Religion

16, November 2024

Archbishop Andrew Nkea elevated to Commander of the National Order of Valour ⁰

Metropolitan Archbishop Andrew Nkea of the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province has been elevated to Commander of the National Order of Valor.

President Paul Biya made the announcement via his Foreign Affairs Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella in the presence of Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations who is presently on a five-day visit to Cameroon to mark the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Framework Agreement between the Holy See and the African country in 2014.

“I am humbled and honoured to receive this recognition from President Biya,” said Archbishop Andew Nkea,

“I will continue to pray and rely on the support of everyone in the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province that I will be a worthy servant of the Prince of Peace in fulfilling my responsibilities as a Commander of the National Order of Valour and to continue in my role as shepherd of the faithful of the Archdiocese of Bamenda” said Archbishop Nkea to Cameroon Concord News

By Soter Agbaw-Ebai with files from Rita Akana

16, November 2024

Vatican Secretary for Relations with States is in Yaoundé ⁰

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, has begun a five-day visit to Cameroon to mark the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Framework Agreement between the Holy See and the African country in 2014.

According to the Secretariat of State’s Terza Loggia account on the social platform ‘X,’ Archbishop Gallagher is to take part in several meetings and events.

On Friday he met the Foreign Affairs Minister, Lejeune Mbella Mbella, and then paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute. He also met with a cream of Cameroonian bishops.

On Saturday, November 16, Archbishop Gallagher celebrated Mass at the Minor Basilica of Marie Reine des Apôtres de Mvolye, in the capital, Yaoundé.

On Monday, November 18, the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States will be received in audience by the President of the Republic, Mr. Paul Biya.

The final event will be a lecture at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, where Archbishop Gallagher will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate.

Reported by Vatican News with additional editing from Cameroon Concord News Group

5, November 2024

Archbishop Kleda urges Biya, other ageing leaders to step aside for a new generation ⁰

Archbishop Samuel Kleda of Douala has urged Cameroon’s ageing rulers to resign and let a new generation emerge as leaders of the country.

Speaking with local news channel RTVC, the archbishop also spoke out against bad governance, electoral malpractices, corruption and the disconnect between Cameroon’s natural resources, and the crushing poverty under which Cameroonians now live.

“When we get to a certain age, we no longer have certain abilities, whether it is intellectual or physical,” he said.

That physical and intellectual frailty, according to Kleda, means “we are no longer able to get up in the morning or at night to work and to control what is done…we are no longer able to do the work we did when we were younger.”

Kleda didn’t call out any names, but there is no doubt that he was referring to the current leadership of Cameroon, beginning with President Paul Biya.

On November 6 this year, the Cameroonian leader clocks exactly 42 years in power, and he will be 92 on February 13 next year: The same year another presidential election will take place in Cameroon.

Supporters of the aging president have continued to call on him to run for re-election, but there are increasing concerns that he is already too advanced in years to be able to effectively govern.

During the 2019 Paris Peace Forum, Biya struggled to answer questions from Mo Ibrahim, which raised concerns about his cognitive abilities.

At one point, he appeared unable to identify his audience, further fueling speculation about his health, although no official reports about the president’s health situation have been published. In fact, journalists in Cameroon have been formally barred from reporting about Biya’s health, with the excuse it poses “significant security risks.”

The Douala archbishop offered his views on the situation in the country.

“When we reach this level, [of physical and mental decline] we have to simply purely withdraw. What is the point of saying ‘I must die in power?’ If we no longer have this [mental and physical] capacity in principle, we must leave room for others. Those who are in this situation must resign,” Kleda said.

The Catholic archbishop said the incapacity to effectively govern means that development has been stalled, and the dreams and aspirations of large swathes of the Cameroon youth cannot be met. He said the failure to provide the environment for young people to create jobs has triggered the exodus of the youths abroad – a reality that in future will further fragilize the country’s already ailing economic fabric.

“We lose young people, the active people who are capable of working for the transformation of our country,” the archbishop said.

“What do we lack in Cameroon?” Kleda asked.

“We have everything in Cameroon, we have fertile land, we have minerals, such as gold and diamond … we have everything,” he said and explained that the problem in Cameroon isn’t about poverty but about leadership.

“The problem is how to put in place policies to be able to transform our country-how to transform all these riches and put them at the service of all the populations,” he continued.

