News archive

A ‘working relationship’ which works!!! (A collaboration that runs well) (PE nr. 1092 – 2018/06)

“Please, could you write something how you, as Secretary General , perceive the relationships between the General Council and the confreres.” This was the request made to me by the editor of the Petit Echo. When I began to reflect about it, two main objections came to mind: How could such a question be answered by someone who has passed the last six years behind a desk, looking at a screen and dealing with documents, bits of paper etc.? Indeed, contrary to the other members of the GC, I have never embarked on long journeys to the Provinces, Sections or Sectors listening to and sharing with the confreres. Then another thought came to my mind: are there not written words, in no matter what form , which are often more reliable than spoken words often used to flatter the listener especially when such a person is a Provincial or a member of the General Council? Then, I had to face up to another objection: how could someone who is bound by a strict rule of confidentiality reply to this question? Maybe I was trying to dodge and escape the question! Certainly, it was out of the question to go into the details of individual cases, but one could always give some general impressions. And that is what I am going to try to do in what follows.

A well-known saying among some old people is that time seems to fly as one gets older. The clocks seem to defy any “ speed limit ” and clock hands always seem to be going around at full speed. In fact, when you read this article sometime after the 1st July, my six years as Secretary General will be in the past tense and “good material” for the Archives of the Society. If you pass and knock at the door of the Secretary General in Rome, another André, not me, will welcome you.

These last six years, four with Richard Baawobr and his team, and two with the present team seem to have been shorter than the one year I spent at the novitiate in the middle of the sixties, which, to put it mildly, was not the happiest year of my life!

I look back with gratitude at the last six years which have helped me to appreciate my missionary vocation more and the marvellous services that our Society and its members give to Africa and “wherever our charism is needed” (CA, 2016, p. 17). One part of my work consists of dealing with all the incoming and outgoing documents such as letters addressed to the General Council (from confreres, Bishops, the Vatican and others), the minutes of the Provincial Council meetings, reports from the institutions etc. In doing so, I realized that our Society is very much like our Founder, Cardinal Lavigerie, very heroic and generous, but also frail and human. I have been very impressed by the devotion of the confreres to the ministries entrusted to them either in leadership roles, formation, pastoral work or in services rendered to the local church. Most of the confreres who write to the General Council share their joys and sorrows often in a very positive way by proposing solutions to existing problems or suggesting ways of dealing with sometimes very thorny questions. However, they also readily accept that at the end of the dialogue the “last word” rests with the General Council. However not all the confreres follow the appropriate procedures and do not pass through the local leadership. I was much taken by the way this General Council respects the local leadership and gently invites the confrere to discuss the matter first with his Provincial! There is no doubt that there is a great deal of mutual trust.

However, it is not surprising that sometimes confreres complain that decisions are not taken as quickly as they would like. On occasion, they have a valid point but I can assure you (the reader) that the General Council takes very seriously every matter presented to them and they do their best to deal with it without delay. Nevertheless, some essential information is often missing or the agenda is so full that some delay is inevitable. Moreover, not all the confreres know about the timetable of meetings of the GC in Rome: they meet for two months, three times a year in January-February, May-June and September-October. The other months are principally devoted to visiting Provinces, Sections, or Sectors.

André Schaminée with Pello Sala, former Administrative Secretary

As I have already said above, our Society is also fragile and human. The GC has to deal also with painful even disconcerting problems. Some questions, which go beyond the authority of the local leadership team, are referred to the General Council, which must find time to deal with them, whether it likes it or not! When confreres go astray and become victims of the many temptations that life throws at them, the GC, with the collaboration of the local leadership, do all they can to help them  confront their situation, which often seem hopeless, with honesty, courage and determination. Some do not want to admit that ‘they have a problem’ others, thanks to the softly softly and compassionate approach of the local leadership and of the GC, get back on the right track.

André Schaminée assurant le secrétariat au Conseil général.

It is not a secret that the Society is diminishing in numbers, although recently, there has been a significant increase in new members, for which we thank God. The average age of the confreres is 67 years. I mention this in order to underline the fact that request for workers in the vineyard is still greater than those available. Such a situation can easily provoke tensions between the GC and local leadership. At the time of appointments, for example, a Province can ask for 15 stagiaires and eight young confreres but they will only receive seven and four respectively because “nobody can give what he does not have.” I am often surprised and impressed that, in the end, everybody seems to be happy with what they received even if they have only got half of what they asked for. This shows that there is high degree of pragmatism and a good sense of co-responsibility at all levels.

