SECAM: Insist Catholic Universities in Africa Must Maintain Catholic Identity
Sarah Pelaji
The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has urged Catholic Universities to promote the mission of evangelization and maintain the Catholic Identity in Catholic Universities in Africa.
The topic was introduced recently by the Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, Rt. Rev. Henry Mchamungu, while opening a seminar of two days for Chaplains of Catholic Universities from the countries members of SECAM, held on 4th – 6th June 2024 at the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) Kurasini Dar es Salaam.
Bishop Mchamungu said that attending a Catholic University is more than just going to classes, acquiring information and statistics, and earning a degree, arguing that these institutions help to infuse spiritual and moral principles into the students’ chosen field of study.
“It is not our responsibility to convert students of other religions and beliefs and baptize them to become Catholics; rather to infuse spiritual, moral principles and fear of God all through their studies and in performing their carrier. This is how we build a moral society,” he insisted.
He also gave urged the Univerisities to take special interest in following up the behavior and morals of students who are accommodation outside the university’s hostels.
“It is also your duty to identify the challenges facing students and find solutions, including students from poor families who are unable to pay the university fees or get their basic needs covered.
“Some are students only while in class, but when they go out, they live in the same room with their partner as husband and wife. This is a moral issue that needs to be resolved,” he said.
He said the presence of chaplains in universities is to accompany the students and advise, not to force students to become Catholics or to pray in Catholic churches.
“Instead, it is to enable students of all faiths to live in solidarity as members of the community by collaborating on various issues and do so with mutual respect and tolerance,” he added.
The General Secretary of SECAM, Father Rafael Simbine, requested Catholic Universities within SECAM to continue to carry out their mission by protecting the values of the Catholic Church, while encouraging the establishment of Christian Small Communities to bring students together to pray and meditate with the Word of God, a seed that if cared for and weeded well will spread love and solidarity to students of other faiths.
“Many of the Catholic Church’s universities in the world, especially those in Western countries, tend towards a more worldly perspective, losing the direction of the Catholic Church’s teachings, thus losing the Church mark. This challenge is slowly beginning to affect the African continent,” he said.
However, he thanked the good work done by the Catholic universities in creating a living image of the mission of the Church, including the issue of empowering students to find the right way to achieve their success in life.
He said that the colleges and schools of the Catholic Church are more than providing a good academic education, but they are also a good source and factory for nurturing the next generation that will continue to believe by following the Teachings and work started by Christ.
SECAM was founded in 1969 and its headquarters are located in Accra, Ghana. It comprises of the Federation of Central African Catholic Bishops’ Councils (ACEAC), the Federation of African Catholic Bishops’ Councils (ACERAC), the Federation of West African Catholic Bishops’ Councils (RECOWA/CERAO), the Egyptian Catholic Ecclesiastical Council (AHCEA), the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Councils of North Africa (CERNA), the Inter-regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) and the Regional Bishops’ Federation of the Indian Ocean (CEDOI), and the Association of Eastern Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa AMECEA).
