THE SITUATION OF THE CHURCH
IN AFRICA AND MADAGASCAR
(Some Aspects and Observations)
BY
CARDINAL JOZEF TOMKO
(Vatican City
INTRODUCTION
When I was invited, or rather I should say when I was
asked and given the task of preparing this report on the situation of the
Church in Africa and Madagascar, I tried to turn down the assignment. Faced
with such a complex situation, one not always well‑documented, my 38
visits to Africa are not sufficient. Neither would many years of daily contact
with such situations, nor the overall vision that could be had from the vast
experience gained during the almost 400 years of the Mission Dicastery. Neither
would a personal love for Africa which grows almost spontaneously when one
participates in the common joy and suffers with the suffering, with a sym-pathy
which soon becomes em‑pathy, because Africa makes one love it!
All that would not be enough, but it could be useful.
So then, taking my inspiration from the motto of Pope John XXIII «oboedientia
et pax», I offer you my contribution with an important subtitle: «Some
aspects and observations». In such a spirit I offer it to you, the Pastors
of the Church in Africa and Madagascar, who have firsthand experience of this
situation in your particular Churches, to the heads of the Roman dicasteries,
and to all those present.
1. THE AFRICAN WORLD TODAY
As our introduction and starting point today, let us
try for a moment to observe the «Sitz im Leben», and thus first situate
the Church of the African Continent within the African world and then briefly
look at this world and this Church in the context of the whole world and the
universal Church.
The whole world is passing through a period of great
structural change. After the fall of the two main blocs and the end of the Cold
War between East‑West, the world is looking for new balance and the «new
world order». Today the leading Western nations are still concentrating their
political and commercial relations primarily on the developing industrial
countries of Asia and to some degree towards Eastern Europe to stimulate
growth. Africa and its serious problems and political and social interests
receive less attention, becoming almost an appendage on the world’s chess
match. With the world’s present tendency to become, through the influence of
the powerful means of social communication «a global village». Africa
(and not only Africa) risks losing much of its culture and even its identity.
Instead, for several years the Pope has been calling the world’s attention to
another important polarity, namely, the one between the North and South
(recall, for example, the Encyclical «Sollicitudo Rei Socialis» [19871,
n. 14, and other addresses!). Even the choice of Rome as the site of the Synod
for Africa, based on the suggestion of your wise «elders», the African
Cardinals, in order to focus the world’s public opinion more closely on the
Church of the African continent, was dictated by a reason which the Holy Father
himself expressed in his Angelus reflection on Sunday, 6 March: «Perhaps, in
the designs of Providence, the hour has arrived, the hour of the great African
continent. Christ is calling Africa!».
Context
of the universal Church
With this Synod, within the context of the universal
Church, the Church in Africa is moving precisely in the direction in which the
Spirit seems to be blowing, that is, evangelisation, both the first
evangelisation and the new one. Let us note that this was the basic theme of
the plenary assembly of the «Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences»
in July 1990 at Bandung; that in 1991 the Special Assembly for Europe of the
Synod of Bishops discussed it, and that in October 1993 it was the turn of the
Americas when at Santo Domingo they celebrated the fifth centenary of their
evangelisation with a special general conference. And now it is the turn of the
African continent which is gathered in Synod to discuss the topic: «The
Church in Africa and her evangelising mission towards the year 2000: You shall
be my witnesses». Thus it is quite obvious that it is along the lines of
evangelisation that the Spirit is moving the Catholic Church towards the goal
of the great jubilee of salvation in the year 2000, and that Catholic Africa is
in perfect alignment with that direction.
What does Africa look like in today’s world? The only
stable, unchanging data seems to be its surface area: 30,704,000 km2,
one fifth of the world’s surface. Everything else is changing.
There is rapid population growth: in 1900 Africa had
107,854,260 inhabitants; in 1924: 137,361,000; in 1953: 193,117,000; in 1975:
227,594,286.
Today, the population of Africa and Madagascar is
634,967,000; this constitutes approximately 12% of the world’s population,
which is calculated at more than 5,300,000,000. Even cautious, general
estimates predict nothing but growth.
Political
context
Under the political aspect, the «winds of
change», as the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, described it when
17 African nations gained their independence in 1960, continue to blow.
After the initial enthusiasm of independence, there
was the rise of new difficulties of various types frequently accompanied by
corruption, oppression, economic dependence, and violence.
Today, however, there are other changes involved. The
desire for freedom has taken on other forms. Generally the colonial powers left
these occupied countries without a leading class, which is just now beginning
to develop. The collapse of the communist regimes following the changes in
Central and Eastern Europe have led to other changes. Some dictatorial regimes
have fallen. In only one year’s time (1992‑1993) elections were held in
12 nations. The apartheid laws have been dismantled. People are asking for
pluralism, participation, respect for human rights. However, the resistance of
the oligarchies, military regimes, and tribal heritage is strong in diverse
areas. Even the democratic aspirations themselves are still in search of their
own form, and political pluralism risks becoming a form of tribal or ethnic
organisation. Through this travail new systems of government are being born in
some countries, while in other countries it is those in power who are
introducing significant constitutional reforms, while in yet others, military
or authoritarian regimes remain in place.
Economic
context
In the economic field, Africa is still the
world’s poorest continent when one compares its per capita income which,
according to the World Bank’s 1992 figures, ranges from a high of 2,670 dollars
(South Africa) to a low of 60 dollars (Mozambique), to the income of Western
countries which ranges from 10,000 to 37,000 dollars. Today the net worth of
the whole of Africa is slightly higher than that of Belgium!
The economy is based primarily on agriculture and
husbandry, at a mere subsistence level. Fortunately the land is fertile, except
for the desert areas which, however, are growing larger. Great progress could
be obtained with proper techniques of cultivation, irrigation and conservation,
as well as through the processing and marketing of products.
Natural and mineral resources, oil fields, the
resources constituted by hydraulic power, etc., can be found in various areas.