André Schaminée with Odon Kipili, the new Administrative Secretary

An overall view allows me to conclude that the relations between the GC and the confreres are generally healthy and happy. The key to this success lies in this formula: “Show the greatest respect for others as much as possible.”

André Schaminée,
ex-Secretary General

Called to Serve In Africa and Beyond! Leadership Experience! (PE nr. 1092 – 2018/06)

Put the Photo in the Toilet!

I still recall that when I was elected by the confreres of France to participate in the General Chapter as their Delegate, I thought to myself that there was no danger. I had “escaped” during the 1998 General Chapter and was now finishing my thesis and preparing to open the francophone Theology house in Abidjan and to teach in the newly created Institute Catholic Missionaries d’Abidjan. The candidates in the Fraternité Lavigerie (Toulouse) teased me by asking me where they should put my photo if I were elected Superior General, I said “you can put it in the toilet; I am sure that you will see me every day!” We all laughed about it and I went off to Rome. That was 2004. Little did I know that their prophecy would come true in 2010 but as the formation centre had moved in the meantime to Ivory Coast, I am sure they found a different place for my photo!

Serving as 1st Assistant General (2004-2010)

When I was elected Assistant General and then a couple of days later as First Assistant General, it came as a shock to me.  My experience in leadership had been mainly in formation and I was the second youngest of the General Council team. Knowing that it was not due to any special talent of mine in the animation of confreres but an invitation by the confreres that I be at the service of the whole Society in a leadership role, I accepted it in faith.

It is true that the Constitutions and Laws foresee a role for the 1st Assistant, but in reality as the General Council works as a team, I did not feel that I was more special than anybody else. I played my part in the team, following the different areas of Mission and Provinces that the Superior General, Fr. Gérard Chabanon, had given me and to my fellow Assistants (Frs. Raphaël Deillon, Georges Jacques and Jim Greene). I reported to him and to the Team and, together, we sought a way forward. I learnt that it was important to play my role in the team and to really be a team person rather than trying to show off and to take credit for one thing or another even if I had been convinced about it or had developed the idea and presented it.

I felt it was important to be as open as possible with the Superior General and my fellow Assistants during the discussions about different matters and at the end to tow the common line and pay the price for it. Some matters troubled me but when at the end of the day, I prayed the Rosary and put them in my Mother’s hands, I found the quiet of heart that I needed for sleep.

Richard Baawobr
Fr. Richard Kuuia Baawobr, then Superior General

Going around the communities and the formation centres, I realised that what was important was to be a symbol of the oneness of the Society and to facilitate the building of bridges through sharing information and insights. When I / we saw that something was good in one part of the Society and could benefit another part, I/ we shared it through conferences or articles.

It was during the years as Assistant General (2004-2010) that the awareness grew that the Mission of God that we have received as a Society belongs to all, irrespective of where we are. Consequently, we all have a duty to support it even and especially, when the members of the Sector in question do not have members capable of carrying it out. I felt that the appointment of confreres to Europe and the Americas, to India and the Philippines, was a good thing in order to participate in the mission in those places as Missionaries of Africa with a specific charism, to promote vocations and to foster interculturality in our communities. Such appointments were still seen as special and needing attention and were to be made after years of missionary experience in Africa, the real place of mission (as some thought of it and limited it geographically). This had to evolve in our missiological praxis.  The openings that were made here and there were, in my opinion, important and needed to become a policy for the appointment of stagiaires and young confreres. They were not at the detriment of the African Provinces but rather an awakening to our common responsibility and taking charge of it.

Serving as Superior General (2010-2016)

The biggest surprise came when I was elected Superior General during the 2010 General Chapter. I had, apparently miraculously, survived a Deep Vein Thrombosis in 2007 and I was now ready to pick up the challenge of going back to formation should the new Council want me to go to Abidjan.  This new invitation to continue serving as head of the Leadership Team meant that I had to shelve my personal plans! Not always easy but when done in faith it is rewarding. As the saying has it, God writes straight on crooked lines.

Representing the Society, animating and leading a Team, being the guardian of a common vision and mission as spelt out by the General Chapter and in fidelity to the vision of our Father, Cardinal Charles Lavigerie, these were some of the things that I had to do as Superior General for 6 years. The General Team that was given to me by the General Chapter in the persons of Frs. Jos Van Boxel, 1st Assistant, Emmanuel Ngona, Sergio Villaseñor and Peter Welsh was very helpful.  Given our different missionary experiences and talents, we could carry out the mandate given to us from the Chapter.

