African Catholic Voices: Recent Episodes
African Catholic Voices
Celebrating the stories of faith in action and the voices of Christians from the African heartland, the new center of gravity of World Christianity.
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Alors que la visite du pape Léon XIV en Afrique s’apprêtait à débuter, une question traversait les esprits : au-delà des cérémonies, que pouvait réellement changer ce voyage ?
Dans cet épisode enregistré avant l’arrivée du Saint-Père, Marie-Agathe Tignamé et Roger Bindré-Dayamba posent les bases du débat : migration en Méditerranée, crise au Cameroun, exploitation des ressources, justice sociale et avenir de la jeunesse africaine.
Avec le recul, cet échange prend une dimension particulière : il révèle les attentes, les doutes et les espoirs qui entouraient cette visite historique.
Un épisode à écouter comme un miroir des consciences… juste avant que l’histoire ne s’écrive.
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As the world prepares for International Women’s Day 2026, VoiceAfrique Catholic presents a special reflection titled “Give to Gain.” In this inspiring conversation, host Sr. Helen Kasaka speaks with Annastacia Mumbua Musyimi, a Kenyan Catholic lay leader, development advocate, and Coordinator of the Social Welfare Unit of the Pan African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN).
Drawing from her experience in Church leadership, social welfare, and public service, Annastacia reflects on the profound role women play in shaping families, communities, and institutions through generosity, compassion, and service. The discussion explores how the spirit of giving, through time, care, wisdom, and leadership, becomes a powerful force for personal transformation and social progress across Africa.
This International Women’s Day special encourages communities to recognize and support the contributions of women while inspiring young girls and women to lead with courage, faith, and purpose.
The podcast also features a reflective musical moment with Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion, celebrating gratitude and the impact of love and support in our lives.
VoiceAfrique Catholic is a programme of the Pan African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) dedicated to promoting faith, leadership, and service across Africa.
Listen, reflect, and celebrate the transformative power of women who give to uplift society.
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Today we begin a special four-part series examining Pope Leo XIV's historic first apostolic journey to Africa. From Algeria to Angola, Cameroon to Equatorial Guinea, a ten-day visit this April that takes him from the ancient footsteps of Saint Augustine to the heart of a continent where the faith is young, vibrant, and growing.
In this first episode: The Augustinian Pope Returns Home: Ancient Roots, Modern Hope.
To guide us through this series, we are deeply honored to welcome a theologian who has devoted his life to the intersection of African culture and Catholic faith. Fr. Stan Chu Ilo joins us from Chicago. He is the Coordinating Servant of the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN), a professor, and the author of numerous works on African Catholicism and World Christianity.
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Saviez-vous qu’en Afrique, nous passons plus de trois heures par jour sur nos téléphones ? Et, si ce temps n’était pas perdu, mais devenait un véritable terrain de mission ?
Dans cet épisode de votre podcast Foi, Vie et Politique en Afrique et dans la diaspora,
Sœur Marie-Agathe Tindjamé, EGNB, explore un grand paradoxe :
La foi à l’ère numérique : est-ce que nos écrans nous rapprochent de Dieu… ou nous en éloignent ?
Nous entrons au cœur de questions brûlantes :
- L’écran est-il devenu le nouveau parvis de l’Église ?
- Peut-on vraiment vivre une communion authentique derrière un écran ?
- Le numérique renforce-t-il notre vie de foi ou crée-t-il une foi froide, individualiste et déconnectée de nos cultures africaines ?
Pour éclairer cette réflexion, Sœur Marie-Agathe reçoit :
🎧 Richard Toumba, créateur de contenus, humoriste et comédien,
qui voit sa présence en ligne comme une vocation numérique, un appel de Dieu à évangéliser là où se trouvent les jeunes : sur TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube…
Avec lui, nous abordons :
- Comment créer une atmosphère de prière dans un monde saturé de notifications.
- La différence entre faire le buzz et toucher réellement les cœurs.
- Le risque d’une foi « à deux vitesses » : les connectés et les oubliés.
- Le discernement face aux fake news spirituelles, aux « business religieux » et aux dérives.
- Comment transformer le numérique en espace de lumière, et pas seulement de divertissement.
👉 À la fin, une question reste pour chacun de nous :
Combien de temps passes-tu à nourrir ton écran… et combien de temps à nourrir ton âme ?
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What happens when the flowers fade and the Valentine’s Day decorations come down? Join Sr. Helen Kasaka on VoiceAfrique Catholic for a profound conversation with Sr. Anne Muchiru from the Diocese of Kabwe, Zambia.
In this episode, we move past the commercial "hype" to explore the deeper vocation of love. From the pressures facing today's youth to the unique way Religious Sisters experience affection and service, Sr. Anne reminds us that genuine love is a mission, not just a feeling.
Highlights include:
The Youth Challenge: Navigating loneliness and societal pressure in the digital age.
The Vocation of Love: How priests and religious sisters celebrate Valentine’s Day through the Sacred Heart.
The St. Valentine Legacy: Reclaiming the story of the martyr to renew our mission in the Church.
Practical Wisdom: Living out Mother Teresa’s call to leave everyone you meet "better and happier."
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In this episode, host Sr. Helen Kasaka, sits down for a historic conversation with Fr. Isaac Zachariah Mutelo, O.P., following his landmark appointment by Pope Leo XIV as a Consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
Representing the Pan African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN), Fr. Isaac shares his "son of the soil" perspective on bringing African academic excellence and lived wisdom to the heart of the universal Church.
The discussion traverses his diverse background, from the ethics of Artificial Intelligence to the practical realities of Muslim-Christian relations in Zambia and Southern Africa.
Key highlights of the conversation include:
A "Dialogue of Life": Why interreligious engagement in Africa is a daily condition for peace rather than an abstract concept.
The Dominican Charism: How the pursuit of Veritas (Truth) serves as a tool for bridge-building and humility rather than a weapon of argument.
Pastoral Impact: Moving dialogue beyond "big words" in Rome to concrete actions in local villages and cities.
Global Citizenship: How being shaped by Zambian, South African, and Zimbabwean identities prepares a leader for the global stage.
Join us for an inspiring look at how the "soul of a continent" is shaping the future of global faith and diplomacy.
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On entend souvent dire que les églises se vident et que la religion appartient au passé. Pourtant, une nouvelle génération de jeunes Africains, engagés et croyants, fait bouger les lignes.
Dans ce premier épisode en français de Voice Afrique, Marie Agathe N’Diame, sœur de l’Enfant Jésus Nicolas Barré, donne la parole à de jeunes catholiques venus du Burkina Faso, du Cameroun, du Congo-Brazzaville et du Togo, pour répondre à une question essentielle :
👉 Qu’est-ce que ça change d’avoir la foi à 20 ans aujourd’hui ?
Autour de la table, des témoignages sincères sur :
- La foi comme rencontre personnelle ou héritage familial
- Les défis d’être croyant·e dans une société moderne
- La conciliation entre foi, études, travail et engagement
- La place des jeunes dans l’Église
- Le doute, la prière, l’espérance et la solidarité
🎙️ Animé par le sociologue Dayamba Bendre Roger, cet épisode ouvre un espace de parole unique à une jeunesse africaine croyante, souvent peu entendue.
💡 Un regard neuf sur la foi, la société et l’avenir d’une Église jeune, vivante et enracinée dans les réalités du continent.
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New Podcast Alert: Join Rev. Sr. Helen Kasaka and Sr. Grace Akunna John-Emezi as they discuss the transformative impact of the Church and the vital leadership of Sisters in rural African healthcare.
Discover how faith-based service is bridging the gap for remote communities and driving development across the continent
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Reflecting on the Journey of the Magi and why you should follow the star that God has put into you and look forward in life and not backward.
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Dr Otunla continues her discussion on how you can find healing and the need to allow that process to begin by seeking help and acknowledging your need for healing and restoration. Sometimes we breakdown or we we are weighed down by the challenges of life, but wherever you are and whatever the burdens you carry, Dr Otunla has a message for you: You can be made whole again.
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Nigeria bleeds — and the world is finally taking notice. Once hailed as Africa’s giant, Nigeria has become a graveyard of broken promises and buried dreams. Over fifty thousand Christians have been murdered, entire villages wiped away, priests and worshippers slaughtered at the altar, and millions displaced while the powerful trade blame and excuses. The United States once again has placed Nigeria on its list of “Countries of Particular Concern.” President Donald Trump threatened sanctions, and military attack calling out the government’s failure to stop the killings. In The Hague, the International Criminal Court opened investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity. And in Rome, the Vatican spoke with moral clarity: no government can claim legitimacy while its people perish in ungoverned spaces. This episode confronts Nigeria’s crisis through faith and prophetic denouncement. It explores what the U.S. designation means, why the Vatican’s voice carries the greatest moral authority, and how Nigeria’s leaders — blinded by greed and corruption — are turning the nation into a valley of tears.“The Blood of Christians” is not just about religion; it is about a people’s cry for justice, a nation’s moral collapse, and the Church’s call to prophetic courage. Listen, reflect, and join the movement to restore Nigeria’s soul.
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Welcome to VoiceAfrique's special edition on the suffering of Christians and the poor in Nigeria which we have titled “Engaging Bishop Kukah on the Blood of the Faithful in Nigeria and Tinubu’s Corrupt and Insensitive Government.” This episode dares to ask difficult questions and tell difficult truths about the state of our nation and the suffering of God’s people. It is not a defence of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, nor is it an attack on him. Rather, it is a space of honest dialogue—a moral conversation among Christians who love their country and desire its healing.
Nigeria today bleeds from open wounds of corruption, insecurity, and moral decay. The cry of the innocent and the tears of the persecuted Christians rise daily to heaven, while those entrusted with leadership wallow in luxury and indifference. This episode confronts these uncomfortable realities: the betrayal of the poor, the failure of governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the silence of many in the face of evil.
But above all, it is a call to conscience, Gospel non-violence, and Christian resistance against this cycle of persecution and violence and suffering. Our salvation as a people will not come from Washington, London, or Paris. Nigeria’s redemption lies in the courage, faith, and solidarity of Nigerians themselves and commitment to live together in an inclusive and just country where the common good is protected, promoted and available to everyone everywhere without regard to religion, ethnicity, or class. Here, we speak truth to power, with compassion, faith with courage, and hope with responsibility.
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Welcome to Voice Afrique, a space where faith meets the deep wounds and hopes of Africa. I’m your host, Fr. Stan Chu Ilo, inviting you into a moment of reflection, healing, and encounter.
In this episode, we turn our gaze to Sierra Leone — a nation once scarred by war, disease, and poverty, yet resilient through the power of faith. Through the eyes of faith, we discover that Sierra Leone’s post-war recovery is not just political or economic, but a spiritual pilgrimage of restoration.
Joining me is Agnes Ainea, an acclaimed African journalist and author of “Sent to Heal a Wounded Nation: The Story of Father Peter Konteh” (Paulines Africa). Together, we explore the prophetic witness of Fr. Peter Konteh — a Catholic priest whose ministry through Caritas Freetown embodies the Church’s healing mission: rebuilding communities, restoring dignity, and renewing hope.
From the ruins of civil war and the scars of Ebola to the promise of peace and education, this story captures what Pope Francis calls “the polyhedron of hope” — a people whose faith and solidarity transform suffering into grace.
📖 In this conversation, you’ll hear:
- How the Church in Sierra Leone became a sanctuary for the wounded
- The transformative power of faith-based humanitarian work
- Why Africa’s story of resilience is also a theology of hope
- Lessons for building peace, healing trauma, and empowering communities
💡 “Faith is not just belief—it is action. It is love walking among ruins.”
🙏 Stay tuned until the end for a prayer for peace and renewal in Sierra Leone and across Africa.
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This Voice Afrique conversation series between Fr Stan Chu Ilo and Dr. Anthonia Otunla brings to you stories and a Gospel of healing and strength. We provide a safe and communal a space of faith and positive psychology for healing, and hope for people who are suffering from trauma, wounded memories, hunted by their past and other burdens that weigh down the soul, mind, body, and spirit.
I’m Stan Chu Ilo, and in this special series, I invite you to join me and Dr. Anthonia Otunla — a compassionate physician, counselor, and faith-filled woman — as we explore the hidden wounds of the mind and the heart that many in Africa and across the world quietly carry.
This series, Healing the Mind, Restoring the Soul, is our response to the growing mental health and trauma crisis that touches every family, community, and church. Together with Dr. Otunla, we will listen to the stories of pain and resilience that too often go unheard — the struggles with depression, anxiety, violence, loss, and the silent battles of everyday life.
But more importantly, we will also seek paths toward healing and wholeness — discovering how faith, community, and compassionate care can restore dignity and hope to those who suffer.
From Scripture to lived experience, from the wisdom of psychology to the language of the Gospel, this series invites us to see that God walks with us even in our brokenness, and that healing begins when we dare to speak, to listen, and to love again.
So, wherever you ar — in your home, your car, your parish, or your place of work — take a deep breath, open your heart, and join us on this sacred journey toward healing and renewal.
This is a series where faith meets mental health, and hope finds a voice.
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In this special episode of Voice Afrique, Fr. Stan Chu Ilo and Fr. Nnaemeka Ali, O.M.I., reflect on the tragic killing of Fr. Matthew Eya, a young priest from Enugu State, Nigeria.
Together, they explore the deep wound his death leaves for his parish, his family, and the entire Church. They ask:
- What does it mean to live as people of hope when priests and ordinary citizens alike are unsafe?
- How should the Church and society respond to the culture of impunity, corruption, and neglect fueling violence?
