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SVD Participation in the Synod The recently concluded Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops held from October 4-25, 2009 counted with the presence and participation of two SVD African Bishops and a provincial namely: Bishop Franklyn NUBUASAH, Titular Bishop of Pauzera, Apostolic Vicar of Francistown, Botswana, Bishop Antonio JACA of the Diocese of Caxito in Angola and Fr. Zeferino ZECA Martins, the Provincial of Angola. Both Bishops Nubuasah and Jaca were in the synod as elected delegates of the South African Catholic Bishops’ Confrence and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Angola and Sao Tome respectively. On the other hand, Fr. Zeca was personally invited by Pope Benedict XVI as one of the synodal fathers. In Communion with the Synod of Africa The Religious of Rome in communion with the Synod of Africa have gathered for round table discussions last October 10, 16 and 23, 2009. The prophetic cries of Africa’s peoples resound with urgency through all the earth, calling on religious men and women to be instruments of the Spirit. Responding to this call, the religious of Rome joined in solidarity with those who are participating in the Synod reflecting and opening their minds and hearts to the Spirit’s action. The theology and experiential reflections were: Prophetic Role of the Church in African Society, Role of Women in the Church of Africa and Religious Life in Africa: What is our Role? |
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Second Special Assembly for Synod of Africa Thoughts and Impressions |
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Bishop Franklyn Nubuasah SVD Synodal Bishop
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● The synod was a good opportunity for the church of Africa to meet with brothers and sisters from other continents. It is an eye opener that coming from different places and realities we have common needs, issues and problems and we can work together as a universal church towards peace and reconciliation for our people. There are certain things during the special assembly that impressed me most. First of all I was impressed with the urgent need of favoring and promoting woman’s worth, and not just because she is wife and mother. Women have the capability and responsibility for education and reconciliation. Women are very active and present in different circles of social life. I will underline in our diocese the urgency for women to share their gifts within the church. Secondly, I was impressed to see our Holy Father, participating quietly, simply sitting and listening. I said to myself, “See our Holy Father has much to learn from the people of Africa”. I am going back to Botswana with the special call and challenge to put to use the social teachings of the church to educate our people and to take responsibility for their faith in the government, families and in their own neighborhood. |
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Bishop Antonio Jaca SVD Synodal Bishop
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The synod,
which I had the privilege to attend for the first time, is a real witness
to what ecclesial communion is all about. The bishops from Africa and
other bishops, as well as invited participants from all over the world,
realize that we share common problems and we all work towards the
attainment of peace, justice and reconciliation in our communities. As a
bishop from Africa, it is elating for me to see how the whole synod found
ways and means to give a response and support to the complex problems that
face this continent. I was moved and impressed with the sharing of two women about the difficult journey towards forgiveness and reconciliation. One was a nun from Rwanda and the other a lay woman from Burundi. Both witnessed clearly that though it may be a difficult process to forgive, once it is done true liberation comes. I also understood clearly how the different pressing problems and challenges in Africa are a call basically towards further evangelization and reconciliation. Africa can no longer afford a dichotomy of faith where sometimes day to day living is not coherent with one’s faith. I will bring back to my diocese in Angola the strong ecclesial spirit of the universal church. In that same spirit there is also the call to reconciliation in the diocese. I will particularly ask and encourage our priests to take a further look at the work of evangelization. We deepen the faith through evangelizing not catechumenizing. Africa needs a form of Christianity that can face the growing fundamentalism and materialism |
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Fr. Zeferino Zeca Martins SVD Synodal Father
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● First of all, I would like to correct an item that was published in the Vatican news, that I was invited by the Holy Father to participate in the recently concluded special assembly of Africa as an expert. The truth is, I was invited as one of the synodal fathers and I consider this a great honor and a privilege. This gathering was not a moment of study and discussion of theology and of searching for new theological terms and concepts. It was a moment to pause, to listen to the voice of the spirit that speaks to the church, to hear and contemplate the reality of the African church with its flourishing and active laity and with its experiences of death, injustice and hunger. Then we reminded ourselves as a church that “We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world”. I was impressed with the opportunity given for the delegates to express the African reality and the challenges the church faces. It gave me the opportunity to appreciate the work and efforts towards dialogue with our Muslim brothers and sisters. I heard personal experiences of how reconciliation must be lived on a continent wounded by violence, crude violation of human rights and innumerable social problems. I am bringing home to the Province this spirit of witnessing to our faith as expressed in many realities the Church of Africa continues to experience. I will encourage our confreres to continue to witness to their faith and to their missionary presence. As it was spoken and shared: “Truly witnessing to our faith is simply becoming the salt of the earth and the light of the world.” |
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For the past twenty years our confreres have worked in Madagascar and have extended their missionary services to 4 dioceses namely: Mananjary, Fianarantsoa, Antananarivo and Ambatondrazaka. The first diocese where the SVDs worked was the diocese of Mananjary. Fr. Jack Zdislaw GRADZ started his missionary work in 1993 in the district of Pangalana, by the Indian Ocean. Getting in contact with the villagers and visiting them regularly, Fr. Gradz observed the strength of the faith of the people. Such a faith was the way towards the villagers’ conversion and acceptance of the life giving Word of God. As they were converted they experienced a sense of liberation, salvation, well being and good health. For about ten years the chiefs (kings) of the tribes of Antambahoaka, Antemoro and Betsimisaraka were always observing with attention what was happening. They were curious but at the same time they were moved. Finally, some heads of the clans (ampanjaka) had the confidence and readiness to receive the faith and to stop doing some of those rituals that had been the main obstacle for their admission to the Christian life. Fr.Gradz, in order to facilitate their passage from “the pagan” life to the Christian life, prepared a ritual which he terms as “blessing of the king”. The dissertation on the role of symbols and rituals in the communication of the faith, done by Fr. Gradz during his studies at Salesiana University in Rome, proved to be a great help for this activity. In the execution of the blessing and ritual, a king must make a strong promise in front of the priest and the local Christian community to renounce the traditional sacrifices of zebu (cow). During the celebration the king receives a new red garment, a red hat and a new stick with the sign of the cross. The king hands the old magical stick to the priest. Later, the king carries to the altar the new elements of sacrifice: the bread and wine placed on the altar of sacrifice. The king gives the testimony that the only true sacrifice is to Christ. Part of the ritual is the blessing given by the king himself. He now blesses not on the name of zebu (cow) but in the name of the Holy Trinity. In 2005 at the village of Marohita, south of Pagalana district, the first blessing of a king was carried out. The recipient of the blessing was King Malgascio. This event started the blessings of other kings from other neighboring villages. Fr. Gradz and Fr. Czeslaw SADECKI were able to convince three kings from the Tanandava village, in Antambahoaka. Like King Mascio, the kings got rid of their fears for their ancestors. Five years later, around 40 kings received these blessings that later led to their conversion to the Christian faith. Their conversion to the faith was an inspiration for many. As a result, Christian communities have sprouted from the villages and areas of the blessed and converted kings. Over the years, the conversion of kings (heads of clans and tribes) opened possibilities for evangelization of the tribal family. Fr. Pawel GALLA now continues to accompany and spiritually assist those blessed and converted kings. On February 2010, 26 other kings will receive their blessings followed later by their acceptance to the Christian faith. Fr. Jack Gradz |
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Fr. Gradz with some converted kings.
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