The archbishop said the absence of effective leadership has also led to a lack of investment in critical infrastructure such as roads.

“Today in Cameroon, if you want to move, you must first think carefully how you are going to move, what means you are going to take because all the roads in Cameroon today are in a bad state, very bad state and what we observe is that nothing is being done to build these roads,” Kleda said.

He said the roads have become so bad that one has to spend a whole day travelling from the town of Ngaoundere to Garoua-a distance of just 170 miles.

The archbishop said the bad roads affect nearly every other sector of the economy. Farmers, for instance, have to charge higher for farm products because they pay more to transport the produce to the market.

“It is extremely serious and our authorities, when they see all these, what are they thinking?” Kleda said.

He said the lack of development and the near absence of democratic governance have led to widening inequalities, where the rich continue to get richer while the poor get poorer.

The archbishop said it means “more people are living in misery.”

“It means the purchasing power has continued to decline, and yet, those who hold public office in the country live in opulence,” he said.

“They have everything, but the rest of the population does not. We have reached the level where the country has been divided into two classes: those who are rich and those who are poor. There are many people who have nothing to eat,” Kleda added.

Despite these challenges, Cameroonians are expected to go to the polls next year to elect a president, and Biya is still expected to stand.

Kleda has urged Cameroonians to register and vote, because each vote could just be the source change.

Source: Crux

31, October 2024

Cameroon prepares to celebrate ten-year framework agreement with the Holy See ⁰

On 14 – 18 November, Cameroonians will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the accord-cadre between the Republic of Cameroon and the Holy See. It is a framework agreement that was ratified on 2 July 2014. A series of activities will characterise this awaited event, in the presence of Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations.

An agenda rich in colour, sound and rhythm will mark the occasion: a Pontifical thanksgiving Eucharistic Celebration at the Shrine Marie Reine des Apotres, Mvolye, Yaoundé. There will also be an Academic Lecture at the Université Catholique de l’Afrique Centrale and much more.

How does the Catholic Church keep relationships with states in order to accomplish its mission? How does the Catholic Church “handle” its relationships with states to the extent that it is able to adapt to the legal systems of the countries where it is established?

The Holy See’s diplomatic efforts

One of the unique characteristics of the Catholic Church is the Holy See’s diplomatic efforts. This type of diplomacy is distinct in that, it is used by the Church, a religious organisation that analyses the issues of life in society to propose fundamental principles, to define judgement criteria and suggest concrete guidelines. Its main goals, which include respect for both individual and collective human rights, are consistent with the spiritual, moral, and humanitarian order. The right to religious liberty, for example, is one of these rights, and it applies to Catholics as well as to followers of all other religions.

Addressing the diplomatic Corps at the Vatican City in 2002, The Holy Father Saint John Paul II had considered this endeavour, a spiritual attitude of openness and readiness to welcome and give space to the material and spiritual needs of the peoples around us.

Archbishop José Avelino Bettencourt, Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon

The accord-cadre – framework agreement

The framework agreement that was signed in Cameroon on 13 July 2014 after a lengthy negotiation process is a legal formalisation of relations between the State of Cameroon and the Holy See, that strengthens and clarifies the legal status of the Catholic Church in Cameroon.

“As such, it is a solemn expression of religious freedom in this country,” said the Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Guinea Equatorial, Archbishop Josè Avelino Bettencourt who has previously worked on various agreements with different African States.

The Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon at the time, Archbishop Eliseo Antonio Arrioti (2003-2009), led the negotiations with the Cameroon government.

“The Holy See and the Church in Cameroon have benefited from the recognition of a legal legislative status with rights and duties” said Archbishop Bettencourt. “Church institutions are recognised in Cameroon as agents of public utility. Within the framework of the agreement and Cameroonian law, Cameroon has also benefited from the services provided by the Catholic Church to all strata of Cameroonian society, even in the most remote regions of its territory.” The fact that the Church in Cameroon has legal status puts it in a better position to cooperate with other international institutions to better serve Cameroonian society, the Nuncio explained.

Holy Mass on National Unity Day in Cameroon

A history of international agreements

There is a long history of international agreements with the Holy See and the Church. These agreements usually cover a number of areas of cooperation, including general pastoral care, healthcare, education, and cultural cooperation.

Africa has a long history of tight ties with the Holy See and numerous formal agreements have since been signed. These accords sought to grant the Church a legal standing that would enhance its ability to carry out its apostolic mission in the service of all people, irrespective of their religious or ethnic background.

