The setting of the Second Assembly: Africa’s woes or challenges?
Local Churches:
The Synod Fathers candidly recognized insufficient appreciation for the role of women and youth in their local communities, and their poor faith-formation. Politicians and other civil servants have not always enjoyed the accompaniment and formation that would have enabled them to properly witness to their faith in their life and work. The use of the media must be developed beyond the use of local radio stations. The witness of the Church is sometimes compromised by the difficulty that some pastoral agents have in being faithful to their vows, vocations and states of life.Socio-Cultural Sphere:
Many Synod Fathers bemoaned the fate of the family in Africa, and considered the institution under serious threat of instability and dissolution by poverty, conflicts, traditional beliefs and practices (witchcraft), and disease, principally, malaria and HIV-AIDS. ... But the Synod Fathers also described in various ways a ferocious onslaught on the family and the related fundamental institution of marriage from outside Africa something they attributed to diverse sources.
Women, referred to at the First Special Assembly for Africa as “beasts of burden”, have begun to emerge in certain countries to prominence and to leadership roles in law, politics, economics and engineering. But they are also “undeveloped resources” in certain countries, suffering exclusion from social roles, inheritance, education and decision-making places.
The issue of “migration” came up for special mention, on account of emerging legislations in Western countries, which appear designed to keep out Africans. The assembly was also invited to consider the issue of “ethnicity”. When it develops exclusivist traits, it destroys community living, becomes intolerant of other cultures and ethnic groups, like racism.
Socio-Political Sphere:
Apart from the lone mention of Senegal’s political stability, South Africa’s democratic governance and Ghana’s increasing success with democratic governance, most of the references to politics and governance on the continent were very critical for various reasons, and proposed that local Churches establish chaplaincies and accompany politicians with formation in the “Doctrine of the Social Teachings of the Church”.Socio-Economic Sphere:
“Poor” and “poverty” were two recurrent expressions which the Synod Fathers generally used about their countries, governments, people and Churches. The poverty of the people had justified, in several interventions, development projects undertaken by the Church. ... On the national and governmental level, the assembly criticised the incidence of corruption and bribery, and the negotiation of contracts with investors, particularly of extractive industries, which bring no profit to the people, but cause conflicts and environmental degradation.
Industrialisation is low in most African countries; and their economies are agricultural and producers of raw material ... needing assistance from foreign Governments, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to finance their budgets and carry out development projects.
The Church may see the present and persistent shadows in Africa as challenges and opportunities to grow in intimacy with the Lord. The challenges above and the very many more which were mentioned in the assembly (environment, arms-trafficking, etc.), invite us to a true conversion of hearts.The Strengthening of Faith in Christ
The assembly was reminded once that “a Synod of Bishops cannot be understood as a special session for Africa of the United Nations with its public declarations”. This was a powerful reminder to the synodal assembly of its being a Church-gathering and a faith-assembly that, in the power of the Holy Spirit, professes faith in God and in Christ, His Son, and has gathered to discern God’s will and direction for His family in Africa. Thus, the Synod Fathers variously affirmed in their interventions the Christ-centeredness of the synodal theme, and the need to approach and to live it Christ-centred. ... Thus all forms of experience and practice of the synodal theme (reconciliation, justice and peace) need to be “evangelised” by the Gospel.
