MALAKAL, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE OF. - In the southern part of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, erected on 10 Jan. 1933 under the name of Kodok and with territory detached from the apostolic vicariates of Khartoum and of Bahr el-Ghazal and from the apostolic prefecture of Bahr el-Gebel. It was entrusted to the Sons of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (African Missions of Verona), who had been working there since the beginning of the mission, but on 12 Aug. 1938, for political reasons, it had to be transferred to the Society of St. Joseph of Mill Hill for Foreign Missions. On 14 July 1949 the name Kodok was changed to that of M., from the name of the place of residence of the Ordinary.
The territory is one of the most difficult mission fields, because, although it is inhabited by pagan tribes (Shilluk, Dinka, Nuer, Altezi) that form a preponderant numerical majority (about 695,000 out of 715,000 inhabitants) and among which a relatively fruitful apostolate could be carried out, not only is the "zone system" in force there, but it also lies under Islamic government influence, even though Muslims are a small minority (about 15,000). With the recent establishment of the indigenous Legislative Council, composed almost exclusively of Muslims, there is even talk of political unification, including the use of a single language, Arabic. So that the missionaries, who had already devoted themselves to the study of the various indigenous languages and to translations of the catechisms into them, will find themselves facing new and not easily surmountable difficulties in their relations with and teaching of the various tribes.
The prefecture has an area of 204,800 sq km, with 712,000 inhabitants, of whom 2,388 are Catholics, distributed in 4 parishes served by 21 diocesan priests, assisted by 4 communities of women religious. It has 6 educational institutions (Ann. Pont., 1951, p. 715).
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Carlo Corvo