In recent months, Kenya has lost a missionary sister, who made an immense contribution to education. She was Sr Graziella Paladin, of the Consolata Sisters.
She came to Kenya just prior to Independence and was still active until shortly before returning to Italy in 2010 for medical treatment. She sadly died in July 2011. I would like to pay tribute to her memory and her work in education.
Sister was a Founder, a Principal and a teacher at a number of girls boarding schools in Kenyan dioceses, where Consolata Missionaries worked.
I first met her in January 1993 on taking up an appointment with CISRET (Centre for In- Service of Religious Education Teachers ). At that time, it was based at Nyeri Pastoral Centre and Sr Graziella lived at the Consolata Sisters Convent situated, nearby, within the Mathari compound.
She had been a tutor on the course for about a year before I came, and it was my very good fortune to work with someone who was so utterly committed to the training of teachers and who brought to CISRET, a whole lifetime of experience and skill, and many years of religious formation.
All of these she brought to the task, with great energy and dedication. Already advanced in age, when she could have taken things a bit easier, she immersed herself fully into the task. She did this, with a degree of energy and enthusiasm, rarely seen in someone much younger.
Living at Nyeri, one was conscious , of being in hallowed grounds. The Consolata Fathers came to Kenya in 1902. The Consolata Sisters followed shortly after. One lived in an awareness of the amazing pioneering work done by the Consolata. All round there were reminders of this: one of the earliest nurse-training hospital; the oldest printing press and print training school in Kenya; the Pastoral Centre; the Catechist Training Centre; the Parish Church and more.
Sister Graziella was steeped in its history and one could not ask for a better tour guide. At that time many of the older sisters of the Congregation were still living there in retirement. One felt in conversation with them, of being connected to a continuous living history.
During our time there, we were privileged to contribute with our Centre choir to the Solemn liturgy surrounding the re-interment of the remains of the Servant of God: Sr Irene Stefani, a Consolata Sister, to a shrine in the Parish Church at Nyeri.
Similarly we took part in the annual November Memorial Mass for the Italian prisoners of War, held in the Memorial Chapel, with the Italian Ambassador present and celebrated in Italian. At all these, Sr Graziella took a leading part in the organization. On occasions like that her special flair for decoration and ornament came fully to the fore.
Her contribution to the CISRET course was immense on many fronts: her lively faith and deep sense of vocation to teaching; her infectious enthusiasm, reliability and sense of humour. I suppose most of the teachers will remember her especially, for her great artistic ability. She was particularly skilled in the production and use of visual aids. She did a lot to help teachers discover their own talent and helped them to develop it.
Our move to Tabor Hill Nyahururu in 1996, called for a further degree of self-sacrifice on her part, as it meant her moving from her Mathari community. She did this for a further six years at Tabor Hill without complaint.
The superb hospitality given us by the Dimesse Sisters and Paduan Fathers, did much to make our time at Tabor, a very happy one.
A particular highlight at Tabor Hill, was the celebration of Sr Graziella’s 50th Golden Jubilee of Religious Profession in 2002, attended by Bishop Davies and led by Bishop Panti with very many priests, religious sisters and laity present.
In 2006 the Silver Jubilee of the CISRET course was celebrated and Bishop Davies, its founder was present along with most of the Kenya bishops. Sr Graziella received special acknowledgement at this ceremony, having been the longest serving religious sister on the staff of CISRET, since its foundation in 1982.
On retirement after her 50th Jubilee , Sr Graziella went back to Nyeri and once more took up an apostolate with the poor in Mathari and with visitation and instruction classes for the prisoners at Nyeri Prison. She had a wonderful proficiency both in Swahili and in Kikuyu which gave her instant connection with all people.
During this time, she was instrumental in helping the prison, to have its own chapel for Mass and instruction. It was funded by her Italian family and friends.
Archbishop Peter Kairo of Nyeri during the 100th celebration of the Founding of the Consolata Sisters, gave special honour to Sr. Graziella as “a living example, of one, who at the age of 81 was still engaged in ministry”.
She was a friend to the famous recently deceased Wangari Mathai, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who was from nearby Tetu, and who was present at the 100th Celebration.
Sometime in 2009 Sr Graziella was diagnosed with a form of leukemia. She responded well for many months but in 2010, her condition deteriorated. She retained interest and enthusiasm right through her illness.
I look back on almost 20 years of close association with Sr Graziella. I know that she is very fondly remembered by many, especially the thousands of students taught by her. I join them in giving thanks for the privilege of knowing Sr Graziella Paladin.
May God rest her noble soul.
Fr. Nicholas Motherway (St. Patrick’s Fathers)
nickmotherway@gmail.com
Friday, December 16, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
OPINION: Counter Human Trafficking Report
The second Nairobi Counter Human Trafficking Symposium for the Faith Based and grassroots Organizations took place in Shalom House, Nairobi from the 22nd to the 24th November 2011. The Symposium brought together 57 organizations from the East African countries. Key during the Symposium were the strategies used by FBOs and the grassroots organizations in combating the human trafficking problem in East Africa. The participants benefitted from a moral reflection given by the Jesuit Hakimani Center (JHC) and KARDS and various field strategies in combating this problem from the representatives of the organizations that attended the symposium.
The Symposium was sponsored by the Mensen met een Missie and organized by Consolation East Africa, KARDS, Jesuit Hakimani Centre, Trace-Kenya, Inter Religious Council of Kenya(IRCK), International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS), Catholic Information Service for Africa (CISA) and Awareness Against Human Trafficking (HAART) among other Faith Based and grassroots organizations to raise awareness on the dangers of human trafficking, brainstorm on practices and strategies to counter human trafficking and explore the laws and policies to mitigate against human trafficking.
According to the US government, media reports and other literature human trafficking in East Africa takes place for purposes of sexual exploitation, labor, and witch craft. Human trafficking is considered as an endemic social problem, pervasive and heinous crime and one of the most pressing human rights problems. The Symposium acknowledged the salient fact that there is a growing awareness in the international community about the gravity of the problem of trafficking in persons as well as the pressing need for sustained and concerted actions at the national, regional and international levels in order to prevent, monitor and combat human trafficking. The objectives explored during the Symposium included:
Creating peer to peer linkages aiming to promote effective collaboration and networking amongst the FBOs, CSOs working to combat TIP.
Enabling the new participants understand the problem of human trafficking.
Sharing knowledge, skills and experiences from different FBOs and grassroots that work to combat human trafficking.
Understanding tools and resources( both legal, economic and psychosocial) available for victim assistance
After the symposium the following conclusions were arrived at:
1. Poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, unemployment, porous borders, widespread corruption, gender discrimination and deteriorating economic conditions are the major factors fuelling human trafficking.
2. The East African governments need to improve the economy, empower girls and women with educational, economic, employment and necessary professional opportunities in order to assist them to resist the temptation of human trafficking. Increased opportunities for women render them less vulnerable to human trafficking and ensure their well being and security. Providing women empowerment schemes, providing necessary protection, micro credit assistance and vocational training for better income generation possibilities, improvement of the economy etc.
3. Adequate prosecution of traffickers without compromising the rights of the victims to privacy, dignity and safety must be done by providing necessary assistance to trafficked persons during the pendency of criminal, civil or other legal actions against traffickers. Protection of human rights of victims/survivors should be the basic and paramount consideration and not only crime prevention. Victims of human trafficking should not be criminalized but the traffickers and their accomplices engaged in the illicit trade and exploitation must be severely punished to serve as a deterrent.
4. Legislation and law enforcement alone cannot provide sufficient prevention. The root causes that drive women, children and the socially excluded people into human trafficking such as poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, unemployment, porous borders and economic conditions must be addressed through measures such as raising public awareness regarding human rights and the risks of trafficking. Others factors inherent within the patriarchal culture that promote oppression of one gender also should be addressed.
5. In addition to legislation, the Symposium noted that concerted efforts against human trafficking by governments, Faith based organizations and grassroots organizations at the local, regional and international levels are critical in order to effectively address the complex problem of trafficking in persons and to provide adequate redress for the victims. Governments and FBOs should systematically partner with each other to ensure the implementation of anti trafficking policies, laws and action plans. Education systems on the other hand should include human trafficking in their curricular.
6. Collaborative efforts at both the local and national levels should include Religious and community leaders, parents, teachers, other stakeholders e.g. Police, immigration, customs, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters, Law enforcement agencies, Judiciary, Media and Civil society organizations etc. Governments should collaborate with FBOs, CSOs and all interested stakeholders in the development and implementation of national plans of action in accordance with the national Counter Human Trafficking Laws. Understanding of the legal processes will also be of additional fundamental value.
7. Functioning families do help quite a lot in preventing TIP. FBOs have a great role in helping to strengthen families as the fundamental social fabric. Coupled with the role of the family, there is a need to help the patriarchal society in the transformation of the construct that end up treating women and the vulnerable people as objects for economic purposes or self gratification.
8. Advocacy and Awareness programmes on human trafficking should be intensified to expose the dangers of human trafficking and improve knowledge of the anti- human trafficking laws. The public information campaigns against human trafficking should be extended to the rural areas where women and girls have less access to information and are usually poorer and easier to influence using small promises.
9. Effective data collection and information systems should be developed to inform policies and laws on human trafficking and programming at all levels. It is a fact that data collection in this area is quite challenging hence creative ways should be sought such as case studies, and the development of ethnographic studies.
10. Trafficking in persons could be effectively addressed through a multi-faceted, coordinated and integrated national and international plan of action. Hence individuals have an important role to blow the whistle when they witness exploitation. Organizations on the other hand are called to continuously build their capacity in order to be able to deal with the complexity of the human trafficking problem effectively. Coupled with this there is a need for strong partnerships amongst the FBOs and other stakeholders to address the root causes of trafficking in persons. Donors and international community was requested to support data collection exercises and other programs against trafficking in persons. Key in the intervention process is also to heal the wounds of the trafficked victims hence organizations should adequately arm themselves with skills in psycho, social and emotional counseling.
11. Finally, the symposium emphasized that the human being is made in the image of God. Any immoral acts affecting the human dignity have deep repercussions and do affect the society too in a negative way. The faith communities, the society, governments and media should therefore continue promoting a greater awareness of the human dignity to their followers.
Contact consolationeastafrica@gmail.com or 0736 935 387, and 0720 812 638 or 0720 444 545
The Symposium was sponsored by the Mensen met een Missie and organized by Consolation East Africa, KARDS, Jesuit Hakimani Centre, Trace-Kenya, Inter Religious Council of Kenya(IRCK), International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS), Catholic Information Service for Africa (CISA) and Awareness Against Human Trafficking (HAART) among other Faith Based and grassroots organizations to raise awareness on the dangers of human trafficking, brainstorm on practices and strategies to counter human trafficking and explore the laws and policies to mitigate against human trafficking.
According to the US government, media reports and other literature human trafficking in East Africa takes place for purposes of sexual exploitation, labor, and witch craft. Human trafficking is considered as an endemic social problem, pervasive and heinous crime and one of the most pressing human rights problems. The Symposium acknowledged the salient fact that there is a growing awareness in the international community about the gravity of the problem of trafficking in persons as well as the pressing need for sustained and concerted actions at the national, regional and international levels in order to prevent, monitor and combat human trafficking. The objectives explored during the Symposium included:
Creating peer to peer linkages aiming to promote effective collaboration and networking amongst the FBOs, CSOs working to combat TIP.
Enabling the new participants understand the problem of human trafficking.
Sharing knowledge, skills and experiences from different FBOs and grassroots that work to combat human trafficking.
Understanding tools and resources( both legal, economic and psychosocial) available for victim assistance
After the symposium the following conclusions were arrived at:
1. Poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, unemployment, porous borders, widespread corruption, gender discrimination and deteriorating economic conditions are the major factors fuelling human trafficking.
2. The East African governments need to improve the economy, empower girls and women with educational, economic, employment and necessary professional opportunities in order to assist them to resist the temptation of human trafficking. Increased opportunities for women render them less vulnerable to human trafficking and ensure their well being and security. Providing women empowerment schemes, providing necessary protection, micro credit assistance and vocational training for better income generation possibilities, improvement of the economy etc.
3. Adequate prosecution of traffickers without compromising the rights of the victims to privacy, dignity and safety must be done by providing necessary assistance to trafficked persons during the pendency of criminal, civil or other legal actions against traffickers. Protection of human rights of victims/survivors should be the basic and paramount consideration and not only crime prevention. Victims of human trafficking should not be criminalized but the traffickers and their accomplices engaged in the illicit trade and exploitation must be severely punished to serve as a deterrent.
4. Legislation and law enforcement alone cannot provide sufficient prevention. The root causes that drive women, children and the socially excluded people into human trafficking such as poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, unemployment, porous borders and economic conditions must be addressed through measures such as raising public awareness regarding human rights and the risks of trafficking. Others factors inherent within the patriarchal culture that promote oppression of one gender also should be addressed.
5. In addition to legislation, the Symposium noted that concerted efforts against human trafficking by governments, Faith based organizations and grassroots organizations at the local, regional and international levels are critical in order to effectively address the complex problem of trafficking in persons and to provide adequate redress for the victims. Governments and FBOs should systematically partner with each other to ensure the implementation of anti trafficking policies, laws and action plans. Education systems on the other hand should include human trafficking in their curricular.
6. Collaborative efforts at both the local and national levels should include Religious and community leaders, parents, teachers, other stakeholders e.g. Police, immigration, customs, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters, Law enforcement agencies, Judiciary, Media and Civil society organizations etc. Governments should collaborate with FBOs, CSOs and all interested stakeholders in the development and implementation of national plans of action in accordance with the national Counter Human Trafficking Laws. Understanding of the legal processes will also be of additional fundamental value.
7. Functioning families do help quite a lot in preventing TIP. FBOs have a great role in helping to strengthen families as the fundamental social fabric. Coupled with the role of the family, there is a need to help the patriarchal society in the transformation of the construct that end up treating women and the vulnerable people as objects for economic purposes or self gratification.
8. Advocacy and Awareness programmes on human trafficking should be intensified to expose the dangers of human trafficking and improve knowledge of the anti- human trafficking laws. The public information campaigns against human trafficking should be extended to the rural areas where women and girls have less access to information and are usually poorer and easier to influence using small promises.
9. Effective data collection and information systems should be developed to inform policies and laws on human trafficking and programming at all levels. It is a fact that data collection in this area is quite challenging hence creative ways should be sought such as case studies, and the development of ethnographic studies.
10. Trafficking in persons could be effectively addressed through a multi-faceted, coordinated and integrated national and international plan of action. Hence individuals have an important role to blow the whistle when they witness exploitation. Organizations on the other hand are called to continuously build their capacity in order to be able to deal with the complexity of the human trafficking problem effectively. Coupled with this there is a need for strong partnerships amongst the FBOs and other stakeholders to address the root causes of trafficking in persons. Donors and international community was requested to support data collection exercises and other programs against trafficking in persons. Key in the intervention process is also to heal the wounds of the trafficked victims hence organizations should adequately arm themselves with skills in psycho, social and emotional counseling.
11. Finally, the symposium emphasized that the human being is made in the image of God. Any immoral acts affecting the human dignity have deep repercussions and do affect the society too in a negative way. The faith communities, the society, governments and media should therefore continue promoting a greater awareness of the human dignity to their followers.
Contact consolationeastafrica@gmail.com or 0736 935 387, and 0720 812 638 or 0720 444 545
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
OPINION: Numbers Do Not Make a Church
Interview with Archbishop of Algiers
More than 99% of Algerians are Muslim. Yet this was not always the case. The North African country was once at the center of Christian culture and faith with more than 500 dioceses and 1,500 bishops.
So, has the Church in Algeria somehow died? Archbishop Ghaleb Moussa Abdalla Bader of Algiers says no.
The Jordanian-born 60-year-old prelate has been the archbishop of the Algerian capital since 2008. Mark Riedemann for Where God Weeps in cooperation with Aid to the Church in Need spoke with the archbishop about his Church.
Q: Your Excellency, you were born in Jordan, you served in Jerusalem and in 2008 you were appointed the archbishop of Algeria. What was your reaction?
Archbishop Bader: What was my reaction? It was a total surprise for me; I never thought in my life that I would be the archbishop of Algiers. When the nuncio told me that the Holy Father nominated me as archbishop, I did not know what to say and I asked for a week to reflect, but the nuncio was in a hurry and wanted an immediate answer. I told him please do not insist otherwise you will get a "no" for an answer because I was not ready and I needed more time to assimilate the information.
Q: And what happened?
Archbishop Bader: I was in complete confusion and I thought to myself, you can take a year to reflect and you will still not be able to extricate yourself from the situation. I went back to the nuncio and started to write my answer, telling my reasons why I wished to stay in Jerusalem: I love this Church, I belong, have worked, and studied in this Church and I wanted to finish my life with this Church. Jerusalem is not like any other Church. It is the Mother Church. There are the holy places and to belong to the Church of Jerusalem was very important to me. But in the end, I understood, it is the Universal Church. It is the Catholic Church. There is a need everywhere and therefore I am ready to go.
Q: So you took it as a cross?
Archbishop Bader: Not as a cross but the will of the Church and of God and I was ready to accept the will of the Church and of God. If I can do this service to the Church and for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, I was ready to do it. I did it with joy and not with regret, fear maybe, but not regret.
Q: You are the first Arab archbishop entering into Algeria after a generation of French hierarchy. Did the people sense that you, being an Arab, would understand the culture better?
