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The Catholic Church in Africa is already synodal, a Nigerian Priest has said, adding that for the synodal Church to be “effectively missionary”, Local Ordinaries on the continent must accept “to enter into the new style” of being Church.
From the rising number of private ministries led by wayward Catholic Priests to abhorrent Liturgical abuses, many worrying developments are creeping into the Catholic Church in Nigeria, some of which now threaten the unity of the Church in Africa’s most populous nation.
A Togolese Catholic Priest has proposed the splitting of Bishops’ Conferences, Dioceses, Parishes, and other groups that are seen as too large into units where “everyone’s voice is heard”.
Catholic Bishops and religious communities in Africa have been urged to harness the potential of the diasporic communities in growing the continent.
Catholic Bishops in Africa have lauded the weekly conversations organized by African theologians on the Synod on Synodality, noting that the Friday engagements will deepen the understanding of the synod.
African theologians, priests, religious, and laity have embarked on a series of synodal conversations, describing their encounter ahead of the October session in Rome as a call to action for all the people of God in Africa to make their voices heard in the Synod on Synodality.
Four issues affecting the Church in Africa stand out at the ongoing Synod on Synodality conversations. These are the issues that those representing the African continent at the Bishops’ meeting in Rome are focusing on.
The Secretary General for the Reunion of Episcopal Conferences of West Africa (RECOWA) has condemned the financial and trade restrictions imposed on Niger by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in response to the country’s July 26 military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum from power, noting that the restrictions have plunged the population into deep suffering.