Missionaries of Africa

BLESSED CHARLES DECKERS – EL KALIMA

Homily by Mons Luc Terlinden, Archbishop of Malines-Brussels, delivered on 15 December 2024, during the celebration of the Eucharist in the church of Notre Dame de la Cambre in Ixelles in memory of the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Blessed Charles Deckers, M.Afr., and the 30th anniversary of his death in Tizi Ouzou in Algeria. This homily is followed by a message of thanks delivered by Blessed Charles’ nephew, Gilles Deckers.

“Some people might criticize the preaching of John the Baptist. Did he not show himself to be too lenient by not condemning the tax collectors in the service of the Roman occupiers, but simply recommending that they demand nothing beyond the set amount? And what about the soldiers, whom he does not ask to give up their profession, but to do no violence to anyone?

John does not ask some people to leave everything to follow him, as Jesus will. And in his answer to the crowds’ question “What shall we do?”, he does not ask them to make sacrifices for their sins or to imitate him in his ascetic and austere life. He calls them to help those in need, to be honest and fair in the exercise of their profession. All in all, these are requirements that apply to everyone, Jews and non-Jews alike. It is a universal ethic.

However, to criticize John the Baptist for not going far enough in his demands compared to those of Jesus is not only a form of anachronism – John is not the Messiah but the forerunner – but it also fails to recognize his role in announcing the Good News. The evangelist Luke says that he too takes part in announcing the Good News to the people.

This is an important aspect of the mission and proclamation of the Gospel. We cannot think that mission necessarily consists of an immediate and explicit proclamation of the Gospel. This was the experience of the missionaries in Algeria. The proclamation of the Good News comes first and foremost through fraternity, solidarity with a people, dialogue and charity. It is not done by proselytizing.

Charles de Foucauld wrote about the mission to the Tuaregs: ‘We need good priests, in sufficient numbers, not to preach: we would receive them as we would receive the Turks coming to preach Mohammed in the Breton villages (…); but to make contact, to be loved, to inspire esteem, confidence and friendship’.

Missionaries are first and foremost experts in humanity, as was Father Charles, the Belgian this time, or rather the Algerian, because he had become such a brother to the people among whom he lived that he had taken on their nationality. And his mastery of the language had made him ‘a Berber with the Berbers’.

The mission is based first and foremost on that great charity to which John the Baptist invites us: ‘He who has two garments, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise! Jesus would say nothing else when he spoke of the Last Judgement: ‘I was naked, and you clothed me; I was hungry, and you gave me food’.

The mission also respects the rhythms and states of each individual. It does not ask the tax collector to live poor like a Franciscan overnight, or the soldier to lay down his arms on the spot. Rather, John the Baptist asks these soldiers to ‘do no violence to anyone, accuse no one falsely, and be content with your pay’. If we were already doing this, how much suffering and genocide would have been avoided!

At the heart of mission lies a shared humanity. And the first conversion is that of charity and fraternity. It is a universal conversion, aimed at everyone. In the name of this fraternity, the mission is not proselytizing, but is lived out with great respect for conscience and inner freedom. Father Philippe Thiriez writes of Father Charles that, in all his work, refusing all proselytism, ‘he wanted everyone, young people or adults, to remain free at heart in their faith, their inner unity’.

We are sometimes a little quick to think that proclaiming the Gospel consists above all in explicitly proclaiming Christ and catechizing. Without denying this aspect of the mission, our missionary brothers and sisters of today, in the very name of their faith in Christ, first invite us live as brothers and sisters with a heart open to all and everyone.

As John the Baptist, we must be able to step aside before the one who is greater and stronger, Christ, but also before the sanctuary of God in each human person: their conscience and their freedom of heart, welcoming them as brothers and sisters.

Brotherhood is the foundation of the proclamation of the Gospel. Father Charles was a witness to Christ through his great humanity and selfless love. He became a brother among his brothers and sisters. Responding to the call of John the Baptist today and preparing the way for the coming of the Lord begins with this: living fraternity and concrete charity.

(The following lines are in Flemish in the original text)

Fraternity is the foundation of the proclamation of the Gospel. Father Charles was such a witness to Christ through his great humanity and selfless love. He became a brother among his brothers and sisters. Responding today to the call of John the Baptist and preparing the way for the coming of the Lord begins here: living fraternity and putting concrete charity into practice.”