Fr. Richard Kuuia Baawobr, then Superior General, in his office.

It was, for me, a time of ripening of the conviction that the Mission Outside of Africa should not be just Mission in Europe or Mission in the Americas, or Mission in Asia, etc. The words “outside of Africa” would have to be dropped. My missiological reading and dialogue with other Missionary Societies made me realise the importance of de-territorialising the Mission and seeing the Mission beyond geographical terms. Even though the expression Africa and Beyond was not retained in the final formulation in the 2016 Chapter documents, it is reflected in the appointment policies that were accepted and that are currently in place. We have come from far and I am happy to have witnessed part of this journey as a member of the Society in a leadership role at the time it was taking shape.

Bishop Richard Kuuia Baawobr getting out of the mud like anybody else.

After having been exposed to the different Provinces, the different expressions of the same Mission as Society, I felt I had grown and could bring that to bear in a different area of service to the Society. Pope Francis decided otherwise. That is why, since February 2016, I accepted the new Mission to be a Servus Misericordiae Dei among the People of God in Wa.

Thanks to all for forming me and supporting me still in my learning to serve. May God bless you! Pray for me!

+ Richard Kuuia Baawobr, M.Afr.,
    Bishop of Wa (Ghana)

The General Council : In the service of mission and fraternal communion (PE nr. 1092 – 2018/06)

I was attending a meeting of Superiors General recently, when one of the participants asked me how many White Fathers are there. Remembering the statistics published by our Administrative Secretariat at the beginning of the year, I replied that we were about 1,200 confreres. Looking at me, he blurted out “and you know all your guys? Before I replied, I felt that there was something important underling in his

question. A General Council or any leadership team for that matter is expected to go out  and meet confreres on the ground in order to get a feel of how they live their vocation as Missionaries of Africa. Leadership demands, in one way or another, that one keeps in contact with those confreres he is supposed to guide. It also made me think of the many occasions in my life as a Missionary of Africa when I heard confreres complain that they never see their Provincial!

Regular visits to confreres are a priority for the General Council. In Rome, we can consult various lists and the personnel book but this only gives us a ‘virtual’ acquaintance with the confreres and the places where they live. We hope to go beyond this and get to know them a bit more and create closer ties with them.  As you would expect, and this is no secret, we are often obliged to be on the road despite modern means of communications

According to what a confrere recently wrote on his Facebook page: “when everything is running normally, the Generalate is the place of absence of the Superior General.” Commenting on that, another confrere added: “Yes, may they continue (the Superior General and his Council) to be there at the grassroots” When everything is running normally, the General Council is resident in Rome every September-October, January-February, and May-June. The other months of the year are spent visiting the Provinces and for holidays.

For the last two years, being out in the field has brought us to all our Provinces and Sections even if we still have to visit some communities. Everywhere we go, we can get a sense of our unity as Missionaries of Africa. We do not go to give orders but to listen and encourage. It is an opportunity to become acquainted with what the confreres experience in a very concrete way. The information we gather helps our reflection in Council on the decisions we must take regarding the situations we encounter. It is also the occasion to share news of the Society, to explain certain choices that we make and to reply to questions posed by the confreres.

For the most part, these visits are uplifting and encouraging.  They are also good, hopefully, for most of the confreres that we meet. Even if we do not always bring them something novel, the visits are real moments of communion with the Society. In the last two years since I have been in Rome, I have managed to visit 452 confreres out of the 1,210 on our books,

Outside of the four months that the members of the Council spend visiting the confreres, the rest of the time they are at the Generalate in ordinary session. It is during these sessions, particularly, that we discern what choices we should take. Then, we jointly make the decisions.

We deliberate on different situations that the Provinces and confreres submit to us for consideration and we try to give them some guidelines on the matter. In this sense, we could say that our ordinary councils are the real places where we exercise our authority. We try to live this in the spirit indicated by our Laws and Constitutions. Thus, we are becoming more aware that our ministry as a General Council consists, above all, in fostering the missionary dynamism among our confreres and building up the unity of the Society (see CL 149).

At the General Council, our main concern is to make sure that, as a Society, we remain as close as possible to our identity and to our charism as understood by the last Chapter: “we are an intercultural missionary Society with a family spirit. Sent out to the African world and wherever our charism is needed.” (CA 2016, p.17)

On a general basis, the General Council only intervenes and enters into discussion with a Province or an individual confrere when, in its judgement,  it perceives that certain commitments and some types of behaviour are moving away from the spirit and the essential features of the Society in particular its apostolic character and community life (see CL 150). Otherwise, the running and the monitoring of the apostolic and community activities are assured by the Provincials and their councils. They are the closest collaborators of the General Council, so it is perfectly normal that they often seek our help in cases and situations that are particularly difficult.