In 1991, Gabon became the first nation in Africa to formally enter into an agreement. Many other nations, including Muslim countries such as, Chad and Morocco followed.

Cameoonian Bishops on ad limina visit to Pope Francis 15. 09. 2023

The Church in dialogue with the global community

Diplomacy is one method of bringing the Church’s official presence in the global community, essentially directed to dialogue, so as to bring to fruition the great hopes of humanity such as peace, international order and the progress of individual States.

In celebrating the ten-year milestone, in Cameroon, the occasion presents itself for a plan of action to guide the next decade and beyond. Happy Celebrations!

Source: Vatican News

30, October 2024

Archbishop Nkea says African Bishops pleased with outcome of Synod ⁰

African bishops at the Synod on Synodality played a key role in fending off efforts to give episcopal conferences greater doctrinal autonomy and are satisfied overall with the gathering’s final recommendations, which Pope Francis has formally adopted, a leading African prelate says.

How the African Church would help shape the synod’s concluding assembly was one of the event’s major storylines, in the wake of the continent’s outspoken opposition to the Vatican’s surprising endorsement of same-sex blessings in last year’s Fiducia Supplicans declaration.

“This is one of those synods that Africa came prepared for,” said Archbishop Andrew Nkea of Bamenda, Cameroon, speaking to the Register in Rome on Oct. 27.

The African delegates are returning home “full of joy,” he said, partly because the final report does not shift doctrinal authority to the episcopal conferences, as some in the West were pushing for.

“We thought that if power to decide on doctrinal issues, or some of that power, shifted to national episcopal conferences, we’d have a chaotic Church,” the archbishop explained.

“Therefore, not only African bishops but other Catholic bishops worried about the unity of the Church argued against that point,” said Archbishop Nkea, who was also a member of the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod that oversaw the running of the 2021-2024 process.

“We agree that episcopal conferences should have a certain degree of leverage with regard to pastoral collaboration, local decisions and acculturation,” he said, “but in matters of faith and morals, the conferences cannot decide.”

Archbishop Nkea told the Register he was more concerned about some of the other paragraphs, such as No. 92, which received some of the most “No” votes. The paragraph concerns amending canon law to shed light “on the responsibilities of those who play different roles in the decision-making process.”

“As a canon lawyer, I vehemently resisted that point and I voted ‘No,’” he said, adding that he believes other people’s opinions can only be consulted but not deliberated in making decisions.

“It is not possible for the Church to maintain her governance, her doctrinal integrity, her moral rectitude without having this clear: that the vote of the laity can only be consulted,” he continued. “If it has to be a deliberated vote, then the Church has gone democratic and it’s a kind of Protestantism that has taken over.”

When it was put to him that this still remains a proposition in the final document, he said it is because the issue is to be studied further, but he did not think it would pass. “I don’t see how it will work, at least not in Africa,” he said. “This can’t work.”

Asked about the issue of women deacons and why that continues to be open for discussion in the final document despite Pope Francis’ definitive and repeated “No” to women deacons this year, Archbishop Nkea said it was important to distinguish between “what the assembly of the synod recommends and what the Holy Father says.”

“The Holy Father was not giving points to the synod; it’s the synod that was making recommendations to the Holy Father,” he said. The final document “has not been signed yet but he’s authorized us to go ahead. … The Holy Father has said very clearly that, as for him, ‘this subject is closed, but you can wait sometime later and bring it up. Continue talking, but know my position.’ This is the way I see the argument.”

Archbishop Nkea had more reservations about Paragraph 27, which proposed “deepening the link between liturgy and synodality” and adopting “celebratory styles that make visible the face of a synodal Church.” It also called for the establishment of a specific study group to reflect on how to make liturgical celebrations more an expression of synodality.

“That was a worry,” he said. “That paragraph was controversial because it opens the door for initiatives to be taken and justified, and this is subject to a lot of interpretation.” He added: “We just hope that the interpretation will rather be strict than wide. It’s only a hope, but I know that progressive churches would exploit that.”

On relations with the German bishops, Archbishop Nkea said they were good, “very close and friendly,” adding that the German position “was not an issue for the synod.”

