Roman Catholic Cardinal. Joseph Albert Malula was born in Léopoldville in the Belgian Congo, later Zaïre, present day Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Receiving his first education at the local primary school Sainte-Anne under the direction by Fr. Raphaël de la Kétuhulle, he entered the minor seminaries of Mbata Kielar and Bolongo, before the Major Seminary of Christ-Roi of Kabwe. Ordained priest on June 9, 1946 at the Stadium Reine Astrid of Léopoldville by Msgr. Georges Six CICM., local apostolic vicar, he served as member of the teaching staff of the Minor Seminary of Bokoro between 1946 and 1959. Vicar and later pastor of the parishes of Saint-Pierre and Christ-Roi in Léopoldville, he was elected bishop of the titular see of Attanaso and appointed auxiliary for the see of Léopoldville on July 18, 1959 by Pope John XXIII, receiving his episcopal consecration on the following September 20 at the Stadium Tata Raphaël of Léopoldville. Promoted to the metropolitan see of Léopoldville on July 7, 1964, the archdiocese's name was changed to that of Kinshasa on May 30, 1966. Pope Paul VI created him cardinal priest in the consistory of April 28, 1969 with the title of Ss. Protomartiri a Via Aurelia Antica, becoming thus the first Congolese Cardinal. Malula died on June 14, 1989 at Saint-Luc's Hospital of Louvain, Belgium, after a long illness, and was buried inside Notre Dame du Congo metropolitan cathedral of Kinshasa.
Roman Catholic Cardinal. Joseph Albert Malula was born in Léopoldville in the Belgian Congo, later Zaïre, present day Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Receiving his first education at the local primary school Sainte-Anne under the direction by Fr. Raphaël de la Kétuhulle, he entered the minor seminaries of Mbata Kielar and Bolongo, before the Major Seminary of Christ-Roi of Kabwe. Ordained priest on June 9, 1946 at the Stadium Reine Astrid of Léopoldville by Msgr. Georges Six CICM., local apostolic vicar, he served as member of the teaching staff of the Minor Seminary of Bokoro between 1946 and 1959. Vicar and later pastor of the parishes of Saint-Pierre and Christ-Roi in Léopoldville, he was elected bishop of the titular see of Attanaso and appointed auxiliary for the see of Léopoldville on July 18, 1959 by Pope John XXIII, receiving his episcopal consecration on the following September 20 at the Stadium Tata Raphaël of Léopoldville. Promoted to the metropolitan see of Léopoldville on July 7, 1964, the archdiocese's name was changed to that of Kinshasa on May 30, 1966. Pope Paul VI created him cardinal priest in the consistory of April 28, 1969 with the title of Ss. Protomartiri a Via Aurelia Antica, becoming thus the first Congolese Cardinal. Malula died on June 14, 1989 at Saint-Luc's Hospital of Louvain, Belgium, after a long illness, and was buried inside Notre Dame du Congo metropolitan cathedral of Kinshasa.
Bio by: Eman Bonnici
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