AFRICA - Extraordinary missionary month: between professed faith and lived faith, Africa remains "mission land"

Thursday, 27 September 2018 evangelization   mission   extraordinary missionary month   faith  

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Kara (Agenzia Fides) - "Africa is often represented, in an approximate way, as a land of mission at this stage rooted, ready to export its dynamism of faith to the ancient churches and missionary entities such as the weakened Europe", writes to Agenzia Fides Father Donald Zagore, African theologian, speaking of the Extraordinary Missionary Month of October 2019, announced by Pope Francis.
"In fact - he continues - for many, the continent today can and must also evangelize Europe, just as in the 1800s Europe did with Africa. But it is also true that Christianity in Africa enjoys an incomparable strength, thanks to the vitality of its churches and its young people, and it is important to recognize that this type of Christianity has considerable limitations that suggest the need for a much more cautious approach", says the missionary.
"The focal point of the question of the presence of Christianity in Africa is the incompatibility between professed faith and lived faith. Our churches are full, but our countries are more and more divided. Injustice, lack of charity, lack of fraternity are part of African existence, and show that the Christian values celebrated in our churches are far from being lived in our cities. The African man seems to be trapped between life inside the church and life outside the church. The evangelizing mission must work to reconcile these two 'trends' so that the Christian values celebrated in the Church are also lived at home, in the family, in society.
The incompatibility between professed faith and lived faith is more evident on a cultural level. Christ and his Gospel do not replace cultural beliefs but are added to them. There is a kind of accumulation of beliefs, sometimes a syncretism that is most visible in moments of great suffering like illness and death. Often religion is perceived by African man only in a utilitarian dynamic".
"A religion is judged good or bad depending on whether it meets the needs of its followers. If it does not give satisfaction, it is abandoned or otherwise modified", explained Mgr. Dominique Banlene Guigbile, bishop of Dapaong. "From here comes the popular attitude of Africans to adhere to a new religion without renouncing previous beliefs. However, the truth of the Christian faith is based on the fact that faith in Jesus Christ does not support additions or amalgams. It is a radical choice that, while taking into account the seeds of the Word present in the cultures of the peoples, renounces compromises with all that is contrary to the evangelical truth", said Mgr. Guigbile, cited by Fr. Zagore. "This radical choice is the great challenge of evangelization today", adds Fr. Donald. "We must remain humble and understand that Christianity lived in Africa is sometimes far from its fundamental reality and truth and requires a much deeper work of evangelization. Far from being a land already evangelized, Africa still remains a land of evangelization, a land of mission", he concludes. (DZ/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 27/9/2018)


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