Archbishop Bader: That was the intention of the Church, a gesture, a sign of respect toward this Arab country. The nomination of an Arab after a period of French leadership was an answer to the changes already happening in this Church. Yes, the Church was for a while under the French, but the French are now a minority of which 40% are African; students or immigrants and the rest are Christians from Europe, Latin America and North America. The changes were already happening in the Church and the nomination of a non-French in Algeria was an answer to these changes already ongoing.
Q: What was the reaction of the local government?
Archbishop Bader: The reaction of the Algerian authorities was very enthusiastic and I felt it. On the day of my nomination, the Algerian ambassador to Jordan gave me a call and invited me to meet him and I have since met him twice. I was welcomed when I arrived in Algeria and the president himself sent a representative, which is the first time ever that the president or his representative wanted to be present to welcome the new archbishop. I especially felt a great love and welcome for an Arab from the people. I was labelled "Our Archbishop" and even the Muslims called me their archbishop.
Q: The former archbishop of Algiers, Henri Tessier, in a New York Times article was quoted as saying he had been witness "to the slow death of a Church." Is that the situation of the Church in Algeria today?
Archbishop Bader: We have to understand where Archbishop Tessier is coming from. He spent 70 to 75 years in Algeria. He was a seminarian and was ordained in Algeria. He was a citizen and a carried an Algerian passport. He knew the history of the Church in Algeria. When he was a seminarian, there were 2 million Christians in Algeria and this has gone down to a few thousand Christians now. This is the context of his statement and I can understand him when he spoke about the death of this Church. However, the Church will always be the Church. It does not depend on numbers. It is the same Church, the same mission, and we are doing the same work. I do not agree with him of course, but I can understand him because he was comparing what the Church was then to what it is now. When I came this was the reality of the Church. I accept it. I do my work and I do not talk about a death. The Church is alive, it is present and doing its best for the well-being of its faithful and the country.
Q: There are about 20 churches still active in Algeria. Many have been converted to mosques or cultural centres. What are your ideas to maintain support in an environment that seems to be very difficult?
Archbishop Bader: This was a consequence of the Christians moving back to France after the war. There were churches without Christians anymore. The Church was not going to keep these churches simply because they were churches. It was a gesture of the Church to give these churches and buildings for the use of the population. About two or three churches were converted to mosques. The reaction of the authorities was of respect; they would not allow the conversion of these churches to mosques and that is why many of the churches that were given by the Church to the authorities were transformed into cultural centres and libraries and whatever buildings were needed. I have read somewhere that about 700 churches and other buildings were returned to the Algerian authorities and put at their services for the benefit of the population.
Q: Algerian society has shifted from a French -- or European -- one to an Arab society focused on the Middle East. Is this shift away from Europe positive or negative?
Archbishop Bader: It is in relation to the historical relationship between Algeria and France. Any decisions taken by Algeria after independence were a reaction from the past. They wanted to be free from the past and turned toward an Arabic culture and language. However, this is not accepted by 100% of the population and that is why 90% of Algerians speak French. I am Arab but 99% of the time, I speak in French to the people so the shift you mentioned is not really the case -- at least for most Algerians. It is true that the authorities want Algeria to be an Arab and Islamic country and as such have imposed the Arabic language on education.
Q: Many of the conflicts that are perceived in the Arabic world are seen through the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Is this also the case in Algeria?
Archbishop Bader: It is true the Israeli-Palestinian conflict does infect the Arab-Western and Christian-Muslim relationships. As long as there is no solution to this conflict, mistrust will always exist. A peaceful solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would help very much to settle this mistrust between the Arab and Western countries and between the Christens and Muslims. Therefore, I appeal for a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It will be for the benefit of humanity as a whole and not just the region. It will bring about a global peace and peaceful coexistence among the religions.
Q: Ghulamallah, the minister of Religious Affairs in Algeria, invited you to a conference to discuss religious freedom. During your speech, you talked about repealing the laws that put restrictions on Christians. How would you present the Christian situation today?
Archbishop Bader: The minister of Religious Affairs, Ghulamallah, not just invited me but we organized the conference together. We decided whom to invite and we both organized the program.
Q: … so your relationship with the Minister of Religious Affairs is amicable.
Archbishop Bader: Our relationship is very good. We meet at least once every month. We exchange good wishes during religious feasts for Christians and Muslims. We always have had very good relations ever since I arrived. The problem now is the law of 2006 that restricts religious practices, activities or worship only within the churches. For us Catholics this is not such a problem because we have enough churches. The problem is moreover for the Evangelicals and Protestants who do not have places of worship and for us Catholics when we wish to gather outside for religious activities.
Q: How does this affect evangelization and the work of the priests in their ministry?
Archbishop Bader: It is the second part of this law of 2006 that declares that all our activities -- worship and prayers -- are to take place only inside the Church. Evangelization and conversion is prohibited. Anyone caught violating this law is penalized by either incarceration or a fine of about €2,000 ($2,650). During the conference, I said that law could not regulate worship. This was not the case before 2006.
Q: In the Algerian Constitution, Article 36 guarantees religious freedom?
Archbishop Bader: That is true, the constitution guarantees religious freedom and we have agreed on that.
Q: How do you minister in this environment?
Archbishop Bader: Our first mission is to be there, to live our faith, and to be faithful to our religion and to respect the other faiths despite our differences. The Church believes -- and I believe -- that religious freedom is a human right.
Q: What would you say would be the biggest help the universal Church could offer the Church in Algeria?
Archbishop Bader: The biggest help is to accept our message. Our mission and our message is to learn to live peacefully with each other. This message is for Christians, Muslims or Buddhists and if this message is heeded, this would give a boost and encouragement for our Church. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about our Church, which is not known by everyone and I hope that this program will help somebody to know, firstly that the Church exists in this country and secondly to invite you, if you wish, to share in our mission and to come to Algeria. I would be very happy -- I am in need of personnel for our Church.
* * *
This interview was conducted by Mark Riedemann for "Where God Weeps," a weekly television and radio show produced by Catholic Radio and Television Network in conjunction with the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.
More than 99% of Algerians are Muslim. Yet this was not always the case. The North African country was once at the center of Christian culture and faith with more than 500 dioceses and 1,500 bishops.
So, has the Church in Algeria somehow died? Archbishop Ghaleb Moussa Abdalla Bader of Algiers says no.
The Jordanian-born 60-year-old prelate has been the archbishop of the Algerian capital since 2008. Mark Riedemann for Where God Weeps in cooperation with Aid to the Church in Need spoke with the archbishop about his Church.
Q: Your Excellency, you were born in Jordan, you served in Jerusalem and in 2008 you were appointed the archbishop of Algeria. What was your reaction?
Archbishop Bader: What was my reaction? It was a total surprise for me; I never thought in my life that I would be the archbishop of Algiers. When the nuncio told me that the Holy Father nominated me as archbishop, I did not know what to say and I asked for a week to reflect, but the nuncio was in a hurry and wanted an immediate answer. I told him please do not insist otherwise you will get a "no" for an answer because I was not ready and I needed more time to assimilate the information.
Q: And what happened?
Archbishop Bader: I was in complete confusion and I thought to myself, you can take a year to reflect and you will still not be able to extricate yourself from the situation. I went back to the nuncio and started to write my answer, telling my reasons why I wished to stay in Jerusalem: I love this Church, I belong, have worked, and studied in this Church and I wanted to finish my life with this Church. Jerusalem is not like any other Church. It is the Mother Church. There are the holy places and to belong to the Church of Jerusalem was very important to me. But in the end, I understood, it is the Universal Church. It is the Catholic Church. There is a need everywhere and therefore I am ready to go.
Q: So you took it as a cross?
Archbishop Bader: Not as a cross but the will of the Church and of God and I was ready to accept the will of the Church and of God. If I can do this service to the Church and for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, I was ready to do it. I did it with joy and not with regret, fear maybe, but not regret.
Q: You are the first Arab archbishop entering into Algeria after a generation of French hierarchy. Did the people sense that you, being an Arab, would understand the culture better?
Archbishop Bader: That was the intention of the Church, a gesture, a sign of respect toward this Arab country. The nomination of an Arab after a period of French leadership was an answer to the changes already happening in this Church. Yes, the Church was for a while under the French, but the French are now a minority of which 40% are African; students or immigrants and the rest are Christians from Europe, Latin America and North America. The changes were already happening in the Church and the nomination of a non-French in Algeria was an answer to these changes already ongoing.
Q: What was the reaction of the local government?
Archbishop Bader: The reaction of the Algerian authorities was very enthusiastic and I felt it. On the day of my nomination, the Algerian ambassador to Jordan gave me a call and invited me to meet him and I have since met him twice. I was welcomed when I arrived in Algeria and the president himself sent a representative, which is the first time ever that the president or his representative wanted to be present to welcome the new archbishop. I especially felt a great love and welcome for an Arab from the people. I was labelled "Our Archbishop" and even the Muslims called me their archbishop.
Q: The former archbishop of Algiers, Henri Tessier, in a New York Times article was quoted as saying he had been witness "to the slow death of a Church." Is that the situation of the Church in Algeria today?
Archbishop Bader: We have to understand where Archbishop Tessier is coming from. He spent 70 to 75 years in Algeria. He was a seminarian and was ordained in Algeria. He was a citizen and a carried an Algerian passport. He knew the history of the Church in Algeria. When he was a seminarian, there were 2 million Christians in Algeria and this has gone down to a few thousand Christians now. This is the context of his statement and I can understand him when he spoke about the death of this Church. However, the Church will always be the Church. It does not depend on numbers. It is the same Church, the same mission, and we are doing the same work. I do not agree with him of course, but I can understand him because he was comparing what the Church was then to what it is now. When I came this was the reality of the Church. I accept it. I do my work and I do not talk about a death. The Church is alive, it is present and doing its best for the well-being of its faithful and the country.
Q: There are about 20 churches still active in Algeria. Many have been converted to mosques or cultural centres. What are your ideas to maintain support in an environment that seems to be very difficult?
Archbishop Bader: This was a consequence of the Christians moving back to France after the war. There were churches without Christians anymore. The Church was not going to keep these churches simply because they were churches. It was a gesture of the Church to give these churches and buildings for the use of the population. About two or three churches were converted to mosques. The reaction of the authorities was of respect; they would not allow the conversion of these churches to mosques and that is why many of the churches that were given by the Church to the authorities were transformed into cultural centres and libraries and whatever buildings were needed. I have read somewhere that about 700 churches and other buildings were returned to the Algerian authorities and put at their services for the benefit of the population.
Q: Algerian society has shifted from a French -- or European -- one to an Arab society focused on the Middle East. Is this shift away from Europe positive or negative?
Archbishop Bader: It is in relation to the historical relationship between Algeria and France. Any decisions taken by Algeria after independence were a reaction from the past. They wanted to be free from the past and turned toward an Arabic culture and language. However, this is not accepted by 100% of the population and that is why 90% of Algerians speak French. I am Arab but 99% of the time, I speak in French to the people so the shift you mentioned is not really the case -- at least for most Algerians. It is true that the authorities want Algeria to be an Arab and Islamic country and as such have imposed the Arabic language on education.
Q: Many of the conflicts that are perceived in the Arabic world are seen through the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Is this also the case in Algeria?
Archbishop Bader: It is true the Israeli-Palestinian conflict does infect the Arab-Western and Christian-Muslim relationships. As long as there is no solution to this conflict, mistrust will always exist. A peaceful solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would help very much to settle this mistrust between the Arab and Western countries and between the Christens and Muslims. Therefore, I appeal for a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It will be for the benefit of humanity as a whole and not just the region. It will bring about a global peace and peaceful coexistence among the religions.
Q: Ghulamallah, the minister of Religious Affairs in Algeria, invited you to a conference to discuss religious freedom. During your speech, you talked about repealing the laws that put restrictions on Christians. How would you present the Christian situation today?
Archbishop Bader: The minister of Religious Affairs, Ghulamallah, not just invited me but we organized the conference together. We decided whom to invite and we both organized the program.
Q: … so your relationship with the Minister of Religious Affairs is amicable.
Archbishop Bader: Our relationship is very good. We meet at least once every month. We exchange good wishes during religious feasts for Christians and Muslims. We always have had very good relations ever since I arrived. The problem now is the law of 2006 that restricts religious practices, activities or worship only within the churches. For us Catholics this is not such a problem because we have enough churches. The problem is moreover for the Evangelicals and Protestants who do not have places of worship and for us Catholics when we wish to gather outside for religious activities.
Q: How does this affect evangelization and the work of the priests in their ministry?
Archbishop Bader: It is the second part of this law of 2006 that declares that all our activities -- worship and prayers -- are to take place only inside the Church. Evangelization and conversion is prohibited. Anyone caught violating this law is penalized by either incarceration or a fine of about €2,000 ($2,650). During the conference, I said that law could not regulate worship. This was not the case before 2006.
Q: In the Algerian Constitution, Article 36 guarantees religious freedom?
Archbishop Bader: That is true, the constitution guarantees religious freedom and we have agreed on that.
Q: How do you minister in this environment?
Archbishop Bader: Our first mission is to be there, to live our faith, and to be faithful to our religion and to respect the other faiths despite our differences. The Church believes -- and I believe -- that religious freedom is a human right.
Q: What would you say would be the biggest help the universal Church could offer the Church in Algeria?
Archbishop Bader: The biggest help is to accept our message. Our mission and our message is to learn to live peacefully with each other. This message is for Christians, Muslims or Buddhists and if this message is heeded, this would give a boost and encouragement for our Church. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about our Church, which is not known by everyone and I hope that this program will help somebody to know, firstly that the Church exists in this country and secondly to invite you, if you wish, to share in our mission and to come to Algeria. I would be very happy -- I am in need of personnel for our Church.
* * *
This interview was conducted by Mark Riedemann for "Where God Weeps," a weekly television and radio show produced by Catholic Radio and Television Network in conjunction with the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.
Friday, November 18, 2011
OPINION: Al Shabaab: The Best Weapon Against Them
Al Shabaab has become a real thorn in the flesh of the East African countries! And right now there seems to be no easy way of getting rid of this thorn! And the recent history of Somalia clearly reveals that Al Shabaab is a very hard nut to crack! It can camouflage according to the surroundings or metamorphose into anything depending on the circumstances! And it can hibernate for a long time giving the impression that it is dead!
We should therefore be aware that although right now it is necessary to engage Al Shabaab militarily in order to reduce its atrocities against innocent people, this is not a permanent solution! In order to find a lasting solution to this conflict, we have to look at its root causes and from different dimensions especially: the socio-political, economic and religious! The events that led to rise of Al Shabaab will put the problem in its context and throw light on why Al Shabaab is not easy to contain!
Al Shabaab, which means, “The Youth or the boys,” is an offshoot of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which splintered into different groups after Ethiopian troops forced it out of power in 2006! In fact, Al Shabaab was the youth movement within the ICU! So one could rightly say, it is the remnant of the ICU.
The summary of the 2006 major events are as follows : In the early part of 2006 USA indirectly fought the ICU by giving support to the secular Mogadishu based warlords who were opposed to the ICU’s plan of imposing the Sharia law on the Somalis! But in June the same year the Islamists defeated the warlords and captured Mogadishu! And some warlords switched sides and joined the ICU! (And this is one of things that make it very difficult to crush these fundamentalists.
The different militias in Somalia can switch sides any time! Today they can be on the side of the government fighting Al Shabaab and the next day they change sides and join Al Shabaab to fight the government!
Once the ICU captured Mogadishu and took power, Ethiopia was militarily sucked into the war because like the US it was supporting the secular forces in Somalia. On 20 July 2006 the Ethiopian troops began their push into Somalia to face the Mujahideen fighters! And on 9 October, the Ethiopian troops seized the town of Burhakaba.
But on 19 November, an Ethiopian convoy of 80 vehicles was hit by landmines and attacked by the ICU troops. With the fighting intensifying, on 13 December, Ethiopia poured more troops in their thousands, into the battlefield! And on 22 December, Ethiopian T-55 tanks, 20 in number, headed to the front line with four attack helicopters in the air striking at the Mujahideen positions! On 26 December, the ICU troops were retreating on all fronts! And on 28 December, the Ethiopian troops captured Mogadishu; and quickly swept across the country to the port city of Kismayo!
2007-2011 events in the Somali war reveal the regrouping of the Islamists and how they regained control over Somalia! On 21 February 2007, UN Security Council authorised Africa Union to deploy a peace-keeping mission (AMISOM) in Somalia to replace the Ethiopian troops. On 7 March the same year, Uganda military officials arrived on the ground in Somalia. AMISOM is composed of Ugandan and Burundian troops.
In December 2007 when Ethiopian troops withdrew from the Somali central town of Guriel, the insurgents took control of it! By the end of December that same year the Mujahideen had regrouped and were controlling half of the city port of Kismayo and half of the city of Mogadishu! Although originally Al Shabaab was the hard-line youth movement within ICU, when these insurgents or Mujahideen regrouped, the whole of ICU metamorphosed for every short time into what was call PRM (Popular Resistance Movement) and then into Al Shabaab the monster of atrocities we have today!
In 2009 Al Shabaab had success in its fight against the weak Transitional Federal Government (TFG). For on 26 January that same year they captured Baidoa the seat of the TFG. And on 3 December 2009, they killed three ministers of the TFG in a suicide bomb attack.
On 7 February 2010, Al Shabaab declared jihad on Kenya over allegations that it was training Somali troops! And on 11 July the same year Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the Kampala bomb attacks that left 80 people dead and many others injured!
