ANTONIO MANUEL, PRINCE OF N´FUNTA, AMBASSADOR OF KONGO IN ROME
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After Nim-a-Lukeni-lua Nvemba’s death,, (Álvaro I), his son Mpangu-to-Nimi Lukeni (Álvaro II), succeeded him. Because of some retraction verified in the religious actions in Kongo, for the lack of missionaries, this new Kongo sovereign’s mandate, (1587-1614), among other actions, is marked by the concerns to the pursuit of their predecessors’ efforts for the expansion an consolidation of Christianity in Kongo, without this actions meant the loss of his sovereignty.
Mpangu-a-Nimi-a Lukeni was in such a way pragmatic, in this sense, that through a well developed diplomatic action, either beside Philippine as well as Reome`s court, he managed that Papa Clemente VIII accepted the creation of a diocese in Kongo, recommending for the effec that the souvereign sent his embassy to Rome, with the specific objective of rendering obedience to the Catholic Curch.
Álvaro II’s intentions were the onces of obtaining larger autonomy for the curch in Kongo, because he had understood, that only the establishment of direct relationships with Vatican, would render this purpose.
Concerned in improving the Curch performance in Kongo, he begins direct contacts with Pope with the firm purpose of obtaining Santa Cathedral’s approval, for the installation of a Patronage in Kongo, in opposition to dependence that prevailed to the Portuguese Patronage.
However, on July 13, 1604, Mpangu-to-Nimi Lukeni, (D. Álvaro II), announced to Pope, the sending of an ambssador to Rome: António Manuel, “N’funta`s Marquis”, that accompanied by his suite, has left from S. Salvador (the current Mbanza Kongo city) on August 17, 1604, following Brazil route.
Among the requests of Mpangu-to-Nimi Lukeni, that the ambassador should make with the active voice to the Supreme Pontiff, stand out: The missionaries’ extreme need, whose preference relapsed for the Dominicans and the barefoot Carmelite. This measure of Mpangu-to-Nimi Lukeni resulted from his interest in opposing the Portuguese influence in his State.
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The ambassador of Kongo, António Manuel, arrived at Rome in the night
of January 3, 1608, however, his health condition was quite precarious. He was
accomodated in Vatican, in the right row designated “Paradise”.
Pope provided the whole assistance, to his visitor, for whom he has appealed
to his own medical equips, having visited the ambassador in his bed. However
about midnight from 5-6 January his health condition became worse, an, one hour
later, the ambassador died.
The Kongo ambassador, António Manuel, “ of N’funta Marquis’
death, has affected Papa Paulo V. On the next day, began the funereal celebration,
at the height of the personality that Kongo represented in Rome, although in
few hours.
The whole apparatus of the ceremonial that was prepared for the reception in
the headquarters of the Christianity, to the African Kingdom’s representative,
had been taken for his funeral. The funeral procession has left from the S.
Catarina church, near S. Pedro’s square. The referred procession integrated
the confrère of S. Pedro’s holy Sacramento, many religious persons
of several Orders, fourty priests with white cotta, the Swiss Guard, two papal
master-of-cerimónias, D. Fábio Biondo (Patriarch of Jerusalem),
eight prelates, four apostolic protonotaries and several chaplains and squires
of papal family, among other dignitaries
After a long course through the Rome streets, the body was buried in the Basilica
of S. Maria Maggiore: in Sisto V’S chapel, in a temporary grave. Thereof
he left in 1629 to be buried, definitively in S. Maria Maggiore, in a luxurious
mausoleum with ambassador António Manuel’s bust in porphyry polyichromic
sculpted by Francisco Caporale.
The bust is in Bapistery with this text in the inferior part:
MARCHIONI ANTONIO NEGRITAE REGIO CONGI ORATORI QUEM PAULUS V NONDUM PERACTA LEGATIONE IN VATICANUM MORTUUM IN ESQUILINIS FUNERAVIT URBANUS OCTAVUS QUI PRIMUS ROMANORUM PONTIFICUM REGIBUS CONGI PER ORATOREM IOANNEM BAPTISTAM LIVE SOLEMNE CHRISTIANAE OBEIENTIAE IURAMENTUM EXCEPT SEPULCRUM EXSRTUXIT PONTIFICIAE CHARITATIS MONUMENTUM A. N. DOM. MDCXXDC. PONT. VL.
Furthermore, Pope ordered to coin a commemorative medal that, in the right face, it presents Papa Paulo V effigy and, in the reverse, Pope to bless the king Mpangu-to-Nimi Lukeni’s correspondent, kneeling before him, with the following registration:
ET CONGU AGNOSCIT PASTOREM MDCVIII.
Finally we can refer that in the Paulina library of the “Vatican Museums” there is a painting in fresco that represents Papa Paulo V at the António Manuel’s head of bed, the famous ambassador of Kongo to Pope.
NATIONAL HISTORICAL ARCHIVE, IN LUANDA, OCTOBER 18, 2002.
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