However, the question is, who will profit from them? Various development and
aid programmes have been set up, and not all of them have always been
altruistic. However, they always have a relative effect. «With a very few
exceptions», writes a Nigerian economist, Professor Ake, «Africa’s development
plans have ended up in strategies by which a few people profit, and use the
gains for their own interests: the plans are inevitably upset. There is no
widespread participation of the people in decision in the political and
economic fields, nor has there ever been».
A number of problems in the economic field are to be
lamented: the immense international debt, economic dependence on non-African
markets and nations, large areas beset by hunger, power struggles and wars
which then promote the arms trade to the detriment of development and produce
violence and oppression.... The manager traditional economy is not enough to
heal and satisfy all these needs. In addition, there are immense problems like
AIDS, the problem of many millions of refugees and displaced persons, the
emigration situation, to say nothing of difficulties in health care and
education, rampant urbanisation, illiteracy, infant mortality, etc.
The Church lives and works in this African world. As
the Holy Father said barely a month ago: «The mission that Christ entrusted to
the Church is not ‘a mission in the political, economic or social order’ (Cf.
GS 42). However, this in no way diminishes its consequences for temporal
affairs. Indeed, the gospel proclaims an integral redemption which encompasses
all aspects of the human person.... How could one proclaim Christ on that
immense continent while forgetting that it is one of the world’s poorest
regions? How could one fail to take into account the sufferingfilled history of
a land where many nations are still in the grip of famine, war, racial and
tribal tensions, political instability and the violation of human rights?» (Angelus,
20 March 1994).
What is the situation of the Church in Africa and
Madagascar within the social, political and ecclesial structures at world
level?
2. A CENTURY OF REMARKABLE GROWTH FOR THE CHURCH IN AFRICA
It is true that the evangelisation of Africa had its
beginnings at the very period of birth of the Church; witness of this is the
baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch of Queen Candace, narrated in the Acts of
the Apostles. According to tradition, St Mark the evangelist preached the
gospel and founded a Church in Egypt which during several centuries of its
«golden age» gave the Church great Fathers and saints, and which still exists
today. In Northern Africa the Church has sunk her roots since the second
century with splendid figures of Bishops, confessors and martyrs. But this
Church has been all but buried by events which are not always without violence.
This is a mystery of history, which makes us reflect. Then it is not until the
end of the 15th century that the work of the Portuguese missionaries in Angola
began to bear fruit in the area that is now in the Diocese of Congo-Mwanza.
Among these fruits there was even a bishop, the first native Bishop of Black
Africa, Bishop Henrique, consecrated in Rome in 1518. But this mission too was
more or less an isolated episode.
In reality the systematic evangelisation of Africa
began during the last century, through the work of some missionary Institutes
and the great advocates of the African mission: Card. Lavigerie, founder of the
Missionaries of Africa (formerly known as the White Fathers); Bishop Comboni, a
future Blessed, the founder of the Comboni Fathers; Fr Libermann of the
Congregation of the Holy Spirit; the Capuchin Card. Massaia; the Vincentian St
Justin de Jacobis and others, such as Mons. de Bresillac, founder of the
Society of the African Missions, with the Jesuits, the Franciscans, and many
congregations of women religious. You, my African brothers and sisters, know
the names of these your ancestors in the faith who live on in the memory of your
peoples, and who rest among you, in their new homeland.
A
Century of Rapid Growth
Abundant fruit was produced through their sweat and
blood. The land of Africa has responded generously to Christ’s call. In recent
decades various African peoples have just celebrated the first centenary of the
beginning of their evangelisation. The growth of the Church on this continent
during our century is something of a miracle. The Holy Spirit is guiding these
ecclesial communities rapidly in their maturation process. A few statistics’
give us clear evidence of the numerical growth of Catholics
From
the 2,064,270 in 1900
to
the 3,202,903 in 1927
6,733,868
in
1934
7,608,580
in
1946
15,585,939
in
1955, when air travel became faster
42,000,000
in
1975
56,000,000
in
1980
89,000,000
in
1990
95,613,000
in
1993
Let it suffice to say that in the last 40 years the
number has been sextupled. It is true, however, that the numerical growth of
Catholics is also affected by the general population growth as a whole, from
slightly more than 100 million in 1900 to 634,967,000 in 1993. It is also true
that there is similar growth also among the other Christians who now account
for 16.56% of the population, while Islam is flourishing with 41%. Adherents of
the traditional religions represent 12.3% of the population. Today Catholics
account for 13.9% of the total population. An undeniable, remarkable increase!
Although growing rapidly in numbers, the growth rate
for African priests is constant but slightly lower than that of the faithful as
a whole:
in 1927: 127
in 1933: 281
plus 3,539 foreigners for a total of 3,820
in 1949: 1,096
plus 6,366 foreigners for a total of 7,642
in 1955: 1,593 plus 8,757 foreigners for a total of
10,340
in 1959: 2,072 plus 9,931 foreigners for a total of
12,003
in 1969: 3,623 plus 11,477 foreigners for a total of
15,100
in 1975: 4,131 plus 11,172 foreigners for a total of
15,303
In 1989, in
Africa and Madagascar we find 18,088 priests, 8,562 of whom are indigenous
(7,655 diocesan and 907 religious) and thus the proportion of native priests
was close to 50%. Today that ratio has already reached more than 65% of the
total of 20,768 priests, 10,903 of whom are diocesan and 9,865 religious (Cf.
Agenzia Fides of 2 October 1993). However, the total of native priests and
missionaries is far from adequate: in 1988 the ratio of priests to the general
population was 1:25,303 and the ratio of priests to Catholics was 1:4,149 (Asia
1:1,152; Europe 1:1,270).
There has also been a noteworthy growth in the number
of women religious.
in 1933 there were 10,109 including 1,982 Africans,
in 1949 there were 14,346 including 4,202 Africans (almost 30%).
After that date there is a growth in the total number
of women religious, but there is also a growth in the proportion of indigenous
sisters, to the point of reaching
in 1989 37,421 women religious including 21,986
Africans (almost 60%)
in 1992 43,976 women religious.
In Africa today, there are nine indigenous Institutes
of Consecrated Life of Pontifical right; eight are women’s and one is a
Congregation of brothers. There are also 110 Institutes of women religious and
22 men’s Congregations of diocesan right. Except for the «Filles du S. Coeur
de Marie» in Dakar, the first African religious institute, which was
founded in 1858, all the others were founded in this century.