Early on Sunday 23, October 2011, Kenyan troops pushed into Somalia in a bid to crush Al Shabaab insurgents whom it claims are responsible for killings, abductions and kidnapping of foreigners on its soil! On 11 September 2011, a British tourist at a beach resort north of Lamu in Kenya, near the Kenya-Somali border, was killed and his wife kidnapped! Three weeks later on 1 October, heavily armed men believed to be Al Shabaab operatives abducted a French woman from Kenya and took her to Somalia. And a few days later on 13th of the same month, gunmen kidnapped two Spanish doctors from a Kenya refugee camp and disappeared with them into Somalia!
And On 20 October 2011, Al Shabaab claimed to have killed 80 AMISOM troops in a fierce battle at the outskirts of Mogadishu! But AMISOM said the number of its soldiers killed in the battle were 10. Then on 24 October 2011, two grenade attacks carried out by Al Shabaab in Nairobi killed one person and left many others injured.
This brief history of the Somali war shows clearly how dangerous Al Shabaab is to the peace and stability of the East African region. So the daunting task we are facing right now is how to defeat Al Shabaab. As I said above Al Shabaab is a hard nut to crack and can metamorphose into anything leaving the troops pursuing it puzzled!
This is confirmed by Colonel Cyrus Oguna of Kenya armed forces in an article, “ Al Shabaab change of tack may prolong the war in Somalia,” carried by the Kenyan news paper Daily Nation of 13 November 2011. According to the article, “Colonel Cyrus Oguna said Al Shabaab were now operating in groups of two to five…
The new reality means that the group has been forced to melt into the population and operate in small groups, making it harder to launch air strikes against them….The militia has also abandoned their uniforms…making it difficult to identify them.”
In my opinion the most dangerous and deadliest weapon which has kept Al Shabaab in existence to this day, is not the gun, the grenade or the explosives it has in store, but the young people who are easily available for its recruitment progamme! The unemployed youth both educated and uneducated who swarm in their millions throughout East African, provide the fighters which Al Shabaab needs in order to survive!
The following statistics give us an idea of how bad the situation of youth unemployment in East Africa is. In article, “Unemployment worries Minister,” posted by allAfrica.com, Ugandan Minister Eriya Kategaya, “pointed out that 80% of all graduates naturally, fail to secure employment after their studies.” In another article entitled, “Arresting Youth Unemployment At Once Should be Priority, Here’s How,” posted by allAfrica.com, we read, “An unemployment rate of 40 per cent with the youth at the receiving end should scare any right-thinking citizen. It means approximately 16 million Kenyans [out of a population of 40 million] have no means of generating income, and that over 10 million are aged between 18 and 30.”
It is a basic and fundamental human need and right to have a job and so earn one’s living. This means, unemployment has grave effects and consequences on any given human being! Unemployment dehumanizes us because we cannot meet our basic needs! And this leads to depression and other psychological problems. But when we are employed and earn a decent sarary, our self esteem is raised and we feel good about ourselves! In other words, our life is psychologically balanced!
So, many unemployed youth in East Africa would find joining Al Shabaab very attractive. Because by so doing, one becomes employed as a soldier, as a fighter and is well paid! This is better than sitting at home in unending misery of unemployment!
East Africa governments are aware of the problem of youth unemployment and the great threat it poses to the religion. Recently Kayihura the Inspector General of Police in Uganda expressed his fears about the dangers posed by the high rate of unemployment among the youth. In an article, “High unemployment rate worries Kayihura” posted on 1 November 2011, by the Ugandan newspaper, New vision, we thus read, “Kale Kayihura, the Inspector General of Police has expressed fear that the high rate of unemployment among the youth poses a great threat to the security of the country. He said due to unemployment the youth have become mercenaries who can be hired by anybody to cause unrest.”
In another article, “Inside Al-Shabaab Networks in Kenya,” posted by the Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation, on 29 October 2011, we read, “Hundreds of Kenyan youth have been recruited into Al Shabaab over the last six years in a process that has complicated efforts to tackle extremism in the region and which the government is now urgently seeking to reverse.”
So, in theory it is very easy and simple to defeat Al Shabaab because all that is needed is to created jobs for the youth and improve their socio-economic situation. But this imposes an obligation on the East African governments to invest heavily in the socio-economic projects of the young people. Unfortunately we do not see this happening! Where it has been tried corruption by government officials has brought youth projects to a halt!
In Uganda President Museveni put a very good programme in place, popularly known as “Prosperity for all” or “NAADS” to help all Ugandans improve their economic situation. But corruption by the officials in charge of the money is the biggest hindrance to its success! Museveni has therefore twice halted the release of this money because of corruption!
In an article, “Museveni stops NAADS funds again,” posted on 7 July 2010 by Sunrise, we read, “President Yoweri Museveni had for the second time halted the release of the NAADS funds…Museveni says the Ush120 billion allocated to NAADS for this financial year will only be release after thorough scrutiny of the projects and current beneficiaries of the programme… The President’s announcement follows wide spread complaints of financial impropriety, corruption and poor implementation of US$108 million project in various districts.”
The situation in neighbouring Kenya is no different! The government of Kenya put in place a programme populary known as “Kazi Kwa Vijan ” (KKV) in order to help the youth get out of poverty. But corruption has hindered its progress and success and brought it to a halt! In an article, “Kazi Kwa Vijana Scandal,” posted on 28 October 2011, we thus read, “It seems the phrase commonly used to describe the Kazi kwa Vijana (KKV), ‘Kazi kwa Vijana, Pesa kwa Wazee’ [meaning, work for the youth but money for those in big or high places/Elders], holds a lot of water. On Sunday this week, the papers revealed large-scale misappropriation of funds intended for the KKV project.”
And a report by Kenya’s Capital FM News, posted on 24 October 2011, says the following about the World Bank’s suspension of funds for the Kazi Kwa Vijana project : “The World Bank has cancelled the Sh4.3 billion project after and external audit revealed that officials at the Office of the Prime Minister had misappropriated the funds…The World Bank now wants a refund of the money spent so far…a World Bank financial management review found that millions of shillings meant for young Kenyans had instead been paid to a number of senior officials.”
All these reports demonstrated that Al Shabaab continues to exist and to cause unrest in the region partly because of corruption by some officials in our East African governments. These officials swindle the money meant for the socio-economic uplifting of the young people in the region, and in this way contribute to their joining of Al Shabaab in search of greener pastures!
So fighting Al Shabaab and defeating it, will involve among other things, fighting corruption in our East African countries. And this means arresting those corrupt officials and giving them heavy punishments including selling some of their property to get back the money meant for the youth.
Fighting corruption will ensure that the youth benefit from the money and projects meant for them. With their socio-economic situation improved, they will have no more reason to join Al Shabaab. And with reduced numbers of young people joining the militia, the fighting capacity of Al shabaab will be greatly reduced and it will eventually be defeated.
Dominic Vincent Nkoyoyo
Monastery Val Notre-Dame, Canada.
We should therefore be aware that although right now it is necessary to engage Al Shabaab militarily in order to reduce its atrocities against innocent people, this is not a permanent solution! In order to find a lasting solution to this conflict, we have to look at its root causes and from different dimensions especially: the socio-political, economic and religious! The events that led to rise of Al Shabaab will put the problem in its context and throw light on why Al Shabaab is not easy to contain!
Al Shabaab, which means, “The Youth or the boys,” is an offshoot of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which splintered into different groups after Ethiopian troops forced it out of power in 2006! In fact, Al Shabaab was the youth movement within the ICU! So one could rightly say, it is the remnant of the ICU.
The summary of the 2006 major events are as follows : In the early part of 2006 USA indirectly fought the ICU by giving support to the secular Mogadishu based warlords who were opposed to the ICU’s plan of imposing the Sharia law on the Somalis! But in June the same year the Islamists defeated the warlords and captured Mogadishu! And some warlords switched sides and joined the ICU! (And this is one of things that make it very difficult to crush these fundamentalists.
The different militias in Somalia can switch sides any time! Today they can be on the side of the government fighting Al Shabaab and the next day they change sides and join Al Shabaab to fight the government!
Once the ICU captured Mogadishu and took power, Ethiopia was militarily sucked into the war because like the US it was supporting the secular forces in Somalia. On 20 July 2006 the Ethiopian troops began their push into Somalia to face the Mujahideen fighters! And on 9 October, the Ethiopian troops seized the town of Burhakaba.
But on 19 November, an Ethiopian convoy of 80 vehicles was hit by landmines and attacked by the ICU troops. With the fighting intensifying, on 13 December, Ethiopia poured more troops in their thousands, into the battlefield! And on 22 December, Ethiopian T-55 tanks, 20 in number, headed to the front line with four attack helicopters in the air striking at the Mujahideen positions! On 26 December, the ICU troops were retreating on all fronts! And on 28 December, the Ethiopian troops captured Mogadishu; and quickly swept across the country to the port city of Kismayo!
2007-2011 events in the Somali war reveal the regrouping of the Islamists and how they regained control over Somalia! On 21 February 2007, UN Security Council authorised Africa Union to deploy a peace-keeping mission (AMISOM) in Somalia to replace the Ethiopian troops. On 7 March the same year, Uganda military officials arrived on the ground in Somalia. AMISOM is composed of Ugandan and Burundian troops.
In December 2007 when Ethiopian troops withdrew from the Somali central town of Guriel, the insurgents took control of it! By the end of December that same year the Mujahideen had regrouped and were controlling half of the city port of Kismayo and half of the city of Mogadishu! Although originally Al Shabaab was the hard-line youth movement within ICU, when these insurgents or Mujahideen regrouped, the whole of ICU metamorphosed for every short time into what was call PRM (Popular Resistance Movement) and then into Al Shabaab the monster of atrocities we have today!
In 2009 Al Shabaab had success in its fight against the weak Transitional Federal Government (TFG). For on 26 January that same year they captured Baidoa the seat of the TFG. And on 3 December 2009, they killed three ministers of the TFG in a suicide bomb attack.
On 7 February 2010, Al Shabaab declared jihad on Kenya over allegations that it was training Somali troops! And on 11 July the same year Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the Kampala bomb attacks that left 80 people dead and many others injured!
Early on Sunday 23, October 2011, Kenyan troops pushed into Somalia in a bid to crush Al Shabaab insurgents whom it claims are responsible for killings, abductions and kidnapping of foreigners on its soil! On 11 September 2011, a British tourist at a beach resort north of Lamu in Kenya, near the Kenya-Somali border, was killed and his wife kidnapped! Three weeks later on 1 October, heavily armed men believed to be Al Shabaab operatives abducted a French woman from Kenya and took her to Somalia. And a few days later on 13th of the same month, gunmen kidnapped two Spanish doctors from a Kenya refugee camp and disappeared with them into Somalia!
And On 20 October 2011, Al Shabaab claimed to have killed 80 AMISOM troops in a fierce battle at the outskirts of Mogadishu! But AMISOM said the number of its soldiers killed in the battle were 10. Then on 24 October 2011, two grenade attacks carried out by Al Shabaab in Nairobi killed one person and left many others injured.
This brief history of the Somali war shows clearly how dangerous Al Shabaab is to the peace and stability of the East African region. So the daunting task we are facing right now is how to defeat Al Shabaab. As I said above Al Shabaab is a hard nut to crack and can metamorphose into anything leaving the troops pursuing it puzzled!
This is confirmed by Colonel Cyrus Oguna of Kenya armed forces in an article, “ Al Shabaab change of tack may prolong the war in Somalia,” carried by the Kenyan news paper Daily Nation of 13 November 2011. According to the article, “Colonel Cyrus Oguna said Al Shabaab were now operating in groups of two to five…
The new reality means that the group has been forced to melt into the population and operate in small groups, making it harder to launch air strikes against them….The militia has also abandoned their uniforms…making it difficult to identify them.”
In my opinion the most dangerous and deadliest weapon which has kept Al Shabaab in existence to this day, is not the gun, the grenade or the explosives it has in store, but the young people who are easily available for its recruitment progamme! The unemployed youth both educated and uneducated who swarm in their millions throughout East African, provide the fighters which Al Shabaab needs in order to survive!
The following statistics give us an idea of how bad the situation of youth unemployment in East Africa is. In article, “Unemployment worries Minister,” posted by allAfrica.com, Ugandan Minister Eriya Kategaya, “pointed out that 80% of all graduates naturally, fail to secure employment after their studies.” In another article entitled, “Arresting Youth Unemployment At Once Should be Priority, Here’s How,” posted by allAfrica.com, we read, “An unemployment rate of 40 per cent with the youth at the receiving end should scare any right-thinking citizen. It means approximately 16 million Kenyans [out of a population of 40 million] have no means of generating income, and that over 10 million are aged between 18 and 30.”
It is a basic and fundamental human need and right to have a job and so earn one’s living. This means, unemployment has grave effects and consequences on any given human being! Unemployment dehumanizes us because we cannot meet our basic needs! And this leads to depression and other psychological problems. But when we are employed and earn a decent sarary, our self esteem is raised and we feel good about ourselves! In other words, our life is psychologically balanced!
So, many unemployed youth in East Africa would find joining Al Shabaab very attractive. Because by so doing, one becomes employed as a soldier, as a fighter and is well paid! This is better than sitting at home in unending misery of unemployment!
East Africa governments are aware of the problem of youth unemployment and the great threat it poses to the religion. Recently Kayihura the Inspector General of Police in Uganda expressed his fears about the dangers posed by the high rate of unemployment among the youth. In an article, “High unemployment rate worries Kayihura” posted on 1 November 2011, by the Ugandan newspaper, New vision, we thus read, “Kale Kayihura, the Inspector General of Police has expressed fear that the high rate of unemployment among the youth poses a great threat to the security of the country. He said due to unemployment the youth have become mercenaries who can be hired by anybody to cause unrest.”
In another article, “Inside Al-Shabaab Networks in Kenya,” posted by the Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation, on 29 October 2011, we read, “Hundreds of Kenyan youth have been recruited into Al Shabaab over the last six years in a process that has complicated efforts to tackle extremism in the region and which the government is now urgently seeking to reverse.”
So, in theory it is very easy and simple to defeat Al Shabaab because all that is needed is to created jobs for the youth and improve their socio-economic situation. But this imposes an obligation on the East African governments to invest heavily in the socio-economic projects of the young people. Unfortunately we do not see this happening! Where it has been tried corruption by government officials has brought youth projects to a halt!
In Uganda President Museveni put a very good programme in place, popularly known as “Prosperity for all” or “NAADS” to help all Ugandans improve their economic situation. But corruption by the officials in charge of the money is the biggest hindrance to its success! Museveni has therefore twice halted the release of this money because of corruption!
In an article, “Museveni stops NAADS funds again,” posted on 7 July 2010 by Sunrise, we read, “President Yoweri Museveni had for the second time halted the release of the NAADS funds…Museveni says the Ush120 billion allocated to NAADS for this financial year will only be release after thorough scrutiny of the projects and current beneficiaries of the programme… The President’s announcement follows wide spread complaints of financial impropriety, corruption and poor implementation of US$108 million project in various districts.”
The situation in neighbouring Kenya is no different! The government of Kenya put in place a programme populary known as “Kazi Kwa Vijan ” (KKV) in order to help the youth get out of poverty. But corruption has hindered its progress and success and brought it to a halt! In an article, “Kazi Kwa Vijana Scandal,” posted on 28 October 2011, we thus read, “It seems the phrase commonly used to describe the Kazi kwa Vijana (KKV), ‘Kazi kwa Vijana, Pesa kwa Wazee’ [meaning, work for the youth but money for those in big or high places/Elders], holds a lot of water. On Sunday this week, the papers revealed large-scale misappropriation of funds intended for the KKV project.”
And a report by Kenya’s Capital FM News, posted on 24 October 2011, says the following about the World Bank’s suspension of funds for the Kazi Kwa Vijana project : “The World Bank has cancelled the Sh4.3 billion project after and external audit revealed that officials at the Office of the Prime Minister had misappropriated the funds…The World Bank now wants a refund of the money spent so far…a World Bank financial management review found that millions of shillings meant for young Kenyans had instead been paid to a number of senior officials.”
All these reports demonstrated that Al Shabaab continues to exist and to cause unrest in the region partly because of corruption by some officials in our East African governments. These officials swindle the money meant for the socio-economic uplifting of the young people in the region, and in this way contribute to their joining of Al Shabaab in search of greener pastures!
So fighting Al Shabaab and defeating it, will involve among other things, fighting corruption in our East African countries. And this means arresting those corrupt officials and giving them heavy punishments including selling some of their property to get back the money meant for the youth.
Fighting corruption will ensure that the youth benefit from the money and projects meant for them. With their socio-economic situation improved, they will have no more reason to join Al Shabaab. And with reduced numbers of young people joining the militia, the fighting capacity of Al shabaab will be greatly reduced and it will eventually be defeated.
Dominic Vincent Nkoyoyo
Monastery Val Notre-Dame, Canada.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Frequently Asked Questions on the Church’s Veneration of Relics
This year the Catholic Congregation of Salesians of Don Bosco will mark its 150th anniversary since foundation.
To mark the celebrations the relics of Don Bosco the founder of the congregation, will make a stop –over in East Africa, Kenya on their world wide pilgrimage to commemorate the anniversary. The relics will be in Kenya from December 1, to 7, 2011.
By Dr. Christopher Owczarek, Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA)
At the end of this year, relics of Don Bosco will make a stop-over in East Africa on their world-wide pilgrimage to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Salesian Congregation (1859–2009)--a Catholic order of priests and brothers spread in 130 countries and working in the field of education, especially among the poor youth —and to prepare for the bicentennial of the birth of Don Bosco (1815–2015).
