Major Seminaries in Burundi Set Limit to Enrollment amid “boom in vocations”

Maxime lauds religious freedom in the African country that has a 90 percent Christian population.

However, according to the ACN official, faith is not deeply rooted in the country that continues to embrace a mix of Christianity and indigenous religions.

“For example, many new religious movements have been born, but these communities often lack knowledge about religious life and the Christian faith in general, which is a challenge. The society, evangelized only 125 years ago, has not yet embraced the Christian faith in depth, so it continues to live according to customs and traditions derived from indigenous religions,” Maxime observes.

“Burundi remains very attached to its cultural roots,” he says, and narrates, “To this day, they fear the dead, believing that their souls can influence the lives of the living.”

Burundians continue to perform rituals such as dancing with the royal drum which for them, symbolizes fertility, regeneration, and respect for the monarchy.

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Some of these rituals have been introduced into the liturgy, Maxime says, and explains, “In Burundi, drumming is a symbol of recognition, so it is not uncommon for tabernacles to be placed on drums. When the president of Burundi visited the Holy See, he gave the Pope a drum as a gift.”

Concerning the mushrooming of churches in Burundi, Maxime explains that Christians like to meet in small groups to pray and help each other.

“Over time, these prayer groups grow into larger communities that decide they need a place of worship, so they build a church with their own hands,” he says.

The ACN official adds, “During my trip to Burundi, I visited one such church built by the faithful themselves. I was very inspired by the fact that, although Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world …its people are very generous, very committed to the Church and eager for religious experiences that change their daily lives.”

He further reports that on top of the thriving vocation to Priesthood, several women's congregations are also  successfully exercising their ministry in Burundi.