He said that one of the questions to which Africa said a vehement no in the ongoing Synod on Synodality is the use of “tent”, adding that in Africa, the Church is seen as a family of God.
“We come from a broken continent, a continent where everybody comes to do fishing, yet those who live in that continent have no fish to eat. It is a broken, battered continent. It is a continent which has been harassed and dejected, and yet, this continent sees tents only in the backdrop of when we are running around carrying boxes on our heads as refugees,” Archbishop Nkea said.
He continued, “We are not running as refugees in the Catholic Church, and therefore, tents for us have a very derogatory meaning. For us, tents mean refugees who are running, pursued by predators and those who want to steal our wealth. We rejected the tent.”
“Africa is a family. The Church remains a family of God, and we continue to push that idea of the Church as a family of God,” he said.
The Archbishop of Bamenda since February 2020 pointed out that the position of Africa on controversial issues in the ongoing Synod on Synodality has nothing to do with politics.
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“We the Bishops and members who attended the synod are not looking at anything against the backdrop of creating an African Church,” he said, and added, “The Church is the Church of Christ. And I think we need to stand against politicians who tell us that it is time to create an African Church.”
The August 23 African palaver, the 12th weekly virtual conference that brings together African theologians, Clergy, women and men Religious, and Laity was organized under the theme, “Theological criteria and synodal methodologies as a basis for shared discernment of controversial doctrinal, pastoral and ethical issues.”
Archbishop Nkea gave the theme’s allocution, focusing on why Africa should speak with a clear voice on hot-button topics and controversial matters not only at the ongoing Synod on Synodality but beyond.
In a concept note that was shared with ACI Africa ahead of the August 23 palaver, organizers of the event said participants would “courageously address some of the contested moral issues that came up in the last two years since the synodal conversation began in Africa.”
Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya’s Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.
