Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - "Catechists in Africa have been the cornerstones of evangelization, they have carried out an extraordinary job. They were not mere collaborators of the missionary fathers, but important actors in the work of evangelization in Africa". Thus writes to Agenzia Fides Father Donald Zagore, priest of the Society for African Missions of the Ivory Coast, on the occasion of the publication of the Motu proprio "Antiquum ministerium" by Pope Francis. "With few resources, both spiritual and material, catechists accompany and carry forward the hope of their brothers and sisters with determination and faith. I believe that without them, evangelization in Africa would not have had the impact it has had. Unfortunately, when talking about the 'heroes' of evangelization in Africa, catechists are mostly forgotten for the benefit of religious missionaries.
They remain in the shadow of history, of the Church, of priests and nuns. Very often this precious source of evangelization has been relegated to the background, catalyzed in a dynamic secondary role". Father Zagore points out that, throughout history, catechists have been the first victims of clericalism. "Since they were not priests, their heroism or missionary commitment was somewhat trivialized". "With this document - adds the missionary - Pope Francis wants to do justice to men and women of faith who gave their lives to the mission, to evangelization, to the Church in Africa in particular, and to the universal Church in general, recognizing their ministry of catechist as a vocation at the center of the life of the Church". "They did not become catechists by chance, but responded generously to Christ's call like all priests, religious missionaries", insists Fr. Zagore. "The hope would be to ensure that the vocation of a catechist in Africa will no longer be considered ‘second-rate’ compared to the priestly one.
The vocation of catechists must be promoted as a vocation in its own right and, to do this, all the necessary means must be put in place to make this precious gift that God himself offers to his sons and his daughters grow", he concludes. (DZ/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 11/5/2021)
