Inculturation, which is mentioned a great deal in this Synod also concerns religious life which in Africa is expressed according to many charismas. In fact, consecrated life in Africa is at a turning point for two main reasons:

1. Due to an emerging local Church with the growth of various charismas and conditions of life.

2. Due to the local African vocations to consecrated life.

In the past our Institutions gave rise to communities and local Churches and for this reason the missionaries had to exert all their roles. Now, thanks to the rise of diocese clergy and laity, they must become a charisma, a presence and a service among the many others. This is a first aspect of inculturation.

For religious brothers and sisters inculturation has many other special aspects and must deal with special problems, such as for example, the way of living vows and community life, the way of carrying out the mission, the way of incarnating the charisma of the Institution, relations with the Family, the use of assets, lifestyle. This kind of inculturation is not easy. It must involve religious brothers and sisters, their Institutions and national conferences. However, this inculturation cannot occur without the understanding, judgement and support of the Bishops who have the charisma of unity and pastoral activity for all the people of God. This inculturation will have repercussions on the local Church, and in particular on the diocese clergy.

As criteria for implementing this, the principles indicated by the Council document on consecrated life can be followed. Their integrated by the ones of Redemptoris Missio. I am going to specify five.

1) The first criterion is "compatibility with the Gospel" (RM 54), that is constant return to the sources of every Christian life (PC 2). Inculturation is possible only starting from an experience continuously renovated in Christ. And this requires constant self-evangelization.

2) Then it is necessary to return to the primitive spirit of the Institution, to what is now charisma (PC 2).

3) Adapting to the times and cultures is the third criterion (PC 2). This implies transmitting and accepting evangelic values, such as vows (RM 69) and taking on religious values of the people (RM 52). Thus also religious communities "will be able to gradually express their own Christian experience in original ways and forms" (RM 53), becoming "a more understandable sign of what they are and more adequate instrument of the mission" (RM 52).

4) The fourth criterion is the one on communion both with the Institution itself and the local and universal Church (RM 54) "developing in harmony with the Body of Christ in perennial growth" (RM 11).

5) And lastly there is the need for gradualness in constant judgement (RM 54).

The challenges of inculturation of consecrated life are many, they belong to the global process of inculturation of the local Church and concern the whole ecclesial community.

Original text in Italian

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