- Can gospel nonviolence lead us beyond anger and fear into justice and healing?
Through lament, testimony, and prophetic challenge, this conversation honours the life of Fr. Matthew and all victims of senseless violence. Above all, it insists that God never abandons His people, and light will overcome darkness.
📖 Scripture echoes: Exodus 32 | Luke 15 | Isaiah 1:18
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In a world scarred by political violence, wars, and divisions carried out in the name of God, this episode of Voice Afrique dares to speak truth. We challenge those who invoke God to justify violence, hatred, and extremism—reminding our listeners that such distortions betray the very heart of faith.
This episode is a call to memory—because we cannot build peace by forgetting. It is a summons to conversion—because true transformation must begin in our hearts before it can reshape our societies. And it is an invitation to collective action—because only together can we break the cycles of vengeance and hatred.
We reflect on the urgent need to embody God’s love and to see God in one another, across every difference, across every border. We explore how communities of faith and conscience can resist the seduction of violence and rediscover the humanity that unites us.
Voice Afrique brings prophetic voices, stories, and reflections that remind us: peace is not naïve, it is necessary. Ending wars fought in the name of God begins with daring to live in the name of love.
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In this episode, we explore what it means to hold onto hope when life hurts. As we look around at a world marked by war, poverty, ecological destruction, and spiritual fatigue, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. But Christian hope is not wishful thinking—it is rooted in the Resurrection, in the promise that love is stronger than death, and that God is always at work, even in the ashes of our suffering.
Fr. Stan Chu Ilo and Susan Hookong-Taylor reflect on how hope is not the denial of pain, but the courage to believe that something new can emerge from it. Drawing from African wisdom, Catholic theology, and real-life stories, they remind us that we do not suffer alone. We are part of a communion—a community of wounded healers—and in Christ, our suffering is never wasted. Hope, then, is leaning on God and on one another, knowing that even in the darkest night, the light still shines.
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In this episode, co-hosts Susan Hookong-Taylor and Fr. Stan Chu Ilo offer a soul-stirring conversation on one of humanity’s most enduring needs: hope. At a time when many are overwhelmed by loss, injustice, and uncertainty, they explore where hope is found, how it survives failure, grief, and disappointment, and why faith remains a powerful force for transformation.
This is a message not just for Africans and the global Black community, but for anyone yearning for light in dark times. As Susan and Stan reflect on the importance of resilience, rootedness in community, and the quiet strength of spiritual conviction, VoiceAfrique becomes more than a podcast—it becomes a healing space for all who believe that, even in the face of suffering, something beautiful is still possible.
Hope is not a naïve wish. It’s a radical act. And faith makes it real.
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Fr Edward Obi, a member of the Missionary Society of St Paul (MSP), shares with us the humble beginnings of this missionary society in Nigeria, and the extraordinary growth and impact of Nigeria's MSP fathers in taking the Gospel to their African brothers and sisters, and their mission to the West. His testimony is compelling and captivating.
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Ugandan Fr Ruffino Ezama is a Comboni missionary father and Provincial for North America. In this engaging podcast, this outstanding humanitarian, theologian, and Church leader, shares his first person narrative of the joy, challenges, and opportunities of being an African missionary to fellow Africans, and to Europeans and North Americans. He addresses the important question of how African missionaries to fellow Africans can become self-sustaining by promoting a new approach to mission in Africa that is less dependent on the West.
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Fr Augustine Anwuchie, a priest of Awgu diocese, Nigeria shares his experience of being a missionary to fellow Africans in Maradi Diocese, Niger Republic. His witness to the poor and the marginalized, and his outreach to Muslims and practitioners of African Traditional Religion, and the security risks he and his small flock of Christians in this diocese with less than 1000 Catholics face everyday is a Gospel worth hearing by all.
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What lessons are we learning from the hospitalization of Pope Francis about the health and wellbeing of pastoral agents? Fr Stan Chu Ilo reflects on the health challenges of pastors and how our pastors can be transparent with their health, and embrace health improvement, healthy lifestyle, and simple health protection and prevention practices. He proposes that pastoral agents cannot take care of God's people or God's Church if they cannot take care of their health.
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Ugandan Catholic theologian, peace advocate, and expert on pastoral theology and synodality, Fr Ambrose J. Bwangatto, speaks on the urgent need to end the ongoing war in the Congo. He lays a roadmap for peace for the long suffering people of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes Region. He argues that in these difficult times many people are looking up to the Church to be close to the suffering masses of God's people. He commends the efforts of the Church and calls on the warring parties most of whom bear Christian names to put down their arms and walk the path of peace. His call for political justice, equity, and inclusion, and for a new logic of love is both inspiring and compelling.
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Fr Walter Ihejirika, the President of Signis Africa and a professor of development communication at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, shares his life experiences and his journey of faith and vocation to the priesthood. A foremost academic and scholar, and an influential Church communication expert, he invites us in this episode into his world of communicating faith, and why he believes in a better future for Africa amidst recurring challenges. He shares some spiritual and practical insights on how African Catholics and indeed all Christians should celebrate this jubilee of hope as people of faith on a pilgrimage of hope to that future which is in the hand of God.
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Sr Leonida Katunge speaks on the movement of the Catholic Church in Africa to end the scourge of human trafficking and modern day slavery in the continent. She bemoans the sexual exploitation of our young girls and women; the destruction of the lives of our young boys; and this stain on our society in Africa. She invites everyone to commit to this fight to end this silent and ancient crime in Africa and the world. We invite you to join the movement to fight for some of our most vulnerable and innocent members of society who are condemned to die by criminals, greedy people, and corrupt government and immigration officials who are working in cahoots to promote this dirty and evil crime against our children and youth.
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Toussaint Kafarhire, S.J, the current President of the African Studies Association of Africa, ASAA; political scientist, and expert on social justice, religion, democracy and peace, political violence and conflicts in Africa Great Lakes Region, analyzes the unfolding crisis and war in Congo. Prof Kafarhire helps us to understand the complexities of this destructive war, the people responsible for this unacceptable situation and suffering, and how peace can be restored in the Congo. Together with Kafarhire, we call for an end to the conflict. We call for dialogue among all the stakeholders. We appeal to the Rwandan government to withdraw its forces from Congo, and appeal for respect for human lives and a ceasefire to give peace and dialogue a chance.
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En ce 3e dimanche de l’Avent, Martine Kouadio-Gokra nous invite à méditer sur cette question essentielle : “Que devons-nous faire ?” Comme dans l’Évangile de Saint Luc, où Jean-Baptiste s’adresse au peuple, cette interrogation nous guide dans notre préparation spirituelle à Noël.
Martine nous exhorte à transformer nos cœurs et nos actions. Elle explore la joie véritable promise par Dieu, une joie qui vient de la bienveillance, du partage sincère et d’une vie alignée sur les préceptes divins. Dans ce “dimanche de la joie”, elle nous appelle à porter une joie profonde à ceux qui nous entourent, en vivant avec simplicité et amour authentique.
Rejoignez cette réflexion pour découvrir comment incarner cette joie et vivre pleinement la grâce de l’Avent.
Abonnez-vous pour plus de méditations, partagez vos réflexions en commentaires, et cheminons ensemble vers Noël avec foi et espérance. 🙏
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On this 3rd Sunday of Advent, Fr. Stan reflects on the profound question asked by tax collectors, soldiers, and all who approached John the Baptist: “What should we do?” This question is as relevant today as it was then, not only as an ethical and spiritual inquiry but as a guide to finding true joy and purpose in life.
Fr. Stan draws from the Gospel of Luke, showing how John the Baptist pointed to the Messiah while embracing his unique role as a prophetic voice in the wilderness. His life teaches us that true happiness comes from accepting ourselves as God made us and living out our vocation authentically.
Let this reflection inspire you to embrace yourself and live your calling confidently and joyfully.
Subscribe for more reflections, share your thoughts in the comments, and let’s journey together through this Advent season. 🙏
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On this 2nd Sunday of Advent, Fr. Stan delivers a powerful reflection on the call to prepare the way of the Lord. Drawing inspiration from the Prophet Baruch and the Gospel of Luke, he reminds us of the urgent need for spiritual renewal and conversion.
Fr. Stan explores the message of John the Baptist: “Make straight the paths, fill the valleys, and level the hills.” This is not just about physical preparation but a deep spiritual transformation. He challenges us to identify and remove the obstacles in our hearts—pride, fear, and distractions—that prevent us from fully welcoming Christ into our lives.
Join Fr. Stan in this reflection as we journey through Advent, preparing our hearts and souls to receive the Lord. Subscribe for more reflections, share your thoughts in the comments, and let’s prepare together for Christmas. 🙏 #PrepareTheWay
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En ce 2e dimanche de l’Avent, Martine Kouadio-Gokra nous invite à répondre à l’appel à la conversion et à préparer le chemin du Seigneur. En s’appuyant sur les lectures du prophète Baruch et de l’Évangile de Luc, elle nous exhorte à abandonner nos “robes de tristesse et de misère” pour accueillir pleinement la gloire de Dieu dans nos vies.
Martine explore le message puissant de Jean-Baptiste : “Aplanissez les chemins, comblez les vallées, et abaissez les montagnes.” Cet appel est une invitation à identifier et à surmonter les obstacles spirituels qui nous éloignent de Dieu, pour laisser sa grâce transformer nos vies.
Rejoignez cette méditation inspirante pour approfondir votre foi et marcher avec confiance vers Noël.
Abonnez-vous pour plus de réflexions, partagez vos pensées en commentaires, et préparons-nous ensemble à accueillir le Seigneur. 🙏
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En ce 1er dimanche de l’Avent, Martine Kouadio-Gokra nous offre une réflexion inspirante sur la vigilance et la conversion en préparation de la venue du Seigneur. À travers les lectures du prophète Jérémie et de l’Évangile de Saint Luc, elle nous rappelle que les jours meilleurs sont à venir et que notre rédemption approche.
Jésus nous invite à redresser la tête et relever le cœur, à ne pas laisser nos vies être alourdies par les distractions, les peurs, ou les préoccupations matérielles, mais à veiller et prier pour accueillir l’amour, la paix, et la joie qu’Il nous apporte. Martine nous exhorte à faire de Dieu notre priorité essentielle et à préparer non seulement l’extérieur, mais aussi l’état de notre cœur et de notre âme pour cette période de grâce.
Rejoignez cette méditation pour entrer pleinement dans la grâce de l’Avent et faire de Dieu la priorité de votre vie.
Abonnez-vous, partagez vos réflexions en commentaires, et marchons ensemble vers Noël avec foi et espérance. 🙏
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As we enter the 1st Sunday of Advent, Fr. Stan shares an inspiring reflection on the importance of vigilance and prayer in preparing for the coming of the Lord. Drawing from the Prophet Jeremiah and the Gospel of Luke, he reminds us of Jesus’ powerful call: “Be vigilant at all times and pray.”
In a world filled with distractions, anxieties, and material concerns, this season invites us to refocus our hearts and minds on God. Fr. Stan urges us to embrace this time of grace as an opportunity for conversion, trusting in the Lord’s promise of redemption and peace. Advent is not just about external preparations but about preparing our hearts and souls to welcome Christ with love and hope.
Let this reflection encourage you to embrace the Advent season with renewed faith and hope. Subscribe for more reflections, share your thoughts in the comments, and let us prepare for Christmas together in love and unity. 🙏
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En ce dimanche du Christ, roi de l’univers, Martine Kouadio-Gokra nous invite à redécouvrir la véritable nature de la royauté de Jésus. S’appuyant sur les textes du Livre de Daniel et de l’Évangile selon Saint Jean, elle met en lumière une royauté d’amour, basée sur la vérité, l’humilité et la simplicité.
À travers cette méditation, Martine nous exhorte à réfléchir : vivons-nous cette royauté d’amour dans nos actes, paroles et relations ? Laissons-nous inspirer par l’exemple du Christ pour proclamer avec assurance : “Il est le roi de ma vie.”
Rejoignez cette réflexion pour nourrir votre foi et découvrez comment exercer cette royauté d’amour dans votre vie quotidienne.
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In this profound reflection on the Solemnity of Christ the King, Fr. Stan calls us to surrender fully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Drawing from the readings in Daniel, Revelation, and the Gospel of John, he highlights Christ as the Alpha and the Omega, the Shepherd of our souls, and the King who reigns with justice, love, and peace.
Fr. Stan invites us to lay our burdens before Jesus and allow Him to take full control of our lives. In a world filled with turmoil, violence, and misrule, he echoes the timeless call of Pope Pius XI: to return to God and let Christ’s kingdom guide our hearts, homes, and communities.
Let this reflection encourage you to renew your trust in Jesus and experience the freedom and joy of living under His reign.
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En ce 33e dimanche du temps ordinaire, Martine Kouadio-Gokra nous invite à une réflexion profonde sur le choix de la vie éternelle et l’importance d’une véritable conversion. S’appuyant sur les lectures tirées du Livre de Daniel et de l’Évangile selon Marc, Martine souligne l’assurance de la délivrance de Dieu au milieu des épreuves et des détresses. Elle nous pose cette question cruciale : Où nous situons-nous ? Vivons-nous pour la gloire éternelle ou sommes-nous tournés vers la honte ?
À travers cette méditation, Martine nous rappelle que seul le Christ, par son sacrifice, peut nous garantir la paix véritable et la joie durable. Elle nous exhorte à revenir pleinement à Dieu, à lui offrir notre vie et à faire de Lui notre refuge et notre stabilité, comme le déclare le Psalmiste : “Seigneur, tu es mon refuge et mon partage.”
