SOUTH SUDAN: Seminar for Newly-Ordained Bishops Emphasizes New Evangelization, Says Archbishop of Juba
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Archdiocese
After two weeks seminar in Rome for young bishops from mission territories and around the world, Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla has shared his experience appreciating the seminar which emphasized on new ways of evangelization among other discussions.
In an interview with AMECEA online Wednesday, September 21, the Local Ordinary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Juba, South Sudan disclosed that the seminar which had both morning and afternoon sessions inducts young bishops to service.
“We covered various topics and I mainly learnt new ways of explaining old age doctrines and the reformation of the Roman Curia undertaken by his Holiness Pope Francis,” the Prelate shared his take-aways from the seminar which gave him a new dimension on the Church’s structure.
According to Archbishop Ameyu, the seminar which run from 5-17th September, brought together 80 bishops from all over the world including those from Africa, Asia, Americans, Island Nations, Australia, as far Japan and New Zealand.
He noted that other than the lesson on Canon Law which the bishops were taken through on the first day, they also learnt more on “governance in the Church, new evangelization, Communion and collegiality among bishops and the Holy Father.”
They also focused on “new reforms in the Roman Curia as a way of serving the Church better, bishops as shepherds, the spirituality in life of a bishop, diaconia in the Church and the role of laity in the Church among others.”
The Archbishop noted that “too many students in class is not ideal,” hence not all young bishops attended the seminar but only those who were appointed from 2018 to 2020.
Because of the richness of the seminar, the prelate who was appointed Bishop of Torit diocese in South Sudan in January 2019, and in December of the same year appointed the Archbishop of Juba recommended that “the seminar should be given not only to new bishops but also the senior ones since it is like aggiornomento” or sabbatical year.”
He emphasized that their meeting with the Holy Father on Saturday, September 17, strengthened them on “the role of a bishop as good a Shepherd who should smell like sheep in there nature.”
The 14-day formation course, was convened by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the prelates met for the sessions at Pontifical College of St. Paul the Apostle.
