KENYA: Participants Appreciate PHILOTHEA Missionaries’ Training on Marriage and Family
Terming the just concluded certificate courses for couples as timely and a great effort towards creating lasting marriages, the participants could not help but request that the training be extended to reach as many couples as possible.
The training which was organized by St. John Paul II College for Marriages and Family Studies in Kenya, in Conjunction with John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences at the Lateran University, Rome, through AMECEA, was held between December 2nd and 8th.
Its main objective was to assist couples in their family and pastoral ministry in the parishes or dioceses. The course covered four major areas which included Christian Anthropology, Moral Life, Pastoral Challenges, and Socio-Cultural Realities. Apart from the courses offered, there were also inputs from couples, testimonies, cultural activities and daily celebration of the Holy Eucharist and as well as common prayer.
Coordinator of AMECEA Pastoral Department
Speaking during the closing ceremony of the function, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Chimombo, Coordinator of AMECEA Pastoral Department said that the training has been endorsed by the AMECEA Bishops. “The course you have just undertaken is something that is not foreign. It has gone through the hands of the Bishops; they have assessed the program and they have given it the go ahead.”
Fr. Chimombo who is also the deputy Secretary General of AMECEA further indicated that the Papal Encyclical Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) pointed out that the institution of family is under attack from modern evil trends such as gay marriages that threatens to destroy the family. Therefore it is important that the family is inspired to take the stand against such evils.
“There is also a culture that is growing rapidly in the society that for no known reason, some ladies have decide that they don’t want to get married but to have children and raise them as single parents. Similarly, there are men who father children but don’t want to be responsible, thereby leaving the whole burden to the woman. All these are attacks on the family and marriage as an institution,” Fr. Chimombo said.
He urged the participants to go out and conduct themselves in exemplary manner that would demonstrate to others that the institution of marriage and family is sacred and backbone of a healthy society.
Fr. Chimombo explained that this particular training for couples in marriage and family is part of the implementation of AMECEA 19th Plenary Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in July this year. He indicated that the AMECEA 19th Plenary Assembly had three resolutions on marriage and family in order to help save the institution which is currently under severe attack.
“The Plenary Assembly resolved that AMECEA Secretariat and member Episcopal Conferences must create a framework for mainstreaming a catechesis that promotes the culture of non-violence in families, Small Christian Communities, parishes, youth groups, etc. (Study Session Res. N. 5),” Fr. Chimombo pointed out.
According to the Study Session Resolution Number 20, the 19th Plenary Assembly also resolved that member Episcopal Conferences must put more emphasis on the preparation and accompaniment of married couples and on-going formation of families.
Finally, Resolution Number 7 of the Business Session of the Plenary Assembly resolved that in order to enhance apostolate to families AMECEA should partner with PHILOTHEA Missionaries which has been mandated to establish Pope John Paul II Institute for the Family for the Anglophone Africa to develop training materials in family apostolate for use by member Episcopal Conferences.
“The Institute should develop short courses for the laity and engage in training of trainers across the AMECEA region. With time, the Institute should be empowered to offer Masters programmes for those who will champion family apostolate in our region,” Fr. Chimombo explained.
Although the invitation to this first level training for couples was extended to the whole AMECEA Region, only dioceses from Kenya participated due to time and logistic constrains. The Dioceses represented at the training included Nakuru, Lodwar, Kisumu, Meru, Ngong, and Nairobi. The selection of participants was done through Diocesan Pastoral Coordinators. Twelve couples participated in the training, totalling to 24 individuals. The next training for couples is scheduled for May 2019. However, the John Paul II College will have a different training for catechists in February 2019.
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By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News
