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CHURCH
The 13th General Assembly of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SCEAM), held in Dakar, Senegal, 1-12 December 2003, took the following specific decisions: The Church in Africa must develop effective relationships with the Church in the northern hemisphere, and must enhance relationships within the Church in Africa
The Church in Africa now has two priority missions. An extract from the Assembly’s final communique, states: «From now on, two priority missions are entrusted to the Church in Africa. The first is a mission ad intra. This means that Africa must evangelise Africa. The second is a mission ad extra. That is, Africa must evangelise the world». Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe is the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of People. He made the above observations on 11 October, during the final work sessions, and stressed the importance of this challenge for the Church. Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja (Nigeria’s capital), SCEAM‘s new president(*), described it as a «major challenge» for the Church in Africa.
During the solemn Mass of Thanksgiving the following day, Cardinal Sepe reiterated these two priority missions in his homely. He said: «The Church in Africa is henceforth responsible for its mission in Africa and in the world. He also mentioned the need to strengthen agreement and unity among the bishops, between bishops and priests, and among priests. He stressed the importance of the formation of apostolic personnel, emphasising the need for the formation of the laity «so that they can assume responsibilities in the socio-political realm in keeping with Gospel values». Africa’s present-day crisis is precisely in the socio-political realm so the Church must be active and present there.
Clear and hard-hitting
Mgr Robert Sarah is secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. On the General Assembly’s first day, he made a clear and hard-hitting expose of Africa’s present situation. He said: «Africa is wounded by on-going violence and the never-ending suffering of its sons and daughters, who are victims of poverty, injustices and economic and world political structures. All of which crush every effort to achieve development among the weak, and which keep the poor in such a position that they are unable to refuse the arbitrary decisions of those who oppress them».
«However», he said, «this same Africa enriched by the richness of one God, revealed in Jesus-Christ, has in its turn enriched the Church. The Church has become an integral part of Africa’s history, embracing its cultural and religious values and witnessing to the holiness of its sons and its daughters». The Church in Africa is indeed an «effective means for concrete pastoral collaboration and for calling people to a life of holiness. The Church is thus able to play its part fully in the 21st Century».
In his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, «The Church in Africa», (The Synod of African Bishops took place April-May 1994), Pope John Paul II said: «The people of God in Africa must be resolutely prepared to enter the third millennium». He said that the Church’s witness must be accompanied by a firm commitment to justice, peace and solidarity by each member of God’s family. The Church must bear witness to Christ «to the ends of the earth».
Reorganization
SCEAM‘s new president, Archbishop Onaiyekan, described the kind of organization SCEAM members are looking for. SCEAM must an organisation whereby:
- The bishops of Africa and neighbouring islands can coordinate their ideas and plans of action;
- National and Regional Bishops’ Conferences are helped to fulfil their mission;
- The bishops’ conferences are encouraged to face up to Africa’s realities and challenges and to find solutions to several urgent needs;
- Bureaucracy and «red-tape» is reduced to a minimum thus making it financially possible to carry out decisions taken.
To achieve the above, very few structural changes are needed in SCEAM‘s set-up. Its Standing Committee together with its secretariat must find the best concrete solutions enabling SCEAM to carry out its work. This will be achieved by:
- Reorganizing SCEAM‘s committees and departments for greater effectiveness;
- Improving relationships with: Bishops’ conferences in other continents; other Christian denominations who are members of the African Council of Religious Leaders (ACRL); the African Union; the United Nations; other organisations with which SCEAM already has links.
Inter-religious and inter-continental dialogue
Archbishop Onaiyekan said that the ACRL had held its inaugural meeting in June 2003, in Abuja, Nigeria. The ACRL is an umbrella organisation of Religions in Africa, providing opportunities to reflect on Africa’s problems. The co-presidency is presently held by the Archbishop and the Mufti of Uganda.
Also, a meeting of the bishops of Africa and Europe has been programmed for 11-14 November 2004, to research ways and means of working together in the light of current world situations – especially globalisation which has definite pastoral repercussions.
The Archbishop clarified further: «These days, peoples and governments everywhere are making overtures to Africa because of our continent’s immense richness. But when Africa opens itself out to others, it doesn’t always find adequate answers, friendships, and disinterested solidarity. On the other hand, leadership in many of Africa’s countries is frequently entrusted to people who have blood on their hands. Everyone, bishops and laity alike should be concerned about what’s happening».
Intentions and realities
Mgr Sarah said that the Pope «counts on Africa’s leaders to have enough sense of responsibility to re-establish real democracy and foster that kind of development which respects all areas of human thought and well-being». But, according to Archbishop Monsengwo Pasinya of Kisangani, Congo RDC, «what is cruelly lacking in every development plan suggested for Africa (and especially in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development [NEPAD], all of which are looking for ways and means to further prosperity for all by regrouping and better managing available resources, is the human factor».
On 5 October, the bishops present at the 13th General Assembly went on pilgrimage to the Island of Gorée. For all, it was a historic moment of capital importance. After a short period of reflection in the House of Slaves, there was a penitential celebration during which the bishops, in the name of the Church in Africa, asked forgiveness for the role that Africa had played in the inhuman trafficking in human beings. During the moving ceremony, a song, composed in the 19th century by an English pirate involved in the slave trade but who had changed his ways, was sung. Then came the concelebrated Mass of the Resurrection underlying the fact that each participant must, from now on, involve himself in the effort to build a new world.
Following the Mass which was concelebrated in the island’s parish church, SCEAM issued a Message inviting every African Christian «to make a personal act of contrition, by: Acknowledging Africa’s part in the contemptible trade in human beings; changing their way of life; working actively for the building-up of a new world order». Then the bishops asked Africa’s leaders especially, «to condemn new forms of slavery, namely prostitution, sexual tourism, trafficking in children, using children and teenagers as child soldiers in Africa’s fratricidal wars, and any form of tribal and regional ethnic rejection which runs counter to and undermines African society».
A participant at the Dakar General Assembly made the following pertinent observation: «Surely everyone in the world should seek to imitate this initiative whereby sorrow was expressed and forgiveness sought for what took place in the past, and should seek a personal conversion in one’s way of life. In this way, all can be reconciled one with another and together can build a new world?»
- Justin Mendy, Senegal, October 2003 — © Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement
(*) SCEAM’s new vice-president is Bishop F. Silota (Chimoio, Mozambique) – and the second vice-president is Archbishop T.A. Sarr, (Dakar, Senegal).