UGANDA: SECAM’s 18th Plenary Study Session Ends as Pastoral Pathways for The Church in Africa Begin to Surface
As the SECAM 18th Plenary Assembly which is taking place at Speke Munyonyo Resort & And Conference Centre entered the 4th day on July 24, delegates have exited the ‘See part’, entering the ‘judge’ part and giving the bishops many possibilities as they discern pathways for the future of the Church in Africa.
For three days since July 22, the the Assembly’s activities have been marked by three distinct exercises, namely study sessions, group discussions and plenary discussions. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the delegates have shared pastoral experiences from all regions, ending with two reflections: the possibilities and occasions for a missionary activity in today’s Africa as ignited by the presentation made by Rt. Rev. John MacWilliam M. Afr. Bishop of Laghouat in Algeria; and another on new frontiers, spiritualities and pastoral strategies presented by Rt. Rev. Fulgence Muteba Mugalu Bishop of Kilwa-Kasenga in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Fr Nathanael Soede who was moderating the Tuesday proceedings reminded the delegates that this exercise must be guided by the spirit of synodality as Pope Francis always emphasizes.
“In the spirit of journeying together, let us look at the pastoral challenges ahead of us and for the future of the Church in Africa,” he said.
The delegates from all over Africa have discussed the pastoral challenges in the various regional groups of SECAM: the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa (ACEAC; Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa region (CERAC); Regional Episcopal Conferences of West Africa (RECOA/ CERAO); Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy of Egypt (AHCE); Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa (CERNA); Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA), Episcopal Conferences of the Indian Ocean (CEDOI) and Association of the Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa (AMECEA).
His Eminence Robert Cardinal Sarah Prefect of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments has urged the delegates to be more focused to the pertinent pastoral issues that are coming up while Archbishop Protas Rugambwa Chairman of the Pontifical Mission Societies and Secretary of Congregation of the Evangelization of Peoples emphasized the importance of identifying linkages between the past reflections and what is coming up as the way forward for the Church in Africa.
“We are not absolutely re-inventing the wheel. Therefore, it is important that we see what was already decided for the past 50 years, where we are today and what ought to be done from now onwards. This is what will give our Assembly a sense of continuity. Let us be focused so that the product of this conference will be concrete, refined and substantial,” said Most Rev. Rugambwa.
These remarks are coming up following the group presentations and as delegates as deliberate on the key questions and how to address them, guided by the theme of the SECAM 18th Plenary Assembly, Church Family of God in Africa: celebrate your Jubilee; Proclaim Jesus Christi your Saviour.
The 300 SECAM delegates have continued to express appreciation of what the Church in Africa has achieved since the establishment of SECAM by Pope Paul VI in 1969. These include the Church’s commitment to evangelization, integral human development and keeping the sense of the universality of the Catholic Church.
There is also a greater sense that given the present realities, something is missing. As such, the delegates’s contributions made further emphasis that apart from being academically profound, the documentation of the forthcoming resolutions ought to have a pastoral flavor and must be centred on the people of God. Also, they must reflect an emphasis that the Church belongs to all the people of God – the clergy, Religious men and women and the laity.
On their part, the AMECEA group said, “We must ensure the centrality of the Eucharist as it links with the other Sacraments and the sharing of the Word of God in Small Christian Communities, ensuring that these are strongly pronounced. This Plenary Assembly must be elaborate about the Church as family of God; and it must be more relevant to the laity.”
Also in terms of strategies, the AMECEA group has emphasized the importance of family as central to modern evangelization; they have stressed on Catechesis and ongoing formation of the faithful; marriage and family apostolate; using the digital technologies and social media as tools for evangelization; strengthening the Bible apostolate; pastoral ministry to the youth, single mothers and Catholic politicians; child safeguarding; and the centrality of the woman in evangelization, Christians formation of children and stability of marriage.
The Regional Episcopal Conferences of West Africa (CERAO) also emphasized the importance of continued efforts towards ongoing conversion of Africa, citing in particular renunciation of corruption and bad governance; violence, terrorism and religious radicalism; environmental degradation and ecological issues; illiteracy and belief in witchcraft; and giving more space to the laity in the Church.
The other groups added on to the list of the gaps and future strategies as they also pointed at
poverty, instability of family, moral issues such as abortion, same sex marriage, globalization, refugees and migration.
Generally, in terms of future strategies, most groups cited Catechesis, centrality of the Eucharist; apostolate to Members of Parliament and enhancing CCJP structures to foster good governance; systematic formation programs for youth ministry and youth accompaniment; marriage apostolate; missionary exchange within and outside Africa; investing more in content development for the digital media as tools for evangelization; and the role of the catechists and the laity in new evangelization.
Obviously, the resolutions shall be made by the 9 cardinals 55 archbishops, 106 bishops in closed in sessions of the Plenary Assembly in a discernment atmosphere. However, the issues that arose as the over 300 delegates gathered together, set a background to the forthcoming exercise as the bishops of Africa seek to come up with concrete pastoral pathways for the Church on the continent.
~End~
By Fr. Andrew Kaufa, AMECEA
