Missionaries of Africa

17th May in the life of Charles Cardinal Lavigerie

Posted on 17/05/202514/05/2025 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

Intercultural and interreligious dialogue at Kungoni: A path to unity and peace in Malawi

Posted on 17/05/202516/05/2025 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

In today’s increasingly diverse society, intercultural and interreligious dialogue play a vital role in promoting peace, understanding and collaboration among mission communities. Founded in 1976, the Kungoni Centre of Culture and Arts located in Mua Mission, deeply rooted in Malawi’s rich cultural heritage, highlights the importance of fostering such dialogues. Under the new leadership of Fr. Brendan O’Shea, Missionary of Africa, the centre has dedicated many years to documenting and celebrating Malawian culture. By facilitating intercultural and interreligious dialogues, the centre creates bridges of understanding that transcend cultural differences, enabling peaceful coexistence. This article explores how we can nurture these dialogues at Kungoni, their relation to our faith, and how they promote unity within the communities surrounding Mua Mission.

Understanding Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue

Intercultural dialogue refers to the open exchange of views and knowledge between individuals and groups from different cultural backgrounds. At Kungoni, this is expressed through arts, traditions and cultural performances that celebrate the unique identities of the Malawian people. Interreligious dialogue, on the other hand, is the respectful communication between individuals of different religious beliefs, fostering mutual understanding and collaboration. At Kungoni, where culture and religion intersect, we have a unique opportunity to engage in both types of dialogue, creating an environment where cultural expression and spiritual beliefs are both respected and celebrated.

Promoting this practice at Kungoni is not just about showcasing art; it involves delving into the deeper question of what it means to be part of a diverse society. Through exhibitions, workshops, and performances, the centre provides a space for people of different cultural and religious backgrounds to interact, learn, and share. This exchange builds mutual respect, tolerance, and understanding, reducing prejudice and promoting unity.

Engaging the Chewa, Yao, and Ngoni in Dialogue: Witnesses to God’s Love

As witnesses to God’s love, we are called to foster unity and peace across cultural and religious divides. In the communities around Mua Mission, the Chewa, Yao, and Ngoni have distinct cultural and religious identities. The Chewa maintain their traditional beliefs and practices, the Yao are predominantly Muslim, and the Ngoni have embraced both Christianity and their warrior traditions.

Engaging in meaningful intercultural and interreligious dialogue with these communities begins with acknowledging the inherent value of each tradition and religion. True dialogue requires recognizing that God’s love transcends human differences and brings all people into a shared relationship. Kungoni, as a centre for culture and art, serves as a natural meeting place for these dialogues. Through workshops and cultural exchanges featuring Chewa dances, Yao music, and Ngoni storytelling during the annual “Kungoni Open Day” the centre offers an opportunity to explore the deeper spiritual values that each group holds dear.

Promoting Universal Values that Transcend Cultural and Religious Differences at Mua Mission

In the light of the Gospel, we are called to promote universal values such as love, peace, justice, and respect for human dignity. These values transcend cultural and religious differences and can form a common ground for dialogue between Catholics and members of other religious traditions at Mua Mission.

To promote these values, the Kungoni Centre of Culture and Arts, for instance, conducts events that emphasize the importance of tolerance and understanding among different cultural and religious groups. The Kungoni centre creates faith-based organizations, such as the Kumbewu Centre for Women Empowerment (KUCEWO) using interreligious and intercultural collaboration to address social issues like empowering women through technical and skills training.

The Gospel’s call to “love your neighbour” also encourages us to create spaces where cultural and religious differences are not merely tolerated but appreciated as part of the richness of human diversity.

Fostering Peaceful Coexistence and Collaboration at Kungoni Centre

Creating an environment of peaceful coexistence and collaboration around Kungoni Centre requires deliberate action. First, it is essential to cultivate a culture of respect and openness, where dialogue is encouraged at every level of interaction. The Kungoni Centre constantly receives students at all levels so they can experience and appreciate the diversity which we have in Malawi.

This interaction would bring together diverse communities to celebrate their traditions, exchange ideas, and build relationships. The festivals can include a mix of performances, begin with interreligious prayer service, and artistic showcases, highlighting the shared beauty and values of different cultural and religious traditions.