Major seminarians halve been growing in number at a greater pace, especially in the last
decade.
In 1927 the 27
major seminaries
had 336 students
In 1988 the 92
major seminaries
had 8,149 students
In 1989 the 113
major seminaries
had 10.892 students
In 1991 the 115
major seminaries
had 11.415 students
In 1992 the 121
major seminaries
had 11.951 students
In 1993 the 128
major seminaries
had 12.391 students
We should also mention the five university-level
institutes in Africa - Kinshasa, Nairobi, Abidjan, Port Harcourt and
Yaoundé - and one in Madagascar, in Antananarivo.
Africa has the great tradition of local catechists as
pioneers in evangelisation, and they deserve a great deal of the credit for the
rapid spread of the gospel.
In 1933 there were already 44,886
In 1949 63,498
In 1957 80,101
In 1980 132,578
In 1990 256,903
In 1993 285,526
Increased
Number of Indigenous Bishops.
However, the most significant change for the Church in
Africa and Madagascar concerns the Bishops. Today there are 412 ecclesial
jurisdictions (to which we must add the 18 circumscriptions dependent on other
dicasteries), 19 of which are currently vacant; 66 are still under the
jurisdiction of missionary Bishops or of other missionary Ordinaries (e.g., the
Superiors of the «Missiones sui iuris»), while 327 are being governed by
indigenous Bishops. To this number we must add the 3 Coadjutor Bishops and 15
Auxiliaries, all of whom are indigenous, and a growing number of retired African
Bishops, so that the proportion of indigenous Bishops is close to 90%.
This growth, which has increased in pace since Vatican
II, is all the more impressive if we consider that after the first but little‑known
Bishop of the Ethiopian Rite, Mons. Ghidané Mariam Cassà, appointed to the See
of Eritrea in 1930, the first two Latin‑Rite African Bishops of our
century are still recalled by many people. They were the Ugandan Bishop J.
Kiwanuka and the Bishop Ramarosandratana of Madagascar, consecrated on 29 October
1939 by Pope Pius XII. In 1959 the first English‑speaking African
Archbishop was appointed, Mons. J.K. Amissah, and in 1960 the first Archbishop
of francophone Africa, Mons. B. Gantin. The first African Cardinal, Card.
Rugambwa, created Cardinal by Pope John XXIII in 1960, is still among us, but
now he has 14 colleagues from his continent (including the adjacent islands).
In the face of these remarkable ecclesial realities
there is only one possible explanation, and but one response: no human effort alone
could have performed such a work in the course of a single century.
Nevertheless, this is no cause for human triumphalism, rather the very first
task of this Synod and of the whole Church is to thank God and celebrate his
wonderful kindness, because «fecit nobis magna qui potens est et sanctum est
nomen eius!».
3. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CHURCH IN AFRICA
AND MADAGASCAR
Thus the world can see that Church in Africa and
Madagascar is a young, dynamic Church, one filled with life and potential,
although fragile because of its youth. On the African continent too it is a
divine and human institution, with its light and dark sides, positive qualities
and risky aspects due to its maturity level and to human weakness as well.
Africa is economically poor, but it has a wealth of
values and priceless qualities which it can offer to the other Churches and to
humanity.
Human
and religious values
There is first and foremost a common value that imbues
the African soul in all its cultures, and that is joy of life. I recall
the deep impression made upon the hearers by the remark of Bishop de Jong in
Munich in December 1988: «You, dear friends, have everything, but you are
serious and sad. We have almost nothing, yet there is joy on our faces». This
is a value that is a sign of youth, which overflows in celebration and in
Christian help; it helps in overcoming the difficulties of daily life. It
facilitates optimism and even enthusiasm in the faithful, and is a valuable
source of apostolic and missionary dynamism.
Africans have a profound religious sense, a sense
of the sacred. The existence of the divine Being and the invisible spirit
world is natural to them, and it seems obvious that this Being should have his
mysteries because he surpasses man and the capacity of human reason. Several
decades ago the Egyptian fellahs rejected the Soviet presence in their country
because they considered them abnormal and insane since they wanted to convince
the Egyptians that God does not exist ‑ something they thought was
absurd, almost contrary to all the evidence. There is a great respect for
Church persons, sacred places and objects. Religion imbues all of life and
there is no split between faith and daily living. The natural sense of
religion, sometimes fostered by fear of the sacred or the desire to obtain
benefits and security, is elevated and ennobled by the revealed truth.
There is a great openness to mystery. I recall the
gift which the voodoo priests, gave the Holy Father during his visit to Cotonou, Benin: a wooden statue of a woman holding a box in her upraised hands;
«the box of mysteries», they told us, waiting to be unveiled. Our minds
immediately turned to the «Awaited of the Nations» who has still not
been accepted by them, but is desired by them in some mysterious way. «Seeds
of the Word?»; maybe. For Christians this openness facilitates assent to
the mysteries which can seem difficult for the rationalistic mentality to
accept.
Africans believe in the effectiveness of prayer and
they turn to God in moving ways, including external movements, inspired by
their deep respect for the divine majesty and transcendence. Worship and
celebration involve the whole person, body and soul, and piety cannot be
relegated to some private realm; with its symbols, gestures and prayers it even
accompanies public life, without positing any division between the sacred and
the profane.
Then too African cultures and religiosity have a sense
of community which helps Christians develop the ecclesial sense of communion
and unity. These cultures lend themselves easily to the insertion of Small
Christian Communities in which the proverbial solidarity is expressed. On a
broader scale such a sense of community links up with the concept of the Church
as the family of God and is expressed in a deep sense of communion with the
universal Church and with its centre which is encountered in the African
communities. How often one notices a sense of suffering during certain
discussions that go against that communion, just as one suffers when a member
of one’s own family or father is offended.
One could almost say that the African soul is not only
«naturaliter christiana», but
«naturaliter catholica» as well. It is certain that «anti‑Roman
feeling», has no origin or home in Africa; the ground is not even
appropriate for it, it is a foreign commodity.