Rejoignez cette réflexion inspirante et laissez-vous guider vers une vie de foi et de paix intérieure.
Abonnez-vous, commentez vos réflexions et engageons-nous ensemble dans cette voie de conversion. 🙏
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In this inspiring 33rd Sunday Reflection, Fr. Stan reminds us of the unshakable hope and courage that faith in God brings. Reflecting on the stories of six women who conquered cancer through their unwavering trust in God, Fr. Stan challenges us to live with the same fearless faith. Anchored in Psalm 16, he calls us to declare boldly: “The Lord is my portion and my cup.”
Drawing from scripture, including Daniel, the Gospel of Mark, and Habakkuk, Fr. Stan emphasizes that while life may bring adversities, uncertainties, and trials, God is always in control. We are reminded that our mission is not to predict the future but to trust God fully, proclaim the good news, and be witnesses of His love and power.
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In this 32nd Sunday reflection, Fr. Stan draws profound spiritual lessons from the inspiring stories of the widow of Zarephath and the widow in the Gospel of Mark. Despite their poverty, these women exemplified unwavering faith and boundless generosity, offering us a model of true Christian discipleship.
Join this reflection and uncover how these widows’ acts of selflessness reveal the heart of a true disciple.
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En ce 32e dimanche, Martine Kouadio-Gokra nous invite à réfléchir sur le sens profond de donner avec foi et confiance. À travers les exemples de la veuve de Sarepta et de la veuve de l’Évangile, Martine nous montre l’importance de donner de tout cœur, même dans la difficulté, en s’abandonnant totalement à Dieu.
Ces femmes nous rappellent que la vraie richesse se trouve dans une foi qui se traduit par des actes de générosité. En ouvrant nos mains et notre cœur, nous permettons à Dieu de travailler en nous et de répondre à nos besoins.
Rejoignez cette méditation pour découvrir comment vivre une foi qui donne sans crainte.
Abonnez-vous, partagez vos réflexions en commentaire, et que cette parole vous inspire à une foi généreuse. 🙏
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In this heartfelt reflection, Fr. Stan delves into the essence of Christianity: love. Inspired by Mother Teresa comforting a dying man, this meditation reminds us that God is Love and that every act of compassion reveals the face of God.
Fr. Stan explores Jesus’ commandment to love, calling us to devote ourselves to God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. His message sheds light on how love can heal a world torn apart by hatred, violence, and indifference.
The world is waiting for signs of love and mercy. May this video inspire you to live out this love daily.
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En ce 31e dimanche, Martine Kouadio-Gokra nous invite à méditer sur le plus grand des commandements : aimer Dieu par-dessus tout et aimer notre prochain comme nous-mêmes. En s’appuyant sur les passages du Deutéronome et de Marc, elle nous rappelle que l’amour de Dieu doit être au centre de notre vie. Jésus nous enseigne que notre amour pour Dieu doit être total – de tout notre cœur, de toute notre âme, et avec toute notre force.
Mais Martine nous pose aussi une question essentielle : comment pouvons-nous prétendre aimer Dieu si nous négligeons notre prochain ? Que ce soit en famille, avec nos amis, nos collègues, ou même avec ceux qui nous rendent la vie difficile, Jésus nous demande d’aimer sans exception. C’est avec l’aide du Saint-Esprit que nous trouvons la force de vivre cet amour divin au quotidien, en suivant l’exemple de compassion et d’humilité du Christ.
Rejoignez-nous dans cette puissante réflexion et qu’elle vous inspire à approfondir votre relation avec Dieu et avec les autres. Abonnez-vous pour d’autres réflexions, partagez vos pensées en commentaire, et marchons ensemble dans la foi. 🙏
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Friends and family of the late Nigerian Dominican priest, professor, and prophet, Fr Iheanyi Enwerem (1950-1974) pay tribute to this exceptional and courageous Catholic scholar, political scientist, humanitarian, composer, writer, preacher, and spiritual leader.
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Dans cet épisode, Mgr Georges Bizimana, évêque du diocèse de Ngozi et administrateur apostolique de Bubanza au Burundi, partage ses réflexions sur l’esprit de synodalité au sein de l’Église. Invité par Nnaemeka Ali, il discute de l’importance de vivre l’Église comme une véritable famille, dans un esprit de coresponsabilité, de complémentarité et d’entraide.
Mgr Bizimana revient sur son expérience lors du synode à Rome et aborde les leçons clés tirées de cette session historique : l’importance d’écouter les uns les autres, de valoriser la diversité et de renforcer les liens communautaires. Il nous lance également un message d’encouragement à poursuivre cette transformation ecclésiale pour témoigner de l’amour du Christ et contribuer à la conversion de la société.
Abonnez-vous, partagez vos réflexions dans les commentaires, et découvrons ensemble comment l’Église africaine avance main dans la main vers une plus grande communion !
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Bienvenue chers frères et sœurs ! Dans cette réflexion du 30e Dimanche, Martine Kouadio-Gokra nous invite à méditer sur la promesse de restauration et de libération de Dieu. En se basant sur le Livre de Jérémie, elle nous rappelle comment Dieu rassemble Son peuple dans la souffrance pour le conduire vers la paix et le renouveau.
Ce message d’espérance se poursuit avec l’Évangile de Saint Marc, où Barthimée, animé par sa foi et sa persévérance, appelle Jésus pour être guéri. Martine nous interpelle sur notre disposition à agir avec foi face aux épreuves de la vie.
Pouvons-nous, comme Barthimée, saisir les opportunités de transformation que Dieu nous offre ? Dans cette réflexion, nous sommes encouragés à nous libérer de nos fardeaux, à persévérer, et à appeler Dieu avec un cœur sincère.
Abonnez-vous pour plus de réflexions, partagez vos pensées dans les commentaires, et que cette méditation vous inspire à vivre une relation profonde avec le Christ !#RéflexionDominicale, #Dimanche, #RestaurationDeDieu, #FoiEtPersévérance, #MartineKouadioGokra, #MéditationChrétienne, #RéflexionSpirituelle, #ÉvangileDeMarc, #ParcoursDeFoi, #RéflexionDuDimanche
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Discover the inspiring story of Bartimaeus, the blind man whose unwavering faith led to his miraculous healing by Jesus. Despite being silenced by the crowd, Bartimaeus cried out louder, recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. His faith was rewarded, transforming him from an outsider to a disciple.
Key Takeaways:
Faith overcomes obstacles.
Leave your past and follow your true calling.
Even naysayers can become your supporters.
Let Bartimaeus' story inspire you to persist in faith and embrace new beginnings.
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In this podcast episode, Father Vitalis Anaehobi, Secretary General of the West African Bishops’ Conference, shares his reflections on Synodality and the ongoing efforts for Church unity. Engaging in conversation with Ali, Father Vitalis talks about the atmosphere during the second synodal session, highlighting the spirit of collaboration, friendship, and mutual understanding among the delegates.
He also emphasizes the importance of preparing and equipping the Church for its mission by listening to the Holy Spirit and interpreting the Gospel in the context of today’s challenges.
As a representative of the Assembly from Nigeria, Father Vitalis shares his hopes for the Church’s future, particularly in fostering unity and developing formation programs for bishops, priests, religious, and laypeople. Join us in this insightful conversation to understand how the synod is shaping the Church in Africa and beyond.
Don’t forget to subscribe and share for more episodes exploring faith, community, and Church unity!
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In this podcast episode, Nora Kofognotera Nonterah, a professor of theology at Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology, shares her journey and reflections on Synodality from an African perspective.
In her discussion with Nnemeka Ali, OMI, she delves into the concept of synodality as a way of “journeying together” within the Church and beyond, touching on how this idea shapes relationships within families, communities, and even at the global level.
Nora explains the importance of active listening, communal growth, and the impact of cultural values like Ubuntu on fostering a synodal spirit in both personal and Church life. Throughout the episode, Nora emphasizes the methodology of “spiritual conversations,” an approach centered on listening without judgment and engaging deeply with others.
Join us as we explore how these themes are being lived out within the African Church and their implications for the wider Church.
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Dans cet épisode de podcast, Sœur Josée Ngalula (PhD), théologienne congolaise et religieuse de Saint-André, nous partage son expérience au Synode 2024, offrant des perspectives uniques sur les Voix Africaines.
En tant que première femme africaine dans la Commission théologique internationale, elle revient sur son implication dans les travaux synodaux, ses échanges avec des théologiens africains, et l’importance de la synodalité pour l’Église universelle.
Elle nous fait découvrir les défis, les espoirs, et les richesses apportées par l’Afrique à cette assemblée synodale.
Écoutez ce podcast pour plonger dans les coulisses de cet événement ecclésial majeur et comprendre comment les voix africaines jouent un rôle crucial dans la transformation de l’Église catholique.
Abonnez-vous pour ne manquer aucun épisode sur la synodalité et la place de l’Afrique dans l’Église mondiale !
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A call on Church leaders to become true disciples of the Lord. This an invitation for an end to rivalry, envy, dirty politics, and pursuit of vain glory in the Church and a challenge to embrace the mission of the Lord with humility, gentle, caring, and compassionate spirit for peace and integral salvation. This way the Church can be a model on how to heal the world of conflicts and wars that continue to destroy God's beautiful world because of the politics of domination, power, exploitation, falsehood, and money.
An Invitation to be hopeful in the midst of the Cross that you are carrying in your life at this very moment. There is no cross or challenge that you face today which the Lord cannot help you to overcome. Be Strong. Hold on to your faith. Trust God. Know that God suffers with you and carries the Cross with you. This is an inspirational message to help you live with hope and positive attitude even when you are going through the valley of darkness.
Fr Andrew Kaufa, the Director of Communication of the Association of Member of the Episcopal Conference of East Africa, shares the joys and hopes of African Catholics in the synodal journey so far.
Fr Don Bosco Onyala, the editor-in-chief of the Association for Catholic Information in Africa (ACI Africa) speaks on the 5th anniversary of ACI Africa, and the joy of being an African Church communicator. He shares the success story of ACIA, the vision and plan for the future, and the challenges and opportunities of communicating the Good news about Africa to African people and the world.
Recently the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) issued an important letter on liturgical abuses in the country. In this episode, Bishop Augustine Echema the head of CBCN's Liturgy Committee gives a context to this letter, deepens an understanding of the foundation of the liturgy and inculturation theology. His pastoral insights are refreshing, compelling, and magisterial on the beauty of the Catholic liturgy. Bishop Echema teaches us why all priests and Catholic faithful must stay faithful to the sacred tradition of Catholic liturgy, and lead God's people faithfully, fruitfully, and reverently into the mysteries of divine life through our beautiful Catholic Mass, and other rituals of the sacraments and Word and Worship that are truly doors to the sacred.
What led the Holy Prophet Elijah to wish for death? How did God respond to his request? You may have reached the end of your strength in life and like the prophet your enemies may be pursuing you. There is help in God always. When we bring our stories, fears, hurts, and frustrations to God, we receive divine help and food for the journey. There is help always for those who do not turn in on themselves, but rather turn to God in all things.
We have in Jesus, the Bread of Life, all that God in God’s love and goodness has offered for our spiritual and material life as human beings. God has freely given us this gift without any merit on our part for our own good and sanctification. May we always be grateful for this gift and come to the Lord everyday with faith and joy to receive from the Lord this gift which for us here on earth is a foretaste of what is to come as well as the fulfilment even here and now of the deepest desires and hunger of our souls—Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the word, happy are those who are invited to the supper of the Lamb.
Dr Jude Dumfeh, an award winning internal medicine and pediatric physician and his wife, Evelyn Dumfeh share with us the challenges they faced when their daughter was diagnosed with sickle cell disease. Their family experience is a testimony of love that triumphs all things; sacrifice in the midst of pain; and hope and faith in God's goodness and healing that is brought about through prayers and the intervention of modern medicine. They have a word of advice to all families facing the challenges of supporting a family member who is suffering from sickle cell disease. They help us understand the complexities and complications of this disease, especially in many African countries with limited access to medical intervention like bone marrow transplant and other therapies.
In this Easter homily, Bishop Gerard Musa of Katsina Diocese delivers a touching message about the incredible transformative power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He eloquently explains that for believers, death is not the ultimate end but instead a transformation to a new life.
The bishop emphasizes that faith in Jesus means that death is not a permanent separation from loved ones, but rather a transition to the eternal presence of God. Bishop Musa's message serves as a reminder of the hope and joy that arise from the resurrection, and the promise of everlasting life for those who have faith. Indeed, in death, life is transformed
As Pope Francis celebrates his eleventh year on the Chair of Peter, some Catholics might disagree on his legacy; but all agree that his papacy has been consequential. In this episode, we look at some of the central teachings of Pope Francis and especially the current Synod on Synodality, and his call for missionary conversion and for a Church with an open doors that goes out to those at the existential peripheries of life. We note that since the retirement of Cardinal Sarah in 2021, and the end to Cardinal Turkson's tenure at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (2022), there is no African Cardinal heading any Roman dicastery. It is important at this decisive point in the papacy that Africa's voices, contributions, and representation be prioritized and respected given that what goes on in the Church in Africa is going to determine the identity and shape of Catholicism into the future.
Christians are called to give alms to the poor and reach out to all those who need our help. In this episode, we talk about doing charity and working for justice and the best way to do almsgiving so as to find favor with God. We also critically analyze the challenging social conditions in many African countries and discuss what is causing so much poverty, suffering, and misery in the continent and how to change this unacceptable social conditions through charity and social justice.
