Nairobi, 06 June, 2024 / 11:51 pm (ACI Africa).
Plans are underway for a series of online conversations bringing together African theologians, priests and religious, as well as laity who seek to deepen the understanding of the Synthesis Report of the ongoing Synod on Synodality ahead of the October session in Rome.
Speaking to ACI Africa ahead of the online engagements set to run from June 7 to September 6, Fr. Stan Chu Ilo, the Coordinating Servant of the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) recalled that Bishops in Africa had, during a meeting of Africa’s Delegates to the Synod in Kenya “urged African theologians and pastors to continue the discussions began at the seminar.”
At the delegates meeting in Nairobi, the President of the Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo also urged the theologians of Africa to work in close partnership with the Bishops in deepening an understanding of “the issues at hand” and focusing the attention of the people on the priorities of the Church in Africa “in these challenging times.”
“PACTPAN has taken this call to heart,” read the statement that Fr. Stan shared with ACI Africa, adding that the network which provides a forum for conversation for African Christian scholars is coordinating the online synodal engagements in collaboration with the Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COMSAM).
“Working with COSMAM for the last two years in designing an ongoing program on transformational servant leadership which has 382 students currently taking courses every week online, and with 120 young people in Africa who are currently studying through seven modules approved by the Dicastery for Communication on how to become digital missionary for Africa and the world, PACTPAN is launching a unique online conversation on the themes that emerged from the Synthesis Report,” read the statement.