The
Family
In speaking of African values, one can certainly not
fail to mention the sense of family, to which is connected respect for life,
both of which are not only taken on by the Church, but held in high esteem. The
extended family system is still widespread, but is severely threatened by
urbanisation; it presents some valuable aspects which help maintain a spirit of
communion, welcome, Christian solidarity and human solutions to the problems of
orphans, the elderly, the marginalised, etc. This spirit, developed in the
ecclesial community, is a good basis for concretely living the communion of the
Church as God’s family. Rather, as is to be noted in the Instrumentum
laboris (n. 38), quite a few extended African families have members
belonging to different confessions or religions and can become a natural
platform for witnessing to one’s own faith and for evangelisation in the spirit
of mutual respect and tolerance.
The African family, seen as the place for giving life
and protecting it, receives a special attention in the Church of the continent
which can enrich other cultures. The image of the African mother living
symbiotically with her child is a symbol of love for life.
Inculturation
On the occasion of this Synod there has been much talk
of inculturation, and there will still be more. Obviously it is not a
question of a different gospel, a different Church, or a different morality.
With inculturation properly conducted, as Vatican II affirms, «the Christian
life will be adapted, to the mentality and character of each
culture, and local traditions together with the special qualities of each
national family, illumined by the light of the gospel, will be taken up into
a Catholic unity» (AG 22). With the work of inculturated evangelisation the
Church, Vatican II solemnly affirms, proceeds in such a manner that «whatever
good is found sown in the minds and hearts of men or in the rites and customs
of peoples... not only are preserved from destruction, but are purified,
raised up, and perfected for the glory of God» (LG 17; cf. GS 58). The
Fathers of the General Assembly of the Synod, especially those from the «Third
World» ‑ which included a number of Africans, formulated with precision
and conviction some criteria for this important task of discernment required
by the work of inculturation. These criteria were taken up by the Magisterium
and incorporated in the Encyclical Redemptoris Missio in a concise
statement: «Properly applied, inculturation must be guided by two principles:
compatibility with the gospel and communion with the universal Church (FC 10)»
(RM 54). Everything in a culture that is compatible with the gospel and
communion with the universal Church can be assumed by the Church. The rest must
be «purified, raised up, and perfected», anything incompatible must be
abandoned. It is not the gospel which must yield to the negative cultural
phenomenon, but vice versa. Inculturation therefore is not just
sprinkling holy water on every facet of fife. It also involves excising
anything that is sinful, redeeming and raising up what is humanly good; or, to
put it briefly, it is the process of incarnation reaching unto redemption. It
is a two‑way process, a give and take. The Encyclical Redemptoris
Missio describes this process quite well: «Through inculturation the Church
makes the gospel incarnate in different cultures and at the same time
introduces peoples, together with their cultures, into her own community. She transmits
to them her own values, at the same time taking the good elements
that already exist in them and renewing them from within.... Thanks to this
action within the local Churches, the universal Church herself is enriched with
forms of expression and values in the various sectors of Christian life, such
as evangelisation, worship, theology and charitable works. She comes to
know, and to express better the mystery of Christ, all the while being
motivated to continual renewal» (RM 52; cf. GS 58; EN 20; Slavorum apostoli,
21).
Although some evangelisers have made mistakes, the
missionary Church practised the work of inculturation long before the term was
born and entered into common use. The Apostle to the Nations showed a mastery
of it in his discourse at the Areopagus and in his teaching: «Test everything;
retain what is good» (1 Thes 5:21). The novelty of Christ overcomes the
barriers of nation, tribe, caste and social class: In Christ «there is neither
Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is neither male
nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus» (Gal 3:28).
This was the spirit which was to inspire and guide
missionaries, according to an Instruction from the Sacred Congregation of
Propaganda Fide issued in 1659: «Do not make any attempt nor in any way seek to
persuade these peoples to change their practices, their way of life, their
dress and custom unless they are openly contrary to religion and morals. There
is nothing more absurd than transporting customs or practices from France,
Spain, Italy or other parts of Europe to China. Nothing of this should be
brought; it is the Faith that is to be brought, a Faith which neither
rejects nor offends the way of life or customs of a people unless it is
perverse or depraved, (Collectanea S. C. de Prop. Fide 1.42, 135).
Please allow me to recall these principles not only to
remove some misunderstandings, but also to be able to mention and give true
value to what the particular Churches in Africa already experience as their own
expression of faith and also to encourage them to enter decisively into this
process of the «exchange of gifts» with other Churches and with the
universal Church, in the knowledge that they have much to gain, but also much
to give.
Examples
of inculturation
For the above reasons, the Churches in Africa are
already Lying a faith which is in many respects already inculturated and proper
to them, even if much remains to be done so that that faith can penetrate «to
the roots of each culture» (EN 20), in all its manifestations of custom and
societal living. Besides, these Churches are aided by their common conviction
that religion must involve all of life and the whole person, just as the
person must enter entirely, soul and body, into worship and celebration.
Valuable too is the community atmosphere in which ecclesial life and the
fife of faith is lived, because religion is not something private but social
as well. These attitudes are not found as spontaneously in any other
cultural form.
The Church in the African Continent can draw from the
rich «wisdom of the peoples», which can be found also among the
uneducated, who express their ideas in proverbs or other forms, such as the
Second Vatican Council speaks of (AG, GS, etc.). The religious sense, reverence
for the divine majesty, the sense of the sacred, the way of celebrating and
rejoicing in the Lord (fêter Dieu!) with others in a joyous, jubilant
community, are all cultural aspects which edify, move and enrich the faithful
of other cultures. In Africa the Mass is truly a celebration: you «celebrate»
it, while we «attend» (or «participate in» it); the very words denote the
cultural difference. Gestures, drums, dances, swaying, and song are only
external expressions of the basic festive attitude of the African spirit.