Asked if that was because the most controversial doctrinal, pastoral and ethical issues had been given over for members of 10 Vatican-appointed and papally approved study groups to discuss outside the synodal process, and concluding next June, the archbishop said he did not think it will “work that way” and it “should not.”

He added that the experience of Fiducia Supplicans, which caused uproar in the Church in Africa, “was not pleasant” and that he did not think “anyone wants that to repeat itself.”

For him, it is clear in the final document that those 10 issues “should be treated synodally,” and he added that the African bishops “pushed through” that demand so that the synod organizers do not “surprise us” but “consult us before the final decision comes out.”

Turning to vocations, did Archbishop Nkea see a problem that the synod delegates failed to fully examine places where vocations are growing, such as in the Church in Africa, or in traditionally Catholic communities?

He replied by saying that he picked up a sense in the synod of concerns about an “African takeover” of the Church in the West and that some participants would prefer laypeople carrying out service to communities rather than foreign priests celebrating Mass. He said this did not come out strongly in the final document, but he identified it as a “serious problem” and said it was important to see the work of priests as evangelization, not something imperial. “Synodality has to crack that,” he said.

The archbishop agreed that vocations are also growing in traditional orders, but said this was not considered at the synod because of Traditionis Custodes, the Pope’s 2021 motu proprio that sharply restricted celebration of the traditional Latin Mass. “If Europe has to save itself, they have to return to the authenticity of the Church’s teachings,” he said. “Where the Church’s teaching is rigid, people go in; where the Church’s teaching is fluid, people go out. And this is what Europe must realize if they have to maintain Christianity.”

But he sees a greater solution to the vocations crisis in the Church in the West as having to do with overcoming individualism. “Synodality is the biggest fight against individualism,” he said. “Until we kill the culture of individualism and start getting our Christians back together in those communities […] the churches will continue to empty.”

In particular, Archbishop Nkea strongly advocates the African model of small Christian communities as a solution. “I think that once we group ourselves together, and we see ourselves as Christians sharing joys and sorrows together, sharing preoccupations and anxieties with Christ at the center, then I’m telling you, nothing will break us — no matter the wars, the difficulties.” The Church in the West, he said, needs to be humble. “If it is humble, and they listen to what Africa is saying, it can help someone.”

On Oct. 23, Archbishop Nkea was elected to a new Ordinary Council. The Vatican says the council will play a “fundamental role both in the implementation of this synodal process on synodality and in the preparation of the next synod.”

For Archbishop Nkea, the synodal process has “come to stay.” He does not see it as a temporary experiment, largely because he says that the Church in Africa has been practicing synodality for the past 25 years in a provincial pastoral plan. “They can try to shift other things forward and backwards but, at least as a way of governance participation and mission, synodality has to stay,” he said.

Asked if he thought the synod was damaging to evangelization because it gave the impression that the Church’s teaching was fluid and everything was up for discussion, even on faith and morals, he answered: “It was a tendency, but it was resisted, because if some of the arguments that came to the floor went through, we would not be able to call our Church Catholic anymore.”

He added that, holding the final document in his hand, “I think the Church is still Catholic. And it’s still apostolic. What I’ve understood in the synod is that you cannot have everything. It is a discussion. It is a give and take. You don’t always have what you want, but at least what Jesus taught will not be changed.”

Source: National Catholic Register

25, October 2024

Archbishop Andrew Nkea re-elected to the Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops in Rome ⁰

Synod delegates have elected new members of the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.

At the 15th General Congregation of the Synod of Bishops on Wednesday, delegates elected the new members of the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod.

Pope Francis made a modification to the current Instruction governing the Assembly’s work, increasing the total number of members to 17, according to a statement released by the Synod Secretariat.

Of these, twelve were elected in the afternoon from among the diocesan/eparchial bishops or equivalents who are part of the Assembly: 1 from the Eastern Catholic Churches, 1 from Oceania, and 2 each from North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

In addition to these, the Pope will appoint 4 members, as well as, in due course, the head of the Dicastery of the Roman Curia responsible for the theme of the next Synod.

As stated in the Apostolic Constitution Episcopalis Communio (n. 24, 1-3), the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat is responsible for preparing and implementing the Ordinary General Assembly.

Members of the Ordinary Council begin their term at the end of the Ordinary General Assembly that elected them, they are members of the next Ordinary General Assembly, and their mandate concludes when that Assembly is dissolved.

