“We differ but still embrace each other”: South African Synod on Synodality Delegate

He went on to highlight the effectiveness of Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in most African countries, noting that with the SCCs, the continent already has “fertile ground” for the process of Synodality.

“Looking back to where I am coming from, I realize that in many African countries we already have fertile ground for this Synodality process. Many years ago, we established small Christian communities where people were encouraged to participate in discernment and in decision making. While it (Synod on Synodality) is something new for us, it builds on the experience we have already had,” he said. 

Archbishop Mpako also reflected on the challenges that Catholic migrants grapple with in their attempt to find a better life in South Africa.

“I come from South Africa where we face the challenge of having to give pastoral care to migrants and refugees,” the 64-year-old South African Archbishop said.

He added, “South Africa is a destination for many migrants who see it as offering better opportunities. For this reason, South Africa hosts the largest number of immigrants on the African continent. Presentably, the estimated number of migrants stands at 2.9 million. In reality, this number is less than the real number of immigrants who are in South Africa.”

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Archbishop Mpako said that the most important cause of this migration is poverty, noting that most migrants who come to South Africa are economic migrants. 

“There are some among them who are genuine refugees escaping situations of war and persecution in their countries but mostly we deal with economic refugees,” the Catholic Archbishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in August 2011 in South Africa’s Queenstown Diocese said.

He added that in South Africa, destinations for migrants include Johannesburg, Pretoria and the Western Cape.

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.