In this episode, we talk on the importance of prayer in the lives of African Christians. During this Lent, we are invited to deepen our prayer life. The episode delves into different kinds of prayers and raises the questions: How can we pray better? Does God answer all our prayers? Must we pray always until something happens? Is there something like an unanswered prayer?
The Gospel presents to us the story of a woman who was searching for God. She was a woman who had no name. In the NT, those who have no name are usually people who have no status in society. She was also a Samaritan. The Samaritans were regarded as inferior spiritually by the Israelites because they were unfaithful to God’s covenant and worshipped idols. They were outcasts. Jesus however breaks the prejudices of his people: by talking to a Samaritan woman, asking her for water and even spending some time with her in the richest and longest dialogue in the New Testament. Before God, we are all equal. In Jesus no one is lost in the crowd. In Jesus it is no longer a man’s world but a world fit for all; where God’s children, male or female, White or Black, rich or poor have equal dignity and respect before God.
In this dialogue Jesus elevates the status of women by making them hearers of his word and sharers in his missionary work. Jesus shows that he can go to any extent to bring all humanity into the cycle of God’s love. He came to confront and heal the ancient divisions which have kept people apart. He welcomes all: the rejects of society, the sinners as well as saints, the faithful and unfaithful children of God. He however always invites people to leave their past and seek the highway that leads to truth, life and salvation that is in him. He came that all of us will have life and light; that all of us will have self-esteem and pursue our ordered ends free from social restrictions and settled prejudices. He came to offer everyone the water of life.
In this episode Sr Jane and Fr Stan discuss the Lenten discipline of fasting, abstinence and penance. They invite the people of God to a deeper reflection on the reality of suffering and poverty in Africa. God's people are already living a long penance of fasting with the rising cost of living, inflation, and failing governments that have failed to take care of the poor and the masses of our people. How can preachers speak God's Word on how to live the Lenten discipline of fasting and abstinence to a people who already do not have food or drinks? This Lent becomes a time for spiritual solidarity with those who are hanging on the Cross and to prophetically denounce the systems and structures that have made lives for many of our brothers and sisters a perpetual fast from the good things of life.
In this episode, Sr Jane Kimathi, shares her stories of the life of the African female religious. In this frank discussion, Sr Jane teaches us how to fall in love with God and how African religious women are living their religious life faithfully and fruitfully. It is a life that they live on earthen vessels amidst two fires that burn in the religious: the fire of love for God and spirituality, and the fire of one's sexuality and the desire for intimacy with another. In this synodal moment, Sr Jane raises the question that she wants us all to consider: How can our families, clerics, the laity and the Christian community support the female religious to faithfully live their vowed commitments to God?
In this episode, Sr Jane and Fr Stan offer some spiritual insights on how we can journey together throughout these forty days with the Lord. The Lord invites you to walk through the desert with faith and trust in the Lord who leads us on the way. The Lord asks you today to leave your slavery to sin and fear behind; to leave your past behind; and to cast all your weaknesses behind you and to focus your gaze on the Lord who leads us to freedom. We pray that the spiritual insights contained in this episode will help you by God's grace to journey fruitfully and faithfully with the Lord and with your brothers and sisters, especially those who suffer or are alienated from us, into Easter joy. May this 'desert experience' bring to each one of us a fresh experience of new life in Christ as the Lord waters our souls with the freshness of divine love and life, and saturates our lives with the comforting mercy and healing grace coming down like gentle dews from heaven above-Sr Jane and Fr Stan
In this recent episode of the African Catholic Voice, a group of amazing African Digital Faith Influencers had an interesting conversation with Sr Titilayo Aduloju. They discussed a six-month formation program that aims to help them stand up for their faith among their peers who live in the digital peripheries.
The influencers also shared that this program is fully in line with Pope Francis's vision for young people to use the digital space to evangelize and become digital missionaries. They are not just getting ready for the certificate program physically and mentally, but also spiritually.
These young people are from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and South Sudan, and they believe that after completing the seven modules, they will be able to create digital content that can influence other African youths positively. This program is expected to help them become more confident and knowledgeable digital content creators, capable of inspiring others with their faith.
Archbishop Scicluna of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith has called on the Church to consider ending celibacy as a way of preventing clerics from living " a dangerous double life." Chapter 11 of the Synodal synthesis report also invites us to pay attention to "different opinions that have been expressed about priestly celibacy." This episode begins this conversation in Africa. We look at the joys and sorrows of compulsory priestly celibacy in the Church with a special attention on the African context. We ask the question: Could African Catholicism offer the church today a renewed understanding of celibacy and how to live it faithfully and fruitfully? OR Could African Catholicism offer the church today the path to a situation where married and unmarried priests can serve the Church side by side with each other?
Co-hosts, Sr Jane Kamathi and Fr Stan Chu Ilo discuss sex, sexuality, and the taboos around them in Africa. They delve into the beauty of sex, sexuality, and the theology of the body. They answer the questions: Why are people uncomfortable to talk about sexual issues or to discuss about their sexuality in Africa? Why are people unwilling to open up about the traumas and abuses they have suffered in relationship? Why don't we pray often in our church to God for our sexuality and our relationships? And why are people not opening up about their struggles with their sexuality or their sexual relationship, especially if things are not working well? This episode is the first in our synodal conversations on some of the important and sometimes uncomfortable topics that we believe we need to deepen an understanding of so that the people of God could be guided on how to offer up their bodies to God and to one another. We all are invited to live fully the beauty of our sexuality and entire being as a gift to God and to others according to the will of God.
Fr Marcel Uwineza, Principal of Hekima University College, Nairobi speaks on the achievement of this premier Jesuit university, and the vision and hope for the future. Listen to the moving narrative of Fr Uwineza's spiritual and theological journey of surviving the genocide in Rwanda and witnessing his parents' violent deaths and his message of hope on how to make sense of God in a violent world of suffering and pain. This compelling conversation weaves personal narrative and theodicy with the institutional narrative of Hekima University College, a Jesuit university that has formed priests, bishops, church leaders, and important players in the African and world church. Learn also how you can become a part of this journey by supporting the three main institutional development goals of Hekima.
Rose Egolet, Ugandan humanitarian, and grassroots women mobiliser based in Moshe, Tanzania, challenges the notion that polygamy is a good cultural practice in Africa that should be accepted today. He agrees with the view of one of our listeners, Amainini Regina Matambanazo, that no one should ever endorse polygamy in Africa because of issues arising from polygamous marriages-jealousy, hatred, and extramarital relationships, dishonesty and even witchcraft among the wives. For Rose, polygamy is a sign of the asymmetrical power relationships between male and female in marriages in traditional society, in which men get a better part of the deal and women bear the brunt. Polygamy, she argues, is a violation of the rights, and dignity of women. Marital love is exclusive and the New Testament ideal according to Rose, should be upheld because it shows the exclusive and unitive nature of marriage between a man and a woman (not women). African churches should abolish polygamy rather than promote it through rituals in some Zionist churches or through the writings of some African theologians who are defending this practice.
Prof Itumeleng Mothoagae, a South African biblical scholar and Head of the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of South Africa addresses the contested questions around polygamy in Africa. He introduces what he calls 'biculturality and bireligiosity' in understanding why the churches in Africa are struggling with finding the right pastoral response to the prevalence of polygamy in Africa. In South Africa, polygamy is constitutional and many Zionist churches in Southern Africa embrace polygamy. Prof Mothoagae unpacks the colonial and racialized notions that led many churches in Africa, including the Catholic Church to condemn polygamy, while adopting pastoral and canonical approaches that he considers inadequate. While not endorsing polygamy or rejecting it, he invites church pastors and theologians in Africa to deepen an understanding of why polygamy persists in Africa, and how to accompany the polygamist who wishes to be baptized or to remain in the church as an already baptized Catholic who marries a second wife or a second husband.
Rose Egolet, an advocate for women justice and human rights and resource mobilization advisor for Kilimanjaro Women Information and Education Community Organization (KWIECO), Moshi-Tanzania (funded by Crossroads International), and Fr Ruffino Ezama, Provincial superior of the Comboni Missionaries of the North American Province, share their thoughts on the punitive measures of Western donor agencies and governments against their beloved country, Uganda, over the country's anti-homosexuality legislation. Both guests help us to understand the complexities of the issues; they call for respect for African agency and for African countries and peoples to rethink the current aid regime, policies and practices. In the face of some ideologically driven conditions attached to Western and international foreign aid, mission and intervention in Africa, our guests invite Africa to break the continent's dependency on foreign aid in order to secure the future of her cultures and peoples, traditional family values, and the rights of the poor.
Bishop Paride Taban who died at 87 on All Saints Day has left an inedible mark in South Sudan, Sudan, and the rest of Africa and the world as a peace-builder, a peace-maker, and a servant leader. In establishing the Peace Village, he has left a permanent example of how to be a pastor with the smell of a sheep and how to heal the wounds and brokenness of war through love, selfless sacrifice, and boundless energy for God's suffering people. His friend and colleague, John Ashworth, pays a special tribute to this wise, humble, holy and peace-loving bishop who gave his life for God's people, especially the poor, the broken, and the wounded.
Co-hosts Sr Chantal and Fr Stan discuss the latest statistics on the growth of the Catholic population in Africa. Why is Africa witnessing the fastest growth in Catholic population worldwide? How can African Catholics use this population growth to drive the mission of God in Africa? How can African Catholics use its great population to influence the worldwide church on some of the contested moral issues of today? They also propose how spirituality, morality, political culture and faith could grow in tandem with the growth in population of African Catholics.
As the current session of the synod on synodality draws to a close, Fr Stan and Sr Chantal in this episode answer the question on the deliberative and consultative functions of the Synod of Bishops. They invite Catholics to pray for the synod in a special way during this final week. There is the need for the faithful to lower their expectations about changes in the Church's teaching because no synod has the power to change the doctrines of the Catholic Church since these are revealed truths. Synods can help the Church and her members under the leadership of the Pope and all the bishops in communion with him to discover the treasures of the Catholic faith, as well as to understand the mysteries and doctrines as revealed truths. A synod can also help to interpret these mysteries anew and pastorally guide the faithful on living their Christian faith with greater fidelity and commitment in obedience to God who through Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit has revealed these unchanging truths of faith and morality to the Church.
Co-hosts, Sr Chantal and Fr Stan discuss the importance of silence during this important moment of synod on synodality. They discuss the reasons why Pope Francis invited the delegates not to talk to the press about the ongoing discussions. They speak about some of the concerns of Africa and address the challenges facing educators in some parts of Africa, and the need for strengthening Catholic education in Africa and deepening the Catholic intellectual traditions in Africa.
Fr Vitalis Anaehobi, Secretary-General of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa, RECOWA, speaks on how he and other African delegates prepared to represent Africa in the ongoing synod on synodality. He shares with God's people his hopes and prayers for the synod and urges everyone to trust in the Spirit of God who leads the church into the future in the direction of the eschatological reign of God.
Two leading faith-based African women leaders outline what African women expect from the forthcoming synod on synodality. Ugandan, Sr Rosemary Nyirumbe often dubbed 'the African Mother Teresa' and African biblical scholar, Prof Caroline Mbonu, outline some of the key issues that African women should be bringing to the synodal halls including participation of women in mainstream leadership in the church, creating more opportunities for women in the church and society, women education, violence against women, advancing the rights of women in society, and listening to the voices of women and respecting their agency among other issue. Both are hopeful of a good outcome from this synod because the Holy Spirit is at work in the current effort to renew and revive the church through this synodal process.
Prof Simon Mary Aihiokhai and Sr Nkechi Iwuoha discuss the current state of Christianity in Africa. They identify the many faces of the current momentum of Christian expansion and call for a new Christian imagination in Africa so that Africa can use the gift of the Christian faith to recreate the face of Africa. Both guests look with hope to the future of Christianity in Africa, but warn of the dangers that lie ahead if Christians in Africa and church leaders fail to embrace an African Christianity that is grounded in the daily lives of Africans and proclaims to Africans a Gospel message that is truly African in content and context.
Jesuit priest, social anthropologist, and social justice advocate, Fr Ludovic Lado and emerging African political theologian, Fr William Orbih address the current political situation in Africa. They help us understand why there is so much unrest, some many military takeovers of governments, and shrinking political and economic freedom in many African countries. Orbih calls for 'a culture of protest' to resist the exploitation and manipulation of everyday people by politicians; while Lado calls on the Catholic Church in Africa to stand with the poor and the oppressed in the continent in standing up against bad governance and illiberal democracies in Africa. The church, Lado, proposes is becoming compromised in some African countries. Both guests call on the churches in Africa to make common cause with the poor in the pursuit of social justice. All Christians and indeed all Africans must commit to the task of rebuilding Africa on the foundations of fraternity, good governance, solidarity, social transformation, justice and peace.
Speaker: Dr. SimonMary Asese Aihiokhai
Dr. SimonMary Asese Aihiokhai is a Nigerian American theologian. He is an associate professor of systematic theology at the University of Portland. He is a Fellow at the Wester Institute.
Dr. Aihiokhai is an Elite Member of the Conversational School of Philosophy (CSP), a forum for African philosophers who specialize in African philosophy. He is a member of the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN).
Dr. Aihiokhai has published over fifty peer-reviewed works on several subjects, and has given over eighty scholarly presentations internationally and nationally
Welcome to the first episode of an enthralling conversation between Sr. Titilayo Aduloju of African Catholic Youth Voices and the Angolan youth of the Building Bridges Initiative. In this insightful discussion, Sr. Titilayo explores the intricate relationship between the state and the church in this country once ravaged by war. Together, they delve into Angola's past, present, and future and discuss the crucial role of faith communities in building a better society.