I should like to mention the role of Sacred
Scripture, of the Word of God, in inculturating, the faith. Biblical
language, so filled with imagery, narrative, close to nature, simple yet
profound in presenting the mysteries of God and the newness of Christ is so
very close to the African soul. The «Great Message», the «Sacred Book», the
«Good News» are venerated in various forms during the procession before the
gospel, as we have seen, for example, during the centenary celebration of
evangelisation at Yaoundé in Cameroon, as well as at Soroti, Uganda, and
elsewhere. Wonderful too is the didactic way of proclaiming the gospel as each
word is repeated by the crowd, which we saw during the Holy Father’s visit to
Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso.
Some mysteries of the Catholic faith are easily accepted into the African culture and imbue
it. Thus, for example, Jesus’s expiatory and propitiatory sacrifice on the
Cross and in the Eucharistic mystery; their perception of it can help the
faithful of other cultures to deepen their own understanding of the faith. Some
of the parts of the Mass, such as the consecration, the elevation and the «Lamb
of God» are imbued with mystical realism and accompanied by profound
veneration. I recall the chanting of the words of consecration by the priest
and the response of adoration by the faithful at the two elevations, in the
manner of Eastern mysticism, at Kumasi, Ghana, and in other similar gestures.
Beautiful indeed were the preface and the introduction to the Eucharistic
Prayer sung during the Holy Father’s Mass at Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso (1990).
The Mass in the Zairian rite is an example of it.
Another cultural category that facilitates the
acceptance of the realities of the Christian faith is that of «representation»
which attributes to the representative the authority and honour due to the
person he represents. This holds true, for example, for the «Vicar of Christ»,
for papal Legates, but for Bishops and priests as well. When in 1986 the
Diocese of Gulu greeted the Papal Legate with a sign on the cathedral reading,
«Welcome Holy Father», Bishop Willigers of Jinja calmed him by telling
how a village chief after a confirmation and related catechesis, had greeted
the Bishop by saying, «Welcome Holy Spirit»!. But what depth these peoples find
in the saying: «sacerdos alter Christus!».
The reality of sin ‑ in both its personal
and communal forms ‑ is very much present in the consciousness
of the African peoples, as are the rites of purification, ablution and
expiation. Christian baptism with its values of adoption as children of God and
of «divinisation» through grace find fertile soil in the popular
consciousness and the accompanying rites permitted and suggested by the Roman
ritual.
The examples could go on and on, multiplied by your
experiences. They constitute your African way of living the faith and are your
contribution to the common patrimony of the universal Church.
Holiness
and martyrdom
The constant growth of the Church in Africa and
Madagascar and the witness of its faith are the «result of a way also marked by
martyrdom and enriched by the generous fruits of holiness». (John
Paul II, Angelus meditation of 6 March 1994).
Among the list of the blesses, saints and martyrs who
are the glorious fruit borne by the tree of the Church in Africa, we find
joined together Africans and missionaries, priests, women religious, and laymen
and women, the martyr‑saints of Uganda, and the blesses: the sudanese
Sister Josephine Bakhita, the Zairian Sister Clementina Anwarita and Vittoria
Rasoamanarivo from Madagascar; then too there are the Beati: Michele Ghebra,
Fr. Jacques Laval, Fr. Daniel Bottier, Fr. Joseph Gerard, the Franciscans
Liberatus Weiss, Samuele Marzorati and Pio Fasoli. We are awaiting the
beatification of Mons. Daniele Comboni and the Zairian catechist Isidore Bakanja; Nigeria is also waiting for its Fr.
Tansi.
In this context we should perhaps rewrite the true
history of the missionaries, frequently falsely identified with the
colonisers. They sought no power nor wealth, and frequently had to fight
against the rules and bullying of the colonial powers, against restrictions on
their evangelising activity, the assigning of territories to different
religions, against rules limiting missionaries to those of a single nation,
against the abuses and vices of various foreign and local leaders, beginning
with the «padroado». How many of them sacrificed their young lives and
died as the victims of disease, difficulties caused by climate, and overwork. I
was greatly moved when I read the dates on the tombs of the missionaries buried
in the cemeteries of Bangui in Central Africa, in Elmina (Ghana), Marienberg
(Cameroon), and Cotonou in Benin the average age of these is 25‑40 years.
This too is your history which is bearing fruit in your Churches today. How
many have died in just recent years. Do not let anyone throw mud on these your
ancestors, brothers and sisters in the faith, because of a single mistake.
And now it is Africa which is beginning to offer its
missionary sons and daughters, and not only to Africa, for just as Paul VI
expressed his desire in Kampala in 1969, it is timidly opening up to the world.
The specifically missionary institute of the «Apostles of Jesus» now has
seven formation houses in Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The «Suore
Evangelizzarrici di Maria» are growing rapidly and have two novitiates in
Kenya and Tanzania. In Nigeria, the «Missionary Society of St. Paul» has
now 78 priests, of whom about 20 arc serving in Liberia, Cameroon and even
among the Afro‑Americans in the southern part of the United States of
America. The over 100 seminarians of this Society come from 24 dioceses of
Nigeria. The African provinces of the international missionary institutes of
men and of women are also growing. The missionary spirit has already been
exemplified in the form of «Fidei donum» diocesan priests who are
dedicating a few years helping out in other dioceses in their own country or in
foreign lands.
So, then, these are some of the positive aspects,
sometimes shining brightly, found in a qualitative analysis of the situation of
the Church in Africa and Madagascar. She offers these fruits not only to her
own faithful, but also for the «exchange of gifts» with other Churches and with
the universal Church.
4. RISKS AND CHALLENGES
Faith
and Custom
In African traditional society, religion was one of
the principal factors which gave unity to life and held it together. As noted
in the Instrumenturn Laboris (no. 105), «religion enfolded the whole of life,
there was no dichotomy between life and religion». Modern Africa is, however,
at the crossroads, subject to many forces and currents, and we are beginning to
witness a certain disjunction between religion and life. As far as Christians
are concerned, it is noted that there is «a certain double quality in living
their beliefs, holding them divided between their faith in Jesus Christ and
custom’s traditional practices» (Instrumentum Laboris, no. 53). A study
group in one of the particular Churches commented, as follows: «a ... majority
of the followers of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Church are experiencing, and
suffering from, a spiritual emptiness [which] ... expresses itself in terms of
... religious dualism - separating sacramental liturgies from day‑to‑day
life, resulting in life without Christian witness in public». Venerable
Brothers, what is here at stake is the erosion, not only of that religious and
spiritual outlook on life which characterised African culture but also of the
organic unity between faith and life. Faith divorced from life is faith which
has ceased to be that inner driving force which gives orientation to the entire
being of Christians. Such a faith runs the risk of becoming mere outward
expression and folklore.
