Catholic Bishops on what the Church in Africa is Expecting from Synod on Synodality

The Bishops expressed optimism that the synod comes to make every baptized Catholic have a sense of belonging to the Church.

They said every member of the Church in Africa can have this sense of belonging by participating in the Church’s mission and life. 

At the seminar that ran from January 23-26, the Bishops in Africa also expressed optimism that the Synodal process will not provide any opportunity for the Church on the continent to flee from its people’s “lived realities”.

The Bishops want the Synodal Church to “feel the pain and suffering” of the people of God in Africa, saying, “The wounds of Africans are also the wounds of the Synodal Family of God.”

“May the Church in Africa walk with those who are affected by war, ethnic strife, religious intolerance, terrorism, and all forms of conflict, tension, and violence,” the Bishops said.

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During the joint seminar of the representatives of SECAM and the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE), the Bishops in Africa implored, “May the Synodal Church in Africa journey with our sisters and brothers in distress.”

The Bishops also expressed their hope that the synodal process would remind the Church in Africa of the importance of including young people in Church activities, failure to which the future of the Church is at risk, they said.

“The future of the church lies in the hands of the youth and for effective participation of the youth in the church, their programs and activities must be made priorities,” SECAM members said.

The Bishops said that the primary way to make the youth part of the Church is by “attentively listening” to their contributions. They added that the Church in Africa is vibrant because of the “energy, passion, and creativity of the youth.”

The Bishops also foresee a synodal journey that recognizes the gifts, talents, charisms, and contributions of women, saying, “Women hold the Church together; they are the majority. They are the backbone of the Church. Women are a gift to the Church.”

They explain that the synodal process should play a vital role in interculturality as “it comes to help us walk together with others, appreciating cultural differences and understanding these particularities as elements that help us to grow.”

They further hope that the synodal process will introduce a culture of listening in liturgical celebrations of the Church in Africa.

“The Church in Africa hopes that the ongoing synodal process will help to put the people at the forefront, to strengthen their active participation, and to make them more actors than spectators,” they say, expressing regret that the current liturgical celebrations in the African Church sometimes leave Africans themselves unfulfilled.

“A synodal Church should take into consideration the nature of Africans to have a more participatory liturgy, in line with authentic liturgical theology and doctrine,” the Bishops say.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.