Catholic Theologians in Africa Decry “politics of the stomach” Hindering Co-responsibility in Church’s Pastoral Ministry

“To embrace co-responsibility in the Church in Africa and the wider African society, there is the need to understand the challenges we face in many settings in Africa in working and journeying together fruitfully for the common good in both the Church and state,” the Theologians said.

“We cannot deny the sad reality that sometimes we have not worked and walked together,” the PACTPAN members said ahead of the August 30 event they organized in collaboration COMSAM.

They said that the post-colonial state in Africa is characterized by the “winner-takes-all” mentality and promotes a “politics of the stomach,” where the focus is on self-enrichment and exploitation.  

The selfish attitude of leaders in African communities is exemplified by the attitude of “it is our time to eat,” the PACTPAN members said, adding that in such a situation, the common good suffers, diversity and inclusion are undermined, and peace and social transformation become “a will-o’-the-wisp.”

According to the theologians at PACTPAN, the Catholic Church in Africa also faces the challenge of establishing relations where everyone is accepted as “a firstborn child of God.”

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They said that during the synodal conversations leading to the October 2023 session, many African Catholics complained that the Church in Africa does not always demonstrate signs of love, unity, sharing, and communion and some of them, especially the poor, feel like outsiders in the Church.

“We are still burdened in the Church in Africa by the scandal of tribalism, sectionalism, clannishness, xenophobia in our dioceses, religious communities, and Church institutions. These negative tendencies make co-responsibility difficult to implement in many ecclesial settings,” they said.

The theologians also highlighted what they described as a tension in Africa along the lines of language and national identities and claims.

Synodality, the theologians said, is an invitation to the people of God in Africa to reflect on how they can build a new Africa and a new Church Family of God in Africa on the foundation of participation, healthy pluralism, inclusiveness, unity and co-responsibility.

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.