To promote communion within the Society and to offer an overall vision of the mission, the General Council organizes an annual meeting with the Provincials. This meeting allows us to work together on appointments. It is also an opportunity for sharing together on the numerous subjects that touch on the life of the Society.

Stanley Lubungo,
Superior General

Pluriel International Congress

The second PLURIEL international congress took place in Rome from 26 to 28 June 2018 on the theme: “Islam and belonging”.

PLURIEL is the University Platform for Research on Islam in Europe and Lebanon, of which PISAI is a partner.

The interventions of the congress will be put online in the coming weeks.

For more information please visit: https://pluriel.fuce.eu/

Photos: Taken during Gianluca Parolin’s lecture with the moderator, Father Diego Sarrio of PISAI

Reflections around the 150th anniversary

7th reflection text taken from the documents of our two Societies.

“Fraternity and Fight Against Racism” (1985)

Missionaries by vocation, we married Africa and the East by taking our oath. Our own mission is to welcome, understand, respect and love Africans wherever they may be, and to share our convictions with others throughout our lives, “to the point of death,” our oath states. Apostolic action in international communities has already helped us to overcome narrow nationalism. Life in Africa has formed us in the esteem of what is foreign to our original culture. The entry of young Africans into our Missionary Society is in the same perspective. We must be consistent with our life-long commitment. We must go further, at least if we want to remain in the line drawn for us by our founder, Cardinal Lavigerie, who wrote from Algiers: “I am a bishop, that is to say a father, and although those for whom I plead here do not give me this title, I love them as my sons, and I seek to prove it to them, happy, if I cannot communicate my faith to them, at least to exercise charity towards these creatures of God. “We are his sons, responsible for his heritage, living witnesses of his fruitfulness. His action and his Instructions to the Missionaries show us the way forward.

Cardinal Lavigerie could not bear the injustice and suffering that so many Africans suffered in his time. After a period of charitable action (buying back slaves to free them), the Cardinal embarked on an international campaign that today could be described as a “struggle for human rights”. Among other things, he wrote to the Christians of Sicily: “In pleading the cause of so many unfortunate, I have in view only the salvation of their bodies and souls, that respect for justice, the laws of nature and the laws of God, according to which all men are equal, are free, are brothers, and must treat themselves as such, whatever their origin and colour. Have you, Catholics of Sicily, forgotten the rule of Christian solidarity? Do you no longer know that when one member suffers in the immense body of humanity, all the others owe it to him to sympathize?”

The Cardinal increased his interventions with the political authorities and pointed out to them that the measures they took “were insufficient because they reached only those who sold, and not those who bought”. He assures that he could give names and, comparing the sufferings of slaves to Christ’s passion, he continues: “There is nothing missing, neither Herod nor Pilates, nor Judas, nor the cruelty of floggings nor cowardly insults, nor the cross.” (…) Lavigerie has always had a great respect for African people, languages, cultures and traditions; his action was to restore their dignity to Africans. In this also he was the disciple of Christ who gave a place to the excluded of Jewish society of his time. Today, we are called to do the same, in another time and in the face of other tragedies. This is why: A missionary from Africa cannot be racist, whether in welcoming foreigners in community, in conversations or reactions in front of television, in the choice of newspapers or publications to which he subscribes or subscribes the community. A missionary from Africa must have a positive look at the men and women of the Third World, whether they are ‘there’ or ‘here’. He must be attentive to their sufferings, to their hunger for bread and friendship, to understand their aspirations to take control of their own destiny and the legitimate means they give themselves to achieve it.

(Letter from the Provincial Council of France to the French confreres, in Le Lien, May-June 1985)

Text prepared by Jean-Claude Ceillier
Published in the Mini-lien nr 475

It was a long loyalty…

The book about our confreres in Tizi-Ouzou has just been published. Even if we still do not know when the Beatification will be celebrated, let us not wait to rejoice and invoke these blessed ones.

