Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Dar Es Salaam (Agenzia Fides) - Thousands of believers took part in the Fifth National Tanzanian Eucharistic Congress, which recently ended in Dar Es Salaam. Under the slogan ‘Fraternity, healing the world: you are all brothers’, the participants exchanged ideas on topics that include Christian fraternity as an important tool for the development of human dignity, the Eucharist and small grassroots communities, the challenge of Pentecostalism and Catholics today.
In a statement sent to Fides, the Consolata missionary Father Paulino Madeje (IMC) discusses the concepts of fraternity and healing, defining them as words that take on particular meaning in the current situation in the country. "Tanzanian society is worried and frightened by the wave of human rights violations. Kidnappings, murders, abuse of the weak and bullying are unfortunately commonplace," said Father Madeje, who is also the director of the Tanzanian Consolata Missionaries' magazine "Enendeni." "That is why the Tanzanian Bishops' Conference issued a joint statement at the end of the congress condemning such acts and stressing that our society needs healing. True healing is found in the Jesus of the Eucharist, who calls us to the table of dialogue and communion."
"Among the speakers at the congress," reports Father Paulino, "Father Joseph Mosha of the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam explained that fraternity is inherent in man and is linked to the fact that man is created in the image of God and that Jesus Christ, by nourishing us with his body and blood, becomes our brother. We must recognize and make Christian fraternity our own in order to heal the many wounds that afflict humanity."
"Small basic communities should be Eucharistic communities. The focus and center of everything is Christ,” stressed Fr. Benno Kikudo of the Tanzania Bishops Conference. “So what should be done to make this happen? Pastoral plans and strategies should be drawn up and implemented to empower families, communities, youth groups, children and mothers to live a Eucharistic life.” This will be done through seminars, workshops and educational programs.
Father Leonard Maliva of the Diocese of Iringa, in his contribution on Pentecostalism, was based on the fact that people are always looking for solutions for various reasons, including difficulties in everyday life, so they join sects that offer “miracles” and “empty blessings.” “Some of them buy fake religious items like oil, soil, leaves, which they believe have magical powers. Later they realize that they have not been healed but have been cheated and financially robbed and their faith begins to falter. To meet this challenge, the Catholic Church must make a conscious effort to develop a strategic pastoral plan to identify and help the sons and daughters of the Church who are lost," said Fr. Maliva.
Finally, the Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Bukoba, Methodius Kilaini, spoke about the history of evangelization in the Eastern Region. Starting from the current Tanzanian and African reality at the political, cultural, economic and religious levels, Kilaini highlighted the importance of missionary work and its fruits, which include the Eucharistic Congress. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 3/10/2024)