Chaired by the Holy Father, the Council is an essential part of the General Secretariat.

The new Ordinary Council will play a key role both in implementing this synodal process on synodality and in preparing for the next Synod.

Cardinal Mario Grech, in wishing the newly elected members well in their work, also expressed gratitude to the outgoing members for their valuable collaboration in bringing the current synodal process to fruition.

The elected members are:

From the EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCHES

His Beatitude Youssef ABSI, Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek Melkites, Head of the Synod of the Greek Melkite Catholic Church

From OCEANIA

His Excellency Most Rev. Msgr. Timothy John COSTELLOE, S.D.B., Archbishop of Perth (Australia)

From NORTH AMERICA

His Excellency Most Rev. Msgr. Daniel Ernest FLORES, Bishop of Brownsville (United States of America)

His Excellency Most Rev. Msgr. Alain FAUBERT, Bishop of Valleyfield (Canada)

From LATIN AMERICA

His Eminence Most Rev. Card. Luis José RUEDA APARICIO, Archbishop of Bogotá (Colombia)

His Excellency Most Rev. Msgr. José Luis AZUAJE AYALA, Archbishop of Maracaibo (Venezuela)

From EUROPE

His Eminence Cardinal Jean-Marc AVELINE, Archbishop of Marseille (France)

His Excellency Msgr Gintaras GRUŠAS, Archbishop of Vilnius (Lithuania)

From AFRICA

Cardinal Dieudonné NZAPALAINGA, C.S.Sp., Archbishop of Bangui (Central African Republic)

H.E. Msgr. Andrew FUANYA NKEA, Archbishop of Bamenda (Cameroon)

From ASIA

His Eminence Cardinal Filipe Neri António Sebastião DO ROSÁRIO FERRÃO, Archbishop of Goa and Damão (India)

His Excellency Msgr. Pablo Virgilio S. DAVID, Bishop of Kalookan (Philippines)

To this list, Pope Francis will appoint 4 other members.

Source: Vatican News

19, October 2024

Catholic population shrinks in Europe, rises in Africa ⁰

The Catholic population in Europe fell by nearly half a million people in 2022 but continued to increase in every other part of the world, according to data released by the Vatican this week.

According to the Vatican numbers, released by the Holy See’s Fides News Agency, the Catholic population in Europe was just under 285.6 million people at the end of 2022. That is about 474,000 fewer Catholics than was reported in 2021.

The Catholic population decline coincided with a total population reduction on the continent, which recorded a net loss of 517,000 people living in Europe over the year.

Catholics still made up about 39.5% of Europe’s population in 2022, which is an 0.08% decline, according to the Vatican. The Catholic population decline in Europe has been a consistent phenomenon for several years.

In spite of the reduction in Europe, the global Catholic population is still on the rise. At the end of 2022, the Catholic population reached nearly 1.39 billion people thanks to an increase of more than 13.7 million Catholics.

The data showed that about 17.7% of the world’s population was Catholic, which was an increase of 0.03%.

The Catholic population in Africa surpassed 272.4 million people in 2022 after seeing a rise of more than 7.3 million people — the largest increase of any continent. About 19.7% of Africa was Catholic in 2022, which was an increase of 0.32% from the previous year — the largest increase in Catholic representation as a percentage of population.

North and South America recorded more than 666.2 million Catholics in 2022 following a rise of more than 5.9 million Catholics. The number of Catholics in Asia surpassed 154.24 million, which was an increase of about 889,000. There were nearly 11.11 million Catholics in Oceania after a rise of about 123,000.

Apart from Europe, Asia was the only region to see a decline in Catholics as a percentage of the total population, with a reduction of 0.02%.

Priest shortage worsens globally, nuns decline, deacons increase

The total number of Catholics priests in the world declined for the fifth straight year, but some regions are seeing an increase.

At the end of 2022, there were about 407,730 priests in the Catholic Church, which was a net decline of about 142 priests. Globally, this means there is one priest for every 15,682 Catholics.

The worst reduction of priests was in Europe, which dropped by 2,745. There was also a decrease of 164 priests in the Americas and a loss of 69 priests in Oceania.

However, an increase in 1,676 priests in Africa and 1,160 priests in Asia helped soften the blow of the overall decline in priests.

Similarly, the number of major seminarians went down by more than 1,400 from 2021 to 2022. This includes a decrease of 921 in the Americas, 859 in Europe, and 375 in Asia.