It is in this context that we wish to deepen our understanding of this coming event by re-examining the biblical, theological and historical foundation of the veneration of the relics of saints in the Catholic Church.
In order to do so, we shall try to answer few relevant questions:
1) What are relics of Saints?
These are the material remains of the saints which are venerated as signs of their continued presence in the world. The word relic comes from the Latin reliquiae, meaning "remains" or "something left behind". They may be physical remains of a saint (a bone, a hair, skull, a limb, etc.), an item that the saint wore (a shirt, a glove, etc.) or an item that the saint owned or frequently used (a crucifix, rosary, a prayer book etc.) or even a piece of cloth that is attached to these.
2) Is the Veneration of the Relics peculiar to the Catholic Church?
The veneration of relics is, to some extent, a primitive instinct, and it is associated with many other religious systems besides that Christianity. At ancient Athens the supposed remains of ancient heroes, Oedipus and Theseus enjoyed an honour which it is very difficult to distinguish from a religious cult. Miracles and healing were only rarely attributed to them; rather, their presence protected the city, as the tomb of Oedipus was said to protect Athens. The tomb of Theseus became a sanctuary for runaway slaves and all men of low estate who were afraid of men in power.
In the Far East, the famous story of the distribution of the relics of Buddha, an incident which is believed to have taken place immediately after his death, seems to have found remarkable confirmation in certain modern archaeological discoveries. In any case the extreme development of relic-worship amongst the Buddhists of every sect is not in dispute.
3) Has the Catholic Church theologically justified pagan or, we can say, purely human practices and even developed them? Or, as the great Reformer Martin Luther maintained, is the worship of relics a money-making invention of the worldly Church that deserves condemnation?
We need to state this right away: the Church has not invented the veneration of relics, just as she has not invented the Incarnation of Christ and his Resurrection. As in the case of the Incarnation and Resurrection of Jesus, those who came to believe in him did so because of the overwhelming evidence of his supernatural power and presence even after his death. Similarly, in case of the relics, i.e., the material remains of the saints, the believers simply witnessed some extraordinary events associated with them.
During his ministry on earth, Jesus displayed his divine power through his word and touch. Even the clothes he wore, when approached with faith, could transmit his healing power. We read in the Gospel according to Luke 8:43-48: 43 And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased(Luke 8:43-48).
What happened to that woman was not just an isolated event, as the Gospel according to Mark (6:56) tells us: wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well.
Jesus promised his disciples that those who believe in him would do the works he was doing and even greater then these (John 14:12: Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.)
This prophecy came true after the ascension of Jesus. In the New Testament we find the description of such great works in the life of the apostles Peter and Paul. We read in the Acts of the Apostles: (5:14-16) And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. Then in 19:11-12: And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
If just a shadow cast by Peter’s body or a handkerchief that touched the body of Paul were bringing healing, this was a clear indication that their bodies were the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and the divine power emanated from them. (Cf. 1 Cor 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God?). Christians expected that even after their death the time would come when their bodies would rise to everlasting life, transformed and glorified, but still their bodies (cf. 1 Cor 15:35-57). That is why, right from the beginning, they venerated the bodies of great apostles and martyrs and wished to be buried close to them in order to be raised together with them.
The early Fathers often quoted an event linked to Elisha’s bones in order to demonstrate the efficacy of the relics: “So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, lo, a marauding band was seen and the man was cast into the grave of Elisha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood on his feet (2 Kings 13:20-21)”
4) What is the Catholic doctrine regarding the veneration of relics of the saints?
In fact, right from the beginning the Church strived to keep the use of relics in perspective. In his Letter to Riparius, St. Jerome (d. 420) wrote: “We do not worship, we do not adore, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the Creator, but we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore Him whose martyrs they are.” St. Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) added: “We by no means consider the holy martyrs to be gods, nor are we wont to bow down before them adoringly, but only relatively and reverentially”.
The great medieval theologian, St. Thomas, had this to say regarding the relics: “Those who have an affection to any person hold in honour all that was intimately connected with him. Hence, while we love and venerate the saints who were so dear to God, we also venerate all that belonged to them, and particularly their bodies, which were once the temples of the Holy Spirit, and which are some day to be conformed to the glorious body of Jesus Christ. Whence also”, adds St. Thomas, “God fittingly does honour to such relics by performing miracles in their presence”.
The teaching of the Catholic Church with regard to the veneration of relics is summed up in a decree of the Council of Trent, which enjoins on bishops and other pastors to instruct their flocks that “the holy bodies of holy martyrs and of others now living with Christ—which bodies were the living members of Christ and ‘the temple of the Holy Ghost’ (1 Corinthians 6:19) and which are by Him to be raised to eternal life and to be glorified are to be venerated by the faithful, for through these [bodies] many benefits are bestowed by God on men…
As we can see, the argument in favour of the veneration of the relics is not a fruit of some complicated theological doctrine but it is based on the facts on the ground, namely, the miracles occurring when the relics of saints are approached with faith. In this way, the Incarnation aspect of Christian faith is manifested, that is, God continues to manifest his power through the agency of the material body.
To mark the celebrations the relics of Don Bosco the founder of the congregation, will make a stop –over in East Africa, Kenya on their world wide pilgrimage to commemorate the anniversary. The relics will be in Kenya from December 1, to 7, 2011.
By Dr. Christopher Owczarek, Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA)
At the end of this year, relics of Don Bosco will make a stop-over in East Africa on their world-wide pilgrimage to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Salesian Congregation (1859–2009)--a Catholic order of priests and brothers spread in 130 countries and working in the field of education, especially among the poor youth —and to prepare for the bicentennial of the birth of Don Bosco (1815–2015).
It is in this context that we wish to deepen our understanding of this coming event by re-examining the biblical, theological and historical foundation of the veneration of the relics of saints in the Catholic Church.
In order to do so, we shall try to answer few relevant questions:
1) What are relics of Saints?
These are the material remains of the saints which are venerated as signs of their continued presence in the world. The word relic comes from the Latin reliquiae, meaning "remains" or "something left behind". They may be physical remains of a saint (a bone, a hair, skull, a limb, etc.), an item that the saint wore (a shirt, a glove, etc.) or an item that the saint owned or frequently used (a crucifix, rosary, a prayer book etc.) or even a piece of cloth that is attached to these.
2) Is the Veneration of the Relics peculiar to the Catholic Church?
The veneration of relics is, to some extent, a primitive instinct, and it is associated with many other religious systems besides that Christianity. At ancient Athens the supposed remains of ancient heroes, Oedipus and Theseus enjoyed an honour which it is very difficult to distinguish from a religious cult. Miracles and healing were only rarely attributed to them; rather, their presence protected the city, as the tomb of Oedipus was said to protect Athens. The tomb of Theseus became a sanctuary for runaway slaves and all men of low estate who were afraid of men in power.
In the Far East, the famous story of the distribution of the relics of Buddha, an incident which is believed to have taken place immediately after his death, seems to have found remarkable confirmation in certain modern archaeological discoveries. In any case the extreme development of relic-worship amongst the Buddhists of every sect is not in dispute.
3) Has the Catholic Church theologically justified pagan or, we can say, purely human practices and even developed them? Or, as the great Reformer Martin Luther maintained, is the worship of relics a money-making invention of the worldly Church that deserves condemnation?
We need to state this right away: the Church has not invented the veneration of relics, just as she has not invented the Incarnation of Christ and his Resurrection. As in the case of the Incarnation and Resurrection of Jesus, those who came to believe in him did so because of the overwhelming evidence of his supernatural power and presence even after his death. Similarly, in case of the relics, i.e., the material remains of the saints, the believers simply witnessed some extraordinary events associated with them.
During his ministry on earth, Jesus displayed his divine power through his word and touch. Even the clothes he wore, when approached with faith, could transmit his healing power. We read in the Gospel according to Luke 8:43-48: 43 And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased(Luke 8:43-48).
What happened to that woman was not just an isolated event, as the Gospel according to Mark (6:56) tells us: wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well.
Jesus promised his disciples that those who believe in him would do the works he was doing and even greater then these (John 14:12: Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.)
This prophecy came true after the ascension of Jesus. In the New Testament we find the description of such great works in the life of the apostles Peter and Paul. We read in the Acts of the Apostles: (5:14-16) And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. Then in 19:11-12: And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
If just a shadow cast by Peter’s body or a handkerchief that touched the body of Paul were bringing healing, this was a clear indication that their bodies were the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and the divine power emanated from them. (Cf. 1 Cor 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God?). Christians expected that even after their death the time would come when their bodies would rise to everlasting life, transformed and glorified, but still their bodies (cf. 1 Cor 15:35-57). That is why, right from the beginning, they venerated the bodies of great apostles and martyrs and wished to be buried close to them in order to be raised together with them.
The early Fathers often quoted an event linked to Elisha’s bones in order to demonstrate the efficacy of the relics: “So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, lo, a marauding band was seen and the man was cast into the grave of Elisha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood on his feet (2 Kings 13:20-21)”
4) What is the Catholic doctrine regarding the veneration of relics of the saints?
In fact, right from the beginning the Church strived to keep the use of relics in perspective. In his Letter to Riparius, St. Jerome (d. 420) wrote: “We do not worship, we do not adore, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the Creator, but we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore Him whose martyrs they are.” St. Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) added: “We by no means consider the holy martyrs to be gods, nor are we wont to bow down before them adoringly, but only relatively and reverentially”.
The great medieval theologian, St. Thomas, had this to say regarding the relics: “Those who have an affection to any person hold in honour all that was intimately connected with him. Hence, while we love and venerate the saints who were so dear to God, we also venerate all that belonged to them, and particularly their bodies, which were once the temples of the Holy Spirit, and which are some day to be conformed to the glorious body of Jesus Christ. Whence also”, adds St. Thomas, “God fittingly does honour to such relics by performing miracles in their presence”.
The teaching of the Catholic Church with regard to the veneration of relics is summed up in a decree of the Council of Trent, which enjoins on bishops and other pastors to instruct their flocks that “the holy bodies of holy martyrs and of others now living with Christ—which bodies were the living members of Christ and ‘the temple of the Holy Ghost’ (1 Corinthians 6:19) and which are by Him to be raised to eternal life and to be glorified are to be venerated by the faithful, for through these [bodies] many benefits are bestowed by God on men…
As we can see, the argument in favour of the veneration of the relics is not a fruit of some complicated theological doctrine but it is based on the facts on the ground, namely, the miracles occurring when the relics of saints are approached with faith. In this way, the Incarnation aspect of Christian faith is manifested, that is, God continues to manifest his power through the agency of the material body.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The Big Bang of Inner Transformation: Voice of the Transcendent
By Dominic Vincent Nkoyoyo*
After all the struggles and pains we go through in life, the shattering disappointments that sometimes bring us on the verge of despair, and after our successes in this world if any, the inevitable question is, ‘what next?’
This question is embodied and implied in every project, big or small, which we undertake!
This same question reveals also the limitations and weaknesses of our human powers and potential! For when we think of death, and ask, ‘what next?’ We come to a halt! Our cognitive and imaginative powers hit the wall! And all our psychic forces and capabilities, both conscious and unconscious, reach their extreme limits!
What lies beyond our earthly life is inconceivable! The very fact that we know neither the specific and decisive moment when we shall breath our last nor where and how we shall die, is enough to demonstrate that at a purely human level, we have no idea whatsoever of what lies beyond earthly life! If we knew that specific moment when we shall die, that would at least bring us very close to peering into the mystery of what lies beyond the grave!
And the fact of the decomposition of the human body at death, and the termination of all ordinary and normal communication with the dead, makes it even harder and more difficult to believe that there is life after death!
It demands therefore, consultation or getting in touch with an intelligence that is more powerful than ours, an intelligence that is omniscient to know what happens next after our death! In other words we have to get in contact with the Transcendent!
But does the Transcendent, the all knowing Intelligence exist? Being transcendent, being beyond all our psychic powers and ordinary experience, we have no scientific or experimental way of proving or refuting its existence!
And this leaves us with only three possible answers or solutions all of which are just matter of faith, namely: to believe that it exists, or that it does not exist, or that we just do not know whether or not it exists! This groups all human beings into three categories: the theists, the atheists and the agnostics! And no one has a right to condemn anybody for the position they hold! This is what we call freedom of conscience or religion or worship.
As for me, I situate myself in the camp or category of theists! I believe in the existence of the Transcendent! I acknowledge the presence of ‘The All Knowing Intelligence,’ active in each person’s life and in the universe at large! And this means that by getting in touch with it, this Transcendent and ‘All Knowing Intelligence,’ I can have at least a vague idea of what next, after our life here below!
But it is important that I share the reasons why I personally prefer theism to atheism and agnosticism! In other words, I have to answer the question, why theism appeals to me more than atheism and agnosticism. This is a long story and a search that has been tedious and sometimes very painful through the labyrinth of conflicting ideas, contradictory opinions and irreconcilable doctrines.
I was born to Roman Catholic parents. They were not very devoted Christians, but all the same they often went to Church, and we too their children followed. But this is not the reason why I believe in the existence of ‘The All Knowing and All Powerful Intelligence!’ For at some point during my youthful years, I had a terrible inner crisis that nearly forced me to abandon my faith and become an atheist!
In brief it happened like this, one day during my third year of philosophy in the Major Seminary, as I genuflected before the Blessed Sacrament, I was cast into the worst and darkest spiritual nightmare of my life! For the first time in my life I doubted the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
How could a whole person, a fully grown up human being that Jesus was, squeeze or compress himself and be contained in such a small host! I wondered. The doubt then extended to his historical existence. Did Jesus really exist? Could the Jesus story not be just one of the legends told from generation to generation? All these questions crossed my baffled and puzzled mind!
For the following three months I went to the library nearly every day and read books big and small, I read commentaries on the scriptures, theological and philosical books in search for a satisfactory answer to my questions. Unfortunately, I found none! But my conscious search for the Transcendent as a mature person had began.
Up until then I had taken Jesus Christ as the centre and meaning of my life, but here I was my faith in him totally shattered! And could find no answer to those deep questions about his historical existence and real presence in the Blessed Sacrament! So I decided that it was no longer meaningful for me to continue being a believer and a Christian!
It was therefore necessary for me to redirect my life! I had to take another path! And the path that my head proposed to me was to join the notorious army of Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada Ssalongo, CBE (Conquerer of British Empire) and Life President of Uganda! And my next move was to throw away my Bible and all the religious articles like the rosary and medals which I had in my possession.
Very soon the day for throwing away all these things that had become meaningless to me came. I gathered them and piled them on my table! But for reasons beyond my grasp when I looked at my Bible as it lay there on the table, I said to myself, «Before I throw away this Bible, let me open it for the very last time in my life!»
And a miracle I will never forget as long as I live, the miracle that saved my faith and so retained me in the camp of theists happened! For when I opened it, my eyes fell on (Jn. 14 :21) which reads : «Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them will be one who loves me; and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I shall love him and reveal myself to him.»
When I read this verse, my heart told me not to abandon my faith. For Christ had promised to reveal himself to us! And all along what I had wanted was exactly that, to have just a glimpse of this Christ! And in a way I cannot explain, interiorly all the doubts that had assailed me about the real presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and his historical existence vanished like smoke!
But even then, I am still just at the beginning of my search for the Transcendent. For I have not yet experienced that big bang of total inner transformation which those who clearly heard the Voice of the Transcendent underwent! Radical and profound changes in their lives clear not just to themselves, but to everybody!
The following are some of the great and prominent figures that underwent such a radical change after hearing the transforming Voice of the Transcendent:
Samuel: «Yahweh then came and stood by, calling as he had done before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Samuel answered, ‘Speak, Yahweh, your servant is listening’….
Samuel grew up and Yahweh was with him…and the word of Samuel went out to all Israel.» (1 Sam.3 :10-21. 4 :1)
St. Paul: St. Paul says this of himself, «You must have heard of my career as a practicing Jew, how merciless I was persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it.» (Gal.1:13). But this same Paul on the road to Damascus heard the Voice of the Transcendent and a big bang of transformation took place in his life! And he became one of the greatest pillars of Christianity! In the Acts of the Apostles we thus read:
Suddenly, while he was travelling to Damascus and just before he reached the city, there came a light from heaven all round him. He fell to the ground, and he heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ he asked, and the voice answered, ‘I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me….’(A/A.9 :3ff)
After hearing the Voice of the Transcendent, Paul’s life changed totally! He made a U-turn! The change was radical and visible! And everybody was astounded!
Blaise Pascal: This great French philosopher, mathematician and scientist, on the night of November 23, 1645, he had a big bang of inner transformation, a spiritual experience that completely changed his life! He heard the Voice, the Word of Jesus Christ and promised never to forget his Word! For at the end of the account of this experience which is called: Blaise Pascal’s night of fire, he wrote, «Total submission to Jesus Christ and my director. Everlasting joy in return for one day’s effort on earth. I will not forget thy word. Amen.»
After the night of fire, Pascal’s life radically changed and this was clear to all those who knew him! It was a real big bang of inner transformation! And from then on he spent most of his time not on Mathematics, Philosophy and Science, but on moral and spiritual matters.
*Dominic Vincent Nkoyoyo, Monastery Val Notre-Dame, Canada.
After all the struggles and pains we go through in life, the shattering disappointments that sometimes bring us on the verge of despair, and after our successes in this world if any, the inevitable question is, ‘what next?’
This question is embodied and implied in every project, big or small, which we undertake!