In this first part of their conversation, Sr. Titilayo takes the Digital Faith Influencers of Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network on a journey to discover the unique beauty of Angola. Their vivid descriptions of the country's vast landscapes, rich history, and diverse cultures are captivating. Meanwhile, the young members of the BBI express their deep love and admiration for this ancient kingdom, while also expressing concerns about their leaders' commitment to the nation's liberation.
This English conversation provides a rare opportunity to gain a more profound understanding of Angola, a Portuguese-speaking nation with a fascinating history and culture. The insight and wisdom these young faith influencers share are truly remarkable and worth listening to. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this engaging and thought-provoking conversation.
Dans cette vidéo, nous avons abordé principalement la conception et la contribution de la jeunesse congolaise à l'avenir de leur pays, la gestion de la richesse du pays et l'emploi. Nous avons également abordé l'aspect du phénomène que l'on appelle bébé noir (Black baby), c'est-à-dire des enfants de la rue et la délinquance juvénile en général.
En outre, en louant les efforts de la jeunesse congolaise qui n'a pas l'habitude de migrer vers le nord comme leurs collègues des pays sub-sahariens, nous nous sommes posés plusieurs questions. Nous avons essayé, par exemple, de comprendre quelles sont les synergies libératrices pouvant faire avancer le Congo ? Quels rôles jouent l'Église et les jeunes dans ces scénarios ?
Les jeunes ont ensuite exprimé leur foi et leur idée de la création de ponts dans leur vie de foi.
We are pleased to present the second part of our conversation with the Zimbabwean faith influencers of the Building Bridges Initiative.
In this follow-up episode, we delve further into the struggles faced by Zimbabweans amidst ongoing political and social crises that challenge their sense of self.
The discussion centers on what it means to be a citizen in Zimbabwe and how young people can maintain their authentic Zimbabwean and Christian identities.
Furthermore, the participants express their concerns about how to engage in social and political change while staying true to their beliefs and identity in today's global society.
We are delighted to share the first episode of a conversation between Sr. Titilayo Aduloju and some young Zimbabwean faith influencers of the Building Bridges Initiative. In this first part, the young students discuss their perspectives on what identity means to them as youth, Christians, and Zimbabweans.
In addition, they are concerned about how it is possible to engage in everyday social and political changes in today's global society while remaining faithful to one's identity. They also recount how they have been helping other young people in the Church and society to reclaim their identity in Christ. Indeed, one of the themes they discuss is their struggle to maintain their identity, even when society pushes them to the wall.
Sr Teresia Wamuyu Wachira, Co-President of Pax Christi International and John Ashworth, Fellow of the Rift Valley Institute, and Catholic missionary address the current crisis and conflict in Sudan. They help us to understand the complex nature of this conflict, the suffering of the people especially the poor, women, and children, and how greed, corruption, ethnic and religious factors as well as geo-politics and international actors continue to fuel the conflict in Sudan, South Sudan and the rest of Africa. They give a message of hope and peace to Sudan, Africa, and the rest of the world.
Dans ce podcast, le Père EbubeChukwu et la Sœur Titilayo ont entretenu une conversation avec trois jeunes étudiant·e·s de la République Démocratique du Congo. Ces jeunes membres du BBI ont exprimé leur joie après avoir participé activement à la visite du pape au Congo cette année (janvier/février).
Ils ont également remercié le pape pour avoir pris le temps de les rencontrer. Les jeunes racontent ce qu'ils ont retenu de leur rencontre avec le Saint Père. Ils nous ont rapporté que le pape leur a recommandé d'être des témoins de la foi dans leurs pays et auprès de leur peuple, aujourd'hui déchiré par la guerre. Il les a par ailleurs demandés d'être les porteurs de l'espoir et de l'Amour de Dieu.
Ces jeunes ont de plus abordé les difficultés qu'ils rencontrent dans les paroisses avec les autorités ecclésiales. Ceux qui sont à l'Est du Congo où il y a la guerre ont raconté l'engagement des jeunes catholiques à aider les réfugiés à travers le partage du bien et la provision des logements et de la sécurité.
Ils travaillent également pour la croissance de leur cohorte.
In this engaging conversation, Sr Titilayo chats with Father Basil Obieje on his activities and involvement with the Congolese youth while on mission to the country. He shares with us that his mission with the young people was highly engaging, engaging, fruitful, and fulfilling.
He believes that young people need the accompaniment of priests, religious, and elders to tread the part of righteousness and morality. He emphasizes the necessity of assisting them, and argues that we must not neglect their presence.
Fr believes that it is necessary that these young people who are the “Church of Now” be taught the Good News of Christ in order to pass it to their children in the future.
Welcome to the African Catholic Voices. In this episode, Father Ruffino Ezama speaks with Father Anthony Kimbowa Kibira. Anthony is the provincial superior of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ), Uganda. In this conversation, Fr Anthony walks us through his journey of synodality as a combonian missionary.
The listener will observe that the conversation is not about how he implements synodality in his ministry, but how his openness to the spirit of synodality guides his steps as a missionary.
This conversation will take the listener to different countries where Fr Anthony happened to work and study. And, curiously, his appreciation of the particularities of different Churches where he walked as a pilgrim of love and hope resonates through the conversation.
For you, what is synodality, and what is your synodal journey like?
Kindly let us know what you think of Fr. Anthony's idea of Synod and Synodality as a place and moment of discernment in prayer.
@thesynodalcommissionforcat3175
@combonianosbrasil
@PraiseandWorshipug
@VaticanNewsEN
@ugandacatholictelevision730
Hello, we are pleased to introduce you to the second episode of an engaging and educative conversation between Sr Titilayo Aduloju and some young Ugandan faith influencers of the Building Bridges Initiative. In the first episode, they told us about different activities they have been doing since they started, such as planting trees and cleaning their church compounds.
In this second episode, they reclaim the faith of the Ugandan Martyrs again. They encourage other youths worldwide to embody Christ in their different places of work, by allowing the faith of their ancestors to shine in their lives.
Please share your thoughts on their perspectives.
Is it possible that they are the true heirs of the Ugandan Martyrs?
How can their faith be the same as that of every other youth?
Prof Philomena Mwaura is a leading Catholic theologian in Africa today and a member of the commission that drafted the continental synthesis in the ongoing synodal process. In this conversation, she shares her dream for a synodal church in Africa, the steps for including women in the mainstream of leadership in the church, and the challenges that lay people, especially women face in the African Catholic Church.
Sr Leonida Katunge is the Director of Programs for the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network, and coordinator of the Building Bridges Initiatives of Pope Francis for young Catholics in Africa. She is also an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, a sacramental theologian and teacher, and a humanitarian. In this conversation, she shares with us how she is able to combine these different hats; her vision for young Catholics in Africa; her work with different dicasteries at the Vatican in creating spaces for women to encounter each other in the church, and to find their own voice and vocations within the church.
Sr Nkechi Iwuoha PHJC, is a Provincial Counselor of the American Province of the Poor Handmaid of Jesus Christ and a missionary who has worked in three continents. In this conversation, she reflects on her vocation and ministry to the least of the brethren, and her current leadership roles in the Catholic Church in the U.S.A. She invites us all to embrace the call to serve the poor and to listen to the cries of those who are suffering in the world today. Her important leadership role in the U.S Catholic church today is an example of how African sisters are contributing significantly in the shape of the world church today.
The blind man in the Gospel represents those who are seeking goodness and search for the light in all things and eventually find the light in Christ. He was born blind and was suffering until Jesus found him and restored his sight. Even though this man endured this condition from his birth to adulthood, it is obvious in the narrative that he was a very positive man with an open mind and was seeking goodness in his own painful circumstances.
In the dialogue with the detractors of Jesus after his healing, the blind man was positive: he affirmed that the work that Jesus did is a great deed; that this deed is of and from God, and that only someone from God could do such works of miracles because “it is unheard of that a person ever opened the eyes of a man born blind.” You too can be cured of your spiritual blindness if you are open to encountering Jesus. The whole earth is like God’s burning bush, and each of us is invited to pay attention to the voice of God speaking to us through the signs of the times from this burning bush. Like the blind man, may we be led to the light? Unlike the blind Pharisees, may we be open to the light; and unlike the crowd, may we make a move towards Jesus and affirm him as the Light from God sent to banish the darkness in the world and manifesting to us the face of the God of love, mercy, and compassion.
Fr Omonokhua is a Nigeria cleric with a mission. He wants to bring Nigerians together across tribes, religions, and regions to the table of dialogue. As the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), he works everyday to create the space for dialogue among a cross section of Nigerians on how to promote the common good and bring about good governance, peace and social transformation in Nigeria. In this dialogue, he speaks on the current election cycle in Nigeria; the contested presidential elections, and what every Nigerian ought to do in order to take back the country from those leaders whose greed and bad leadership, he argues, has led to the poverty of a multitude of Nigerians.
In this reflection on the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John's Gospel (4), we reflect on what happens when we meet Jesus. The Lenten season offers us the opportunity of encountering this Jesus who is also searching for us. We all have a hunger for God which can only be satisfied through constant company with Jesus. In the first reading, God satisfies the thirst of the people of Israel in the desert. This is an invitation to us also to call upon the Lord especially in our moments of needs and he will answer us. God is always there for us to support our lives especially when we are tired and uncertain of the future. In this dialogue Jesus reveals himself to this woman in a gradual way. He elevates the status of women by making them hearers of his word and sharers in his missionary work. Jesus shows that he can go to any extent to bring all humanity into the cycle of God’s love. He came to confront and heal the ancient divisions which have kept people apart. He welcomes all: the rejects of society, the sinners as well as saints, the faithful and unfaithful children of God. He however always invites people to leave their past and seek the highway that leads to truth, life and salvation that is in him. He came that all of us will have life and light; that all of us will have self-esteem and pursue our ordered ends free from social restrictions and settled prejudices. He came to offer everyone the water of life; the life of grace and salvation that is beyond human imagination.
In his recent visit to South Sudan, Pope Francis exhorted the clergy, religious and church leaders to eschew tribalism and ethnic animosity in the Church in Africa. This episode is a commentary on the threats and pains of tribalism and ethnocentric considerations in African Catholicism. This has been so painfully evident in the rejection of bishops in Juba, South Sudan; Ahiara Diocese, Nigeria; Makeni, Sierra Leone and the killings of bishops in Kenya and Cameroun over in-fighting in churches. The challenges of episcopal succession, and the rejection of church leaders in some African dioceses and in religious congregations based on ethnicity, and the negative effects of tribalism, nepotism and favoritism in African Catholicism are presented here as the number 1 issue for the continental synod in Africa. We African Catholics are invited to reflect again on how this terrible sin is threatening the future and credibility of the church in Africa as a home where everyone is accepted as a member of God's family and a first born son and daughter of God based on our baptism ( and not based on our ethnic or tribal origin).
In this second and last episode of the African Catholic Voice's conversation with the Kenyan Building Bridges Initiative cohort, Sr Titilayo Aduloju continues to discuss with these social actors on their different engagements in their society. She dives deep into the conversation that started in part one of this episode.
Today, they are giving us practical examples of their present and future realizations.
If they are faith influencers, how do they stand up against the vices of corruption, bribery, and related crimes that paralyze our societies?
How do they equip their members to avoid being lured into the deadly snares of corrupt leaders?
These and many other issues made up this their last conversation. Enjoy!
In this first part of a very engaging and interesting video, Sr Titilayo Aduloju chats with some Faith Influencers from Kenyan Cohorts of Building Bridges Initiative. They discuss their activities since their encounter with Pope Francis and the way forward.
These active young people share their individual, group and national experiences. Some of them have been planting trees and cleaning their environment, some others are into research and writing while some others have been engaged in different forms of training and recruiting more members including non-Catholics. No doubt, listening to the Pope has also reinforced their beliefs in their elders, and more so in social and political engagements.
This is the first part of their discussion. Watch out for the second part.
Fr Stan Chu Ilo reflects on the Pope's visit to the DRC and South Sudan and points the way to the future. Based on the opinions of many analysts, there is a serious concern that the Pope's visit will amount to nothing, if the local politicians in these two countries are not committed to transparency and inclusive governments; national reconciliation and peace; the rule of law, and fighting corruption and abuse of power and the use of violence against their own people.
The second part of the episode is a reflection on the current state of Nigeria, and why next week's meeting of the Catholic bishops of Nigeria is the most decisive in a long time. In the face of the terrible suffering of Nigerians, following the change in Nigeria's currency, fuel scarcity, lack of access to their funds by citizens, lack of access to the basic necessities of life, rising hunger and starvation amidst a rise in violence and more killings in the land less than three weeks to the most consequential national elections in a generation, what hope can the Catholic Church give to Nigerians?
We present to you our guest host, Fr Ruffino Ezama of the Comboni Missionaries. Currently, Ruffino is the Provincial Superior of the North American Province. His conversation partner in this episode is Mother Alice Drajea Jurugo, the Superior General of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters, based in Juba, South Sudan. The Sacred Heart Sisters were founded by the Comboni Missionaries in Sudan in the 1950s.
In this episode, Fr Ezama and Mother Jurugo discuss the recent apostolic visit of Pope Francis to the DRC and Sudan. They join their voices to that of the Holy Father in calling on all people especially the political leaders to become serious about bringing peace and abundant life to the people of South Sudan and the Congo. Everyone is called to become committed messengers of peace, hope and faith through a change in worldview, practices of forgiveness and reconciliation, and embracing a lifestyle that promotes peace, harmony and humanity!