The
Gospel Message and African Society
«Evangelising means bringing the Good News into all
the strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from
within and making it new» (EN, 18). The phenomenal growth in the number of
Christians in Africa and Madagascar presents a challenge in the ever worsening
situation of the quality of life and in the structures of society.
«Unfortunately», remarks the Holy Father, «Africa is still one of the areas of
the world that is most marked by grave economic and social problems». It is a
challenge to Christians to bring their faith to bear on the social fabric, to transform
the social conscience and the structures of society so that they will better
reflect the intentions of God for the human family. Christians must so live the
concrete social implications of the gospel that their witness becomes a
prophetic challenge to whatever hinders the true good of African men and women.
Further, they must, in virtue of their Christian vocation, actively seek to
penetrate and perfect the temporal sphere of things through the spirit of the
gospel (AA,2). Have we sufficiently formed our Christians to civic
responsibilities so as to bring the socio‑political order under the
intentions of God and the spirit of the gospel?
One of the critical areas of evangelisation in Africa
is galloping urbanisation. Many African cities are doubling their
populations every ten years. Uprooted urban populations are beginning to lose
contact with the values of tradition; the sense of sin and the sense of the
sacredness of life are beginning to dissolve. Many particular Churches seem as
yet unprepared for the phenomenon of urbanisation and have no pastoral plans
geared towards it. Methods of evangelisation suitable for village life often
fail in the city. Sprawling bidonvilles on the outskirts of African cities are
sometimes pastorally neglected. The evils which usually accompany spiralling
urbanisation, are beginning to appear ‑ prostitution, children of the
streets, inhuman living conditions, structures of oppression etc.‑ what
is our effective pastoral response?
The
Family
In this International Year of the Family, the Holy
Father has declared that «the Church considers serving the family to be one of
her essential duties. In this sense both man and the family constitute ‘the way
of the Church’». He sees the family as placed at the centre of the great struggle
between good and evil, between life and death, between love and all that is
opposed to love. He declares: «despite deep historical changes, the family
remains the most complete school of humanity, the most rich; in it one lives
the most meaningful experience of gratuitous love, of fidelity, mutual respect
and defence of life».
It is therefore a challenge to read in the Instrumentum
Laboris that «family values, once the strength of Africa, are being eroded;
family uprooting disturbs both the moral sense and the sense of identity» (no.
23). In many places, the traditional processes of the education of youth seem
to have collapsed, and the particular Churches do not seem to have yet devised
a sufficiently integral Christian response. Because of the speed of change and
the lack of the supports which were usual in traditional society, many young
people in Africa are in need of closer pastoral care, if they are to avoid
alienation and disorientation. Young couples have even greater need of pastoral
assistance in order to fulfil their civic and Christian obligations. Many
families are under severe stress, by reason of situations of war or because
their members are refugees or displaced persons. In several countries of Africa
it can be said that lodging and working conditions do not respect the «rights
of the family». Both in society and inside of the Church, when family
solidarity is absolutised, it can lead to nepotism and corruption in society
and present serious dangers to priests and consecrated people, especially in
their administration of ecclesiastical goods.
Quality
of Formation
Most of the responses from the particular Churches of
Africa and Madagascar are in agreement over one thing: the fortunes of the
Church in this vast continent are closely connected with the quality of
formation of pastoral agents and the witness of their life of fidelity in
consecration. The sheer quantity of vocations to the priestly and religious
life, among African men and women, is both a grace and a challenge. It is a grace,
because vocation is always a gift of God, who endows and internally draws
persons to self‑dedication to him and to humanity. The abundance of
vocations in many parts of Africa and Madagascar is thus a sign of God’s
predilection and of the action of the Holy Spirit in providing for the many
needs of the young Churches and those of the entire Church.
However, human response is necessary; the first
qualities of a true vocation are the sense of a call from God to which one
abandons oneself and fidelity in that consecration. When some Episcopal
Conferences in their responses to the Lineamenta judge that «the
training being given to future priests and religious fails to root them well
enough into their cultural heritage [and that] this state of things can lead to
their living in a very insecure state, perpetually wearing a mask» (Instrumentum
Laboris, no. 69), are we not given food for thought? Human motivations are
very complex; it is not always easy to discern when a vocation is the result of
an impulse from the Spirit of God or a result of particular human and social
circumstances. It is therefore necessary that verification be made of the discernment
of vocations. Ongoing evaluation is necessary. The main key to the problem
is, however, the formation of suitable formators to accompany these
vocations and to work hand in hand with the teachers or professors, thereby
providing some remedy for the complaint, voiced in many responses from
particular Churches in Africa, that the training in Africa seems more intellectual
than human and spiritual. In this connection, many responses have noted the
quest among African seminarians, priests and religious for diplomas, degrees
and study overseas as something which needs proper discernment.
The diocesan bishop is the first formator of his
seminarians and priests. Bishops must personally take care of their own
seminaries. It is very important, Venerable Brothers, that you take to heart
your duty of being close to your seminarians and priests, providing for them
and giving them the best of your available personnel.
The Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples is
trying its possible best to decongest seminaries and houses of formation so as
to afford a better climate for the personal formation of candidates and their
accompaniment. It is providing resources so that, as far as possible, initial
formation can be pursued in Africa and Madagascar in order to centre formation
more on the spiritual heritage of the people. It has conducted regional
seminars on the formation of formators in Yaoundé (Cameroon) and Nairobi
(Kenya), and helped to organise others in Burundi, Rwanda and Zaire. It has
initiated the Apostolic Visitation of seminaries, and has so far visited
major seminaries in Cameroon, the Province of Katanga in Zaire, Malawi,
Tanzania and Zambia. Others will follow.