This same question reveals also the limitations and weaknesses of our human powers and potential! For when we think of death, and ask, ‘what next?’ We come to a halt! Our cognitive and imaginative powers hit the wall! And all our psychic forces and capabilities, both conscious and unconscious, reach their extreme limits!
What lies beyond our earthly life is inconceivable! The very fact that we know neither the specific and decisive moment when we shall breath our last nor where and how we shall die, is enough to demonstrate that at a purely human level, we have no idea whatsoever of what lies beyond earthly life! If we knew that specific moment when we shall die, that would at least bring us very close to peering into the mystery of what lies beyond the grave!
And the fact of the decomposition of the human body at death, and the termination of all ordinary and normal communication with the dead, makes it even harder and more difficult to believe that there is life after death!
It demands therefore, consultation or getting in touch with an intelligence that is more powerful than ours, an intelligence that is omniscient to know what happens next after our death! In other words we have to get in contact with the Transcendent!
But does the Transcendent, the all knowing Intelligence exist? Being transcendent, being beyond all our psychic powers and ordinary experience, we have no scientific or experimental way of proving or refuting its existence!
And this leaves us with only three possible answers or solutions all of which are just matter of faith, namely: to believe that it exists, or that it does not exist, or that we just do not know whether or not it exists! This groups all human beings into three categories: the theists, the atheists and the agnostics! And no one has a right to condemn anybody for the position they hold! This is what we call freedom of conscience or religion or worship.
As for me, I situate myself in the camp or category of theists! I believe in the existence of the Transcendent! I acknowledge the presence of ‘The All Knowing Intelligence,’ active in each person’s life and in the universe at large! And this means that by getting in touch with it, this Transcendent and ‘All Knowing Intelligence,’ I can have at least a vague idea of what next, after our life here below!
But it is important that I share the reasons why I personally prefer theism to atheism and agnosticism! In other words, I have to answer the question, why theism appeals to me more than atheism and agnosticism. This is a long story and a search that has been tedious and sometimes very painful through the labyrinth of conflicting ideas, contradictory opinions and irreconcilable doctrines.
I was born to Roman Catholic parents. They were not very devoted Christians, but all the same they often went to Church, and we too their children followed. But this is not the reason why I believe in the existence of ‘The All Knowing and All Powerful Intelligence!’ For at some point during my youthful years, I had a terrible inner crisis that nearly forced me to abandon my faith and become an atheist!
In brief it happened like this, one day during my third year of philosophy in the Major Seminary, as I genuflected before the Blessed Sacrament, I was cast into the worst and darkest spiritual nightmare of my life! For the first time in my life I doubted the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
How could a whole person, a fully grown up human being that Jesus was, squeeze or compress himself and be contained in such a small host! I wondered. The doubt then extended to his historical existence. Did Jesus really exist? Could the Jesus story not be just one of the legends told from generation to generation? All these questions crossed my baffled and puzzled mind!
For the following three months I went to the library nearly every day and read books big and small, I read commentaries on the scriptures, theological and philosical books in search for a satisfactory answer to my questions. Unfortunately, I found none! But my conscious search for the Transcendent as a mature person had began.
Up until then I had taken Jesus Christ as the centre and meaning of my life, but here I was my faith in him totally shattered! And could find no answer to those deep questions about his historical existence and real presence in the Blessed Sacrament! So I decided that it was no longer meaningful for me to continue being a believer and a Christian!
It was therefore necessary for me to redirect my life! I had to take another path! And the path that my head proposed to me was to join the notorious army of Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada Ssalongo, CBE (Conquerer of British Empire) and Life President of Uganda! And my next move was to throw away my Bible and all the religious articles like the rosary and medals which I had in my possession.
Very soon the day for throwing away all these things that had become meaningless to me came. I gathered them and piled them on my table! But for reasons beyond my grasp when I looked at my Bible as it lay there on the table, I said to myself, «Before I throw away this Bible, let me open it for the very last time in my life!»
And a miracle I will never forget as long as I live, the miracle that saved my faith and so retained me in the camp of theists happened! For when I opened it, my eyes fell on (Jn. 14 :21) which reads : «Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them will be one who loves me; and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I shall love him and reveal myself to him.»
When I read this verse, my heart told me not to abandon my faith. For Christ had promised to reveal himself to us! And all along what I had wanted was exactly that, to have just a glimpse of this Christ! And in a way I cannot explain, interiorly all the doubts that had assailed me about the real presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and his historical existence vanished like smoke!
But even then, I am still just at the beginning of my search for the Transcendent. For I have not yet experienced that big bang of total inner transformation which those who clearly heard the Voice of the Transcendent underwent! Radical and profound changes in their lives clear not just to themselves, but to everybody!
The following are some of the great and prominent figures that underwent such a radical change after hearing the transforming Voice of the Transcendent:
Samuel: «Yahweh then came and stood by, calling as he had done before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Samuel answered, ‘Speak, Yahweh, your servant is listening’….
Samuel grew up and Yahweh was with him…and the word of Samuel went out to all Israel.» (1 Sam.3 :10-21. 4 :1)
St. Paul: St. Paul says this of himself, «You must have heard of my career as a practicing Jew, how merciless I was persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it.» (Gal.1:13). But this same Paul on the road to Damascus heard the Voice of the Transcendent and a big bang of transformation took place in his life! And he became one of the greatest pillars of Christianity! In the Acts of the Apostles we thus read:
Suddenly, while he was travelling to Damascus and just before he reached the city, there came a light from heaven all round him. He fell to the ground, and he heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ he asked, and the voice answered, ‘I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me….’(A/A.9 :3ff)
After hearing the Voice of the Transcendent, Paul’s life changed totally! He made a U-turn! The change was radical and visible! And everybody was astounded!
Blaise Pascal: This great French philosopher, mathematician and scientist, on the night of November 23, 1645, he had a big bang of inner transformation, a spiritual experience that completely changed his life! He heard the Voice, the Word of Jesus Christ and promised never to forget his Word! For at the end of the account of this experience which is called: Blaise Pascal’s night of fire, he wrote, «Total submission to Jesus Christ and my director. Everlasting joy in return for one day’s effort on earth. I will not forget thy word. Amen.»
After the night of fire, Pascal’s life radically changed and this was clear to all those who knew him! It was a real big bang of inner transformation! And from then on he spent most of his time not on Mathematics, Philosophy and Science, but on moral and spiritual matters.
*Dominic Vincent Nkoyoyo, Monastery Val Notre-Dame, Canada.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
OPINION: "A Whole Generation Risks Being Lost"
Cardinal Sarah on the Drought in East Africa
"A Whole Generation Risks Being Lost"
Here is the address given by Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, at the press conference held on the severe drought and food crisis affecting the Horn of Africa. Cardinal Sarah is a native of Ourous, Guinea, located in West Africa.
* * *
Dear Friends,
This conference is one of information and updating; it is promoted by the Pontifical Council Cor Unum over which I preside, together with representatives of charitable organizations. We returned this morning from a meeting on the situation and the intervention of the Church in the Horn of Africa and we wish to share with you some information and considerations.
The issue is very dear to the Pope. He was among the first in the international realm who spoke about it last July 17. In the Wednesday General Audience of two days ago, he repeated his concern and his appeal to the international community.
Obviously, we speak for the Catholic Church. The speaker who follows me will give some more precise indications on the activities carried out and the projects to be realized. In a general way I can say that there was a strong involvement of the local Churches. The most involved locally were in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti, which offered hospitality and help to the victims. Through Cor Unum, the Holy Father supported this effort with almost US$400,000 in the first interventions.
Then there were interventions of different organisms, which will be presented to you.
I do not want to forget that in several countries special collections were carried out in the churches, for us they are: Italy, Germany, Switzerland, France, Ireland and others.
The presence here of a delegate of the Archbishop of Canterbury speaks of the joint concern and joint effort of the Christian communities. A message will be read that the Archbishop himself sent for this occasion. It is a significant testimony of the charity that unites us and of which we are the bearers.
All this effort, moreover, speaks of the vitality that the faith produces and that is manifested in these fruits of sharing, of love, of compassion, of care for the other, of help and of promotion of the human person, regardless of the race or religion to which he belong. This action is a consequence stemming from our faith that becomes operative in love (cf. Galatians 5:6; DCE 31; 33).
As president of Cor Unum I would like to thank all the members of the Church for their commitment. I would also like to share henceforth three reflections, addressing myself also to those who are in the second line, namely all the people of good will who wish to do something, but who, because of the geographic and human distance of the humanitarian emergency and also not knowing what to do concretely, are induced slowly to forget the problem.
The Catholic Church will continue to do her part and will again seek collaboration with the other Christian communities to play an active part in resolving the humanitarian drama that is being consummated in the Horn of Africa. I address all the faithful, less they forget their brothers so tested. Today’s meeting states that the answer of the Church is unitary, although realized by different individuals, diocese, agencies, associations, missionaries and religious institutes. It responds to the Pope’s desire to witness the charity of Christ and of the whole Church to suffering man. Where man suffers, God is close.
I take up again the appeal of the Holy Father to the international community. Unfortunately, we often see that the mechanisms that govern international action are marked by the interests of individual nations. Prevailing are aspects of egoism also in international politics. We must allow ourselves to be inspired to carry out a policy that has the common good truly at heart. Only the quest for the common good makes it possible not to have winners and losers, executioners and victims, exploiters and hungry. A vision of man and of society should prevail where recognized in the economic value is the importance due to it, but not the ultimate decision on good and evil.
In the end, we must return to the heart of the question of development, which is education. In fact, what is at stake today in the Horn of Africa? What is the peculiarity of this humanitarian emergency? In it are all the tragic ingredients that are present in similar crises: a catastrophic event -- in this case the very long drought -- the lack of health infrastructure, the insufficiency of qualified personnel to manage emergency situations, political instability, corruption, the endemic poverty of the territory, the lack of work. But there is a particular thing that worries me, and risks jeopardizing the future of this part of the African continent, and it is this: the millions of dispersed people that are wandering in search of survival, who tomorrow will become fugitives, illegal immigrants without a homeland, people who do not have a home, a job, a community. A whole generation risks being lost.
In Africa, as everywhere in the world, a fundamental element that brings together a community of people is the school: where there is a school, where there is education, there is a possible future, there will be work tomorrow, families will be formed.
Therefore, I would like to make an appeal today, first of all to Christians: let us commit ourselves to build schools! Once this emergency is surmounted, we must intervene in formation. Here there is a special call for the Church, mother and educator as perhaps no other institution. Others perhaps are more adept and prepared to contribute to the reconstruction of houses and the health infrastructure necessary to render fitting the life of these millions of dispersed people. But we must be committed especially to education and the formation of upright consciences.
Henceforth I make an appeal: a school in every village! I say it as an African: let us unite in the effort to help the Horn of Africa to give education, instruction, and culture to its children!
I thank you.
"A Whole Generation Risks Being Lost"
Here is the address given by Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, at the press conference held on the severe drought and food crisis affecting the Horn of Africa. Cardinal Sarah is a native of Ourous, Guinea, located in West Africa.
* * *
Dear Friends,
This conference is one of information and updating; it is promoted by the Pontifical Council Cor Unum over which I preside, together with representatives of charitable organizations. We returned this morning from a meeting on the situation and the intervention of the Church in the Horn of Africa and we wish to share with you some information and considerations.
The issue is very dear to the Pope. He was among the first in the international realm who spoke about it last July 17. In the Wednesday General Audience of two days ago, he repeated his concern and his appeal to the international community.
Obviously, we speak for the Catholic Church. The speaker who follows me will give some more precise indications on the activities carried out and the projects to be realized. In a general way I can say that there was a strong involvement of the local Churches. The most involved locally were in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti, which offered hospitality and help to the victims. Through Cor Unum, the Holy Father supported this effort with almost US$400,000 in the first interventions.
Then there were interventions of different organisms, which will be presented to you.
I do not want to forget that in several countries special collections were carried out in the churches, for us they are: Italy, Germany, Switzerland, France, Ireland and others.
The presence here of a delegate of the Archbishop of Canterbury speaks of the joint concern and joint effort of the Christian communities. A message will be read that the Archbishop himself sent for this occasion. It is a significant testimony of the charity that unites us and of which we are the bearers.
All this effort, moreover, speaks of the vitality that the faith produces and that is manifested in these fruits of sharing, of love, of compassion, of care for the other, of help and of promotion of the human person, regardless of the race or religion to which he belong. This action is a consequence stemming from our faith that becomes operative in love (cf. Galatians 5:6; DCE 31; 33).
As president of Cor Unum I would like to thank all the members of the Church for their commitment. I would also like to share henceforth three reflections, addressing myself also to those who are in the second line, namely all the people of good will who wish to do something, but who, because of the geographic and human distance of the humanitarian emergency and also not knowing what to do concretely, are induced slowly to forget the problem.
The Catholic Church will continue to do her part and will again seek collaboration with the other Christian communities to play an active part in resolving the humanitarian drama that is being consummated in the Horn of Africa. I address all the faithful, less they forget their brothers so tested. Today’s meeting states that the answer of the Church is unitary, although realized by different individuals, diocese, agencies, associations, missionaries and religious institutes. It responds to the Pope’s desire to witness the charity of Christ and of the whole Church to suffering man. Where man suffers, God is close.
I take up again the appeal of the Holy Father to the international community. Unfortunately, we often see that the mechanisms that govern international action are marked by the interests of individual nations. Prevailing are aspects of egoism also in international politics. We must allow ourselves to be inspired to carry out a policy that has the common good truly at heart. Only the quest for the common good makes it possible not to have winners and losers, executioners and victims, exploiters and hungry. A vision of man and of society should prevail where recognized in the economic value is the importance due to it, but not the ultimate decision on good and evil.
In the end, we must return to the heart of the question of development, which is education. In fact, what is at stake today in the Horn of Africa? What is the peculiarity of this humanitarian emergency? In it are all the tragic ingredients that are present in similar crises: a catastrophic event -- in this case the very long drought -- the lack of health infrastructure, the insufficiency of qualified personnel to manage emergency situations, political instability, corruption, the endemic poverty of the territory, the lack of work. But there is a particular thing that worries me, and risks jeopardizing the future of this part of the African continent, and it is this: the millions of dispersed people that are wandering in search of survival, who tomorrow will become fugitives, illegal immigrants without a homeland, people who do not have a home, a job, a community. A whole generation risks being lost.
In Africa, as everywhere in the world, a fundamental element that brings together a community of people is the school: where there is a school, where there is education, there is a possible future, there will be work tomorrow, families will be formed.
Therefore, I would like to make an appeal today, first of all to Christians: let us commit ourselves to build schools! Once this emergency is surmounted, we must intervene in formation. Here there is a special call for the Church, mother and educator as perhaps no other institution. Others perhaps are more adept and prepared to contribute to the reconstruction of houses and the health infrastructure necessary to render fitting the life of these millions of dispersed people. But we must be committed especially to education and the formation of upright consciences.
Henceforth I make an appeal: a school in every village! I say it as an African: let us unite in the effort to help the Horn of Africa to give education, instruction, and culture to its children!
I thank you.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
OPINION: Excerpts From Interview with New Superior, Fr Joya
Fr Hieronymus Joya has been elected the new Regional Superior of the Consolata Missionaries. He makes history as the first African to hold the office.
The following are excerpts from the interview with CISA.
Q: How do you feel now?
A: I do not feel worthy to be in the office but because of the overwhelming majority of confreres who voted, they saw something in me that they think will be of benefit to the congregation and the region. I am ready for the challenge and responsibility bestowed on him.
Q: Give a brief history of the Consolata Missionaries in the Kenyan Region
A: The region covers Kenya and Uganda and has a lot of history. The Dream of Blessed Joseph Allamano was to evangelise the Galla in Abysinia (Ethiopia). However, they could not be permitted to go in due to the influence of the Orthodox Church. Even today, our missionaries in Ethiopia are considered as social workers.
Bishop Perlo with two priest and two brothers were hosted by Chief karoli who decided that the missionaries should remain and work with his people. The Consolata were given the responsibility of working in the Northern Frontier specifically in the Larger Archdiocese of Nyeri.
There has been an enormous work by the Consolata since then and this is a very overwhelming responsibility for me.
This is the most dynamic region with multiple activities for there are four houses of formation: prepaedeutic with 26 students, Consolata Institute of philosophy with 57 students, Novitiate with 11 novices and 28 in theology at Allamano house, Lang’ata. The region has the highest number of vocations.
Q: Where are you working currently?
A: We work in 14 dioceses, 11 in Kenya and 3 in Uganda. We have 27 parishes and three centres of vocation animation. One in Uganda and two in Kenya. There are also several learning institution under the Consolata. Two charitable organisations Famili ya Ufariji for the rehabilitation of street kids and the St Mary’s village for the elderly and neglected women in Sagana.
We have missionaries working in special responsibilities within the dioceses like the administrators of the dioceses of Marsabit and Maralal, the resurrection garden and the Nazareth hospital.”
The region has over 120 professed active members and it is not easy to coordinate such a number.
The mind of the congregation treasures this region for it is offering a lot.
The life of the missionaries is influenced a lot by the society around where the missionaries are working. Some work in hardship areas and the superior has to coordinate all of them.
Q: What are some of your achievements so far?
A: Over 10 priests have been sent for further studies. This is for priests to be well educated and in touch with current affairs.
We have expanded to places where we had not been.
We have a very good rapport with all the bishops and superiors of other congregations.
