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Italian version
 244 Synod Fathers, 29
experts, 49 listeners, three special invited persons: these are the
numbers of the second special Synod for Africa. The event, held in the
Vatican for three weeks, October 4-25, focussed the attention on the
themes of reconciliation, justice and peace. Fraternal delegates,
representatives of six Churches and ecclesial communities present in
Africa, participated in the work of the synod: among them there were the
Coptic, Anglican and Methodist Churches.
The
calendar of work foresaw twenty general assemblies and nine sessions of
minor circles. Benedict XVI celebrated three Holy Masses: the opening
celebration on Sunday, October 4, the one for the canonisation of 5
Blessed, October 11, and the closing Mass, October 25. The Pope
conducted also the recitation of the Holy Rosary, with and for Africa,
in the hall of Pope Paul VI, on Saturday, October 10, with the Italian
and African university students connected by satellite. It is
worthwhile to mention the reflection on the post-synod apostolic
exhortation, “Ecclesia in Africa”, on the afternoon of October 5. Three
appointments involved special invitees, who spoke in the auditorium: the
Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abuna Paulos, on October 6;
Rudolf Adada, head of the mission of peace for Darfur of the United
Nations, October 9, and Jacques Diouf, a Muslim, general director of FAO.
16
years after the first Special Assembly dedicated to Africa, the Synod
Fathers felt the need of reflecting on the development of the continent.
Africa is a growing territory, where the Catholics have increased in
number from 55 to 164 million, over a period of time that goes from 1978
up to 2007. These figures take the Catholics in Africa to 17,5%. This
percentage is higher than the world average, which stops at 17, 3%. At
the beginning of the nine hundred century, they were hardly two million.
Today, the Bishops are 18 per cent more than those at the time of the
1994 assembly -60 % were appointed after the first Synod – and the
diocesan priest 58. This is undoubtedly an exceptional growth, with a
new capacity of facing old and recent challenges. The second special
assembly of the Synod, entitled “The Church in
Africa at the service of reconciliation, justice and peace”,
is
dedicated to this essentially rich Africa, actually relegated to
submission roles, if compared to the advanced nations. “The local
Church must strengthen what she is already doing, announcing the Good
News and preaching reconciliation, justice and peace in these torn
lands”. Monsignor Nicola Eterovic,
Secretary General for the Synod of Bishops,
to whom we have addressed some
questions, clarifies the role of the Church in
Africa facing the inter-ethnic conflicts and the bloody tribal wars.
What do you expect from this Synod?
“As
general secretary for the synod of the Bishops, I somehow reflect the
expectation of the prelates of the particular churches in Africa. The
prelates are living this moment like a kairòs. The Catholic
Church in Africa is going through a phase of great evangelical dynamism
and of never imagined development. The synod will go deep into these
positive aspects, analysing them in the light of the actual challenges.
Which knots are still unsolved in Africa
with regard to the challenges?
“It
is difficult to synthesise them. Africa differs enormously from zone to
zone. In the vast zones of North Africa, the catholics are a minority,
while in the Northeast there are very ample Christian communities,
especially in Ethiopia, Egypt and Eritrea. In the sub-Saharan area, the
presence of Christianity is not uniform, as it is the case of Angola,
where the Church has been present for five hundred year. From the Synod,
we expect a strengthening of evangelisation, a priority mission of the
Church. The second aspect regards human promotion, a collaboration
established by the Church with everybody, from the institutions to the
local communities, to assure full development. They have done a lot in
the field of education, which deserves to be among the prioritizing
points, above all with regard to the formation of the religious as well
as of the laity. There is an impellent need to educate the laity
committed to the social and political field, as persons responsible and
capable of living this task as a mission
I
have personally noted that the European public opinion and more
generally of the Western world, keeps a negative image of Africa,
because of the unpleasant news coming from there. However, there are
positive aspects that we must not ignore: harmony and peace reign in
many African countries and democratic systems of government go on
becoming stronger and stronger.
How will Africa take a fruitful advantage from the experience of the
first 1994 Synod of Bishops?
“We
must see the present appointment as an ideal continuation of the one
that started fifteen years ago and that is destined to make a long
journey. This appears evident from the theme of the second assembly. The
starting works made an explicit reference to the apostolic exhortation
Ecclesia in Africa, fruit of the 1994 meeting. In the light of
the situation in Africa, the Bishops obviously wanted to concentrate on
the themes of reconciliation, justice and peace. Reconciliation with God
and brethren in the ecclesial community, indicated by the Instrumentum
Laboris, is somehow the reading key of the Synod. It is also a
pre-supposition for the reconciliation of the entire African society”.
The Pauline Year has passed and now we are in the full phase of the
Priestly Year. This offers the figure and the mission of the holy Cure
of Ars for reflection to the priests of the whole world. How can we
transform this event into a privileged occasion for the mission of the
Priests and of the women religious in Africa?
“The
discovery of the missionary role of its members was present also during
the preparation of the African Synod. On reading the Instrumentum
Laboris, we perceive this Biblical flow and the renewed attention, which
today is more actual than ever before, paid to the Word of God. St. Paul
is another example for Africa. Thanking God, there are more and more
African missionaries within and without the continent, as well as in
Europe. Obviously, the Priestly year has a relevant space involving all
the Priests, close collaborators of the Bishops, in the mission of the
Church in Africa. The example of the Cure of Ars will spur the African
Priests to re-discover the priority of God, who deserves an undivided
love, to trust the means of grace, holding the sacrament of penance as
essential for reconciliation”.
The elevated number of delegates shows an ample space for women in this
Synod, and this says a lot about how the Synod considered also the role
of the men and women lay faithful in Africa….
“Yes, a lot. We can say that the Synod has taken into consideration the
state of women who are victims in various situations. The participant
women themselves, both lay and religious, underlined this aspect, which
the Pastors took into consideration. I think that the laymen and
laywomen will draw from this Synod the awareness of their irreplaceable
role, mainly wherever the clergy cannot reach; the woman in Africa is
very important and the Church relies on her a lot. There are already
institutions of Catholic women carrying on excellent work and the synod
will extend to them further support and courage to carry on their work
in the Church and in society. They often say that the woman has a
special capacity to be an agent of reconciliation, even there where men
fail”.
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