Africa saw the largest increase of 726 seminarians and Oceania had a small increase of 12 seminarians. The number of minor seminarians went down by 553.

The number of women religious fell slightly below 600,000 in 2022 with a total decline of 9,730. This was mostly led by a decrease of more than 7,000 in Europe and more than 1,350 in the Americas.

There was also a decline of about 225 in Oceania. However, the number of women religious increased by more than 1,350 in Africa and by about 74 in Asia.

Alternatively, the number of permanent deacons increased globally by 974. This includes an increase of 267 in Europe, 15 in Asia, and one in Africa. The number declined by 308 in the Americas and one in Oceania.

The number of permanent diocesan deacons went up by 960, with an increase of 697 in the Americas, 255 in Europe, and nine in Asia, with a decrease of one in Oceania. The total number of religious permanent deacons increased overall globally by 14 to 615.

Source: aciafrica

4, October 2024

Far North Flooding: Roman Catholic Bishops announce a collection for victims ⁰

The floods that have hit Cameroon in recent months have caused loss of life and enormous material damage. Those mostly affected by the deadly floods are in Mayo-Danay, a Far North Province of Cameroon. As Caritas Cameroon cannot respond to all requests for help, the Cameroon National Episcopal Conference has invited all parishes to organise a collection this Sunday, 6 October.

In a recent Statement, CENC president Archbishop Andrew Nkea recommended organising a special collection in all parishes of the country.

“We ask that a collection be organised on Sunday, 6 October, in all the parishes of our various dioceses,” he said.

Bishop Damase Zinga Atangana of Kribi Diocese and President of the Episcopal Commission for Catholic Education urged Catholic schools to do the same during the first week of October.

Catholic Church’s long tradition of helping

Cameroon’s Catholic Bishops have thus invited all Catholics and people of goodwill to show generosity and charity towards the victims by making their contributions to the collection. Archbishop Samuel Kleda of Douala appealed for donations, reaffirming the Catholic Church’s long tradition of helping those in need. “These are Cameroonians who need serious help. It is Catholic tradition for the Church to contribute financially to help the poor and suffering,” said Archbishop Kleda.

Many homes and schools damaged

The current wave of floods in Cameroon follows heavy rains since July. The rains have left at least 20 people dead and more than 236,000 in the Far North of the country affected and in need of humanitarian assistance.

Many homes and schools in Mayo-Danay Province have been destroyed. Farmlands have also been washed away, setting up the region for acute food shortages.

Source: Vatican News

2, October 2024

Pope Francis opens new debates on Catholic Church future ⁰

The General Assembly of the Synod, comprising 368 religious and lay people — including women — from around 100 countries, will hold closed-door debates on potential reforms at the Vatican until October 27.

The synod had already gathered for a month-long assembly in October 2023, after a three-year worldwide consultation among Catholics organised by Francis to confront challenges facing the 2,000-year-old Church.

The 87-year-old Argentine pontiff will have the final say on any doctrinal changes they recommend.

Last year, the assembly addressed themes as varied as attitudes to LGBTQ people, polygamy, the ordination of married men and the fight against the sexual abuse of children by priests.

Although the body resisted pressure to allow the ordination of female priests, calls continue for more visibility and space for women in an institution still run by men.

No decisions are expected any time soon, with the most sensitive issues entrusted to working groups that will deliver their conclusions in June 2025.

Francis launched the Assembly with a mass in St Peter’s Square, where he urged participants to enter the discussions with an open mind.

“Let us be careful not to see our contributions as points to defend at all costs or agendas to be imposed,” he said.

He added that the meeting was “not a parliamentary assembly, but rather a place of listening in communion”.

On Tuesday evening, Francis held a “penitential” vigil attended by around 2,5000 people in St Peter’s Basilica, during which he again asked forgiveness and expressed his “shame” for the abuse by priests that has overshadowed the Church’s work across the world.

People at the vigil heard from a South African former choirboy who was assaulted by a priest when he was just 11, and who denounced a lack of transparency and responsibility in and by the Church that he said had shaken the faith of millions of people.

“We are here as beggars of the Father’s mercy, asking for forgiveness,” Francis said.

“How could we be credible in our mission if we do not acknowledge our mistakes and stoop to heal the wounds we have caused by our sins?” he added.