This podcast is a special tribute to Fr Isaac Achi who was burned to death by radical Islamic fundamentalists in Nigeria's Niger State on January 15, 2023. Dominican priest and professor of political science, Fr Iheanyi Enwerem, pays tribute to Fr Achi and remembers so many Catholic priests, Christian religious leaders, Nigerian Christians and men and women of goodwill who are being murdered everyday in Nigeria. He decries the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, and the failure of the government to guarantee the security of lives and properties in Nigeria. He blames the current government in Nigeria for its complicity in these atrocious evils against God's people and offers some solutions for addressing this trouble situation.
Theologian, humanitarian and charismatic priest, Fr Alex Ojacor, discuss with Fr Stan Chu Ilo on why he believes in miracles. Together they lay out the conditions for miracles in the biblical tradition and in Catholic beliefs and practices. They share their spiritual insights on why they are convinced that the search for, and claims about miracles in African churches are signs of faith and evidence of God's mighty deeds of power in the churches in Africa. The false claims about miracles, in some instances, do not invalidate the experience of God's great deeds in the lives of those who have faith and who come to God on their knees in humble prayers for divine intervention .
Ugandan theologian and humanitarian, Fr Alex Ojacor, discusses with Fr Stan Chu Ilo on why he thinks 2023 will be a great year for Africa and her peoples. They discuss the role of faith, the church, and politics in turning Africa's possibilities and hopes into reality for the flourishing of Africa and spreading prosperity for Africans in 2023.
As Catholics and the rest of the world mourn the passing of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, we have assembled some of the most important scholars of Catholic intellectual tradition and experts on the theology of Pope Benedict XVI to discuss his legacy both as a theologian and pastor. Listen to the engaging and insightful theological analysis and tributes of Notre Dame University scholars, Prof Cyril O’Regan, Prof John Cavadini, and Prof Paulinus Odozor in conversation with Prof Stan Chu Ilo of DePaul University on the life and times of Benedict XVI and how he will be remembered.
Was 2022 a good year for Africa? Was 2022 a good year for the Catholic Church in Africa and African Christianity in general? In this special episode of African Catholic Voices, Fr Stan Chu Ilo undertakes a theological and political analysis of some of the major events in Africa in 2022. He examines the response of the Catholic Church in Africa and African Christians to current affairs in Africa this year. The episode concludes with an invitation to all God's people in Africa to end this year on a note of thanksgiving and hope as we step courageously into the New Year, journeying together, and lifting each other up as one family in the African Motherland.
On 1st November 2022, Pope Francis met with over 3000 young African university students. It was a part of the Building Bridges Initiative, an initiative of Pope Francis to connect with young faith influencers.
In this episode of the African podcast series, Sr Titilayo Aduloju chats with some members of the Nigerian cohort on what they have been doing since their encounter with the pope. The young faith influencers, who are visibly thrilled by their encounter with the pontiff, share their group and individual experiences. And while some have been planting trees, others have engaged in different training programs. Listening to the pope has also reinforced their belief in social engagement.
Listen to their experiences and, please, feel to share it to your networks
Sister Titilayo Aduloju, Sisters of St. Michael the Archangel, discusses with Nigerian Catholic University students preparing for their encounter with pope Francis on the 1st of November.
Members of the cohort from different institutions of higher learning in Nigerians share their respective programs of preparation and their future plans for the months and years that will follow this continental encounter with the pope.
African Catholic university youth leaders Fr. Ambrose Bwangatto (Uganda), Sr Leonida Katunge (Kenya), and Fr Ferdinand Mubvigwi –(Zimbabwe) speak on their excitement as they prepare students from their respective African countries to this pilot program of virtual encounter with Pope Francis on All Saints Day. This Barazzar with the pope will be livestreamed.
Join and listen to this papal conversation on YouTube at 2.45 pm, Rome time, 8.45 CT, 4.45 pm Nairobi, 2.45 pm Lagos:
In English: https://youtu.be/CuyPfKxosGo
In French: https://youtu.be/Yfc3U0In1t4
In Spanish: https://youtu.be/4xaSYn3ucys
Les responsables des jeunes étudiants catholique africaine, le Père Ambrose Bwangatto (Ouganda), Sœur Leonida Katunge (Kenya), et le Père Ferdinand Mubvigwi (Zimbabwe) parlent de leur joie de préparer plusieurs étudiants de leurs pays africains respectifs à ce programme pilote de rencontre virtuelle avec le Pape François à la fête de Toussaint. Ce Barazzar avec le pape sera diffusé en direct sure notre Youtube
Rejoignez-nous pour suivre cette conversation papale sur notre YouTube à 14h45, heure de Rome, 20h45 CT, 16h45 Nairobi, 14h45 Lagos :
En Anglais : https://youtu.be/CuyPfKxosGo
En Français : https://youtu.be/Yfc3U0In1t4
En Espagnol : https://youtu.be/4xaSYn3ucys
African Catholic youth leaders, Devis Ampereza (Uganda), Twiza Nachilongo (Zambie), Eddah Nabwire –Kenya, and Kelvin Takudzwa Tsuro-Zimbabwe speak on their excitement as they lead over 3000 students from all over Africa to this first ever papal virtual encounter with Pope Francis on All Saints Day. The papal conversation will be livestreamed, to Join and listen to this papal conversation on YouTube at 2.45pm, Rome time, 8.45 CT, 4.45pm Nairobi, 2.45pm Lagos:
https://youtu.be/4xaSYn3ucys (Spanish)
https://youtu.be/CuyPfKxosGo (English)
https://youtu.be/Yfc3U0In1t4 (French)
In this concluding discussion, Maryknoll priest, professor, communicator and small Christian community pioneer in Africa, Fr Joe Healey, celebrates the development and achievement of African theology. He calls for a more creative church in Africa and hopes for a day when the Catholic Church in Africa will begin to ordain married men as priests. He sees this as an important item to be discussed in the synodal encounter of the African continent in Addis Ababa. He also bemoans the plight of same-sex persons in Africa and calls on the Church in Africa to welcome them rather than deny their existence in Africa.
Fr Nnaemeka Ali is a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate (OMI). He was sent on mission to Canada ten months after his priestly ordination. On arriving at the Indigenous Communities in the North Shore of Québec, he discovered that the task was more intricate than he expected. So, he first started by learning more about indigenous colonization's nature, history, language, culture, spirituality, and faith.
In the beginning, he felt as if there was no way forward. However, with time, he was welcomed into their sacred circle, thus comprehending their faith journey and becoming a household name in the ministry with the indigenous people of Canada.
In this dialogue with the African Catholic Voices, Fr Nnaemeka shares his experience as a Nigerian missionary working in Canada: What prepared him for the mission, what endeared both local and international journalists to his missionary experience, what difficulties he met in his mission, and how he scaled through them.
Fr Nnaemeka thinks that there is only one thing our World urgently needs today: the rediscovery of one thing God took time to instill in all of us: Our Common Humanity!
At 84 and after 56 years as a priest, American Maryknoll priest, missionary, theologian, and communication expert, Joseph G. Healey exudes a freshness of perspectives, a depth of knowledge, and an arresting humility that are both compelling and inspirational. After more than 50 years of pastoral work in Africa, he carries the institutional memory of the post-Vatican II Church, and theology in Africa. He is considered the father of small Christian communities in Africa and one of the pioneers of African narrative theology. In this first part of our dialogue with Mwana Jumuia (Member of Small Christian Community) as he likes to be called, he shares with us his love for Africa, his enduring passion and commitment for the renewal and reform of the Church and for grassroots evangelization in inclusive African communities of faith. Fr Healey is very proud of AMECEA's Social Communications Department, which he pioneered in the early days of his priesthood and looks back in time in this episode. He leaves us with a very hopeful message that Africa and the world will never walk alone because the God of our ancestors is always with us.
Kenyan Catholic journalist, George Sunguh, who is a member of the Vatican’s Communication Commission of the Synod of bishops shares the stories of his faith as a Catholic lay professional, a family man, and the roads he travelled to become one of Africa's top journalists working for the Holy See. He gives us an insider narrative on what he is learning about the beauty and diversity of the Church in Africa and the vision of Pope Francis for a synodal Church. He offers some lessons on how this synodal process will bear immense fruits in Africa today.
Agnes Aineah, a journalist working for the Association for Catholic Information in Africa, has covered some of the most important moments in the Church in Africa since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, she shares the story of her formative early years as a member of the Legion of Mary; her training as a journalist, and the vibrancy of the church in Africa which gives her so much hope. She also tells the stories of the suffering of people in Africa because of the pandemic, and speaks of the need to improve lay participation in the Church and more collaboration and openness between church leaders in Africa and journalists. She encourages Catholic church leaders to speak out boldly on faith and social concerns without being afraid.
Sir Sony Obichukwu is a Nigerian farmer, and CEO of Fairworld Farms, who wants to feed the poor. But he says that the best way to feed the poor is to teach them to farm, and secure loans for them to invest in food production and promote food security in Africa. He is inspired by the teaching of Pope Francis in Laudato Si' this is why in the last five years he has introduced innovative farming techniques through growing yams in bags, and building flourishing plantations of coconut, pineapple and other staple crops and economic fruits; fish ponds in a rural village in Eastern Nigeria. He calls on the church in Africa to go back to agriculture and turn the vast church lands and properties in the continent into sites for innovative agriculture, the oldest profession of humanity as a way of obeying God's commandment: 'till the earth', and 'give them something to eat."
To learn more about the innovative farming of Sr Sony, visit the Youtube channel of the company he established, Fairworld Farms: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfUj_rNhIGTm7OkInDWwcmA
Fr Barnabas Shabayang and Fr Stan Chu Ilo pay personal tributes to Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese, Nigeria, who celebrated his 70th birthday on August 31, 2022. Bishop Kukah's influence in Nigeria today is immense. He offers us a demonstrative model of how the Church in Africa can be salt and light in bringing about social transformation in Africa through an option with the poor and a critical and constructive engagement with the politics and political actors of the day.
Fr Ikenna Okafor and Sr Mary Jane Aririguzo speak out on the rising violence in Nigeria and why they think priests and sisters in Nigeria have become targets of kidnappers in Nigeria. They speak on the need for a new leadership in Nigeria, a re-education of the entire populace and an ethical transformation of the country so that Nigerians can embrace the African value of fraternal solidarity, friendship and hospitality. Our two conversation partners have also offered some words of advice to the new Nigerian Cardinal, Peter Okpaleke on how to help heal a broken Nigerian society, stop the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, and put an end to this cycle of violence, atrocities and exploitation of the poor and the senseless and inexcusable suffering of God's people in a richly blessed country, Nigeria.
Rev Dr John Chan, Director of International Partnership for the Canadian Baptist Ministries who was a speaker at the recent Pan-African Catholic Congress, and is involved in international development projects in many African countries and other parts of the globe speaks on how we can bring the whole Gospel, and the whole Church to the whole World. He shares his dream, that is, actually the mission of God for the world. He encourages everyone, especially young people to be hopeful in the world, because God's Spirit and grace like fresh waters, continue to nourish the earth and God's people even in these challenging times.
The Association of Religious of Uganda (ARU) after 50 years of existence continues to be one of the most visible and influential associations of both male and female religious in Africa. Two of the young and dynamic religious serving in the leadership of ARU, Sr Lydia Apily and Fr John Bosco Kamoga, are my conversation partners in this episode. They share with us the stories of the achievements of ARU, the challenges facing African religious in their prophetic vocation, and the troubling phenomenon of the trafficking of Ugandan young girls to the Arab world some of whom end up as sex slaves. They also share their dreams of a bright future for Uganda and Africa as we recover from the pain of the pandemic as well as their expectations from the ongoing synodal process.
Bienvenue à African Catholic Voices Podcast. Les Voix Catholiques Africains est une série d’entrevue audio et vidéo du Réseau panafricain de la théologie et de la pastorale catholiques. Dans cet épisode, Nnaemeka Ali, O.M.I., reçois le P. Geraldo Luiz Di Mori, SJ. Le P. Geraldo est Jésuite. Il enseigne la théologie systématique à la Faculté de théologie et de philosophie (FAJE), Brazil.
Il est doyen du département de théologie de la FAJE et concentre ses recherches sur l’anthropologie théologique, l’eschatologie chrétienne, la théologie pastorale, la théologie latino-américaine…
Geraldo a été vice-président de la Société des sciences théologiques et religieuses (SOTER) de 2010 à 2013, et actuellement rédacteur en chef de l’Encyclopédie numérique de la théologie latino-américaine www.theologicalatinoamericana.com. Il est aussi membre de la revue Concilium.
Dans cet épisode, le P. Geraldo nous permet de découvrir comment le théologien doit naviguer entre la praxis et la théorie. Il croit que le point de départ de la théologie c’est la parole de Dieu, mais que chaque théologie doit se préoccuper de l’expérience des hommes et femmes d’aujourd’hui.
Le P. Geraldo souhaite que l’Église puisse apporter sa voix et sa couleur afin d’illuminer l’Église universelle.
Prof Emilce Cuda, Secretary of the Pontifical Latin American Commission and an official of the Roman Curia, speaks on Pope Francis's theology of the people, and option with the poor. She shares her vision of building bridges between the the Church of Latin American and the Church of Africa. She is one of the closest collaborators of Pope Francis and a theologian who understands the vision of Pope Francis for the reform of the Church and the renewal of all her institutions and structures to assume a missionary orientation. Prof Cuda helps us to understand how the magisterial teaching of Pope Francis can be realized in Africa and how the forthcoming Pan-African Catholic Congress in Nairobi, July 18-22, 2022 could be a springboard for the emergence of new pathways, resources, and insights for realizing the dream of Pope Francis for Africa.