+ Luc Terlinden, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels

THANKS.

As Co-President of El Kalima, I would like to thank you warmly for your presence at the memorial mass for my uncle Charles Deckers, Founder of the El Kalima Association in 1978.

El Kalima means the Word. The El Kalima association is very active in inter-religious dialogue and its aim is to build bridges between religions, spiritualties and all people of goodwill.

El Kalima works towards this goal by developing the following activities, which are mentioned on our website and in our leaflet:

– workshops on religious objects in schools (we reached over 1,000 pupils last year);

– training courses at the request of religion teachers and Parents’ Associations to improve their knowledge of the Muslim religion and how to live together more effectively;

– partnerships with places of worship, associations and interfaith events;

– interfaith meetings and activities on the themes of health, mixed couples, the search for meaning in prisons, etc.

– annual publications such as the interfaith calendar and occasional publications of educational issues.

We would like to propose to the Archbishopric a partnership that will be built by developing joint events for inter-religious dialogue in the diocese.

A magnificent biography of Charles Deckers, written by Salah Selloum, a former pupil of Charles Deckers in Algeria, is available for €35. Profits will go to the El Kalima Association.

21st December in the life of Charles Cardinal Lavigerie

Posted on 21/12/202405/02/2025 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

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John Slinger R.I.P.

Posted on 20/12/202401/01/2025 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

Society of the Missionaries of Africa
Father Hugh Seenant, Provincial Delegate of the sector of Great Britain,
informs you of the return to the Lord of Father

John Slinger

on Friday, 20^th December 2024 in Nyegezi (Tanzania)
at the age of 83 years, of which 53 years of missionary life
in Tanzania, Kenya, Colombia, Spain and Great Britain.

Let us pray for him and for his loved ones.

Download here the announcement of Father John Slinger’s death

Milestones in the life of Father John Slinger

Born in : Hoylake on : 01/07/1941	Spiritual Year	Missionary Oath	Priesthood Ordination
Diocese : Shrewsbury	08/09/1967	18/04/1971	24/06/1972
Citizenship : British	Dorking (Great Britain)	Totteridge (Great Britain)	West Kirby (Great Britain)

Bionotes

01/09/1972	Apprend Langue CELA	Kipalapala, CELA	Tanzania
01/04/1973	Curate	Kigoma, D. Kigoma	Tanzania
01/02/1975	Curate	Mulera	Tanzania
01/06/1976	Curate	Ussongo, D. Tabora	Tanzania
06/08/1976	Curate	Nairobi, Eastleigh	Kenya
01/01/1983	Conseiller Régional		Kenya
01/05/1983	Parish Priest	Nairobi, Eastleigh	Kenya
01/09/1987	Superior	Oak Lodge, 1st Cycle	Great Britain
01/07/1988	Provincial: 1er mand.	London, Stormont Rd	Great Britain
01/07/1991	Provincial: 2°mandate	London	Great Britain
01/07/1994	Sabbatical, Pastoral	Cali	Colombia
01/09/1995	Curate	Nyakato, D. Mwanza	Tanzania
07/12/1996	Parish Priest	Nyakato	Tanzania
05/12/1997	Nommé Assist.Région.	Nyegezi, Reg. House	Tanzania
01/07/1999	Provincial	Nyegezi, Reg. House	Tanzania
01/11/2003		Atiman House	Tanzania
01/07/2005	Curate/Isl.Enc.	Wete, D. Zanzibar	Tanzania
01/08/2007	Parish Priest	Nairobi, Queen of Peace	Kenya
01/12/2012	Nommé (PE 10/12)	Roquetas de Mar	España
01/09/2015	Curate	Tandale	Tanzania
01/09/2023	Curate	Nyegezi	Tanzania

20th December in the life of Charles Cardinal Lavigerie

Posted on 20/12/202405/02/2025 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

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Maybe my Vulnerable Brother is in my Community

Posted on 19/12/202419/12/2024 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

When Jesus was passing from this world to his Father, he said to his disciples: ‘My commandment is this: love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (Jn 15:12-17).

I have seen many communities where there is never any recreation. Everything is focused on the television. We eat fast to be on time for the TV. And because some people are slow eaters, those in a hurry remove their plates right before them. Their excuse is sound: washing up! And they’ll point out that you’re not helping them with the washing-up in addition to being late.

