigritia, the origin of the current Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus. In 1872, he established the female branch, the Pious Mothers of Nigritia, who became the Comboni Missionary Sisters. In 1877, he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa and received episcopal consecration, which gave him greater means to develop the missions, particularly in Khartoum and Cairo. While conducting pastoral, educational, and health-related work, he opposed slavery and worked for the redemption and formation of children reduced to servitude.

The reputation for holiness of Daniel Comboni stems first from the radical nature of his missionary commitment, lived at the cost of privations, illnesses, and repeated misunderstandings. His spirituality is marked by an intense devotion to the Heart of Jesus, which he placed at the center of the institute he founded, and by a persevering trust in Providence despite the failures and bereavements that struck the first expeditions. Comboni distinguished himself by his view of the African peoples, whom he considered not as objects of charity but as the actors of their own evangelization, in an era often marked by colonial contempt. His opposition to slavery and his concrete concern for the dignity of persons translated his faith into action. Having remained in Khartoum until the end, refusing to abandon his vicariate in times of trial, he died there exhausted in 1881. This fidelity to the very end, joined to the breadth of the work he left behind, nourishes a lasting veneration within the institutes he founded and led to the introduction of his cause.

The cause of Daniel Comboni reached its conclusion under the pontificate of John Paul II. He was beatified on March 17, 1996, in Rome, following the recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession; according to sources, this involved the healing of a young Brazilian girl. His canonization was celebrated on October 5, 2003, in Saint Peter's Square, following the approval of a second miracle, presented as the healing of a Sudanese Muslim woman, Lubna Abdel Aziz, who was treated in a hospital run by the Comboni Sisters in Khartoum. This episode is often highlighted due to its symbolic significance, emphasizing the influence of Comboni even in the very country where he gave his life. The liturgical feast of Saint Daniel Comboni is set for October 10, the anniversary of his death in Khartoum. His canonization places him among the great missionary figures of the 19th century recognized by the Church.

The legacy of Daniel Comboni is perpetuated primarily through the two institutes he founded: the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus and the Comboni Missionary Sisters, to which lay people sharing the same charism have been added. These religious families, born for Africa, are today present in many countries on several continents and pursue missionary, educational, and social action. The motto 'save Africa through Africa' remains the heart of their spirituality and continues to inspire an approach to mission based on the promotion of individuals and local Churches. Comboni is particularly honored in Sudan and South Sudan, where he is venerated as a founding figure of the Church, as well as in his native region of Lake Garda, in Limone sul Garda, which keeps the memory of its most illustrious saint. His figure is regularly recalled by the Church as a model of apostolic zeal for the African continent.