In his Apostolic Exhortation on Holiness, Pope Francis writes: “Persecution is not a reality of the past, because today, too, we suffer it, whether in a bloody way, like so many contemporary martyrs, or in a more subtle way, through calumnies and lies… To accept every day the way of the Gospel even if it creates problems for us, that is holiness! ” nr. 94

Pope Francis was very sensitive to the martyrdom of the 19 brothers and sisters of Algeria who offered their lives. Was it relentlessness to want to stay until the end? The question may arise and should not be avoided. Well, then, why? How? Who can testify to that? Any reader can forge an answer for himself when reading this book.

Our four confreres from Tizi-Ouzou were killed in the presence of people who loved them. They welcomed them, they worked with them, they comforted them. They led a life of community, prayer, sharing and solidarity.

This book sheds light on several aspects: it is a speech that is not afraid to tell the truth. It is a testimony that shows how far fidelity can lead, a total commitment in a Muslim environment. It is a missionary journey for the 21st century. And what is more, it can be read by a wide Catholic and Muslim audience. “It was a long loyalty…” Other aspects emerge. This is the first time that confreres are beatified in our Missionary Society but they are not isolated. On the one hand, they are in line with the 61 White Fathers and Sisters who have dedicated their lives to Africa by offering it up to the total gift. On the other hand, they are in communion with a whole people, not only with the 19 religious men and women, but with all those, Muslims and non-Muslims, who have experienced the same violence, the same suffering, the same tears.

These beatifications can give rise to three others for us. In recent times, with our confrere Terry Madden from Great Britain, we have found ourselves in the region of Father Lourdel’s native country. Young Ugandans dream of seeing one of the founders of their church beatified. After the disappearance of all these victims in Algeria, many ask themselves the question of the beatification of Cardinal Duval. And then very recently we received an ‘inquiry’ which raises the question of the beatification of Cardinal Lavigerie and asks what we think about it.

I’m not asking you what you think, but I would like to ask you, simply, if you are happy when you think of them, when you remember them? That is enough for me, because that is the meaning of beatification: knowing how to make people happy.

Thank you Father Armand Duval for writing this book. Your niece told us that you had already re-read the re-edition in Saint Malo. We hope that the young confreres will take the time to read it and make it their reference book in formation houses.

Bernard Lefebvre, M.Afr.
(written in the Mini-lien nr 475)


C’était une longue fidélité

Auteur : Père Armand Duval, M.Afr
ISBN 978-2-7122-1501-9
Editions Médiaspaul juin 2018 16 euros

In this book, Father Armand Duval introduces us into the lives of the four White Fathers missionaries who, in solidarity with the Algerian people, gave their lives in 1994 and were recognized as blessed by Pope Francis along with 15 other religious men and women of the Church of Algeria.

Why remain faithful to a people that is not his when peril is omnipresent and hope to act on man so tenuous? Because “it was a long loyalty”.

Through this homage, the author gives us “a teaching on mission”. The Gospel flame that animates these witnesses of God’s love beckons us where we live, and as Saint Augustine says, “every man as man has the right to be loved”.

Armand Duval, White Father – Missionary of Africa, was a missionary in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as in Mexico. He has long lived in North Africa, Jerusalem, Spain, and collaborated with “Peuples du monde” and “Africana”.

Melvin Doucette, R.I.P.

Father Gilles Barrette, Provincial of the Americas,
informs you of the return to the Lord of Father

Melvin Doucette

on Wednesday 27th June, 2018 at Tignish (Canada)
at the age of 79 years, of which 51 years of missionary life
in Zambia and in Canada.

Let us pray for him and for his loved ones.

Melvin Doucette RIP Continue reading “Melvin Doucette, R.I.P.”

Song Contest for the 150th Jubilee : 1st Price

Here is the final version of the song that won first place in the competition of the 150th anniversary of the foundation of our Lavigerie Family.

The music is the work of Emile Kimembe, in his first year of “stage” in Toulouse. The lyrics were written by Emile Kimembe and Rodrigue Kasereka, in his second year of Theology in Kinshasa. The singing is performed in French and English. The scores will be added as soon as they reach us.

