AMECEA: ‘Encourage the Spirit of Synodal Theology’ and Dialogue: Vatican to African Synodal Initiative
Andrew Kaufa, smm
African Synodality Initiative, a project of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM) in collaboration with the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has for the first time gathered a working group comprising of the clergy, Consecrated persons and the laity with different professional expertise from across the continent, to reflect on their experience of the synodal process.
Giving an opening address, online, to the participants who gathered at JCAM House in Nairobi from March 9 to 11, 2022, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican, Sr Nathalie Becquart XMCJ thanked JCAM for the initiative to bring together a diversity of theologians and professional experts from Africa to reflect on synodality.
“When we speak about synodality, the first thing is that the Church is a synodal Church. Therefore, more important is that perhaps I listen to you as a group of theologians,” she said and added.
“The first point I want to share with you is a reflection from theologians from our Synodality Commission. After opening the synod, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said: ‘We are living the most important ecclesial event since the Vatican Council II. It is the first time in 2,000 years that the whole Church is involved in a Synod – everyone called to participate in the Synod.’ As we are living in this time of chaos for the Church and for our world, in this time of change, if we think of the Vatican II, one of themes was how to work together between all the people of God and the bishops, to foster a dialogue between theologians, the people of God and bishops and for the continuation of this spirit of dialogue and conversation,” said Sr Nathalie.
She then urged African theologians to take this synodal stage of gathering and synthesizing reflections from the people of God in the dioceses as one of the most important things in the synodal process, urging them to play their important role of bringing into theology whatever is happening during the synodal process.
“I believe that continued reflection and theological synthesis of what is happening now will contribute to the sensus fidei. We cannot think of synod without thinking of a synodal dialogue between the youth, women, laity, clergy and the bishops. There is also need for dialogue with the culture of the people in its diversity. So, I want to encourage you to continue fostering this spirit of synodal theology through such dialogue – doing theology together is the style of synodality.
Explaining the background to the colloquium, President of JCAM Fr Dr Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator SJ said: “This gathering is a follow up to a conversation with Sr Natalie Becquat on how best we can have profound reflection on synodality in the African perspective. So, we are doing this by offering a space for reflection, to share the resources, we have in our local context in a spirit of solidarity between JCAM and SECAM,” adding that “Our methodology is very simple: a conversation, a reflection together as a family of God together, modeling the spirit of synodality – listening to one another and listening to the Spirit.”
He then invited the participants to share in his expectation that the colloquium will deepen their experience of solidarity; create a vision of synodality together with the Church; discover a sense of collaboration; and enhance the ecclesial model of Church as family of God.
Apart from members from JCAM and Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa (AMECEA), the group of 15 that gathered at JCAM included two members of the Vatican’s Commission on Synodality from the African continent, Fr Dr Nicholaus Segeja Director of Gaba Campus of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and Sr Anne Beatrice Faye CIC from the Institute of Ecumenism Oecumenique Mowafaqua in Bukina Faso.
Other members included the laity, clergy and Consecrated persons from the University of Johannesburg, Kwame Nkrumah University in Ghana, University of Nairobi in Kenya, Saint Augustine College in South Africa, Hekima Jesuit University College in Kenya, Institut Theologique de la Compagnie de Jesus (ITCJ) in Ivory Coast and the Cheik Anta Diop University in Senegal.
Responding to Sr Nathalie’s call to the theologians, Dr Nomtando Margret Hadebe from Saint Augustine University, South Africa, appreciated the efforts made by the Church as a body of Christ to allow the people to listen to each other as a Church that journeys together arguing, “Participation of everybody, that is the way to go.”
However, she noted that the process calls for everyone in the Church to listen to the Holy Spirit and to one another but also to be ready for mindset change.
“Many bishops are buying this thinking. However, concern is the resistance of some of the bishops and members of the Church. Fifty years past the Vatican II, how do we ensure that obstacles are removed so that God continues to give Himself to the Church?,” said Fr Marcel Uwineza SJ, lecturer of Systematic Theology at Hekima College.
Sr Dr Veronica Rop ASE from CUEA’s Centre for Social Research called to mind the early Christian community (Acts 2:42-45) where women could raise their voice on equity distribution of food and said, “Therefore, this calls for a listening Church where those in power listening to the concerns of the Christians. Therefore, this synodality is giving us an opportunity that we would not want to miss. Everyone – the bishops, the Christians in the SCCs have a role to play.”
In an attempt to frame an African vision of synodality, participants once again underscored openness to the Holy Spirit, who is urging the Church to be open, to discard fear, and to journey the path if conversion and new evangelization.
On the Church in Africa making the conversion journey, some of the participants noted that this cannot be done without taking recourse to our African values as enshrined in the Ubuntu and Ujamaa philosophies which bring everyone on board, hence listening to the laity including building the capacity so that they may ably play their role in the Church’s mission but also relooking at the formation of priestly candidates so as to address the problem of clericalism.
There was a consensus among participants that after the people of God in the parishes and dioceses have filled in the questionnaires and continue to say the prayer for the Synod, ways must be found of ensuring that the spirit of synodality does not end there but rather continues to shape the conversation as a long-term pedagogy, hence the need for continued African theological voice.
The colloquium thus insisted on members of the Church working together as a Synodal family and ensure that the voices of the people in Africa are reflected at the 2023 gathering and in the final document.
Representing the youth in the Church, Noluthando Honono from the University of Johannesburg, had this to say about the colloquium: “The uniqueness of this gathering makes for a much richer experience. As a lay person with no theological background, I felt that it was inclusive, allowing me to engage and thus indicating that the process would be open to those who have a similar background. It certainly leaves me with a great hope that the synodal process will reach out to and attract the young voices in the Church, as well as those whose authority is neither as a result of the academic prowess nor their consecration.”
In order to share their vision and experience of synodality during the three-day gathering, the colloquium has written a communique which emphasizes the call to listen to the Holy Spirit who is calling upon the Church to journey the path of conversion.
“The participants invoke the Holy Spirit to accompany this synodal journey and deeply believe that the Church of the third millennium should embrace the path of synodality. They committed themselves to serve as facilitators in educating, promoting awareness and building a culture of synodality. Participants also resolved to avail themselves for the next phases of the synod on synodality and beyond,” reads part of the communique
which shall be shared through various platforms including the General Secretariat for Synod of Bishops on media@synod.va
