Category: News Page 61 of 79

News from Sectors and Rome

Aujourd’hui, les Missionnaires d’Afrique de l’Ouest vous proposent de visiter de nouvelles pages sur leur site http://www.mafrwestafrica.net/ :

Dans la rubrique Dialogue interreligieux

« Appel à s’inscrire à l’IFIC ». Une invitation à suivre la formation donnée à l’IFIC, Institut de Formation Islamo Chrétienne, qui est situé à Bamako au Mali. (lire la suite)

« Fin du Ramadan, message du Pape » le texte publié par le pape François à l’occasion de l’Id al- Fitr, la fin du jeûne de nos frères musulmans (lire la suite)

Dans la rubrique Vu au sud, vu du sud

« La mission et les ONG ? », un article de notre confrère Maurice Oudet publié dans la revue « Petit Echo », où il affirme que l’évangélisation et le développement sont inséparables.(lire la suite)

Dans la rubrique Actualités

« Rencontres des familles à Bamako» : à savoir les familles de nos confrères originaires du Mali, rencontre qui s’est tenue le 30 juin dernier. (lire la suite)

« Lettre de l’archevêque de Bamako » : cette lettre qui date du 27 juillet dernier invite à la paix et la réconciliation nationale au Mali.(lire la suite)

« Baobab Echos n° 16 », le dernier bulletin de la Province d’Afrique de l’Ouest, paru au mois de juillet, avec un large éventail de nouvelles et de partage (lire la suite)

Dans la rubrique Témoignages

« Deux témoignages», l’un de Jean Paul Guibila, présentement au Mexique, l’autre d’Anselme Tarpaga, aux études à Rome. (lire la suite)

« Mgr Martin Happe a fêté ses 40 ans de sacerdoce », un texte paru dans les « Nouvelles diocésaines de Nouakchott » et que nous publions à notre tour (lire la suite)

Zambia: Catholics Deny Patriotic Front Link

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On August 15, 2013

In News, Publications

By Peter Adamu, 13 August 2013

The Catholic Church says the perception that they are Patriotic Front inclined is untrue and that they will continue speaking for the voiceless.

Zambia Episcopal Conference spokesperson Father Paul Samasumo said the fact that some members of the Catholic Church were PF inclined did not mean that it was the position of the church.

“The ZEC has noted with concern that in recent weeks, there have been accusations and attacks alleging that the Catholic Church in Zambia has abandoned its role of speaking for the voiceless, the poor and marginalised on the wrong public perception that the Church is loyal to or favours the Patriotic Front and its leadership,” said Samasumo in a statement.

“The Catholic Church in Zambia, as elsewhere in the world, is made up of members that belong to diverse political party affiliations. Therefore, ZEC, in its official capacity, does not and cannot champion any single political candidate even if that candidate were a faithful son of the Church.”

He said, “In this regard, any hint of partisan politics by a priest or a Bishop through the media or from the pulpit is wrong. It is wrong because the God whom we preach about and serve welcomes everyone in spite of political affiliations.”

During his campaign for the presidency PF leader Michael Sata played the Catholic card as he is a member and some priests openly rendered their support to him but with the PF falling short of expectations the Catholic church has been conspicuously missing raising concern among the neutrals.

Proflight eyes 3 more destinations

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On August 14, 2013

In News

Zambia Daily Mail – August 14, 2013

By KELLY NJOMBO

PROFLIGHT Zambia has unveiled plans for three additional international destinations to its growing schedule by mid-2014, making Lusaka a regional hub for air travel. Company director of government and industry affairs Philip Lemba said the airline has plans to start flying to Lubumbashi, from Ndola, with connections between Ndola and Lusaka. Mr Lemba said the airline is also considering services to Harare, Dar es Salaam, Mozambiques’sTete town and Johannesburg, subject to regulatory approval.

“We believe that after years of prudent [and] steady growth, Proflight Zambia has now built a solid base to reach a critical mass from which it can expand into regional markets, heeding the requests of our customers.

“Lusaka is a natural choice as a hub, and Proflight is determined to be a standard bearer for Zambian aviation throughout the region,” he said.

Mr Lemba said in a statement in Lusaka recently. He said with the introduction of the Malawi route, Proflight currently operates 10 scheduled routes using nine aircraft, and a 105-seat Boeing 737 aircraft which was just added to the Proflight fleet as the airline’s first jet aircraft.

Mr Lemba said the airline is keen to introduce flights to Johannesburg from Lusaka and is examining the option of flying into South Africa city’s smaller airport, Lanseria, whose costs are lower than that of the city’s main OR Tambo (ORT) International Airport. Mr Lemba, however, said the airline has appealed for input from travellers to help it identify how best the new services can be structured.

Malawi – AMECEA: Plenary Assembly 2014 in Lilongwe

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On August 13, 2013

In Malawi Sector, News

Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides) – The 18^th AMECEA Plenary Assembly will take place in Malawi, Lilongwe from 16 to 26 July 2014. The theme of the Plenary Assembly is “New Evangelization through true conversion and witnessing to Christian faith”.

This means the 18th Plenary Assembly will this time will be hosted by the Episcopal Conference of Malawi. Zambia hosted the 16th Plenary Assembly in 2008. Plenary Assemblies take place every three years and bring together over 250 Bishops of the AMECEA region.

