AFRICA: AMECEA Participates in the Discussion on Pastoral Issues Affecting Marriage and Family Life in Africa

AMECEA Secretariat was represented by the Secretary General Fr. Ferdinand
Lugonzo,  and the Pastoral Coordinator Fr. Febian Pikiti Mulenga.

 

Speaking with AMECEA Online
News, after arriving from Ghana, the AMECEA Pastoral Department Coordinator, Fr
Febian Pikiti said that
the conference which was organized
by the Symposium of the
Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) was part of preparation for the the Extra-Ordinary Synod on
Marriage and Family life to be held in Rome.

 

He said that the conference focused on the contribution of the Church in
Africa to the forth-

Participants

coming Extra-ordinary Synod.

 

Fr Pikiti further
said that the Conference in Cotonou, aimed at enabling the African Episcopate
to share common preoccupations affecting marriage and family life in Africa and
to propose a pastoral response that will provide guidance for the future of the
Church. The Conference offered insights concerning the future of family life,
the cultural values that can enrich our understanding of marriage and proposed
practical pastoral responses to the concerns that were raised by the Holy
Father in Africa.

 

Pope Francis called
for the convocation of the Extra-ordinary Synod in order for the Church to
re-affirm her commitment to the promotion of the true meaning of marriage and
family life as inspired by the Sacred Scriptures. Indeed, the family is the
smallest cell and vital unit on which society and the Church is founded. It in
the family where life is received and nurtured in order for a every individual
person to assume obligations, roles and responsibilities with the context of
the social fabric.  However, this
institution is facing many challenges today and it is for this reason that the
Holy Father has called for the Extraordinary Synod to be held in October this
year as a preparation for the Ordinary General Synod in 2015.

 

During the
Conference, the Bishops, Africa theologians and the laity listened to
theological presentations and held discussions in small groups following the
themes or topics that the Holy Father Pope Francis has provided as guiding
questions. They appear as follows :

The Conference was also attended by the Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria, H.E
John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the SECAM President, Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi of
Lubango, Angola,  Archbishop of Cotonou,  Brian Udaigwe, Benin and other Bishops. 

 

As a follow-up from this Conference, the AMECEA Pastoral Department
has organised a Workshop on Marriage and Family Life, as an in-put from AMECEA
Countries. 

 

The Workshop which will be held  in Nairobi from 25th to 28th June 2014 will be
attended by 40 delegates from all the AMECEA Member countries, except Eritrea.
This Workshop is aiming at providing for the AMECEA Episcopate a comprehensive
synthesis of the pre-occupations, propositions and pastoral approaches that
aimed at strenthening marriage and family life in Africa today.

 

Meanwhile, In order to express this
pastoral solidarity between the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in
Eastern Africa (AMECEA) and Biblical Centre for Africa and Madagascar, (BICAM) the
Pastoral Coordinator of AMECEA, Fr. Febian Pikiti MULENGA, had a meeting with
BICAM Director, Fr. Yves-Lucien Evaga Ndjana to discuss areas of collaboration
in promoting Biblical Pastoral Ministry. 

 

Fr Febian Pikiti said that
the Meeting which was held at SECAM Secretariat in Accra, Ghana on 12th
June 2014 deliberated on promoting pastoral programs for Biblical formation for
various pastoral agents at various levels of the Church and Bible animation
programs among many issues.

 

AMECEA Pastoral Department
expressed commitment in the following areas:

a.      To work
together in strengthening structures and activities of the Biblical Pastoral
Ministry at regional, national, diocesan and parish level in the AMECEA
Countries.

b.     To create
a network of collaboration among the departments of Biblical Pastoral Ministry
for the purpose of sharing experiences, resource material and initiatives for Biblical
Apostolate.

c.      To take
Bible Animation for Children and Youth as a priority at all levels of
implementing Biblical Pastoral Ministry in the region.

d.     To collaborate
in equipping National Coordinators of Biblical Pastoral Ministry with the
capacity to enhance Biblical Apostolate and make “BICAM Biblical Apostolate Programmes” known.

e.      To
strengthen the link between BICAM and the Coordinators at the National
Conferences.

 

Biblical Apostolate aims at accompanying the Church as Family of God to
uncover the hidden treasure of God’s Word, fall in love with it and experience
its inner transforming power.  As the
disciples were inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit
continues to be the inner-power of the Word of God. “Such in the force and
power of the Word of God that it can serve the Church as her vigour, strength
for the faith, food for the soul and lasting fount of spiritual life” (DV 21).
Biblical Apostolate is supposed to influence and affect all facets of the
Church’s life and mission because it is the anchor of the nature and work of
the Church.

 

 

SOURCE: AMECEA Pastoral
Department