The merger of Consolata institute of philosophy and Tangaza to Tangaza Consolata University. It is not yet formalised but is in advanced stages.
The setting up of the Consolata Media centre incorporating The Seed and Catholic Information Service for Africa, CISA, which are proving to be strong instruments of evangelisation through the print and soft media within Africa and beyond.
Currently young African missionaries are holding responsibilities and are giving a different touch of missionary work and service. Some of them include Fr Albert Kathare, Novice Master at Consolata Novitiate Sagana, Fr James Lengarin the parish priest at Consolata Shrine, Fr Caroli Ouma the principal of Consolata School, Fr Mark Gitonga Propaedeutic year, Fr Zachariah King’aru Consolata Seminary, Fr Mathews Odhiambo Allamano House and Fr Dan Mkado the Chief editor at Consolata Media Centre just to name a few.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: They include the setting up an inductive course for council members to brainstorm on the ideas of leadership, planning and management and on finance,
To reorganize activities of the region and our communities,
An ongoing formation where members are encouraged to study and update themselves regularly and to manage well our resources both human and financial and how to acquire more for better evangelisation.”
Q: What about challanges
A: The major challenges that lie ahead are;
Upholding the identity and charism as Consolata missionaries,
Progressive change of attitude and the way of doing things,
Living the spirit of interculturality and harmonise all the members to avoid any divisions
And inadequate resources both personnel and financial for sustainability.
Others are organisational and restructuring of all activities in order to guarantee offering quality service,
Offering quality service in the local church and institutions and adherence to directives, policies and laws of the church and state; the constitution of the Consolata missionaries, the cannon law the constitution of Kenya and Uganda.
Editors’ Note:
Fr Zachariah King'aru is the new Vice Regional Superir. Members of the council are Fr James Lengarin, Fr Nicholas Makau and Fr Tommaso Barbero.
Fr Joya has been the vice regional superior for the last three years. Previously he had been working in formation and as a parish priest.
The following are excerpts from the interview with CISA.
Q: How do you feel now?
A: I do not feel worthy to be in the office but because of the overwhelming majority of confreres who voted, they saw something in me that they think will be of benefit to the congregation and the region. I am ready for the challenge and responsibility bestowed on him.
Q: Give a brief history of the Consolata Missionaries in the Kenyan Region
A: The region covers Kenya and Uganda and has a lot of history. The Dream of Blessed Joseph Allamano was to evangelise the Galla in Abysinia (Ethiopia). However, they could not be permitted to go in due to the influence of the Orthodox Church. Even today, our missionaries in Ethiopia are considered as social workers.
Bishop Perlo with two priest and two brothers were hosted by Chief karoli who decided that the missionaries should remain and work with his people. The Consolata were given the responsibility of working in the Northern Frontier specifically in the Larger Archdiocese of Nyeri.
There has been an enormous work by the Consolata since then and this is a very overwhelming responsibility for me.
This is the most dynamic region with multiple activities for there are four houses of formation: prepaedeutic with 26 students, Consolata Institute of philosophy with 57 students, Novitiate with 11 novices and 28 in theology at Allamano house, Lang’ata. The region has the highest number of vocations.
Q: Where are you working currently?
A: We work in 14 dioceses, 11 in Kenya and 3 in Uganda. We have 27 parishes and three centres of vocation animation. One in Uganda and two in Kenya. There are also several learning institution under the Consolata. Two charitable organisations Famili ya Ufariji for the rehabilitation of street kids and the St Mary’s village for the elderly and neglected women in Sagana.
We have missionaries working in special responsibilities within the dioceses like the administrators of the dioceses of Marsabit and Maralal, the resurrection garden and the Nazareth hospital.”
The region has over 120 professed active members and it is not easy to coordinate such a number.
The mind of the congregation treasures this region for it is offering a lot.
The life of the missionaries is influenced a lot by the society around where the missionaries are working. Some work in hardship areas and the superior has to coordinate all of them.
Q: What are some of your achievements so far?
A: Over 10 priests have been sent for further studies. This is for priests to be well educated and in touch with current affairs.
We have expanded to places where we had not been.
We have a very good rapport with all the bishops and superiors of other congregations.
The merger of Consolata institute of philosophy and Tangaza to Tangaza Consolata University. It is not yet formalised but is in advanced stages.
The setting up of the Consolata Media centre incorporating The Seed and Catholic Information Service for Africa, CISA, which are proving to be strong instruments of evangelisation through the print and soft media within Africa and beyond.
Currently young African missionaries are holding responsibilities and are giving a different touch of missionary work and service. Some of them include Fr Albert Kathare, Novice Master at Consolata Novitiate Sagana, Fr James Lengarin the parish priest at Consolata Shrine, Fr Caroli Ouma the principal of Consolata School, Fr Mark Gitonga Propaedeutic year, Fr Zachariah King’aru Consolata Seminary, Fr Mathews Odhiambo Allamano House and Fr Dan Mkado the Chief editor at Consolata Media Centre just to name a few.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: They include the setting up an inductive course for council members to brainstorm on the ideas of leadership, planning and management and on finance,
To reorganize activities of the region and our communities,
An ongoing formation where members are encouraged to study and update themselves regularly and to manage well our resources both human and financial and how to acquire more for better evangelisation.”
Q: What about challanges
A: The major challenges that lie ahead are;
Upholding the identity and charism as Consolata missionaries,
Progressive change of attitude and the way of doing things,
Living the spirit of interculturality and harmonise all the members to avoid any divisions
And inadequate resources both personnel and financial for sustainability.
Others are organisational and restructuring of all activities in order to guarantee offering quality service,
Offering quality service in the local church and institutions and adherence to directives, policies and laws of the church and state; the constitution of the Consolata missionaries, the cannon law the constitution of Kenya and Uganda.
Editors’ Note:
Fr Zachariah King'aru is the new Vice Regional Superir. Members of the council are Fr James Lengarin, Fr Nicholas Makau and Fr Tommaso Barbero.
Fr Joya has been the vice regional superior for the last three years. Previously he had been working in formation and as a parish priest.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
SIERA LEONE, OPINION: Is There a Just God?
Interview with Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles of Freetown
Sierra Leone is a small country on the western coast of Africa with a population of 5 million and a wealth of natural resources, including diamonds, gold, bauxite and iron ore.
The nation has recently emerged from a decade-long civil war, but it continues to struggle with the challenges of reconciliation and reconstruction.
The television program "Where God Weeps" on the Catholic Radio and Television Network (CRTN), in cooperation with Aid to the Church in Need, caught up with Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles of Freetown, and conducted the following interview.
Q: Your Excellency, upon your appointment you faced the daunting task of reconstruction and reconciliation after a decade long civil war which ended in 2002. Where do you begin?
Archbishop Charles: I agree with you that it is a daunting task and in the beginning we didn't know where to begin. My predecessor had already started and so I continue by way of rehabilitation of the structures, of lives by way of trauma healing and counseling as well as through peace education program in schools.
Q: Can you briefly tell us the root cause of the war?
Archbishop Charles: I will say here, first of all, what it was not. It was not a religious war; rather it was the usual African tribal war. It was greed for power. Some groups wanted to take over power and have access to the wealth of the country; the huge mineral resources we have. Injustice also played into that because some of the people who were treated badly joined one or the other of the fighting groups to avenge what was done to them. For example in some areas entire villages were wiped out. Later on, we were told, that was done by some people who felt that their own party was cheated during the election of chiefs. They thought everybody should lose so they went and burned villages.
Q: The war is uniquely recognized internationally as particularly brutal; the hacking off of legs and arms, but the population is peace loving. Can one say that the devil had his day? How can you explain this spiritually?
Archbishop Charles: This is one of the manifestations of the mystery of evil. Sometimes people who are good, peaceful and loving act in a manner that is difficult to explain and ours was such situation. Young people were forced to go out and commit atrocities against other people -- in most cases innocent people. Victims were shot, arms were amputated and pregnant women had their stomachs opened to know the sex of the child. It became a game among the young people because they were drugged by adults. And yet as you say, the majority of the Sierra Leoneans are peace loving. They hate violence in normal circumstances. So it is one of those manifestations of the mystery of evil that is difficult to explain.
Q: Where were you during this war?
Archbishop Charles: I was in Sierra Leone when the war stated in March 1991. And then I had to leave in the following June to come to Rome for my studies. I did five years in Rome. When I returned in September 1996, the war was ongoing, on account of which I couldn't go to my own region because the rebels captured the area and they were mining the diamonds. I couldn't go home for a long time. I saw part of the war and I was there until it ended.
Q: Was your family affected?
Archbishop Charles: Oh yes. Our entire village was burned down. My grandmother was killed. In talking about innocent people, she was one of those. She had nothing to do with power, or fighting, and yet she was gunned down. She was killed in her own room. The rest of the family fled to neighboring Guinea and they were in a refugee camp for many years until the war ended in 2002.
Q: How do you not cry out for justice? How do you not risk losing your faith when confronted with such senseless violence and evil? Do you not ask: Where is God?
Archbishop Charles: I agree with you that in such circumstances one is tempted to say: Is there a just God? But my deep faith as a Christian and I should add, as an African, I think that God is not responsible for this. This is one moment where we have to distinguish between the justice of God and the evil deeds of man; in this case it was not God. It was done by human beings. I blame the adults who gave hard drugs to young people to have them go out and commit atrocities so that the adults would get what they were looking for -- namely access to power.
Q: The victims and the perpetuators still live in the same society. How do you build reconciliation in this kind of an environment?
Archbishop Charles: Our sense of justice also leaves room for mercy. In fact, when the UN special court was proposed, many Sierra Leoneans felt it was not necessary because it would not bring back the dead, the amputees would not regain their limbs etc. It was felt that what had been done could not be undone and so what were they looking for? OK, those fellows who did it, some of them are with us, but as I've said, many of them did it because they were drugged by adults. Some of those adults have been brought before the special court for trial, some are still being tried.
What we are looking for is their re-integration and that we move on. Life must continue. Maybe somebody will say, "Well you Sierra Leoneans have a very strange sense of justice?" So be it, but we want to move on. Some of them are back to their villages. There were traditional processes of reconciliation. They asked for forgiveness and they have been accepted by society. Some of them are being incorporated into the police and the army and they are back to normal life.
Q: Is the Church participating in this reconciliation process?
Archbishop Charles: Yes, to ensure that it does not happen again and so we have peace education programs in our schools.
Q: What does this mean in a practical manner?
Archbishop Charles: Teaching children to relate to each other in a peaceful manner, to respect each other's rights and if there is a wrong, to be courageous enough to ask for forgiveness. We started it as a pilot program for Catholic schools -- primary, junior secondary and senior secondary. Now some of the communities are asking us to extend it to them. We are also running trauma healing programs for those who suffered terrible experiences during the war and who find it difficult to come to terms with this. So they are brought there and they are helped by way of counseling.
Q: Many of these are not necessarily Catholics or Christians? Some of these are also Muslims or other denominations as well?
Archbishop Charles: Indeed there are people of other religions. We do not have any problems relating to other religions in Sierra Leone. In fact, recently Sierra Leone was nominated as one of the, if not the first, country of religious tolerance. Maybe we should export it to other parts of the world. Yes, we live in peace. We relate to each other well both Muslims and Christian - Muslims are the majority - because many of us are from the same family background. This common cultural background is very helpful.
Q: The Church was also deeply affected: priests were killed, religious were killed. Can you tell us a little about this and how you re-construct after this period?
Archbishop Charles: We lost one priest, Father McAllister -- a Holy Ghost Father. We lost a Christian Brother. We lost four sisters of the Missionaries of Charity; sisters of Mother Teresa. We lost catechists and prayer leaders and thousands of church members.
Q: Was the Church a target or was it just a part the spectrum of random violence?
Archbishop Charles: I would say it was part of the violence; wanton destruction of life and property. The Church was not targeted as such because, as I said earlier, this was not a religious war.
Q: And yet every single church in your archdiocese was destroyed?
Archbishop Charles: Yes, we lost many churches, schools and clinics. Those that were not destroyed completely were rendered in a manner that made them useless.
Q: Your predecessor, Archbishop Ganda, understood that there were very few financial means and he suggested starting parishes with small businesses on the side: a farm, an ice-cream parlor, anything that could create self-sufficiency. Was it successful? Are you pursuing this strategy as well?
Archbishop Charles: The idea was fascinating, but not many people warmed to it, especially among the priests who were not used to business or farming, but I think we have to continue because the resources from overseas are drying up. I have gone around the world and I know that this is the way, the future of the Church. We are insisting on self-reliance as a way for the Church in Africa. We have no other option but to promote it.
That said, as I said earlier, not many people warmed to that and so the initiative now is to focus on a few of the parishes where there is enough land to farm. Some priests do this to subsidize whatever minimal subsidies they are receiving from the bishop. In the cities we have initiatives like restaurants, but it is not bringing us much yet. We hope to reorganize it to make sure it is profitable.
Q: To your pastoral priorities: You are confronting a wave of challenges ranging from church reconstruction, to evangelization, to young people. Where do you weigh your priorities?
Archbishop Charles: As you say it is a difficult choice, but I would put a premium on education and also on the support of the priests who are my first collaborators; priests who are in the parishes and future priests, so that we have many more laborers in the Lord's vineyard. Once you have that, then we begin to look at where to celebrate Mass. You see, in Africa, sometimes we celebrate our Masses beside a big tree, maybe from there we then move to a Church, but only when we can afford to build one.
Q: The young people; do they see hope in the Lord or Christianity, or is there disaffection?
Archbishop Charles: Perhaps there might be one or two young men or women who are really angry about the war and want to turn their back on God, but the majority are very religious. That is the one difference between us and the rest of the world -- Europe and America. Our churches are full of young people; actually they constitute the vitality of the Church. Since the war the churches are really full. People are coming back. In fact, in some places where the bishop started it, and I intend to continue, some of the churches have to be extended because they were built with a small congregation in mind. Since the war the numbers have increased and for an ordinary Sunday Mass, people are sitting outside. In some places they have to introduce a second or third Mass to accommodate the congregations.
Q: To what do you attribute this growth of the Church?
Archbishop Charles: It could be the hunger for God, which is very natural for us Africans. Christianity has helped us to build on that. We are a religious people and so we turn to God first when seeking solutions to our problems and so that may well be the reason why young people have gone to the Church after the war.
Also, during the war the Church stood by the people; priests were in displacement camps and myself I spent some time in a displacement camp ministering to people and burying some of the dead. I had a rickety pickup that I used, a kind of funeral van for carrying those who died and praying for them. Some of them were not even Catholics, but it didn't matter to me. They came to me: "Father we need your help," and so I did. That built up the credibility of the Church. One diocese even set up a Catholic mission for refugees in Guinea. They sent priests from Sierra Leone to go and minister to our refugee brothers and sisters in Guinea. The Church came out of it, I would say, with a high profile.
Q: The country is rich in mineral resources: Diamonds, gold and bauxite. Has this been a curse or blessing?
Archbishop Charles: A curse! As you know extractors all over the world leave behind so much destruction in terms of environmental damage and poverty, and the mineral resources in Sierra Leone have been no exception. The first diamonds were discovered in the 1930's in my own region, in the Kono district. Today there is no running water, there is no electricity, poor roads and those there are infested with holes left behind by both the mining companies and the rebels who, during the war, targeted that area because they wanted something they could use with which to buy weapons. They destroyed many villages, deliberately destroying the buildings because they wanted to establish an open mining field from which to be able to extract the diamonds to buy weapons. You know the film "Blood Diamonds?" This attempts to give you a picture of what happened: different groups were selling weapons to both sides -- the rebels and the government -- in exchange for diamonds.
Q: How do you change this curse to a blessing?
Archbishop Charles: Well, we need good laws, but above all a machinery to ensure that the policies are well implemented. I think that this is where the problem is for the third world. It's one thing to make a good law, but it is quite another thing implementing it because some multinational companies have ways of manipulating the system to ensure that they get what they want and, in some places if they require it, even to ferment conflicts to ensure that they get access to the mining areas.
Q: That's a big statement?
Archbishop Charles: It is a big statement, and it is happening in Eastern Congo.
Q: Your Episcopal motto is: Duc in Altum. How do you live your Episcopal motto today in Sierra Leone?
Archbishop Charles: First of all I must say it is a statement of trust and confidence. You know the story about Peter. Peter toiled the whole night and caught nothing, and the Lord told him: "Go out there and throw your net into the deep." Peter initially, in his usual manner, protested, but when he did he caught a huge catch. I thought it would be a good model for me. First of all I had no intention of becoming a bishop and so when I was appointed, you know…
Q: It wasn't your choice…
Archbishop Charles: No, so I needed something to hold on to and Pope John Paul II used that expression. Many times when I was in Rome and afterward I thought it would be fine for me. So that is why I chose it as my episcopal motto. It requires of me to trust in the Lord. In the final analysis it is the Lord's work. It is not a question of waiting until I have all the means available to me. I must do the little I can trusting in the Lord. Sometimes I have had experiences that convinced me that was a good choice because some days you are not so sure. You wake up and you are not sure which direction to take but then the Lord presents you an opportunity and you do something useful for the people.
Q: What would you ask of the people around the world?
Archbishop Charles: To ask them to pray for us first of all; secondly I want to assure them of our own prayers. It saddens us in the newly established churches to see that the churches that have contributed and are still contributing to our sustenance are losing the dynamism they used to have. Some of the churches are empty. There are no vocations. Parishes are being closed and it saddens us. So we pray that the faith may not be lost. So that is my hope and prayer for them and perhaps in the future they will be courageous enough to accept missionaries from those churches they have built in Africa, Asia and around the world. That is my message to them.