Partition du chant Jubilé en français

Music score of Jubilee in English

 

Renewal of the mandates of treasurer

The Superior General, Fr. Stanley Lubungo, M.Afr.,
with the approval of his Council,
has appointed for a second mandate as Treasurer General,

Bro. Anthony BAALADONG, M.Afr.

from 01st July 2018 till 30th June 2021

and has approved the renewal of mandate as Provincial Treasurer,
from 01st July 2018 till 30th June 2021, of

Fr. John ITARU, M.Afr.  for SAP
Fr. Jean-Guy LABRECQUE, M.Afr. for AMS
Br. Jérôme KODJO, M.Afr. for PAC
Fr. Edmond BANDA, M.Afr.  for PAO
Fr. Claude VENNE, M.Afr. for Mgh

André Schaminée, M.Afr.
General Secretary
22 June 2018

18 0769 Publication of appointments of treasurers

News from the PAC sectors

Flash PAC n° 45 – Echos du Conseil Provincial du 23 au 28 avril 2018 (restreint aux confrères)

BURUNDI

The government is determined to hold a referendum on May 17. Many people are afraid of the insecurity that would precede or accompany the referendum. However, despite the Burundian political crisis, there are repatriations of refugees from Tanzania and Rwanda, and the dollar rate has fallen slightly. There is a fuel shortage here and there. Military and police patrol more than usual. As for the situation of the Church, we have had the circulation of a leaflet on whatsapp which highlights that the number of Hutu bishops is much higher than that of Tutsi. For this reason, the author of the leaflet asks that new Tutsi bishops be appointed to create an ethnic balance. Despite this observation, the bishops of Burundi are united.

LUBUMBASHI

In the former Katanga region, as throughout the national territory, in December and January there were marches or attempted marches to demand respect for the Constitution and the holding of elections; as with most of these demonstrations, there was violent repression. At the church of St. Bernadette, a confrontation was reported between some members of political parties and police officers: throwing stones and bludgeoning. It all began at the exit of the Sunday Mass on 21 January 2018 when the promoters of the march began to shout slogans to push the crowd of Christians into the procession; immediately the situation degenerated and the police incursion reached as far as the church. The arrival of the Monusco has calmed spirits and calm has returned.

In the districts of the city and especially those on the outskirts, organized robberies, sometimes followed by rape and murder, are commonplace and there is no real commitment on the part of the authorities to try to eradicate them. The main roads around Kalemie have become dangerous because of armed groups; this blocks road traffic.

The major event was the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the episcopal ordination of Mgr Jean-Pierre Tafunga from 31 January to 4 February 2018. The main celebration took place at the T.P. Mazembe stadium with the participation of 20,000 Christians (full stadium) and about fifteen bishops. Despite the tense political situation, everything went well.

Another major event is announced for 2020: the National Eucharistic Congress. The current effort of the Diocese of Lubumbashi is concentrated on the construction of the Pastoral Centre, which began with the laying of the first stone in 2014, now a Roofing Contractor is working on redoing the roof for this amazing new Pastoral Center.

GOMA

The diocese of Goma succeeded in mobilizing young people for the Diocesan Youth Day and involving political actors in peace-building: there was a direct dialogue with the governor of the province.

The diocese organizes days of formation and sessions for pastoral agents, the faithful, parish secretaries, etc.

Christians are well involved in the activities of the diocese, in the care of their parishes and pastors.

The Karambi parish priest was kidnapped on Easter day and released on the night of 4 April 2018 after paying a ransom. The parish priest of Kitshanga was murdered on the 2nd Sunday of Easter in one of his outstations.

A Protestant pastor attacked the Catholic Church in his church and on his radio station with insults, words unworthy of a pastor. After a complaint from the Catholic Church, this pastor was arrested and imprisoned as a troublemaker and incitator of hatred. He was also involved in the kidnapping of a musician from Goma and in the fraud.

Relations between the Church and the State are conflictual.

The march organized by the diocesan lay committee following the call of CENCO was not supported by the diocese. For the Bishop, Goma is an area of fracture which has always known problems, troubles to which no one has ever been able to find answers to restore peace. As a result, he is not ready to engage his diocese in an arm wrestling match with the state. The construction of the new cathedral of the diocese is partly taken in charge by the First Lady of the country, which puts the Bishop in a delicate situation. It can only close its eyes to political realities. Construction stopped for several months.

ITURI

In Mahagi, it is a situation of fear and insecurity. A growing number of displaced people are seeking to go to Uganda to find refugee status abroad. The cost of living is becoming very high. There are many displaced people in Mahagi territory near the parish of Angumu (Mahagi Port).

Through conferences, visits of the displaced in the camps, the Mahagi Church tries to be present to the people by motivating them to hold on in difficult times.

In Bunia there is a climate of fear, mistrust and discontent because of the large number of displaced people and people killed during the crisis. The population is disappointed with its leaders. Aid is provided by the Church (Caritas) in some IDP camps. Some families have opened their doors to the displaced, as has our parish in Yambi (Pukpa). The sector intervenes materially thanks to the financial support received from Rome. The parish is also involved through the Christians who are close to these displaced people.

