The 1930s Flemish Clergy in Congo: Missionaries of Empire

The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History · Jul 17, 2026 · 5m · transcript

In the 1930s, Catholic missionaries from Flanders poured into the Belgian Congo, building schools, clinics, and churches — but also enforcing a colonial education system that taught Congolese children to be grateful servants. This episode follows the story of Father Raphaël de la Kethulle, a Flemish priest who founded the Scheutist missions in the Kwango region. We explore how the Flemish clergy, often marginalized in Belgium itself, became enthusiastic agents of colonial rule, and how their linguistic rivalry with French-speaking Walloon priests echoed in the Congo. We also uncover the…