AMECEA is the acronym for Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa It is a Catholic organization of Catholic Bishops of the eight countries in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa, namely, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Djibouti and Somalia are affiliate members. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 13/08/2013)

Slavery, witchcraft and fear

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On August 11, 2013

In Justice and Peace, News, Publications, Zambia Sector

By Bernhard Udelhoven, M.Afr

Published in the Saturday Post, Saturday August 10, 2013

Breaking Free from Witchcraft – Exposing the Bondage to Demons – Prayer Points to Break the Chains of Satanism.

These are some book titles in our Christian bookshops that remind us of spiritual forms of slavery that hold us hostage today. Thousands of new deliverance ministries witness in Zambia to bondages to witchcraft and demons. The need for liberation from the slavery to evil forces seems enormous. Many people testify to the inner freedom and the new start which they found after undergoing sound deliverance services.
Yet, while the number of new churches and deliverance ministries has been multiplying steadily over the last decades, sometimes coming with the promise of a fast-track to divine blessings and prosperity, demons and witchcraft are in no way diminishing. The opposite seems true. Demonic entities are increasing. This is strange. One should think that the demons surely must be useful to some of us; else they would hardly hang around given that they are beaten, cast out and insulted so often by so many churches. Is it not also pastors, prophets, and churches who profit? READ MORE

Ministry of Michel Meunier on modern slavery in South Africa

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On August 11, 2013

In Justice and Peace, News, Publications, South Africa Sector

On the 2^nd August, I gave a talk to students & professors of Cedara (St. Joseph Institute) where our theology students go. There were about 50 people; the biggest attendance they ever had! A proof that modern slavery is a very hot topic! It had been organised by the OIKOS group, of which Antony Alckias is the Secretary. He is one of our students who should be ordained deacon in December.

As I was speaking to philosophy & theology students and teachers, I started with a quick overview of the attitude of the Church towards slavery through the ages followed by a brief history of Lavigerie’s antislavery campaign.

The big question is: what is the Church doing? The Counter Trafficking In Persons (CTIP) Office at the Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) published all kinds of posters & flyers to bring more consciousness. They had a 3 day seminar in April and started a Truck Drivers’ Anti-Trafficking group. They will soon publish a small book “The Church and Anti-Trafficking”. The Sisters seem to have more roles to play, as most trafficked people are women and children.

United in the same Mission,

Michel Meunier, M.Afr

Also: South Africa Human Trafficking Bill Signed Into Law

Article of Nzimeni Jeremiah Gama, OMI

Our Experience with the Youth in Chimoio Diocese, Mozambique

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On August 9, 2013

In Mozambique Sector, News, Vocation animation

By Maurice Aduol Odhiambo and Serge Kabwakila Kasongo

The second term holiday was characterized by different activities in the Diocese of Chimoio despite being relatively short (2 weeks). We, the stagiaires in Mozambique, wish to share with you some of these activities.

We are members of the Diocesan youth commission which managed to organize two youth camps. The first one took place in Machaze where Dombe Mission is located. The topics discussed were the following; marriage, polygamy, relationship and dowry payment. All these themes were accompanied by dramas, group discussions and sharing between the youth and some invited guests who were knowledgeable in these areas. READ MORE

: The youth of the Southern Deanery in Machaze

: Members of the Diocesan youth commission who organized Youths training in Amatongas

: Representatives of various youths in Chimoio Diocese in Amatongas during the youth workshop

New Website of Kungoni Centre of Culture and Art, Malawi

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On August 9, 2013

In Malawi Sector, News

Other link: http://www.kasiyamaliro.org/

Are Women Today’s Slaves?

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On August 7, 2013

In News, Publications

By Evans K. Chama, M.Afr

Published in the Saturday Post, Saturday August 3, 2013

Slavery was made illegal a long time ago but it has never been abolished. It is still here today in various forms and women are among its victims. It may sound exaggerated to label the violence that women suffer as slavery. Nonetheless, the situation of gender relations shows sufficient traits that are typical of slavery. That is why we must be aware of this violence which goes often unnoticed.

Firstly, let us refresh our understanding of slavery. Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property, traded and subjected to forced work. It is also a relationship whereby one person has absolute power over another, controlling his/her life and liberty. We speak of chattel slavery when people are treated as property that can change hands like commodities. In bonded labour a person is in some kind of debt which he/she has to pay by fulfilling certain roles. And we have forced labour when one is obliged to work or do something against his/her will. READ MORE

Interview with Howard Zehr

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On August 6, 2013

In News

Howard Zehr is widely known as “the grandfather of restorative justice,” he began as a practitioner and theorist in restorative justice in the late 1970s at the foundational stage of the field. Zehr continues in this third decade to deepen the principles of restorative justice and grow its practice worldwide. He has led hundreds of events in more than 25 countries and 35 states, including trainings and consultations on restorative justice, victim-offender conferencing, judicial reform, and other criminal justice matters. In this interview he says that prisons in US are basically trauma factories, much of the time, prisons are just totally counterproductive from a rehabilitation stand point. He also says that forgiveness is a wonderful and powerful experience but cannot be forced on people. He challenges and deconstructs today’s predominant retributive justice system. He invites us to experience justice as a restorative process that combines the best of the indigenous traditions combined with modern human rights sensibilities. Finally he shares with us his creativity infusing art in justice work. READ MORE