For the government, the situation is that of an interethnic war and for the Church, it is a manipulation of people to make them believe in an interethnic war and the governor would be behind all this.

Currently, the government is forcing people against their will, to return to their villages to make the camps for the displaced disappear in the city but in vain: the displaced return to the nearest camps as soon as they arrive in the village where they do not feel at all protected.

The consecrated men of the Deanery of the North of Bunia meet in Bunia. The parishes of Lita, Jiba and Pimbo are closed. Fataki and Drodro are full of displaced people, Mongbwalu and Bambu are idling.

On Palm Sunday the JDJ took place with about 8,000 young people around the bishop who gave them courage and urged them not to let their freedom be stolen.

The parish of Yambi Yaya has 25 villages for 14,000 Christians, it is almost a year old since it was erected by His Excellency Bishop Dieudonné Uringi. The construction of the rectory in the parish is progressing well. Construction work on the bishopric continues and is progressing well.

RWANDA

Life seems to be going well after the presidential elections that took place in August 2017. There have been some changes in government. Many meetings in the socio-political framework take place in Kigali Convention Center. Many roads are paved in Nyamirambo and Kicyukiro districts, roads are widened in Kigali, schools and hospitals are built, people are encouraged in agriculture, transport and security in general.

De nouvelles constructions et quartiers continuent à pousser presque partout dans le pays mais aussi des anciennes maisons ou bâtiments sont détruits, soit qu’ils ne vont pas avec la vision 2020, soit qui ont été construits sans autorisation de bâtir validement donnée par l’autorité compétente.

Economically we feel that life continues to become more and more expensive even though we find many things on the spot. Many conditions and taxes are imposed even for small businesses; it is difficult for the small people to find what they need. Many are starting to leave Kigali for the countryside or other countries where they can do business without paying much tax. It seems that the city of Kigali is becoming more and more a city for the rich. In early 2018, the government closed around 700 churches that had no official papers and no facilities to meet and pray.

The Church of Rwanda dedicated this year to reconciliation and the diocese of Kigali, in its pastoral vision, has taken the option for children and young people because they are the future of the Church.

The Church has lost the Bishop of Cyangugu Diocese, Mgr Jean Damascène Bimenyimana, who died on 11 March 2018.

On March 24, 2018, the jubilee year of the 100th anniversary of the Benebikira Sisters, founded by our confrere Bishop Jean Joseph Hirth, began.

Saint Peter’s Parish is preparing to celebrate its 15th anniversary this June. The parish now has 14,000 baptized Catholic Christians and 25 CEB’s. For Justice and Peace, our parish is among the two parishes that have been chosen as models in the Archdiocese of Kigali. It takes the orientation of family and social cases, not political ones. So, with its limited means, the parish is doing what it can for Caritas.

The CML project (Centre Missionnaire Lavigerie) was presented to the town planning office of the city of Kigali for approval but it was not approved by saying that according to the plan of the Muhima sector in which our plot is located, this plot is reserved to make the Holy Family Garden, a public garden. But in December 2017, after a long dialogue with the civil authorities of the city, the Mayor and his vice, explaining that we are a missionary congregation (and not diocesans of the nearby Holy Family Parish), they asked us to write a letter of call asking for “the change of land use”. The letter was written and sent to the Mayor of the city on 10/12/2017. After this letter, the director with the one in charge of the technique at the city level, called us to tell us that it is necessary to review our project. It is a question of reducing the space to be built up to 10% and in the rest to make a garden for meditation. Thus, in the Rwanda sector, agreement was reached to remove all commercial buildings from the project in order to remain with the residence, the training centre and the chapel in the lower part as on the old project. The garden remains but is no longer public, it is for the Missionaries of Africa. Case to follow…

KINSHASA

We are seeing a lull in political demonstrations. The population continues to suffer. Poverty (especially in outlying neighbourhoods) is still on the rise. The Congolese Franc has lost value and food prices are rising. A truce was marked until June in the marches organized by the Comité Laïc de Coordination (CLC). There is also a boiling point at the political party level with groupings and coalitions in preparation for the December 23 elections. There is an awakening of consciences about political life, of the population and also of young people. Some people have doubts about the actual organisation of elections.

Two forms of fraud are becoming a concern: the theft of computers and other electronic gadgets from small taxis and false accusations made by girls or women against generous drivers who give them a hand on the road.

