Léon-Paul Classe
Léon-Paul Classe MAfr | |
|---|---|
| Vicar Apostolic of the Apostolic Vicariate of Ruanda | |
| Installed | 10 April 1922 |
| Term ended | 31 January 1945 |
| Predecessor | John Joseph Hirth |
| Successor | Laurent-François Déprimoz |
| Other post(s) | Titular Bishop of Maxula Prates (26 April 1922–31 January 1945) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 31 March 1900 by Léon Livinhac |
| Consecration | 28 May 1922 by Désiré-Joseph Mercier |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 June 1874 Metz, France |
| Died | 31 January 1945 (aged 70) Usumbura, Ruanda-Urundi |
| Nationality | French |
| Denomination | Catholic |
Léon-Paul Classe, M.Afr. (28 June 1874 – 31 January 1945) was a Catholic priest who was Vicar Apostolic of the Apostolic Vicariate of Ruanda, in what is now Rwanda, from 1922 until his death in 1945. During his time as a missionary priest and then bishop a great many Rwandans were converted to Christianity. Classe was influential in persuading the Belgian colonial administration to favor the Tutsis as a ruling caste in the country over the Hutu majority.