Fostering interaction and collaboration also requires communities to work together on common goals. Kungoni is bridging for joint projects that address local challenges, such as poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability, and education. By working together on these issues, the people of Mua can build relationships based on mutual respect and a shared vision for the common good.

Our parish and community leaders also play a critical role in fostering a culture of dialogue and peace. The parish must actively participate, setting examples to parishioners by engaging in conversations with other church leaders from different cultural and religious backgrounds. Regular meetings among these leaders can help address emerging challenges and deepen cooperation, encouraging the broader community to embrace peace and collaboration.

Conclusion

Intercultural and interreligious dialogue is not only a beneficial practice but also a necessity in today’s world, particularly in places like Mua Mission, where cultural and religious diversity is prominent. Kungoni Centre of Culture and Arts offers a unique platform for promoting these dialogues, fostering understanding, peace, and collaboration among the Chewa, Yao, Ngoni, and other groups. By promoting universal values rooted in the Gospel and creating an environment that nurtures peaceful coexistence, Kungoni contributes to a more united and compassionate community. This, ultimately, is the call of the Gospel and the mission of Kungoni: to bear witness to God’s love by celebrating our diversity and shared humanity.

By: Ryan Contamina, M.Afr.

The Enduring Relevance of Laudato Si’

Posted on 16/05/202516/05/2025 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

Is Laudato Si’ still relevant? Without violating the rules of logic, the answer is Yes. Though this encyclical is still to be discovered, understood and appreciated, the Society of Missionaries of Africa finds it useful. It holds the view that caring for our common home promotes the common good. That is why, on 10 May 2025, eight members of the Generalate Community in Rome, joined other volunteers under the hospice of Roma Cura Roma (“Rome takes care of Rome”) project, for its 4^th edition. The aim of the project is to keep the city of Rome clean. Roma Cura Roma is an annual initiative that brings together various governmental, non-governmental, faith-based organisations and people of goodwill, to clean and maintain public spaces such as parks, squares, gardens, streets, etc., within all municipalities of Rome. This year, 365 initiatives were registered and brought together about 19000 participants.

Why do Missionaries of Africa participate in such activities? Taking care of our common home is not something new to our evangelizing vocation. As experienced by some of us from early childhood to date, we encountered and still come across missionaries, who ceaselessly integrate environmental care in their missionary-pastoral endeavours, by planting trees, introducing new crops to their area of mission, fighting against erosion, raising awareness about the dangers of genetically modified seeds, maintaining roads and bridges that link villages, etc. Today, as recommended by the last General Chapter (cf. Recommendation n^o 6, Capitular Acts: 29^th General Chapter, p. 28), joining Roma Cura Roma is one way of actualizing the ideals of our missionary apostolate. The wise say that “actions speak louder than words”. And we want, not only to talk, but also to deal with small actions that step by step lead to social change and transformation.

This year’s Roma Cura Roma is special. Being in the Jubilee Year of the Church gives it a special flavour. In Rome, most of public spaces such train and bus terminals, bus stops, historical monuments, sidewalks, etc., have been renovated to mark the jubilee’s events. Roma Cura Roma reiterates in one way or another the need to keep the city of Rome clean for pilgrims and residents alike. It is also a reminder for us Missionaries of Africa that the care for our common home is part and parcel of our Charism. There is a lot to emulate from our ancestors in Mission, other religious institutes, and the Civil society at large.

We wish to emphasise that organizing or participating in such initiatives is not a work of experts. It is for those who are passionate about caring for humanity and creation. It presupposes the goodwill. The first thing is to look at one’s strengths; then, think of what might be missing, such as money and other material means. However, resourcing for funds can only happen if and only if voluntary initiative has started taking place, according to the missionary context at hand.

Through Roma Cura Roma project, we see how Laudato Si’ is still relevant. It remains an encyclical that continues to inspire and inform our missionary Charism. It is up to us, according to our various pastoral contexts, to put in practice the insights and wisdom it offers.

By: Prosper Harelimana, M.Afr.