* * *
This interview was conducted by Mark Riedemann for "Where God Weeps," a weekly TV & radio show produced by Catholic Radio & Television Network in conjunction with the internation Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.
Sierra Leone is a small country on the western coast of Africa with a population of 5 million and a wealth of natural resources, including diamonds, gold, bauxite and iron ore.
The nation has recently emerged from a decade-long civil war, but it continues to struggle with the challenges of reconciliation and reconstruction.
The television program "Where God Weeps" on the Catholic Radio and Television Network (CRTN), in cooperation with Aid to the Church in Need, caught up with Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles of Freetown, and conducted the following interview.
Q: Your Excellency, upon your appointment you faced the daunting task of reconstruction and reconciliation after a decade long civil war which ended in 2002. Where do you begin?
Archbishop Charles: I agree with you that it is a daunting task and in the beginning we didn't know where to begin. My predecessor had already started and so I continue by way of rehabilitation of the structures, of lives by way of trauma healing and counseling as well as through peace education program in schools.
Q: Can you briefly tell us the root cause of the war?
Archbishop Charles: I will say here, first of all, what it was not. It was not a religious war; rather it was the usual African tribal war. It was greed for power. Some groups wanted to take over power and have access to the wealth of the country; the huge mineral resources we have. Injustice also played into that because some of the people who were treated badly joined one or the other of the fighting groups to avenge what was done to them. For example in some areas entire villages were wiped out. Later on, we were told, that was done by some people who felt that their own party was cheated during the election of chiefs. They thought everybody should lose so they went and burned villages.
Q: The war is uniquely recognized internationally as particularly brutal; the hacking off of legs and arms, but the population is peace loving. Can one say that the devil had his day? How can you explain this spiritually?
Archbishop Charles: This is one of the manifestations of the mystery of evil. Sometimes people who are good, peaceful and loving act in a manner that is difficult to explain and ours was such situation. Young people were forced to go out and commit atrocities against other people -- in most cases innocent people. Victims were shot, arms were amputated and pregnant women had their stomachs opened to know the sex of the child. It became a game among the young people because they were drugged by adults. And yet as you say, the majority of the Sierra Leoneans are peace loving. They hate violence in normal circumstances. So it is one of those manifestations of the mystery of evil that is difficult to explain.
Q: Where were you during this war?
Archbishop Charles: I was in Sierra Leone when the war stated in March 1991. And then I had to leave in the following June to come to Rome for my studies. I did five years in Rome. When I returned in September 1996, the war was ongoing, on account of which I couldn't go to my own region because the rebels captured the area and they were mining the diamonds. I couldn't go home for a long time. I saw part of the war and I was there until it ended.
Q: Was your family affected?
Archbishop Charles: Oh yes. Our entire village was burned down. My grandmother was killed. In talking about innocent people, she was one of those. She had nothing to do with power, or fighting, and yet she was gunned down. She was killed in her own room. The rest of the family fled to neighboring Guinea and they were in a refugee camp for many years until the war ended in 2002.
Q: How do you not cry out for justice? How do you not risk losing your faith when confronted with such senseless violence and evil? Do you not ask: Where is God?
Archbishop Charles: I agree with you that in such circumstances one is tempted to say: Is there a just God? But my deep faith as a Christian and I should add, as an African, I think that God is not responsible for this. This is one moment where we have to distinguish between the justice of God and the evil deeds of man; in this case it was not God. It was done by human beings. I blame the adults who gave hard drugs to young people to have them go out and commit atrocities so that the adults would get what they were looking for -- namely access to power.
Q: The victims and the perpetuators still live in the same society. How do you build reconciliation in this kind of an environment?
Archbishop Charles: Our sense of justice also leaves room for mercy. In fact, when the UN special court was proposed, many Sierra Leoneans felt it was not necessary because it would not bring back the dead, the amputees would not regain their limbs etc. It was felt that what had been done could not be undone and so what were they looking for? OK, those fellows who did it, some of them are with us, but as I've said, many of them did it because they were drugged by adults. Some of those adults have been brought before the special court for trial, some are still being tried.
What we are looking for is their re-integration and that we move on. Life must continue. Maybe somebody will say, "Well you Sierra Leoneans have a very strange sense of justice?" So be it, but we want to move on. Some of them are back to their villages. There were traditional processes of reconciliation. They asked for forgiveness and they have been accepted by society. Some of them are being incorporated into the police and the army and they are back to normal life.
Q: Is the Church participating in this reconciliation process?
Archbishop Charles: Yes, to ensure that it does not happen again and so we have peace education programs in our schools.
Q: What does this mean in a practical manner?
Archbishop Charles: Teaching children to relate to each other in a peaceful manner, to respect each other's rights and if there is a wrong, to be courageous enough to ask for forgiveness. We started it as a pilot program for Catholic schools -- primary, junior secondary and senior secondary. Now some of the communities are asking us to extend it to them. We are also running trauma healing programs for those who suffered terrible experiences during the war and who find it difficult to come to terms with this. So they are brought there and they are helped by way of counseling.
Q: Many of these are not necessarily Catholics or Christians? Some of these are also Muslims or other denominations as well?
Archbishop Charles: Indeed there are people of other religions. We do not have any problems relating to other religions in Sierra Leone. In fact, recently Sierra Leone was nominated as one of the, if not the first, country of religious tolerance. Maybe we should export it to other parts of the world. Yes, we live in peace. We relate to each other well both Muslims and Christian - Muslims are the majority - because many of us are from the same family background. This common cultural background is very helpful.
Q: The Church was also deeply affected: priests were killed, religious were killed. Can you tell us a little about this and how you re-construct after this period?
Archbishop Charles: We lost one priest, Father McAllister -- a Holy Ghost Father. We lost a Christian Brother. We lost four sisters of the Missionaries of Charity; sisters of Mother Teresa. We lost catechists and prayer leaders and thousands of church members.
Q: Was the Church a target or was it just a part the spectrum of random violence?
Archbishop Charles: I would say it was part of the violence; wanton destruction of life and property. The Church was not targeted as such because, as I said earlier, this was not a religious war.
Q: And yet every single church in your archdiocese was destroyed?
Archbishop Charles: Yes, we lost many churches, schools and clinics. Those that were not destroyed completely were rendered in a manner that made them useless.
Q: Your predecessor, Archbishop Ganda, understood that there were very few financial means and he suggested starting parishes with small businesses on the side: a farm, an ice-cream parlor, anything that could create self-sufficiency. Was it successful? Are you pursuing this strategy as well?
Archbishop Charles: The idea was fascinating, but not many people warmed to it, especially among the priests who were not used to business or farming, but I think we have to continue because the resources from overseas are drying up. I have gone around the world and I know that this is the way, the future of the Church. We are insisting on self-reliance as a way for the Church in Africa. We have no other option but to promote it.
That said, as I said earlier, not many people warmed to that and so the initiative now is to focus on a few of the parishes where there is enough land to farm. Some priests do this to subsidize whatever minimal subsidies they are receiving from the bishop. In the cities we have initiatives like restaurants, but it is not bringing us much yet. We hope to reorganize it to make sure it is profitable.
Q: To your pastoral priorities: You are confronting a wave of challenges ranging from church reconstruction, to evangelization, to young people. Where do you weigh your priorities?
Archbishop Charles: As you say it is a difficult choice, but I would put a premium on education and also on the support of the priests who are my first collaborators; priests who are in the parishes and future priests, so that we have many more laborers in the Lord's vineyard. Once you have that, then we begin to look at where to celebrate Mass. You see, in Africa, sometimes we celebrate our Masses beside a big tree, maybe from there we then move to a Church, but only when we can afford to build one.
Q: The young people; do they see hope in the Lord or Christianity, or is there disaffection?
Archbishop Charles: Perhaps there might be one or two young men or women who are really angry about the war and want to turn their back on God, but the majority are very religious. That is the one difference between us and the rest of the world -- Europe and America. Our churches are full of young people; actually they constitute the vitality of the Church. Since the war the churches are really full. People are coming back. In fact, in some places where the bishop started it, and I intend to continue, some of the churches have to be extended because they were built with a small congregation in mind. Since the war the numbers have increased and for an ordinary Sunday Mass, people are sitting outside. In some places they have to introduce a second or third Mass to accommodate the congregations.
Q: To what do you attribute this growth of the Church?
Archbishop Charles: It could be the hunger for God, which is very natural for us Africans. Christianity has helped us to build on that. We are a religious people and so we turn to God first when seeking solutions to our problems and so that may well be the reason why young people have gone to the Church after the war.
Also, during the war the Church stood by the people; priests were in displacement camps and myself I spent some time in a displacement camp ministering to people and burying some of the dead. I had a rickety pickup that I used, a kind of funeral van for carrying those who died and praying for them. Some of them were not even Catholics, but it didn't matter to me. They came to me: "Father we need your help," and so I did. That built up the credibility of the Church. One diocese even set up a Catholic mission for refugees in Guinea. They sent priests from Sierra Leone to go and minister to our refugee brothers and sisters in Guinea. The Church came out of it, I would say, with a high profile.
Q: The country is rich in mineral resources: Diamonds, gold and bauxite. Has this been a curse or blessing?
Archbishop Charles: A curse! As you know extractors all over the world leave behind so much destruction in terms of environmental damage and poverty, and the mineral resources in Sierra Leone have been no exception. The first diamonds were discovered in the 1930's in my own region, in the Kono district. Today there is no running water, there is no electricity, poor roads and those there are infested with holes left behind by both the mining companies and the rebels who, during the war, targeted that area because they wanted something they could use with which to buy weapons. They destroyed many villages, deliberately destroying the buildings because they wanted to establish an open mining field from which to be able to extract the diamonds to buy weapons. You know the film "Blood Diamonds?" This attempts to give you a picture of what happened: different groups were selling weapons to both sides -- the rebels and the government -- in exchange for diamonds.
Q: How do you change this curse to a blessing?
Archbishop Charles: Well, we need good laws, but above all a machinery to ensure that the policies are well implemented. I think that this is where the problem is for the third world. It's one thing to make a good law, but it is quite another thing implementing it because some multinational companies have ways of manipulating the system to ensure that they get what they want and, in some places if they require it, even to ferment conflicts to ensure that they get access to the mining areas.
Q: That's a big statement?
Archbishop Charles: It is a big statement, and it is happening in Eastern Congo.
Q: Your Episcopal motto is: Duc in Altum. How do you live your Episcopal motto today in Sierra Leone?
Archbishop Charles: First of all I must say it is a statement of trust and confidence. You know the story about Peter. Peter toiled the whole night and caught nothing, and the Lord told him: "Go out there and throw your net into the deep." Peter initially, in his usual manner, protested, but when he did he caught a huge catch. I thought it would be a good model for me. First of all I had no intention of becoming a bishop and so when I was appointed, you know…
Q: It wasn't your choice…
Archbishop Charles: No, so I needed something to hold on to and Pope John Paul II used that expression. Many times when I was in Rome and afterward I thought it would be fine for me. So that is why I chose it as my episcopal motto. It requires of me to trust in the Lord. In the final analysis it is the Lord's work. It is not a question of waiting until I have all the means available to me. I must do the little I can trusting in the Lord. Sometimes I have had experiences that convinced me that was a good choice because some days you are not so sure. You wake up and you are not sure which direction to take but then the Lord presents you an opportunity and you do something useful for the people.
Q: What would you ask of the people around the world?
Archbishop Charles: To ask them to pray for us first of all; secondly I want to assure them of our own prayers. It saddens us in the newly established churches to see that the churches that have contributed and are still contributing to our sustenance are losing the dynamism they used to have. Some of the churches are empty. There are no vocations. Parishes are being closed and it saddens us. So we pray that the faith may not be lost. So that is my hope and prayer for them and perhaps in the future they will be courageous enough to accept missionaries from those churches they have built in Africa, Asia and around the world. That is my message to them.
* * *
This interview was conducted by Mark Riedemann for "Where God Weeps," a weekly TV & radio show produced by Catholic Radio & Television Network in conjunction with the internation Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.
Friday, September 9, 2011
OPINION: Pan African Church Comes to Kenya
Nairobi will become the heart of World Wide Marriage Encounter during the month of September 2011. First, there will be the Panaf (African regional secretariat) meeting which will be held at St Therese Girls training center in Karen between September 12 to 18.
His Eminence John Cardinal Njue will preside over the opening mass to be celebrated at 10am on September 12. Secondly, the International Ecclesial Team (IET) Tony and Cathy Witzak with Fr Emile from the USA who are the current head of the movement world wide will be offering a new enrichment program to the African region on 9th and 10th titled ‘Love and Respect’.
The events will reach their climax with the celebration of a community mass to be held at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church at Ongata Rongai at 10am Sunday the September 18. The fifteen African countries who embrace the movement will be represented each by their ecclesial teams comprising of a couple and a priest.
Each of our 17 dioceses embracing the movement will be represented during this mass, which will be presided by His grace Archbishop Boniface Lele of Mombasa Archdiocese.
The theme of the Nairobi meeting is “COMMITMENT THAT LEADS TO EVANGELIZATION”
But what is this movement called World Wide Marriage Encounter?
Many of us in the church today must have had of World Wide Marriage Encounter. This is a lay movement that enjoins the two sacraments of matrimony and the Holy orders with a mission to evangelize love as per Christ’s commandment “Love One Another as I have loved you” John 15:12. The movement promotes the growth of spousal love based on perpetual decisions to love in order to be loved. It is open to married couples, priests and religious.
The Servant of God, his holiness the late Pope John Paul the II while addressing a gathering in 1998 remarked; “I place much of my hope for the future in Marriage Encounter”.
The movement strongly believes that the church of Christ is firmly founded at home, the small church and hence the building of strong faithful homes is key to strengthening faith and evangelization. Once the family is evangelized, the whole church is evangelized.
The movement is 50 years now since the 1960’s when the Spanish Jesuit priest Fr Gabriel Calvo initiated special talks to his parish parents in an effort to contain the source of many street children who kept flocking to his parish in need of food, love and comfort that they lacked at their parents homes. The talks had dramatic effects on couples involved and changed their homes to be havens of love for both themselves and their children. They became popular in other parishes and were later to spread to English speaking America and Europe.
In Kenya, the movement is here courtesy of the late Michael Cardinal Maurice Otunga who experienced his weekend in America during the 1975 Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia. He was so touched with the experience that he decided that it was good for the church in Kenya. Indeed, he worked so hard that in 1978, he brought in some Irish couples with their children and priests who pitched camp in Kenya for three months to train Kenyan facilitators. Since then, the movement has grown from the Archdiocese of Nairobi and it is now to be found in 17 diocese.
Encountered couples are to be found across all spheres of our church and they give testimony to harmonious relationship that is warm and fulfilled. Encountered couples and priests have one thing in common; they have endless love for one another and are strong pillars and source of evangelization. Their unique system of daily dialoguing technique enables them to have a systematic method of resolving any emerging issues before them and turn their differences into opportunities of building their togetherness.
It is a system that enables the couples to reflect deeply on the worldly way of living differently as they are equipped with the Godly plan of matrimony based on the gospel teachings which must be lived daily. The couples becomes the sacraments to each other on a daily basis. The priests and religious are able to see the sacraments through the eyes of the married couples and hence understands in a different dimension the meaning of matrimony. They also understand the interpersonal relationship which they encounter in their own parish houses, community houses or the parishioners themselves.
It becomes a wonderful opportunity for them. To use the words of Prof James Dobson “…it proved to be one of the highlights of my life. I just wish that everyone who trusts my opinion would now accept this advise; attend a Marriage Encounter Weekend at the earliest opportunity”.
World Wide Marriage Encounter in Kenya has sponsored the inception of the International Engaged Encounter, a complimentary movement for premarital counseling which ideally should be experienced by all Christians before sacramental marriage. We have also sponsored the Retrouvaille movement to take care of our hurting marriages.
By becoming hosts to this important conference, it is our hope and desire that the whole of our church will become more aware of evangelizing the family. We are called upon individually to play our part in bringing the plan of God for our lives a little closer to others by playing our roles fully. Let us welcome our guests with open hands and hearts.
His Eminence John Cardinal Njue will preside over the opening mass to be celebrated at 10am on September 12. Secondly, the International Ecclesial Team (IET) Tony and Cathy Witzak with Fr Emile from the USA who are the current head of the movement world wide will be offering a new enrichment program to the African region on 9th and 10th titled ‘Love and Respect’.
The events will reach their climax with the celebration of a community mass to be held at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church at Ongata Rongai at 10am Sunday the September 18. The fifteen African countries who embrace the movement will be represented each by their ecclesial teams comprising of a couple and a priest.
Each of our 17 dioceses embracing the movement will be represented during this mass, which will be presided by His grace Archbishop Boniface Lele of Mombasa Archdiocese.
The theme of the Nairobi meeting is “COMMITMENT THAT LEADS TO EVANGELIZATION”
But what is this movement called World Wide Marriage Encounter?
Many of us in the church today must have had of World Wide Marriage Encounter. This is a lay movement that enjoins the two sacraments of matrimony and the Holy orders with a mission to evangelize love as per Christ’s commandment “Love One Another as I have loved you” John 15:12. The movement promotes the growth of spousal love based on perpetual decisions to love in order to be loved. It is open to married couples, priests and religious.
The Servant of God, his holiness the late Pope John Paul the II while addressing a gathering in 1998 remarked; “I place much of my hope for the future in Marriage Encounter”.