Welcome to the African Podcast Series, the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network podcast series. In this episode, co-hosts, Sr. Ebere Amakwe and Nnaemeka Ali, O.M.I., receive Prof. Carlos Mendoza-Alvarez.
Fr Carlos is a Dominican and one of the directors of Concilium Theological Journal. He is a professor of Fundamental Theology at the Boston College of Theology.
Carlos is inspired by the Theology of Liberation, and is interested in the “African communitarian spirit, fight for justice, freedom, peace, truth and life.” His research interest is in the different expressions of “subjectivity”—how modern and postmodern people's emotions, feelings and practices are open to revelation and redemption experience.
He sees the need for the Church to improve deep “South-South” dialogue, which means listening to each other carefully — an essential aspect of our lifestyle lost because of colonialism. His dream for Africa and the entire humanity is to live in dignity rooted in people’s rich heritage —spiritual, social, and communal way of life.
Bienvenue dans cette série d’entrevue du Réseau panafricain de la théologie et de la pastorale catholiques. Dans cet épisode, les co-animateurs, Sr. Ebere Amakwe et Nnaemeka Ali, O. M.I., reçoivent Prof. Carlos Mendoza-Alvarez.
Le P. Carlos est dominicain et l’un des directeurs de Revue Théologique, le Concilium. Il est professeur de théologiefondamentale au Boston College of Theology.
Carlos s’inspire de la théologie de la libération et s’intéresse à « l’esprit communautaire africain, à la lutte pour la justice, la liberté, la paix, la vérité et la vie ». Ses recherches portent sur les différentes expressions de la « subjectivité » –comment les émotions, les sentiments et les pratiques des gens modernes et postmodernes sont ouverts à la révélation et à l’expérience de rédemption.
Il voit la nécessité pour l’Église d’améliorer un dialogue profond « Sud-Sud », ce qui signifie s’écouter attentivement – un aspect essentiel de notre mode de vie perdu à cause du colonialisme.
Son rêve pour l’Afrique et l’humanité entière est de vivre dans la dignité enracinée dans le riche patrimoine des gens – le mode de vie, la spiritualité, la culture et l’expérience de tous les jours.
In this episode, you will listen to the conversation between the co-hosts, Sr Ebere Amakwe and Nnaemeka Ali, O.M.I, and Prof Susan Abraham. Prof Abraham is the first woman as well as the first lay Catholic president of the editorial board of Conciliumthe oldest Theological Journal in the Catholic Church founded in 1965. She is also the vice president of Academic Affairs and the dean of faculty at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. She shares her passion for Theology and how she uses her knowledge and research to empower women globally. Prof Abraham is one of the delegates at the forthcoming Second Pan-African Theological and Pastoral conference in Nairobi and will preside at the first Concilium International Assembly to be held in Africa. She will be speaking on Africa’s encounter with modernity and the possibility of an “Afro-futurism” - the idea of looking at what the future of the Church and the world will look like from an African perspective. She thinks that the Nairobi conference is important because it shows how the experiences and work of a particular church can speak to the universal. It is her hope and prayer that Africa will breathe life into the world again.
Father Mbaka, a Charismatic Catholic priest of Enugu diocese in Eastern Nigeria who started the Adoration Ministry has been in the news in the last few years for many wrong reasons. His political prophecies have created a lot of problems and confusion in the church and the Nigerian state and undermined the credibility and reputation of the Catholic Church. In this theological and pastoral commentary, Fr Stan Chu Ilo, shows the theological, pastoral, and canonical grounds for suspending the ministry of Fr Mbaka, while commending the local ordinary, Bishop Onaga for making the right call. The episode also demonstrates that Fr Mbaka has violated core theological, canonical, and pastoral principles that the Catholic Church has offered to guide popular piety. Fr Mbaka is invited to take a break, to retool, rethink, and reflect with a spirit of humility on his vocation as a Catholic priest, and discern with his bishop how to carry out this vocation through any ministry or assignment that the Church will offer to him when the canonical process on the Adoration Ministry is completed.
Fr Edward Obi, Nigerian priest, missionary, environmentalist, scholar, and social justice advocate raises his prophetic voice against the destruction of the environment in Nigeria's Niger Delta. He calls for healing of the earth, ecological conversion, an end to violence and destruction of lives in Nigeria and the natural resources of Nigeria, and ecological justice in Nigeria. He proposes some alternative pathways to peace and the flourishing of lives in Nigeria-of peoples, cultures, religions, and the environment.
With deep pain, anguish and outrage, we dedicate this special episode to Nigerian Catholics who were massacred when they gathered to celebrate Pentecost Mass at St Francis Church, Owo, Ondo State. This is a time for lamentation for Nigeria, a blessed land that has been turned into a killing field and a vast graveyard by irresponsible, insensitive, corrupt, and wicked office holders who neither love people nor fear God and who have destroyed Nigeria and produced and/or enabled the kind of inhuman Islamist young men who are terrorizing the land. We may never know those who committed this atrocity (because the law enforcement officers are often complicit in these crimes) and defied our land, but Nigerians know which religion and region continue to produce most of these 'unknown gun men.' Nigerian Christians and church leaders are invited to declare a period of lamentation and mobilize for action against the kingdom of darkness that is engulfing Nigeria.
In this episode, we listen to Fr Luke Ijezie who is a professor of scripture and biblical languages at the Catholic Institute of West Africa and the newly elected President of the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria (CATHAN). He speaks of his vision of theology as a service of reconciliation in Africa today amidst the many complementary, contrasting, and contested streams and forces that define the African reality today. His challenging views on inculturation, religion and politics, theology and pastoral life, theologians and pastors are a call to action. His refreshing analysis of the signs of hope in Nigeria today invites all Catholic scholars, pastoral agents, and rank and file Catholics to embrace a missionary conversion that is capable of bringing people's faith to life, and enriching people's lives and social realities with the fruits of faith-in-action.
Prof Francis Anekwe Oborji is the first African to hold the chair of contextual theology at the Pontifical Urban University, Rome. A renowned missiologist, consummate writer, and public intellectual, he speaks in this first part of our conversation of his dreams and hopes for the Church in Africa. He argues that Africans must confront the burdens of our history and address complex questions around identity and statehood amidst the crisis facing many African nations today. For the Church in Africa, he warns that "a mendicant church will have no respect in the World Church." The Church in Africa, he proposes, must look towards the Sahara rather than towards the Mediterranean. His roadmap for the ongoing synod for Africa is as convincing as they are challenging. This is Prof Oborji at his best. The second part of this episode will be broadcast next week.
Ugandan priest, pilgrim, and professor of theology and peace studies at Notre Dame University, Prof Emmanuel Katongole discusses his new book, Who are my People. He wrestles with the question of identity in this book, and the meaning of the self-sacrificing love of Christ for celebrating our common baptismal identity as African Christians and addressing ecological violence, religious violence, and ethnic violence in the continent of Africa today. He brings a fresh and new approach to doing theology, through a reimagination of the prophetic witnessing of churches and Christians in Africa. He proposes a new society with 'a confused identity, where our differences are embraced as surplus values through a reinvention of love and a celebration of inclusion, and diversity for a new people, a new world, and a new hope.
Prof Dr. Isabel Apowo Phiri is an outstanding African theologian, writer, ecumenist, and global leader. She is a Presbyterian and currently the Deputy Secretary-General of the World Council of Churches. In this episode, she speaks on the synodal process going on in the Catholic Church. She calls on the churches in Africa to embrace life-affirming practices and reject all life-denying cultural, institutional, and denominational practices that harm God's people. She makes a strong case based on theological anthropology on why women's leadership at all levels of the life of the church in all denominations should become normal. Her cry and call for an end to violence against women in Africa and anywhere in the world are both moving and compelling.
In this episode, we discuss the appointment of Cardinal Turkson as the Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Science and the Pontifical Academy of the Social Sciences. We note that there are no African Cardinals currently heading any of the dicasteries and call for some African voices and presence in the Roman Curia. We commend the bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for their latest document, At the School of Jesus calling on Catholic priests with children to resign from the priesthood in order to take care of their children and the women who bore these children for them. We talk with Rose Kantiono, a Burkinabe humanitarian and teacher, who shares her joys and sorrows as a single woman and how her Catholic faith has helped her to overcome several challenges in life. She also shares with us some lessons on how the Catholic Church in Africa should address the challenges facing African families, young people, women, the political crises in many West African nations, and the discrimination that Africans display toward each other in the continent based on tribe, religion, and nationality.
Prof Simon Aihiokhai makes a compelling case for the decolonization of Christianity in Africa. He proposes that the starting point for the Church in Africa during this synodal process is the recognition and reaffirmation of the rights of all of God's people to full participation in the life of the Church and in the mission of God by virtue of their baptism. He worries that new forms of class system have settled in the Church in Africa creating different kinds of ecclesial, and social hierarchies that hinder the mission of liberating God's people. His call for a decolonization of the Catholic Church is bold, but it is consistent with the decentralization of the Church being implemented today by Pope Francis as part of the reform and renewal of the Catholic Church in the spirit of Vatican II. The main concern for Prof Aihiokhai is whether African church leaders are up to the task of thinking and acting differently to meet the African-specific challenges and opportunities facing God's people in the African Motherland today, without constantly seeking directions and taking orders from Rome and the West.
Four Steps for Healing our Families: Lessons from the prodigal Son: Homily for the 4th Sunday of Lent
I remember a CDC teacher who was preparing kids for First Holy Communion who asked the kids to tell her who suffered most in the story of the Prodigal Son. One little child said, “it was the fatted calf that suffered most because they killed him for the feast.” Beyond this joke lies a truth that we all know, everyone suffers when a family is fighting over money, ego, inheritance, and rights, or any other issue for that matter. Everyone suffers when there is a breakdown of family relations; when a family member is stonewalling and refusing to communicate or decides to walk away; all are in pain where there is a family breakdown no matter how people may pretend that they have moved on. In this homily, Fr Stan Chu Ilo proposes four steps found in the story of the Prodigal Son for restoring broken family relations.
First, learn to say sorry and admit your mistake in the family. The prodigal son made a terrible mistake, he realized his mistake, he did not blame anybody but himself. He did not say, ‘my father made me walk away.’ Or “I have a terrible elder brother that drove me crazy.” He simply admitted his mistake when he said: “Dad, I have sinned against heaven and against you. Please forgive me.” He chose the right words that conveyed his true sentiments and it had the desired effects. Arguments never resolve family disputes; family disputes should never have losers and winners; all are losers when family life breaks down. But we all can heal when we say ‘sorry’ and admit our mistakes. Saying ‘sorry’ is the best therapy in the family.
His 1996 book, A Listening Church, was a ground-breaking theological discourse on reform and renewal of the African Church in the spirit of Vatican II. Elochukwu Uzukwu in this podcast hails the reform project of Pope Francis and rejoices that the language of "a listening church' that he introduced in modern Catholicism nearly three decades ago has now been accepted as the method in following the Holy Spirit on the path of reform, dialogue, communion, and autonomy in the Church. He worries that the African Catholic Church is still bogged down by what he calls 'clerical autocracy', but sees hope in the emergence of African women, the youthfulness of the African Church, and the rise of Pentecostalism and Charismatism in African Christianity. His five lessons for a synodal church in Africa invite us to a synodal path in which there are no victors and losers, but a faithful and fruitful embrace of the truth of the Gospel, diverse traditions within the Church; and respectful attention to the perspectives of all of God's people in the gathered community of faith.
Jesuit priest, conflict analyst, peace educator, and social justice exponent, Elias Omondi Opongo, addresses the root causes of conflict in the world. Drawing from years spent in the trenches and in the classroom educating young Africans on conflict resolution, transitional justice, and peace advocacy, he makes a strong case for dialogue, diplomacy, mediation, justice, and reconciliation in countries ravaged by wars and instability. He says that a lot of our people in Africa, for instance, are being left behind because of structural injustice, and poor governance among other factors. He gives us five lessons for a more peaceful and just world.
For Jesus, the Transfiguration was a mini-revelation of what lies ahead for him. That is, in one short and beautiful moment, God affirms the mission of Jesus before his followers. The Transfiguration is a kind of prophetic sign of the Paschal Mystery of the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Transfiguration is a symbol of our Christian journey. It reminds us to be open to the grace of transformations in the transitions of life—both the good and bad experiences. Every moment in our lives should teach and transform us. No experience of life should be taken for granted. All our human experiences are signposts that show us our vulnerability, our human finality, and our openness to the infinite horizon of God beyond our limited human horizon of time and temporality. We are invited to cast our gaze in hope beyond the sufferings and uncertainties of the present moment.
Sr Teresia Wamuyu Wachira, a Kenyan Loretto sister, Co-President of Pax Christi International, and peace and justice advocate makes a passionate call for peace in the world. She calls for an end to the wars in Ukraine, Ethiopia-Tigray, Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and many other senseless wars going on in Africa and many parts of the world. She invites world leaders and governments in Africa to reduce their investment in arms and weapons of mass destruction, and invest in the education of their citizens, health, food production, environmental protection, and promotion of democracy, dialogue, and civic engagement. She invites us to embrace non-violence as the best approach to conflict resolution because violence and wars do not solve any problems. Her message of peace in this conversation is quite compelling and inspirational.
In recent days, social media has been awash with an incident involving a priest verbally abusing the highly acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at a memorial mass for her departed mother. Her case is not isolated and so we ask: How can pastors and pastoral agents in Africa bring comfort to families who are grieving the death of loved ones.