Promoting universal values that transcend cultural and religious differences

Posted on 16/05/202516/05/2025 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

We live in a world of diverse cultures and religious beliefs. Humanity is becoming increasingly intercultural and interreligious. Human societies have developed in different directions: different cultures and, consequently, different ways of naming God and things. Multireligious and multicultural awareness has been rapidly heightened by communication, population mobility and the growing interdependence between peoples. This awakening to diversity prompts us Christians not only to ask questions, but also to affirm our faith and way of living, and most importantly, to relate to those we consider different from ourselves. From the beginning, Christianity has been aware of Jewish communities and other religious confessions.

The questions are: how can we promote universal values, that transcend cultural and religious differences in the light of the Gospel and foster an environment conducive to peaceful coexistence and collaboration of diverse communities?

What do we mean by intercultural dialogue and interreligious dialogue?

Generally speaking, dialogue is a conversation between people who, despite their differences, seek to establish a relationship. It is an exchange between two or more people who seek to share their life experiences. This is based on the principle that humans are relational beings. Intercultural dialogue is, therefore, a conversation between two or more people from different cultures. Showing interest in learning the other person’s language is already an element of intercultural dialogue. We look for common ways of describing God and things. Interreligious dialogue is an exchange between people of different faiths who seek to relate to each other and share their life experiences despite their religious differences.

As witnesses to God’s love, how can we address the issue of intercultural and interreligious dialogue?

My experience as a stagaire in Savelugu between 2009 and 2011 was a profound lesson in interreligious dialogue, inspired by the actions of Jesus, the man from Nazareth and a Jew, as depicted in John’s Gospel, chapter 4:1-15. The Gospel tells us that, before Jesus engaged in dialogue with the Samaritan woman, he expressed a need: water. This dialogue was made possible, because Jesus took the initiative to address the woman’s needs. In doing so, Jesus initiated a dialogue that was both intercultural and interreligious. In Savelugu, I realised the need to learn the local language to truly connect with the people. I took the initiative to get in touch with the local community and was warmly welcomed by a family who hosted me for three months, helping me learn Dagbanili, the local language.

Our regular meetings led to the need for a football pitch for the youngsters, which opened up dialogue between the Missionaries of Africa community working in Savelugu and its neighbours. Today, many young people from neighbouring communities use the pitch. We can enter into intercultural and interreligious dialogue by reaching out to others and expressing a human need. This dialogue must be embraced with an attitude of openness and non-judgement. Adopting this attitude will help prepare us for the dialogue. When Jesus asked a Samaritan woman for water, he knew there were social prohibitions between Jews and Samaritans. Yet he adopted an attitude of freedom that went beyond culture and gender. He showed he was free of hostility while remaining focused on what was essential: entering into conversation with the person, in this case, the Samaritan woman.

In the light of the Gospel, how can we promote universal values that transcend cultural and religious differences?

The remarkable thing about Jesus, as we read the Gospels, is how important the person is to him. His daily struggle on behalf of the people, especially the marginalised and the poor, is evident. His ministry is always about the person, the disciples, the crowd, friends, and enemies. He is always interested in those who are not Jews, those who are not part of the chosen people. His parables and encounters with non-Jews should help us promote dialogue with others from different religious traditions. We see Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman (Jn 4:1-15) as mentioned above; he admires the faith of a Gentile (Mt 8:10); and there are many other encounters.

As we pointed out, we are disciples following in Jesus’ footsteps. Imitating Jesus helps us to go beyond the religious barriers we face. In 1984, Pope John Paul II declared that ‘dialogue (interreligious dialogue) is fundamental for the Church, which is called to collaborate in God’s plan by ways of presence, respect and love for all people’. As Christians following Christ, the example of the Trinity is the foundation of the need for a Church in communion with dialogue. We understand that we must commit ourselves to praising others while at the same time engaging in dialogue with other religious confessions.

Like Jesus of Nazareth, we will break down barriers, practise tolerance and patience, commit ourselves to the liberation of humankind and realise fraternity in the face of the unique fatherhood of God. As Gustavo Gutierrez says in his book The Theology of Liberation, ‘Man is destined for total communion with God and the most complete fraternity with other men’. So, we need to listen and make room for others. We should not try to make others like us but recognise and accept differences.

By: Gaspard Cirimwami, M.Afr.