AMECEA
Secretariat had a successful workshop held in March 5 to 9, 2012 in Nairobi,
Kenya. The workshop on the Implementation of the Post – Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation AFRICAE MUNUS had the
theme “Shaping the destiny of the people in the region.” The over seventy
delegates for the workshop were drawn from all the nine countries of the AMECEA
Region and they included archbishops, bishops, priests, religious men and women
as well as lay people. They were representatives of the three important
departments of AMECEA namely: Social Communications, Justice and Peace and
Pastoral and Lay Apostolate.
In his
opening speech, Very Rev. Fr. Ferdinand Lugonzo, AMECEA Secretary General
borrowed the words of his predecessor, Fr. Pius Rutechura which reaffirmed that
the second special assembly is a reminder that the Church in Africa has an
unfinished agenda in the area of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace. This he
said is a very strong indication that more than anything else, the pastoral
focus and priority of the AMECEA Region must be in the area of Reconciliation,
Justice and Peace. He added that looking at Africa’s recent history, Reconciliation,
Justice and Peace are vital issues at this moment in time. Therefore there is
need for the AMECEA region to deepen its reflection on this theme and reveal
the real causes of conflict and propose concrete ways and means to bring about
Reconciliation, Justice and Peace. This according to Fr. Ferdinand is where the
idea of the Workshop on the Papal Exhortation Africae Munus was conceived.
While
officially opening the workshop, Most Rev. Tarcisius
Ziyaye, chairman of AMECEA reaffirmed the sentiments of the Secretary General
Fr. Ferdinand, saying that among the many resolutions that the AMECEA Bishops
passed during the AMECEA 17th Plenary which was held last year in
Nairobi was the need to strengthen mechanisms of networks of Reconciliation,
Justice and Peace and Caritas in order to support the Church in effective
response to shaping the destiny of the people of God within the AMECEA
Region.
Most Rev.
Ziyaye pledged during his speech that matters of Reconciliation, Justice and
Peace are and shall remain on the agenda of AMECEA for the next three years and
beyond. He said that the need for AMECEA to focus on these matters is
intensified with the current history of the region. “While we thank almighty
God for the relatively peaceful atmosphere that many of the countries in our
Region are experiencing, we cannot close our eyes on the reality of conflict,
the experience of injustices and the need to bring healing among our people,”
he said.
An invited
guest speaker ambassador Bethwel Kiplagat from Kenya pleaded with the clergy
from the region to consider creating chaplaincies for parliaments, chaplaincies
for civil servants, chaplaincy for the police in our countries in order to
reach out spiritually to both government and civic leaders. “Here in Kenya for
instance, we have a chaplaincy for the armed forces, it will do this country a
great deal if other key sectors such as parliament and civil service have the
same so as to reach out spiritually to these leaders in order to steer them
back to the right way. In most cases African leaders err because they lack
spiritual guidance.”
Rt. Rev.
Martin Mtumbuka, the Chairman of AMECEA Justice and Peace urged the
participants in the workshop to be committed to their call through active
participation and involvement. “I would like us to go to our suffering brothers
and sisters and show them solidarity. We may not be able to have answers to
their problems, we may not be able to offer the solutions they so desperately
need; but our presence among them is very vital. To relay messages to our
suffering brothers and sisters telling them that we know they are suffering and
we are praying for them is not enough; to hold meetings on behalf of our
suffering brothers in comfortable hotels and discuss their agenda far away from
them is not enough. We need to be there for them, be present amidst them, feel
their pain and give whatever support we can; this is the true meaning of
solidarity; this is what we must embrace” he emphasized.
The four-day
workshop ended in high spirit with the participants pledging commitment to do
their part towards the implementation of the Papal Exhortation Africae Munus. Solidarity and collaborations were among key pledges, which
members of the region promised to embrace. All in all, the future looks bright
and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the commitment and desires of the
members; certainly these will bear fruits.
Source: AMECEA Social Communications
Office
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