Nairobi, 04 December, 2024 / 7:00 pm (ACI Africa).
Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has called for a re-evaluation of gender roles in African society and the Catholic Church on the continent, highlighting the “disadvantaged” position of women due to cultural traditions and entrenched attitudes within the Church.
Speaking at an online palaver that the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) and the Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COMSAM) organized, Cardinal Ambongo reflected on how African cultures and Church practices have historically marginalized women.
“In our traditional cultures in Africa, a woman has always been considered as a person who has to take care of the household. It’s a good role. But the synod tells us, no, we are all equal. We have all been created men and women,” the Congolese Cardinal said during the November 29 virtual event that was themed “Journeying Together in Hope: A Special African Palaver on the Implementation of the Synod on Synodality.”
Cardinal Ambongo attributed the imbalance to a combination of cultural norms and what he described as the tendency by the Church to prioritize men.
“In the Church, there is a certain mentality that says that a man is always in front. If you take these two factors—African culture, which disfavors women, and a certain mentality in the Church—it becomes clear that the African woman is doubly disadvantaged,” he said.