The Church of Kinshasa received its coadjutor: Bishop Fridolin Ambongo, on Sunday 11 March 2018 in the Cathedral of Notre Dame du Congo. Two of the three Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese have been appointed titular bishops in two dioceses. The Church supported the three major marches organized by the Lay Coordinating Committee to demand the full implementation of the New Sylvester 2016 agreements. The three marches were banned and were violently repressed in the blood with loss of human life. Following the marches, a climate of insecurity had settled in Kinshasa with intimidation of Catholics, arrests of laity, priests and nuns, desecration of places of worship, stigmatization of the Catholic Church… The Cardinal went out several times from his reserve to condemn violence and encourage Christians during times of tension. At the Palm Sunday Mass at the stadium with the young people, he invited them to take responsibility for the crisis in the country. Some Protestant churches have supported the Catholic Church in its initiatives.

The diocese of Kisantu (diocese of insertion of the Philosophât) is in diocesan synod from 2 to 7 April 2018.

BUKAVU

Insecurity and crime are on the rise. Weapons are found in some houses. In response, the governor decided on regular closures and more intensive controls, invited the population to denounce gun owners, promised rewards to inform motorcyclists. Motorcyclists are allowed to ride at night provided they report the bandits. The security situation has since calmed down. Poverty is increasing. It’s the struggle for survival. We live day by day. Bars are noticing a drop in consumption.

There is a proliferation of private schools at the expense of Catholic schools. The state refuses to approve new classes and does not pay teachers. The premiums for teachers introduced by the Church are running out of steam due to parents’ lack of capacity.

In higher education, the updated dollar rate is a source of student revolt. For the bishop, January and Februarywere two difficult months. Criticized in his position in relation to the march of December 31, 2017, escorted out of the cathedral, he is far from his people. “I am a traumatized person,” he said. The December 31 and January 21 marches were dispersed and forbidden. The Archdiocese of Bukavu has initiated a prayer chain for peace: each parish has its week of animation in turn.

The CDJP (Diocesan Committee for Justice and Peace) denounces injustices with its flash. He was attacked by the government, accused of provoking the uprising of the population. Tensions arise between the religious and the administration following the collection of property taxes.

The Ruzizi community has experienced more insecurity with the increase in thefts, a burglary at Father Raphaël Lubala’s home and another at Father Emmanuel Lengaigne’s home. As safety measures, a dog has been put on the side of the canoeists and there are plans to plant thorny sisals, put a grid, light at night. The community received the visit of the Superior General who was very open. The Provincial made a week-long visit which went well with many exchanges, including with the Christian community.

The DGM (General Direction for Migrations) built on the Ruzizi site. A file was prepared with the diocesan lawyer to file a complaint against this occupation of the land by the DGM.

MANIEMA

The warlord of the Mayi Mayi Malaika Sheik Assani, led a movement to demand the exploitation of part of the mountain to the company “Maniema Gold”. The FARDC (DRC Armed Forces) were sent and a three-month war followed. The arrival of MONUSCO (United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Congo) has been announced. The government imposes silence in the face of the war in the province. The director of radio OKAPI was arrested because he had spoken about the war in Maniema. Police officers, or even DGM, return to their stations.

The security crisis affected four parishes: Kabambare, Kibangula, Wamaza and Salamabila in Kabambare territory. The populations did not cultivate there following the war. And that caused a food crisis. The diocese of Kasongo is organizing a special quest in all parishes on May 27, 2018 to support these parishes.

Road degradation limits travel. When it rains, the road becomes more and more impassable. This reinforces the economic crisis. The items are very expensive and take a long time to arrive. Security’s not very good. The military presence, which should be a source of consolation and security, becomes a source of fear and insecurity: rape, exaggerated claims of money to passengers, etc.

In Kindu, the new governor is unable to work because he is not of the presidential majority. The province is affected by polio and cholera. Despite the government’s commitment, the population refuses to cooperate in the vaccination of children. Some are convinced that vaccinations kill their children.

On the social level, tribalism is very present: there are many oppositions when a leader is not from a particular ethnic tribe.

The diocese of Kindu welcomed two new priests on February 11, 2018. The diocese of Kasongo celebrated the priestly ordination of Father Marcel on 27 January 2018 in Kibangula when he had just lost a priest, Father Didace Fundi in Kinshasa.

Faced with the tribalism that exists in the diocese, the bishop continues to evangelize the faithful to accept themselves as brothers and sisters through his homilies, his pastoral letters: this is why he proposes as pastoral theme: “Every man is my brother, every woman is my sister”.

Missionaries of Africa
Summary of Privacy Policy

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.