The movement strongly believes that the church of Christ is firmly founded at home, the small church and hence the building of strong faithful homes is key to strengthening faith and evangelization. Once the family is evangelized, the whole church is evangelized.
The movement is 50 years now since the 1960’s when the Spanish Jesuit priest Fr Gabriel Calvo initiated special talks to his parish parents in an effort to contain the source of many street children who kept flocking to his parish in need of food, love and comfort that they lacked at their parents homes. The talks had dramatic effects on couples involved and changed their homes to be havens of love for both themselves and their children. They became popular in other parishes and were later to spread to English speaking America and Europe.
In Kenya, the movement is here courtesy of the late Michael Cardinal Maurice Otunga who experienced his weekend in America during the 1975 Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia. He was so touched with the experience that he decided that it was good for the church in Kenya. Indeed, he worked so hard that in 1978, he brought in some Irish couples with their children and priests who pitched camp in Kenya for three months to train Kenyan facilitators. Since then, the movement has grown from the Archdiocese of Nairobi and it is now to be found in 17 diocese.
Encountered couples are to be found across all spheres of our church and they give testimony to harmonious relationship that is warm and fulfilled. Encountered couples and priests have one thing in common; they have endless love for one another and are strong pillars and source of evangelization. Their unique system of daily dialoguing technique enables them to have a systematic method of resolving any emerging issues before them and turn their differences into opportunities of building their togetherness.
It is a system that enables the couples to reflect deeply on the worldly way of living differently as they are equipped with the Godly plan of matrimony based on the gospel teachings which must be lived daily. The couples becomes the sacraments to each other on a daily basis. The priests and religious are able to see the sacraments through the eyes of the married couples and hence understands in a different dimension the meaning of matrimony. They also understand the interpersonal relationship which they encounter in their own parish houses, community houses or the parishioners themselves.
It becomes a wonderful opportunity for them. To use the words of Prof James Dobson “…it proved to be one of the highlights of my life. I just wish that everyone who trusts my opinion would now accept this advise; attend a Marriage Encounter Weekend at the earliest opportunity”.
World Wide Marriage Encounter in Kenya has sponsored the inception of the International Engaged Encounter, a complimentary movement for premarital counseling which ideally should be experienced by all Christians before sacramental marriage. We have also sponsored the Retrouvaille movement to take care of our hurting marriages.
By becoming hosts to this important conference, it is our hope and desire that the whole of our church will become more aware of evangelizing the family. We are called upon individually to play our part in bringing the plan of God for our lives a little closer to others by playing our roles fully. Let us welcome our guests with open hands and hearts.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
OPINION: The Roman Missal, Enriching it With a Touch of African Culture
At the level of song and dance, no one can doubt that the Roman Catholic Liturgy in Africa today, has a visible and irreversible touch of the African culture! So my thanks and gratitude to all those (musicians, composers, religious, laity, priests and Bishops) who have made this possible.
Another great breakthrough and landmark in the field of Africanisation in recent years has been the publication of the African Bible! Although the main text is the New American Bible translation, the introductions and comments place it in today’s African context.
But there is still another big, heavy and daunting task ahead, which deserves and demands all our attention, skill and energy, namely: The Africanisation of the Roman Missal! And this is much more than a mere good translation of the Missal into African languages like: Kiswahili, Luo, Luganda, Kikuyu etc! It should touch the soul and heart of the African people! In other words, it should reflect as much as possible all the essential elements and values of the African world view which are not contrary to the Gospel! It should also reflect the concrete socio-political and economic reality of the African continent!
The Roman Missal is the Church’s official document, which contains authorised prayers and texts for the liturgy of the Roman Rite. Therefore, this document plays a very important role in the life of the Church, and in the life of every catholic Christian! We use the document for the celebration of Mass. And the Vatican II document on the Sacred Liturgy (N°10) has this to say stressing the importance of the liturgy : The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the fountain from which all her power flow.
So given the centrality of the Roman Missal in the life of the Christians, to be as meaningful and effective as possible, it should be presented to the faithful within their cultural context! In addition, as I have mentioned above, in Africa, it should touch the soul, heart and concrete life of the African people.
The third and revised edition of the Roman Missal is already out and on sell! It is result of 10-years’ work! Mother Church in her wisdom leaves room for adaption and adjustments of the Roman Missal! And the Vatican II document on the Sacred Liturgy recommends and encourages such adaptations and adjustments! It thus says:
It is the goal of this most sacred Council to intensify the daily growth of Catholics in Christian living; to make more responsive to the requirements of our times those Church observances which are open to adaptation; to nurture whatever can contribute to the unity of all who believe in Christ; and to strengthen those aspects of the Church which can help summon all mankind into her embrace. Hence the Council has special reasons for judging it a duty to provide for the renewal and fostering of the liturgy. (Sacrosanctum Concilium No° 1).
And the document adds something very important saying : The Council also desires that, where necessary the rites be carefully and thoroughly revised in the light of sound tradition, and that they be given new vigor to meet the circumstances and needs of modern times. (Sacrosanctum Concilium No° 4) So with adaptations and adjustments to this new edition of the Roman Missal, the Church in Africa should be able to produce an Afro-Roman Missal acceptable to the Holy See.
I propose the following to be part of the adaptations and adjustments :
Inclusion of the ancestors in the Afro-Roman Missal. Ancestors are an essential and integral part of the African perception of reality! Their reverence and veneration is engraved upon the African soul! And they play an active and important role in people’s daily lives! Blessings, joys and curses in one’s life are generally interpreted and understood against the backdrop of ancestors!
In addition, ancestors provide the most powerful symbol of eternal life in the African culture! Africans have no need for philosophical proofs for the immortality of soul and for life after death which occupy a big place in western thought!
The ancestors also symbolise the union between the living and the dead! These are all good reasons for their inclusion in the Afro-Roman Missal! And it should be remembered that celebration of Mass, is celebration of the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord. It is celebration of eternal life! And this celebration unites both the living and the dead. That is, the pilgrim Church on earth and the saints in heaven!
To the inevitable question: Where exactly should the ancestors be inserted in the Afro- Roman Missal? I proposed that they be inserted between the introductory rites and the penitential rite. And this part of the Mass should be called: The Ancestors Invocation Rite! This place fits them because generally in African traditional worship, ancestors are invoked at the beginning of the ceremony.
The prayer of invocation of ancestors could be formulated along the following lines : Almighty God, Lord of endless ages, without beginning or end, creator of heaven and earth, and all they contain, Ruler of the spirits in the skies above, in the waters below, in the forests, thickets and rocks, Lord of life and death, God of our great, great ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Moses; God of the ancestors our African continent : St. Augustine of Hipo, St. Monica, the Uganda martyrs (Charles Lwanga and his companions,) Bakhita, (other African Saints can be added), God of the ancestors of our clans, men and women, our grandparents, parents and relatives who a lived a holy life before your eyes, we beseech you to let them come down from the heavens above, bringing with them all your blessings; and join us in giving glory and thanks to your name. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen!
The normal penitential rite should follow the ancestor’s invocation rite, but which in my opinion should be said when we are on our knees whenever possible! The symbolism of kneeling would make this rite more meaningful to the African congregation. For in Africa you cannot ask for forgiveness of your wrong doing from the king or chief while standing! You go down on your knees or prostrate yourself to do this! And God is the King of Kings, Chief of chiefs!
In the Afro-Roman Missal, a little adjustment could be done on formula one of the penitential rite. Its first part should thus read: I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, the living and dead, that I have sinned through my own fault. This will provide an occasion of reconciliation for members of the congregation who wanted to reconcile themselves with some people, but who unfortunately died, before this reconciliation could take place.
We should also have an Afro-Eucharistic prayer addressing the deep rooted socio-political problems of the African continent, namely : Tribalism or negative ethnicity, witchcraft, racism corruption and poverty. The 1994 Rwanda genocide, the 2007-2008 Kenya political and ethnic violence, and the independence of South Sudan from North Sudan, are all vivid reminders of these problems. Just a little adjustment of our usual Eucharistic prayer II can serve this purpose!
So after the prayer of consecration, the part that starts with, ‘In memory of his death and…..’ should be adjusted and thus read: In memory of his death and resurrection, we offer you, Father, this life-giving bread, this saving cup. We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. And we ask you Lord God of mercy and love to save and set us free from the dark forces of witchcraft, tribalism, racism, corruption and poverty. So that all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ and the rest of his children be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit. We should call this Eucharistic prayer II with its adaptations: The Afro-Eucharistic prayer.
I also propose that some of the great African Traditional Prayers be integrated into the Afro-Roman Missal as: opening, offertory or prayers after communion, etc! Here are some examples of those great prayers, all taken from the article: African Traditional Prayers – Love Peace and Harmony:
In the beginning was God,
Today is God,
Tomorrow will be God.
Who can make an image of God?
He has no body.
He is the word that comes out of your mouth.
The word!
It is no more,
It is past, and still it lives!
So is God. ( African-Pygmy)
Oludumare, oh Divine One! I give thanks
To You, the one who is as near as my heartbeat, and more anticipated than my next breath.
Let Your wisdom become one with this vessel as I lift my voice in thanks and love. (African-Yoruban)
To our Gods [God] of old, we bless the ground
That you tread in search of our freedom!
We bless your presence in our lives and in our hearts!
Take this offering to your delight,
And be filled with our prayers of thanksgiving!
May our lives remain as full as our hearts on this day! (African-Yoruban)
Praise ye, Ngai…Peace be with us.
Say that the elders may have wisdom and speak with one voice. Peace be with us.
Say that the country may have tranquility. Peace be with us.
And the people may continue to increase. Peace be with us.
Say that the people and the flock and herds,
may prosper and free from illness. Peace be with us.
Say that the fields may bear much fruit,
and the land continue to be fertile. Peace be with us.
May peace reign over earth,
may the gourds cup agree with vessel. Peace be with us.
May their heads agree and every ill word be driven out
into the wilderness, into the virgin forest.
Praise ye, Ngai…Peace be with us. (African-Kikuyu of Kenya)
With such adaptations and adjustments, the Afro- Roman Missal will speak to the heart of hearts of the African people! It will touch the greatest depth of their being!
Dominic Vincent Nkoyoyo
Monastery Val Notre-Dame, Canada.
Another great breakthrough and landmark in the field of Africanisation in recent years has been the publication of the African Bible! Although the main text is the New American Bible translation, the introductions and comments place it in today’s African context.
But there is still another big, heavy and daunting task ahead, which deserves and demands all our attention, skill and energy, namely: The Africanisation of the Roman Missal! And this is much more than a mere good translation of the Missal into African languages like: Kiswahili, Luo, Luganda, Kikuyu etc! It should touch the soul and heart of the African people! In other words, it should reflect as much as possible all the essential elements and values of the African world view which are not contrary to the Gospel! It should also reflect the concrete socio-political and economic reality of the African continent!
The Roman Missal is the Church’s official document, which contains authorised prayers and texts for the liturgy of the Roman Rite. Therefore, this document plays a very important role in the life of the Church, and in the life of every catholic Christian! We use the document for the celebration of Mass. And the Vatican II document on the Sacred Liturgy (N°10) has this to say stressing the importance of the liturgy : The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the fountain from which all her power flow.
So given the centrality of the Roman Missal in the life of the Christians, to be as meaningful and effective as possible, it should be presented to the faithful within their cultural context! In addition, as I have mentioned above, in Africa, it should touch the soul, heart and concrete life of the African people.
The third and revised edition of the Roman Missal is already out and on sell! It is result of 10-years’ work! Mother Church in her wisdom leaves room for adaption and adjustments of the Roman Missal! And the Vatican II document on the Sacred Liturgy recommends and encourages such adaptations and adjustments! It thus says:
It is the goal of this most sacred Council to intensify the daily growth of Catholics in Christian living; to make more responsive to the requirements of our times those Church observances which are open to adaptation; to nurture whatever can contribute to the unity of all who believe in Christ; and to strengthen those aspects of the Church which can help summon all mankind into her embrace. Hence the Council has special reasons for judging it a duty to provide for the renewal and fostering of the liturgy. (Sacrosanctum Concilium No° 1).
And the document adds something very important saying : The Council also desires that, where necessary the rites be carefully and thoroughly revised in the light of sound tradition, and that they be given new vigor to meet the circumstances and needs of modern times. (Sacrosanctum Concilium No° 4) So with adaptations and adjustments to this new edition of the Roman Missal, the Church in Africa should be able to produce an Afro-Roman Missal acceptable to the Holy See.
I propose the following to be part of the adaptations and adjustments :
Inclusion of the ancestors in the Afro-Roman Missal. Ancestors are an essential and integral part of the African perception of reality! Their reverence and veneration is engraved upon the African soul! And they play an active and important role in people’s daily lives! Blessings, joys and curses in one’s life are generally interpreted and understood against the backdrop of ancestors!
In addition, ancestors provide the most powerful symbol of eternal life in the African culture! Africans have no need for philosophical proofs for the immortality of soul and for life after death which occupy a big place in western thought!
The ancestors also symbolise the union between the living and the dead! These are all good reasons for their inclusion in the Afro-Roman Missal! And it should be remembered that celebration of Mass, is celebration of the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord. It is celebration of eternal life! And this celebration unites both the living and the dead. That is, the pilgrim Church on earth and the saints in heaven!
To the inevitable question: Where exactly should the ancestors be inserted in the Afro- Roman Missal? I proposed that they be inserted between the introductory rites and the penitential rite. And this part of the Mass should be called: The Ancestors Invocation Rite! This place fits them because generally in African traditional worship, ancestors are invoked at the beginning of the ceremony.
The prayer of invocation of ancestors could be formulated along the following lines : Almighty God, Lord of endless ages, without beginning or end, creator of heaven and earth, and all they contain, Ruler of the spirits in the skies above, in the waters below, in the forests, thickets and rocks, Lord of life and death, God of our great, great ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Moses; God of the ancestors our African continent : St. Augustine of Hipo, St. Monica, the Uganda martyrs (Charles Lwanga and his companions,) Bakhita, (other African Saints can be added), God of the ancestors of our clans, men and women, our grandparents, parents and relatives who a lived a holy life before your eyes, we beseech you to let them come down from the heavens above, bringing with them all your blessings; and join us in giving glory and thanks to your name. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen!
The normal penitential rite should follow the ancestor’s invocation rite, but which in my opinion should be said when we are on our knees whenever possible! The symbolism of kneeling would make this rite more meaningful to the African congregation. For in Africa you cannot ask for forgiveness of your wrong doing from the king or chief while standing! You go down on your knees or prostrate yourself to do this! And God is the King of Kings, Chief of chiefs!
In the Afro-Roman Missal, a little adjustment could be done on formula one of the penitential rite. Its first part should thus read: I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, the living and dead, that I have sinned through my own fault. This will provide an occasion of reconciliation for members of the congregation who wanted to reconcile themselves with some people, but who unfortunately died, before this reconciliation could take place.
We should also have an Afro-Eucharistic prayer addressing the deep rooted socio-political problems of the African continent, namely : Tribalism or negative ethnicity, witchcraft, racism corruption and poverty. The 1994 Rwanda genocide, the 2007-2008 Kenya political and ethnic violence, and the independence of South Sudan from North Sudan, are all vivid reminders of these problems. Just a little adjustment of our usual Eucharistic prayer II can serve this purpose!
So after the prayer of consecration, the part that starts with, ‘In memory of his death and…..’ should be adjusted and thus read: In memory of his death and resurrection, we offer you, Father, this life-giving bread, this saving cup. We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. And we ask you Lord God of mercy and love to save and set us free from the dark forces of witchcraft, tribalism, racism, corruption and poverty. So that all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ and the rest of his children be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit. We should call this Eucharistic prayer II with its adaptations: The Afro-Eucharistic prayer.
I also propose that some of the great African Traditional Prayers be integrated into the Afro-Roman Missal as: opening, offertory or prayers after communion, etc! Here are some examples of those great prayers, all taken from the article: African Traditional Prayers – Love Peace and Harmony:
In the beginning was God,
Today is God,
Tomorrow will be God.
Who can make an image of God?
He has no body.
He is the word that comes out of your mouth.
The word!
It is no more,
It is past, and still it lives!
So is God. ( African-Pygmy)
Oludumare, oh Divine One! I give thanks
To You, the one who is as near as my heartbeat, and more anticipated than my next breath.
Let Your wisdom become one with this vessel as I lift my voice in thanks and love. (African-Yoruban)
To our Gods [God] of old, we bless the ground
That you tread in search of our freedom!
We bless your presence in our lives and in our hearts!
Take this offering to your delight,
And be filled with our prayers of thanksgiving!
May our lives remain as full as our hearts on this day! (African-Yoruban)
Praise ye, Ngai…Peace be with us.
Say that the elders may have wisdom and speak with one voice. Peace be with us.
Say that the country may have tranquility. Peace be with us.
And the people may continue to increase. Peace be with us.
Say that the people and the flock and herds,
may prosper and free from illness. Peace be with us.
Say that the fields may bear much fruit,
and the land continue to be fertile. Peace be with us.
May peace reign over earth,
may the gourds cup agree with vessel. Peace be with us.
May their heads agree and every ill word be driven out
into the wilderness, into the virgin forest.
Praise ye, Ngai…Peace be with us. (African-Kikuyu of Kenya)
With such adaptations and adjustments, the Afro- Roman Missal will speak to the heart of hearts of the African people! It will touch the greatest depth of their being!
Dominic Vincent Nkoyoyo
Monastery Val Notre-Dame, Canada.
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