Fr Stan Chu Ilo and Sr Mumbi Kigutha share their experiences from Nigeria and Kenya on the secularisation and distortion of Christian funerals and mourning rites, taking away from the essence and turning them into events that financially drain and emotionally wound grieving families and friends.
Lent gives us an opportunity to draw closer to God through prayer, abstinence, penitence, and charity. We are invited in this episode to an examination of conscience, to listen to the cries of so many in our churches, and to repent, to seek forgiveness so that we may live out our Christian commitment more authentically.
Leocardie Lushombo, a Congolese nun, theological ethicist, peace advocate, grassroots social worker, and womanist decry the violence and wars in Africa. She praises the courageous witness of some Church leaders in the Congo especially Archbishop Munzihirwa who was reportedly killed by the forces of the Alliance of Democratic Forces (ADF) when the rebels captured Bukavu in 1996. She decries the use of rape and women's bodies as weapons of war and calls for greater political participation of women at all levels of society through theological and civic education. She invites us to a new culture of peace and love for a new and inclusive society where everyone lives in peace with God, nature, and their fellow men and women.
Meet the first African Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries, Fr Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie. In this interview, he shares the story of his vocation and faith journey and the mission of the Comboni missionaries in Africa and in the World Church. He is joined in this conversation by Fr Ruffino Ezama, the North American Provincial of the Comboni Missionaries. Both of them offer us a compelling message of fraternal solidarity and provide a road map for a listening church, a prophetic church, and an inclusive church of peace, love, and fraternal solidarity in Africa and in the world.
Amainini Regina Matambanadzo, a Zimbabwean Catholic woman, nurse, and mother calls on Pope Francis and the Church in Africa and in the world to make common cause with the women and young people of Zimbabwe at this critical time in the nation's history. Zimbabwe is currently emerging from many years of political, social, and economic challenges. She claims that the lay members of Christ's faithful in Zimbabwe are not being consulted particularly in this synodal process. According to Amainini, changes in the Church should emerge from listening to the voices of Catholics at the grassroots and laywomen like her who inhabit the existential peripheries in countries like Zimbabwe. She prays and hopes that the Church in Zimbabwe will open the synodal process to the participation of all people, especially women.
Sr Dr. Justin Nabushawo, a Ugandan nun and communication expert, and former editor of the African Ecclesial Review, invites the Church in Africa and in the world to listen to the cries of women today. Women are seeking respect, recognition, and greater inclusion in the Church. Women's talents and gifts rather than their gender, she argues, should be the criteria for bringing women into the mainstream of Church life. Women in Africa, and in many parts of the world, she laments, are standing outside at the doorsteps of the churches because of patriarchal tendencies and mindsets that should be addressed during this synodal process. She proposes that the time is ripe now to empower women in our African churches through educational opportunities so that they can contribute their talents and gifts as leaders with men in building the kingdom of God.
Sr Mbonu, Professor of New Testament Studies and Gender Studies, identifies the marginalization of women in the African Church as the number one issue for the Catholic Church in Africa in this ongoing synodal process. She reminds everyone that a bird cannot fly with one wing. Thus, if the Church in Africa continues to fly with one male wing, it will not go far. She makes a passionate call for an end to clericalism, hierarchism, and patriarchy in the African Church and makes a case for a more inclusive church for women because as she argues in this conversation, without women in the mainstream of the Church and society in Africa, "we are finished as a people."
Prof Michael Onyebuchi Eze, an African political theorist of the Ubuntu philosophy and ethics of inter-subjectivity and global solidarity, demonstrates how the Ubuntu philosophy should be promoted today as a way of continuing the legacy of reconciliation, inclusiveness, and respect for the common good championed by the Late Archbishop Tutu. He argues that despite the present social and economic challenges facing South Africa and the rest of Africa, Tutu's message of Ubuntu for a better and just society in South Africa, Africa, and the world should be promoted today more than ever.
Fr Bill O'Neill, S. J. shares the story of his journey from being a University professor in Santa Clara, California, to serving his brothers and sisters at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. He speaks of why we need the mysticism of open eyes to see our naked humanity in the conditions of the refugees. He makes a passionate appeal to all people of the need to accompany our brothers and sisters who suffer; and the joyful privilege of being led to Jesus through these brothers and sisters in this refugee camp that is called Kakuma in Swahili, meaning 'nowhere.'
Often considered as cut from the same cloth as the late icon, Desmond Tutu, Nigerian public intellectual, and political and social activist, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto, discusses the legacy of Tutu. He calls on the Church in Africa and African church leaders to get their hands dirty and their lives messy like Tutu by having their boots on the rough grounds of today's complex and painful socio-economic and political conditions of Africa. In order to bring our crucified people down from the cross of suffering and pain, Kukah invites the church and her leaders in Africa to do exactly what Tutu: by becoming the voices and agents for the liberation of African peoples from the oppressive conditions imposed on them by their own African brothers and sisters, who are now in the helm of leadership in the state as well as in various religious groups and organizations in the continent of Africa.
Co-host, writer, and grassroots leader, Sr Mumbi Kigutha (Kenya), and humanitarian and Catholic educationist, Fr Alex Ojacor (Uganda) and Fr Stan Chu Ilo (Nigeria) reflect on God's dream for Africa in 2022. They give practical suggestions on how the local churches in Africa can meet the challenges and opportunities opening up to God's people in Africa in the New Year by being a synodal Church. They also highlight some of the weaknesses in church leadership and social engagement by churches as well as the crisis of the nation-state and governance in Africa.
"I am incurably hopeful about the future of Africa despite all the difficulties we faced this year." With these words, one of the most influential Catholic bishops in Africa, Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle, reviews this passing year (2021) and the challenges and signs of hope in Africa today. He invites Africans and the world to celebrate this Christmas with joy, despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic. His message of hope is compelling; his personal account of his long battle with Covid is gripping; his testimonies of hope in Africa and the power of faith invite us to reject all the negative characterization of Africa and enter into 2022 with renewed faith in Africa's gift to the world, and a new and better world built on Global solidarity, and on Pope Francis programmatic praxis for human and cosmic flourishing in Fratelli Tutti.
Global health advocate, physician and humanitarian, Dr. Susan Nedza and Fr Stan Chu Ilo discuss the way forward for Africa and the world in the fight against the new variants of Covid-19. Both decry the medical apartheid against the poor, and the racialized thinking that led to the recent flight bans imposed on some African countries by many Western countries. They make some recommendations on how the Church in Africa can accompany God's people in the continent in these trying times.
Fr Jacquineau Azetsop, S.J., who died on October 13th this year in Rome spoke so eloquently to our world in many ways than one. A Jesuit from Cameroon, Fr. Azetsóp was until his death the dean of the Pontifical Gregorian University School of Social Sciences in Rome, where his teaching and research focused on issues of health policy, public health ethics, social dimensions of health, health systems, and the inclusion of the destitute poor. He held a master's of public health from John Hopkins, and his Ph.D. in social ethics from Boston College focused on issues of health inequality and social justice in West Africa. One of his most important works is the edited volume, HIV and AIDS in Africa: Christian Reflection, Public Health, Social Transformation, published by Orbis Books in 2016. In this episode, we pay our tribute to Jacquineau with two great friends of his, Prof Jim Keenan, S.J., the Vice Provost for Global Engagement, Canisius Professor of Theology and Director of The Jesuit Institute at Boston College, Boston U.S.A; and Prof Meghan J. Clark, associate professor of moral theology at St John’s University.
Meet Sr. Rosemary Nyirumbe who was called a hero by CNN and named by Times Magazine by one "100 Most Influential People in the World'. Hear about the joys and challenges of ministering in Northern Uganda, a place that has been ravaged by conflict and instability which has resulted in abject poverty and much suffering.
Her desire to serve has led her on an adventure and for the past 18 years or so, she has been ministering to former child soldiers and their children, helping them move from victims to survivors through education, empowerment and an abundance of love.
Her humor and her faith will have you immediately falling in love with her and getting deeply inspired.
Write to us @ panafricaththeopastne@gmail.com
Sr. Mary Justine Naluggya, recently joined the rarified ranks of African women who possess a doctorate in Canon Law when she graduated this summer. Despite not knowing much about canon law, she responded to an invitation to pursue studies in theology that led her down this path as part of the mutual discernment of the common good that the vow of obedience demands.
Her academic journey started at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and led her to mastering the Italian language in order to pursue her terminal studies, another exemplary feat.
We hear about the charism of reparation that is the cornerstone of their congregation that works to restore the dignity of all people. The Institute of the Sisters of Mary Reparatrix - Ggogonya - has grown from a presence in Uganda only, to other African countries and beyond.
We would love to hear from you @ panafricaththeopastne@gmail.com
Sr. Jane Wakahiu LSOSF takes us on the journey of her life. Her deep faith and its call to service nurtured by her parents at a tender age, led to her fiat to a life as a Little Sister of St Francis. Since then, she has continued to serve in a number of different and increasingly demanding roles that she has executed with great finesse and grace.
Her ministerial experiences have given her an advantageous insight into the lives of African Catholic Sisters, and she shares the wisdom and knowledge she has gleaned with this encounters.
"Climate change is not only bad news for Africa, it is bad news for the world." With these words, Jesuit priest, scientist, ecologist, and environmental ethicist, Peter Knox, dissects for us what was achieved at the just concluded UN Climate Change Conference, COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. He tells the story of our wounded earth and invites us to listen to the cries of the earth and the lamentation of the poor. He makes a passionate appeal to every one that we should care for the poor and the vulnerable of this world and invites everyone to embrace the path of ecological conversion, a central appeal of Pope Francis in Laudato Si' for the flourishing of people and the earth, our common home.
"We cannot lose the light of hope"..."We are called to bring the light of Christ in Africa", with these words, Pauline sisters, Josephine Idowu, and Philo Agba share with us their very challenging but life-transforming grassroots evangelization ministry of bringing hope to Africa today amidst the challenges of the pandemic, violence, and failing governments. They share with us why it is important to deepen the Christian formation of young Africans and the urgent need for conversion through the transformation of the minds, hearts, souls, and lives of all God's people in the continent.
Dr. Nontando Hadebe a child of parents from different ethnicities and nationalities, born a Catholic, but who in her mid-twenties took a ecumenical sojourn, visiting other churches that enriched her life greatly. Eventually, Ignatian Spirituality, a justice focused parish and experiencing Catholic Social Teaching in praxis brought her back to the Catholic Church.
She began her working life in the legal profession, where her encounters with those at the margins in the form of survivors and victims of domestic violence compelled her to study theology and psychology.
Dr. Hadebe reminds us of our inherent dignity as image bearers of good that is not reliant on our gender, race, social economic status etc., but wholly on the fact that we are created of and by God. Her conviction borne out of her study and exegesis of scripture has inspired her to work with women so that they may too may embrace their divine goodness.
Dr. Hadebe also shares about a new book that she co-edited of stories by African women (and one man) sharing the impact of Covid-19 on their lives. We also hear about the next exciting chapter of her life and her dreams for the African woman and all women.
Meet Fr. Toussaint Kafarhire Murhula S.J, a Jesuit priest from the DRC who also happens to be a political scientist and by belief and practice also a womanist, desiring and championing for women's dignity, participation and equity in society and church.
We hear about his motivation to study political science and how that compliments theology and our faith life rather than contradicts it. Explaining also what the true definition of politics is, a broader reality than the narrow definitions we apply tp it.
Fr. Toussaint shares his admiration for Pope Francis and his pastoral decisions and also his hopes and dreams for our continent. He also exhorts us and reminds us that it is our mandate to engage with all things i.e. politics, that contribute to the betterment of society.
Sr. Josée Ngalula, an accomplished theologian and a Sister of St. Andre from the Democratic Republic of Congo shares her hopes and dreams for the African Church and especially African Catholic women.
We also get to learn of some of the details about the process that took place behind the scenes, leading to her appointment to the International Theological Commission, becoming the first African woman to achieve this feat. More so, what this commission does for the global Church and what her contributions will be.
Furthermore, she shares her perspective on what needs to happen at the grassroots, so that more African women are equipped with the necessary skills to participate more fully at all levels of Church and Society.
Sr Kemi Akinleye and Sr Beatrice Efembele who are heading the publication department of the Paulines Sisters, West Africa tell the stories of their lives, ministry, grassroots evangelization, and faith animation through the Paulines Publications, Africa. They narrate the challenging experience of Christian persecution in Nigeria, the rise in violence in the country, the hostile environment in which they work, and their courageous effort to be present in the chaos of the lives of the people. They speak of hope for Africa and make a passionate appeal for the inclusion of the voices of women in the synodal process in Africa.
On October 10, 2021, Pope Francis will open a two-year synodal process in the worldwide Catholic Church. In creating the opportunity for listening and dialogue on the local level through this Synod, Pope Francis is calling the Church to rediscover her deeply synodal nature. This is a time to pray, listen, analyze, dialogue, and discern how to build a vital church in Africa and in the world. It is also a time to seek a common path in shaping the future of the Catholic Church to meet the needs and hunger of God's people in these challenging and complex times.
In this inaugural episode of the African Catholic Voices podcast, host, Fr Stan Chu Ilo, Coordinating servant of the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network, and Fr Patrick Alumuku, CEO of Catholic Television, Nigeria and former news anchor at Vatican Radio call on African Catholics to take this synodal process seriously. They also discuss how the synodal process should be carried out successfully in Africa. They also make a case for taking African voices seriously in the Catholic Church, and why the voices of the poor and the marginalized in our churches need to be listened to through this synodal process.