At the crux of this dialogue is a theme which I evoked earlier on, the transcultural nature of Christianity. Pope Benedict XVI in the encyclical Deus Caritas Est captures this uniqueness of the Christian expression when he says: Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter […]
“Brothers and Sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything. Well then, in the […]
Is African culture radically opposed to Christianity? The definitive answer is NO. But are there certain aspects of African culture which are opposed to Christian principles? Definitely yes. But this is not unique to African culture; each culture has elements in need of purification. It will be unfair to look at these opposing aspects and […]
Mary Magdalen and the other women, some of Jesus’ most devoted disciples, who followed Jesus in Galilee and provided for him as his benefactors, the same women who watched as Jesus was crucified and died on Friday, who followed and saw where his dead body was laid to rest, are not at the first moment […]
Jesus promises that when he is lifted up from the earth, he will draw all people to himself. This is his reply to the Greeks. He will not only be seen by them, but by the whole world. His outstrectched arms on the cross will be ready to welcome everybody. It is only when we […]
Continued from Part 1 Many have thought, and I believe falsely so, that Christianity is foreign and radically opposed to African culture. With a lot of shortsightedness, they claim Christianity is a European affair, their way of relating with the divine. Thus, for them Christianity is just one option among a myriad, an option which […]
The words forgetting and remembering are very significant in the Bible. While forgetting is negative and destructive, remembering is positive and constructive and can be redemptive. Both words are important in Jewish and Christian life. In the first reading, we experience a typical case of forgetting. The people of God refuse to remember that God […]
“The Lord has forsaken me; my God has forgotten me. Where is God? Has be become so weak? Has he become so evil that he cannot save me?” At some point of our Christian faith and journey, the above conclusions and questions have crossed our minds. It has often led us to near despair and […]
Football has rules and regulations to be followed by Players in the field of play. The aim of this game is to put the ball into the net of the opponent. The central referee is the judge who evaluates the actions and reactions of each player according to the rules. He decides whether to give […]
Man does not just fall from sky. He is a product of his environment. This includes his culture, religion, worldview. In other words, each man comes from a particular community, with its own unique history, unique worldview and its own unique approach to the supernatural. All the above constitute what we call a culture. Thus, […]
Unless your holiness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter the kingdom of God” (Mathew 5:20). By this, Jesus meant that there are two ways of understanding holiness: that of the scribes and Pharisees as the first, and the way he wants his disciples to be holy as the second way. […]
This Sunday marks the first Sunday of the Holy Season of Lent, a time which our Christian tradition calls our attention to the three pious exercises of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. Though different in emphasis, these three spiritual exercises are closely related. Prayer is the sacred experience and encounter with God, a moment of intentional […]
Christian prayer is like oxygen. I find it impossible to live without daily prayer. And prayer is like a school, in which we grow from one class to the next. Christian prayer differentiates between Vocal, Meditation and Contemplation, as modes of prayer. With Vocal Prayer, we express ourselves in words to God. Vocal prayer can […]
The gospel is a story about ordinary life – someone hard of hearing, with poor speech, disabilities that challenge us. If you ever had a speech impediment or the difficulty of deafness you’d know the distress it can cause. Jesus was distressed at the suffering of this man. Jesus cares in his heart. Most of […]
February 15, 2021
Scenes from Africa
"We go around serving the people of God. The terrain of our parish is rural and we trek for hours before we reach our mission stations." - Father Ambrose
“Ratzinger and the Future of African Theology” by Tegha Afuhwi Nji
What I intend to do in these few pages is to present my reflections on, and a panoramic synthesis of the theological discussions at the conference, while the publication of the papers that were presented is awaited next year.
It is well known that there are a large number of Institutes throughout the world that ground their interests and programs in some aspect of the broad range of contributions that Pope Benedict XVI provided the church in his ministry as priest, scholar, Bishop, Prefect and Pope. Many of these Institutes focus on one aspect of his studies, for example, on liturgy, or beauty; on Revelation, Inspiration or theology; on the interrelationship of history and ontology with its crucial consequence in moral theology, or on faith, Church and cultures.
What is unique about the Institute for Africa is that it seeks to appropriate for the Church in Africa, and ultimately through insights of African theologians, clergy and laity, the inner coherence of Pope Benedict’s learning of, and teaching about, the mysteries of Christian truth and the consequences, not only for the Church in Africa, for the larger world. Thus, being shaped by the liturgy and revelation, by the tradition of doctrines and systematics, and by relating these to the situations in Africa, it is to be hoped that families, societies and culture will be graced by living in, and thinking out, their faith, hope and charity in the shaping of present and future societies and culture.
It is perhaps best captured by Chaucer’s testimony of the imperfect cleric in The Canterbury Tales: they will “gladly learn and gladly teach.”
+ Most Rev. Arthur L. Kennedy Episcopal Vicar for New Evangelization
Archdiocese of Boston
Fr. James Burns, Board Member
The Benedict XVI Institute for Africa is called to play a crucial role in this task of helping the African Church to remain in the truth of Jesus Christ. By remaining in the Truth of Christ, the Truth that is Christ, you will show that the Church is alive in Africa. In fact the Church is as much Africa as it is anywhere else though perhaps it is more so here as its rapid growth proves. Thus let Africa speak loudly to and for the Church. Do not let her voice be silenced. If you do all this you will have captured the hearts and minds of all people of good will and have won them over to the Lord.
– Fr. James Burns, IVD, PhD, President of St Mary’s University, Minnesota
The Catholic Church in Africa is a great sign of hope for Catholicism and for the world. The vitality of its faith will be deepened by the Benedict XVI Institute for Africa, which will bring many students into closer contact with the thought of one of the Church’s master teachers and homilists, a true heir to the great African Fathers of the Church.
– George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow and William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies of the Ethics and Public Policy Center
Mary Ann Glendon, Board Member
This exciting new institute will help to assure that the massive growth of Christianity in Africa will be guided and nourished by the thought of one of the greatest theologians of modern times. May the light of what Benedict XVI called Africa’s profoundly religious soul illuminate souls longing for truth everywhere!
– Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, Former US Ambassador to the Holy See
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What I intend to do in these few pages is to present my reflections on, and a panoramic synthesis of the theological discussions at the conference, while the publication of the papers that were presented is awaited next year.
It is well known that there are a large number of Institutes throughout the world that ground their interests and programs in some aspect of the broad range of contributions that Pope Benedict XVI provided the church in his ministry as priest, scholar, Bishop, Prefect and Pope. Many of these Institutes focus on one aspect of his studies, for example, on liturgy, or beauty; on Revelation, Inspiration or theology; on the interrelationship of history and ontology with its crucial consequence in moral theology, or on faith, Church and cultures.
The Benedict XVI Institute for Africa is called to play a crucial role in this task of helping the African Church to remain in the truth of Jesus Christ. By remaining in the Truth of Christ, the Truth that is Christ, you will show that the Church is alive in Africa. In fact the Church is as much Africa as it is anywhere else though perhaps it is more so here as its rapid growth proves. Thus let Africa speak loudly to and for the Church. Do not let her voice be silenced. If you do all this you will have captured the hearts and minds of all people of good will and have won them over to the Lord.
This exciting new institute will help to assure that the massive growth of Christianity in Africa will be guided and nourished by the thought of one of the greatest theologians of modern times. May the light of what Benedict XVI called Africa’s profoundly religious soul illuminate souls longing for truth everywhere!– Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, Former US Ambassador to the Holy See