Recently some voices have again raised themselves
against the discipline of priestly celibacy, this time with arguments
from the point of view of African culture. It is clear that evangelical
celibacy is a gift which God does riot deny to those who accept it with faith
and prudence, and who through appropriate formation deepen and internalise this
gift. It is an evangelical value, not a property of one specific culture. It is
possible but not easy in each culture. We thank God for the many African
priests and religious who in their exemplary lives are the pride of the people.
Whatever failings there may have been here and there should rather strengthen
our resolve to see this precious counsel and gift blossom and take deeper root
in the African culture. We are challenged to assure the genuineness of the
call, the solidity and depth of the formation and the fidelity of those who
give themselves to God and to his Church.
Dear Brothers, let us take care of the fidelity and
quality of all consecrated persons. They are the heart of the Church.
Church
as Family of God in Communion
«The
Church is a kind of sacrament or sign of intimate union with God and of the
unity of all mankind. She is also an instrument for the achievement of such
union and unity» (LG, 1). The Sixth Plenary Assembly of the Symposium of the
Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) held in Yaoundé
(Cameroon) in 1981 commented on the role of the Church in the promotion of
unity and peace among peoples, as follows: «All must strive to eliminate every
trace of racialism and discrimination. No one should encourage tribalism by his
words or attitudes .... We must find joy in stressing that the qualities and
talents of each human group contribute to the good of all and promote mutual
enrichment». Herein lies an important challenge to the Church in Africa and
Madagascar. For it is often the case that countries in this continent contain
an agglomeration of peoples, cultures and languages who have generally lived
their separate destinies until quite recently. In the context of a modem state,
it is sometimes the case that various family and tribe solidarities find
themselves in conflict; a number of the social and political problems of the
continent are attributable, in part, to this element. The love of Christ has
united us! It should prove stronger than what separates us and hence be a force
for unity and understanding among peoples.
The Church in Africa should be able to present itself
before men as the «family of God», «a people made one with the unity of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit» (LG, 4), and which plays a vital role in
the search in Africa for a peace based on justice and love. Tribalism is
blocking the work of evangelisation in many places. Is our psychology stronger
than our faith? Evangelisation is not about «balance of power», rather about
service. We cannot accept a moratorium on evangelisation for any reason, much
less that of tribal affiliation, for «the love of Christ urges us» (2 Cor.
5:14) and the mandate «to make disciples of all nations» (M1. 28:19) presses.
5. TOWARDS THE FUTURE
After this look at the situation, let us focus our
view on the fundamental question of this synod. It is this: What
Church do we want in Africa of the Third Millennium? A «maintenance Church»
or a dynamic evangelising Church? Evangelisation is the central theme of this
synod. It calls the Church in Africa and Madagascar to «launch out into the
deep». In the vision enunciated in the Instrumentum Laboris (no. 24),
«an hour of Africa appears to have come, a favourable hour which calls on
Christ’s messengers to launch out into the deep in order to haul in an abundant
yield for Christ». This hour calls for mission and inculturation.
A
Church on Mission
«The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature»
(AG, 2). For the Church as the new People of God is constituted by «the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and fellowship of the Holy Spirit» (2
Cor 13:13). Since all men are called to belong to this People of God,
the Church has received as mission and raison d’etre the leading of
humankind in the Spirit, through the Son, back to the Father.
We are gathered in this synod in the conviction that
God is preparing a special springtime for the gospel in Africa (Cf. Instrumentum
Laboris, no. 18). African men and women hunger for the fundamental values
of existence; they aspire towards religious experience and commitment (no. 22).
It is noted that many millions of Africans are open to Christ and to the
gospel, and that several peoples are still «unreached». «Church personnel in
most places is insufficient and this leads in some places to lack of
initiatives or insufficient follow‑up of those initiatives that have been
taken» (no. 23). Furthermore, there is an immense need for the continued
evangelisation of the baptised. As His Holiness has remarked: «the growth of
your Church has been very rapid. Perhaps the gospel message has not yet had the
time it requires to be sufficiently assimilated by the community of the
baptised. It is thus necessary to continue the proclamation of the Good News».
It therefore behoves this synod to seek to devise ways and means to render the
Church in Africa and Madagascar more dynamic and evangelising.
During your ad limina visits you yourselves
have made many suggestions such as: every Christian in Africa must be enabled
to become a Christ-bearer, an apostle of Christ to his or her neighbour and a
force for transformation, the leaven of the society. Should our zeal in bearing
witness to Jesus Christ and preaching his gospel perhaps be less ardent than
that of those who preach other religions?
Every African diocese, with its Bishop, diocesan and
religious clergy, sisters, catechists, lay associations and individuals, must
create a missionary consciousness: «No believer in Christ, no
institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to
all peoples» (RM, 3); «missionary activity renews the Church, revitalises faith
and, Christian identity, and offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive!» Faith
is strengthened when it is given to others! And so it is not enough just to
concentrate efforts and personnel on those institutions which already exist,
attractive as they may be. Maintenance and consolidation are not enough.
African dioceses must reach out to unevangelised, groups within their confines,
especially the more difficult or inaccessible areas: «evangelizare pauperibus
misit me» («he sent me to preach Good News to the poor» (Lk 4:18)). Take to
heart the many peoples who are open to Christ and give thought to sending them
preachers who will proclaim him,. for how will they hear of him unless there is
a preacher for them?» (Rm 10:14).
Pastoral administration is meant to promote
evangelisation, not bog it down. Over‑concentration on administrative
cadre and on buildings and structures can become an obstacle to missionary and
pastoral zeal. Further, they tend to give the image of a powerful and rich
Church, instead of that of the «servant». Some particular Churches in Africa
have reached a point where they can generate their own resources; let them do
so, and thus avoid being for ever an «assisted» Church. Even where assistance
need be given, the people’s contribution is essential; in the case of churches
and other structures for community use, the people are thus helped to develop a
rightful sense of pride and ownership.
Transparence and accountability should be the hallmark
of an ecclesiastical administration undertaken in a spirit of mission; prudent
supervision by the competent authorities will go a long way in obviating abuses
in administration of ecclesiastical goods.
