(Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa)
It is recorded in the Instrumentum Laboris that at least 40% of the population of Africa is under 18 years of age. Surely then it is this group that we as a Synod should be earmarking for concerted effort and attention.
Already in South Africa we have a
group which we call "the lost generation". A generation that has lived
through the years of apartheid deprived of proper housing and proper family
life, deprived of proper education, deprived of free association with others,
deprived of any political say in the government of the country. For the
majority of the South Africans the elections of the 27 April will see the
reversal of all this and will see the beginning of a new and better South
Africa.
I would propose therefore that this
Synod in this Year of the Family sends a strong message concerning the
African Church’s determination to multiply its effort and to use its resources
for the building up of sound Christian Family Life, where values of the
Gospel are experienced and lived. We must be determined to counter and
fight all that would destroy such family life. Especially we must condemn
all the bad things that invaded our homes through those instruments of
the mass media. You, Holy Father, have already advised parents to switch
off the television set.
I would also want to recommend what others have done that in each diocese we have a full-time paid Youth Co-ordinator and likewise a trained Youth Co-ordinator in clustered parishes if not individual parishes. We often speak of development and we must find the funds within the diocese — from diocesan resources — for that most important development of the individual person. Development unfortunately for some is still seen in the number of the Churches we build.
Also in the years of active apartheid, the Church was deprived and handicapped in doing all it wanted to do in the area of education. Our schools had to function invariably without government aid and in new area we were never allowed to found new schools. This Synod should once again emphasise the importance of the Catholic school and call upon governments to give the necessary support because Catholics too pay taxes. Parents should be encouraged to make demands for Catholic schools and give those already in existence all the support they can and indeed make sacrifices if required to do so.
Turning to another matter, it seems that Instrumentum Laboris has failed to mention the Permanent Diaconate and other ministries as agents of evangelisation. The permanent deacon seems to have been forgotten even before he was given the chance to prove himself.
The record shows that there are 290 deacons in Africa. I do not see this as a very good statistics because I know of one diocese in South Africa which alone has over 50 permanent deacons out of 290. That diocese is Cape Town. I simply want to ask the question: What are the other dioceses of Africa doing about the training of Permanent Deacons?
Original text: English
