Advertisement

Synodal Process in Africa “should also foster intergenerational dialogue”: Catholic Youths

By Jude Atemanke

Nairobi, 11 July, 2024 / 10:55 am (ACI Africa).

There is need for the Church in Africa to foster interactions between the young and the not-so young people in the spirit of the multi-year ongoing Synod on Synodality, which Pope Francis extended to 2024, with the first phase, 4-29 October 2023, having concluded with a 42-page summary report.

In their presentations during an online conversation that seeks to deepen the understanding of the 42-page Synthesis Report ahead of the 2-29 October 2024 session in Rome, Thandeka Matse from Eswatini and Bergerac Likibi Jeanstel from Congo Brazzaville highlighted strategies that could help the Synodal process satisfy the hunger of African youth for God.

The Church, Thandeka said, “should foster intergenerational dialogue; the elders and young people conversing together is important.”

“This dialogue will help the old generation to share their wisdom with the young people and also the elders learn from the young people and hear their concerns,” she added during the July 5 virtual conversation that the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) organized in collaboration with the Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COMSAM).

The native of Eswatini urged young people to share their faith experiences, saying, “The church needs the enthusiasm, intuitions, and the faith of young people. I would love to encourage young people to feel free and practice their spirituality and never feel discouraged to voice their concerns.”

Advertisement

She went on to emphasize the need for “robust faith formation” of young people as a way of deepening their Christian faith.

“We can deepen the faith and spirituality of young people through robust faith formation programs like retreats and workshops, which will help the youth focus on prayer, reflection, and community services,” Thandeka said.

She continued, “Creating youth ministries like ‘Youth for Christ’, will help in discipleship and evangelization among the youth. Bible study groups on Lectio Divina can be formed to help in meditative and prayerful reading of Scripture for an encounter of God’s word at a personal level for the young people.”

She proposed the fostering of youth-cantered liturgies in Catholic Parishes, and explained, “Our youth like modern music. I think we can use modern tunes for hymns, praise, and worship songs in Church.

“We can also utilize technology by projecting lyrics and prayer, live streaming for social media sharing, which will also help in connecting remotely with the people outside the church walls,” Thandeka said.

More in Africa

Kenya

Frankfurt Book Fair 2024: Paulines Publications Africa Participants “awestruck” by Deep Reading Culture Elsewhere

Read the article

She underscored the need to empower young people with skills and formation education.

“There should be support for young people in vocational training and education, and also the introduction of scholarship programs for the underprivileged youth, the introduction of programs that support entrepreneurship and job creation,” Thandeka said.

Participants in the July 5 virtual conversation explored the topic, “How to be a Synodal Church in Mission in Africa”.

On his part, Likibi from Congo Brazzaville said, “For the Church in Africa to be a Synodal Church that responds to God's purpose and a better future for young Africans, we just need to be aware of current aspects that can be considered as means of change.”

“Young people are the breath that keeps the faith alive in our church. The youth must live synodality as missionaries of faith, without contempt, but with confidence and pride,” he said.

Trending

Advertisement

Likibi added, “It is important to actively involve young people in the life of our church by giving them the responsibility and the opportunity to express themselves, and to contribute to the decisions and actions of the Church.”

He emphasized the need for social formation based on ethics, social justice, life skills, and leadership.

“The Church Family of God is an initiatory hut for social values. Young people must be trained to take responsibility because young people who live synodality must always remain on top,” Likibi said.

The Church in Africa, he further said, “can encourage innovation, creativity or adaptation to local realities, to respond appropriately to the contemporary challenges facing young people for the time has come for well-trained young people who are open to the world.”

“The Church as the family of God must stand out for the protection of the dignity of the human person, from conception to birth. The Church must show young people the traces of respect for the dignity of the human person,” Likibi said during the July 5 virtual event.

(Story continues below)

Jude Atemanke

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.