Source: AFP

22, September 2024

Roman Catholic clerics urge support after devastating floods in West and Central Africa ⁰

Catholic leaders across West and Central Africa are calling for assistance following unprecedented and deadly floods that have swept through the regions.

The catastrophic flooding in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, Chad, Mali, Ghana, and Liberia has triggered severe humanitarian crises, affecting an estimated four million people, most of whom are children.

As of 17 September, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said that at least 341 people had died due to the floods that have also affected nearly 1.5 million people.

Bishop Dominique Tinoudji of the Diocese of Pala in Chad has urged the population not to despair, reminding them that “God is still on the throne.”

In a September 8 Mass dedicated to the flood victims, the bishop noted that “the situation we face might lead us to question God’s presence, His protection, and His help; but even in the face of such a severe trial, we must not give up hope.”

The bishop called Christians to action, urging them to make sure the new shelters now called home by the millions displaced by the floods do not constitute a source of fresh problems for the people.

“We must safeguard hygiene to prevent disease and protect the vulnerable from the cold and malaria-carrying mosquitoes,” Tinoudji said.

“We are one body in Christ, and individually member’s one of another. Opening your hand to give a kilogram of rice, some maize, or a bar of soap can make a huge difference,” he continued.

He emphasized the importance of supporting local Caritas organizations to ensure a coordinated disaster response.

“Caritas is our way of putting charity into action. Unfortunately, in many parishes, Caritas is either inactive or absent. Even our diocesan Caritas is still in its early stages,” the bishop said.

The Catholic Church leader encouraged communities to take “practical steps in city planning to reduce future risks, particularly in flood-prone areas.”

“Our engineers must help us design cities that consider natural water pathways, flood-prone areas, and proper drainage systems,” the bishop said and reiterated his call to trust in God’s continued presence, saying, “Do not be afraid; be strong and keep your trust in the Lord.”

In Nigeria, at least 269 people are reported dead and more than 640,000 people displaced, according to the latest data from the country’s disaster management agency NEMA.

The flooding in Nigeria was caused by the collapse of a dam following heavy rainfall. There are also concerns that there will be even more flooding in the days ahead as Cameroon plans to release water from the Lagdo Dam in the country’s Far North Region.

Nigeria’s hydrological services agency has warned that 11 states would potentially be flooded as a result.

The Catholic auxiliary bishop of Maiduguri – located in Nigeria’s Borno state that has been most affected by the floods – has in a video message noted that “the city of Maiduguri has been engulfed with a devastating flood and over 40 percent of the city is under water.”

In comments to Crux, the Episcopal Secretary for Laity Affairs of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Josef Iorakpen Ishu, noted that “the flood regime in Nigeria is heartbroken.”

“The flood that is ravishing some parts of the country is compounding the hardship on the people. In fact, the metrology agency is predicting that more states will experience flooding in days and weeks to come, and the government is asking those living in such areas to vacate immediately,” he told Crux.

“The question is should people vacate where? Because the same government has not provided alternative homes or makeshift homes for the people,” he said.

“Even humanitarian agencies are overwhelmed by the situation. It is a huge challenge for us here,” Ishu added.

Then referencing the recent End Bad Governance Protest in Nigeria, Ishu said the government’s response to the floods is just further proof that it has “lost its relevance at all levels: Federal, state and local levels.”

“People are helpless and looking up to God for divine intervention,” he said.

“We are reaching out to our friends at Aid to the Church in Need for your prayers, especially at this difficult and challenging time,” the Bishop of Maiduguri said in a video message.

In Cameroon, where the UN says at least 17 people have died, the government has offered assistance in terms of basic items like blankets, soap, and buckets.

In Niger, over 137,000 people have lost their homes due to flooding since August. Almost 100 deaths have been recorded.

“The situation [in West and Central Africa] is devastating — people in the region are already grappling with rising hunger and alarmingly high malnutrition,” said Modou Diaw, the West Africa Vice President for the International Red Cross.

Climate change is now blamed for the floods, triggering calls for a response to the high cost Africa pays due to the issue.

“Africa is losing an estimated 2-5 percent of its GDP annually due to climate-related disasters,” said Dr. Richard Munang, Africa Regional Climate Change Coordinator at the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in comments to Crux.

“For instance, adaptation costs in sub-Saharan Africa are projected to reach $30-50 billion annually over the next decade,” he said.

Source: Crux