A word about the missionary and pastoral action of the
bishop. The bishop should be the first to teach by word and example. Saint
Charles Borromeo set us the example of continuous canonical visitation of
parishes, communities and Institutes. It is important that the bishop be not
too often away on meetings or on fund‑raising overseas, but that he share
time with his priests and religious, with youth and the faithful, actively
supporting and leading them.
A change is needed also in the formation of diocesan
and religious clergy. As the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council says,
«the spiritual gift which priests received at their ordination prepares them
not for any limited and narrow mission but for the widest scope of the
universal mission of salvation ‘even to the very ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8)»
(PO, 10). It does mean that missionary zeal must be counted as one of the
elements in the discernment of a genuine vocation to the diocesan clergy, as
well as to the religious life. «Especially in those areas were Christians are a
minority, priests must be filled with special missionary zeal and
commitment.... Priests will not fail to make themselves readily available to
the Holy Spirit and the bishop, to be sent to preach the gospel beyond the
borders of their country...» (RM, 67). «Indeed, Fidei Donum priests are
a unique sign of the bond of communion existing among the Churches» (RM, 68). A
help in developing this missionary zeal in the diocesan clergy would be the
integration of mission theology and history into seminary programmes. The
Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples has introduced the teaching of
missiology in seminaries under its jurisdiction. A textbook which it is
preparing for the use of seminaries, and indeed for general use, is nearing
completion.
The missionary commitment is even stronger for the consecrated
persons: «members of institutes of consecrated life, because of the dedication
to the service of the Church deriving from their very consecration, have an
obligation to play a zealous and special part in its missionary activity, in a
manner appropriate to their institute» (Code of Canon Law, can. 783).
When announcing the convocation of this Special
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the Holy Father had in view «an organic
pastoral solidarity within the entire African continent and nearby
islands». During these days we should ask ourselves about the concrete ways of
realising this pastoral solidarity and maybe have the courage, like the Bishops
of Latin America had at the Conference of Puebla, when they stated: «certainly
we have need of missionaries ourselves, nevertheless, we must give from our
poverty».
Here is also the point, Venerable Brothers, to stress
the importance of dialogue for the Church in Africa, dialogue especially
with Muslims because of their large number on the continent, but also with the
other Christian Communities, the Sects and the New Religious Movements. A
characteristic of African families is that its members often belong to
different religious confessions. Also, because of the proverbial African
accommodation, communities of different faiths have lived peacefully together
in mutual cooperation and respect for centuries. The gospel should build on
this foundation. When Christians live in conformity with the gospel this fact
never fails to stir up irresistible questions in the hearts of their neighbours
(cf. EN, 21). The challenge of dialogue in Africa is the challenge of peace and
of collaboration in the strengthening of the moral and religious tone of
African society.
Inculturated
Evangelisation
Paul VI declared to the African Bishops gathered at
Kampala (Uganda) on 31 July 1969: «we have no other desire than to foster what
you already are, Christians and Africans». The process of transforming the
authentic values of Africa, integrating them into Christianity and thus making
of African Christians both truly Christian and truly African has been called «inculturation»
or «incarnation».
The important criterion for all inculturation is the
question: «to what extent does the proposal help the people more easily to
attain holiness and express it in their lives?». For some time now propaganda
is being made in some quarters for reducing inculturation to the acceptance of
the trio: polygamy, marriage by stages and abrogation of celibacy. On the
contrary, were the Church in Africa really to assimilate into its living of the
faith all the traditional values ‑ religious view of life, sense of God
and sense of sin, joy and celebration of life, belief in prayer and its
efficacy, sense of community, solidarity and brotherhood and all the other
positive values ‑ what a vibrant and missionary Church the Church in
Africa would become! What gifts it would have to share with Churches in other
parts of the world! As regards initiatives in inculturation, the law recognises
the competence of the diocesan bishop or of the Episcopal Conference in many
cases. Even when dialogue with the competent Roman dicasteries is required,
this is only by way of assuring the «communion of faith and practice» inherent
in the Church itself as one and universal. I am not aware of any proposal
coming from the particular Churches, capable of promoting the authentic
spiritual and ecclesial growth of the people concerned which has been blocked.
Awareness
of the Mandate
Missionary activity presupposes an awareness of being
sent to participate in a great enterprise: «As the Father sent me, so am I
sending you» (Jn 20:21). We are called to continue the mission of salvation
which the Son has received from the Father and wants to continue, with our
cooperation, through the work of the Church. Missionary activity is God’s work,
a work of his power and his cross and resurrection: «All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore [by force of this
power!] and make disciples of all nations, ...and look, I am with you
always, yes, to the end of time» (MI 28:19‑20).
We have to have a strong consciousness of being sent,
of having a great task to perform, of serving a supreme cause: «Christ is
calling Africa! Africa is ready for Christ!» And Christ is with us in this
work.
Christ
is Africa’s Only Hope
The truth of this came to me very clearly last year as
I was passing through the streets of Soweto and saw two opposition groups drawn
up and ready to call one another: on the one side were African students, and on
the other side the police forces. There is no solution without reconciliation
in the spirit of Christ!
In 1992, while visiting the refugee camps in Rwanda
and various dioceses, the scene of massacres today, I recalled what I had said
a little more strongly some years before to the bishops of Burundi: «in order
to survive, your people are condemned to live in peace; it is either
reconciliation and forgiveness in Christ, or it is massacre!». Today more than
ever, Christ is Africa’s only hope.
Africa is poor, but it has a wealth of humanity and
many values which can be lived and raised up in Christ in order to be given to
others.
I think that we can apply particularly to Africa the
prophetic vision with which the Holy Father concludes his Encyclical Redemptoris
Missio (no. 92): «Today, as never before, the Church has the opportunity of
bringing the gospel, by witness and word, to all people and nations. I see the
dawning of a new missionary age, which will become a radiant day bearing an
abundant harvest, if all Christians, and missionaries and the young Churches
in particular, respond with generosity and holiness to the calls and
challenges of our time» (RM, 92).
That «if» is a challenge to the young Churches
of Africa gathered in this synod assembly and waiting for a response, but which
are open to a great hope.