We’re prisoners of our own culture, our own way of life.

We are so busy doing things for people that we no longer have time to listen to those who are in great need. Yet to be a missionary is to show God’s love through the Church and the Society we belong to.

“Love of God, yes, but what about love of work? It will be difficult to tell the Swiss to slow down with their work since it’s part of their culture, except to reconsider their position as witnesses to God’s love. What we need to review is the way we do things.

When you look at the history of the Society, you discover that the brothers (and the sisters) are sometimes better witnesses to Jesus Christ than the fathers. Look at this example from the early days of the Society: the missionaries who built the church in Bukoba, Tanzania, were White Fathers who came from Uganda, where they had been expelled. The brothers were the best witnesses; they built churches and worked hard. But they also respected the work rules and stopped work at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, together with the workers. They washed and then had time… They loved their workers as colleagues and friends. Since they didn’t work on Sundays, they visited their workers’ families. Because of their way of life, the brothers are sometimes better witnesses to God’s love than some parish priests who preach the gospel in words, but often don’t have the time to preach it in deeds.

In his dedication of the book “Histoire des Missionnaires d’Afrique (Pères Blancs) à l’époque coloniale 1919-1939” Father Francis Nolan states: “I dedicate this book to the Brothers who were always less esteemed than their confreres priests. I dedicate it to the Brothers whose commitment and ingenuity will remain engraved in the stone of cathedrals, churches, schools and workshops built with their own hands, long after the memory of the Fathers has faded”.

The great obstacle to the love of God is that the culture of efficiency and performance has taken over. And then, when we meet African confreres, there is friction. Suddenly, you realise that your culture is centred on work and theirs on relationships between people: we talk, we discuss. Someone once quipped: “The ideal thing is to have a European priest and an African priest in a community: one who works, works, works…; and the other who you can talk to!

Christ came into the world so that the world could be saved

What did he do? First of all, he took his time. He did not start his ministry before the age of 30, and he was not impatient. After all, his culture forbade him from speaking before age 30. He respects his culture. What did he do for the next three years? Well, he took the time to go to Cana and would see Martha, Mary and Lazarus on weekends. Afterwards, when Lazarus died, people could say of Jesus, when they saw him weeping: “See how he loved him”.

He arrived at Peter’s house and, seeing that his mother-in-law was ill, healed her. What is striking about Christ is that he bears witness to God’s love by being attentive to the needs of others. Are we attentive to the need to do things for others or to the needs of others?

I went to see a friend with whom I was working on a book one day. I told him, ” I’ve come to see you because there’s this work to be done and …” I explained, and I got excited. After 10 minutes, my friend said, “Hello, Father, how are you? How are the other Fathers?” He retained nothing of what I’d said because I hadn’t greeted him!

We bear witness to God’s love by the way we treat others. Sometimes someone comes to see us, and just because it wasn’t planned, we get annoyed because it interferes with our work. Our work is essential, but when someone interrupts us, we lose our patience and don’t take the time to bear witness to God’s love.

Jesus paid very special attention to the marginalised, the outcasts, the widows, the lepers. God’s love is revealed today by anyone who knows how to listen and console, especially by those who feel called to reach out to those who, in the culture of efficiency, are left on the sidelines. “My commandment is this: greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

By: Raphaël Deillon, M.Afr.

19th December in the life of Charles Cardinal Lavigerie

Posted on 19/12/202405/02/2025 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

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18th December in the life of Charles Cardinal Lavigerie

Posted on 18/12/202419/12/2024 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

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Transforming conflict into peace

Posted on 18/12/202418/12/2024 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

Conflicts are an integral part of life in society. Social life is marked by different types of conflicts. They can be verbal but also non-verbal. They could also be armed as well as aggressive attitudes and behaviours which are signs of the difficulties of living together in harmony. I have not only experienced conflicts but also been involved and implicated in several situations of conflicts. I have lived and worked in conflict zones, rebellious contexts as well as in war zones. Some of these situations were well beyond our control. However, what counts is not the existence of conflicts but how we handle them.

There are no small conflicts

Though the root causes of conflicts are many and complex, the parties involved in a conflict often carry a lot of prejudices that influence their perception of the reality. Prejudices and stereotypes aggravate conflicts; they are easy ways to classify, categorise and identify people but blur the situation; they are subjective and not objective perceptions. A conflict involving just two people can escalate to implicate a whole family, clan, tribe, village …etc. This reminds me of the African proverb that says: there are no small conflicts. Therefore, under normal circumstances, conflicts should not be avoided but rather faced with tact, love and truth. The parties should be challenged to reflect on their prejudices and stereotypes in order to overcome them.

Peaceful handling of conflicts

As Hamlet Prince of Denmark, we too may wonder whether it is better to endure conflicts or to take up arms against them and thus end them. However, conflicts are never resolved by arms or avoidance. But there is a third and a better way. In fact, experience has shown that peaceful conflict transformations bear lasting fruits.

A lot is being done behind the scenes, not only to promote peaceful conflict resolution but specially to prevent conflicts. I have witnessed conflict transformation through the traditional joking relations or palaver procedures whereby the different parties are made to talk out their divergences and litigations. It entailed bringing together those in conflict to express their grievances and concerns. The beginning of such an encounter could be acrimonious, with a lot of anger, tensions and emotions, but which were gradually transformed into empathic listening and dispassionate dialogue, eventually leading to tolerance and acceptance. The end results were palpable since harmony returned and those involved shared a drink, kola nut, … etc. For this to take place the role of a mediator or group of mediators is of paramount importance. A successful mediation requires good reputation, impartiality and foresightedness, conditions which create trust and confidence. According to the situation, the mediator may proceed by encountering the different parties in conflict separately before bringing them together. In such negotiations there are no winners and losers! Everyone wins in one way or the other.

The disciples of Christ, the Prince of Peace, are peacemakers

As missionary disciples of Christ, the Prince of Peace, we have a special contribution to make in matters of peacebuilding. Jesus expects his disciples to be peacemakers; he addresses them with greetings of peace: ‘peace be with you.’ Shalom is a hallmark of Christian mission. A first action is to refrain from propagating hate messages, rumour mongering, gossiping or any act that will intensify or create conflict.

Faced with conflict, the disciple, as prophetic witness of Christ, has the responsibility to find a permanent peaceful solution to it. His action should be guided by the spirit of the gospel. There is a need for concrete action which implies getting in touch with the different parties and proposing a service of mediation.

In this area of mediation Sant’Egidio has good practices to share! The role of the mediator requires discretion and renunciation to the paternity or ownership of the end results; as salt of the earth and light of the world, the disciple becomes an ambassador of reconciliation. For instance, the role played by the apostles in the election of the first seven deacons: they gave the criteria for their selection and at the end confirmed the choice of the community with a prayer for the newly elected ministers. Another example is the first ecumenical council, the council of Jerusalem. This was a synodal approach: they listened to everybody who had something to say on the situation, then they drew the conclusions that had become obvious. They then created an instance to implement and to follow up the situation to a peaceful end. In this process the guiding principle is the common good embedded in the will of God. For the focus of a Christian conflict management is based on the will of God.

Awareness raising and education for peace

From my experience a lot was achieved through raising awareness. At an early age, young people should be trained to live together with people from different backgrounds (race, culture and religion). Their civic education and socialisation should empower them to be able to live peacefully with others and to see differences as an enrichment rather than as a threat. A fertile ground for conflict prevention is the whole area of youth apostolate. The youth learn to appreciate their cultural diversity by interacting with each other.

However, efforts could be made at all levels to raise awareness of diversity in cultures, lifestyles and behaviours; this will enrich coexistence. Occasions should be created to celebrate diversity in society as a means of learning from each other’s culture and tradition. Such experiences will surely lead to mutual understanding and appreciation: ingredients for harmonious coexistence.

The Church has a great role to play in peaceful transformation of conflicts. The activities of the Church should focus on peaceful coexistence. Catholic education, in particular should promote among their pupils the values that promote peace and reconciliation. The social teachings of the Church can be an important tool in preventing conflict and promoting peace. Church leaders should avail themselves for mediation when conflicts crop up. But above all, the Church can better play this role when it is itself a laboratory of peaceful coexistence.

By: Ignatius Anipu, M.Afr.

17th December in the life of Charles Cardinal Lavigerie

Posted on 17/12/202418/12/2024 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

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22nd December in the life of Charles Cardinal Lavigerie

30th anniversary of the death of Blessed Charles Deckers in Tizi Ouzou in Algeria