Category: Publications Page 21 of 41

Various publications; Bulletins, magazines

MISSIO Conference on Inculturation on 23/11/2014, Lilongwe, Malawi. Sharing by Fr Claude Boucher Chisale, M.Afr

“This talk is going to be more of a sharing of experiences of 48 years of practical inculturation within the Malawi context both on catechetical, liturgical and artistic inculturation.”

Those are introduction words of Father Boucher giving his talk to a group of experts convened by Missio who met recently in Lilongwe and Mua. On the eve of the meeting Claude received an honorary doctorate from Ivan Reed, the Chancellor of the Share World Open University, at the Bingu International Conference Centre, Lilongwe.

Find the content of the life story of Father Boucher in the following PDF file given at Missio Conference on Inculturation on 23^rd November 2014.

Our sincere congratulation to our confrere Claude Boucher for this remarkable achievement. The following are his conclusive words: “The unfolding of the Kungoni activities as a Centre for Culture and Art followed very much my own personal growth. Though inculturation was the ultimate target right from the time of my arrival, the years 1967 to 1970 had to be spent in learning to speak. The period of 1970 to 1976 taught me to think in the culture. The period of 1977 to 2000 brought about the possibility of acting in the culture by establishing the Kungoni Centre and its various activities. The period of 2001 to 2014 was blessed with several publications and the need to reflect on the past and on the history of the Centre. Together with a team, I look forward to publishing online the summary of its activities and its major achievements. This is the database mentioned above. As an appendix to this work, the urgent need to show greater concern for Malawi’s environment that is presently at risk. I would very much like to spend my remaining years and energy on browsing over my voluminous notes and do more publishing for further generation. I am presently working on a pre-Christian spirituality of the Chewa. I would also like to spend more time at painting my inner experience of my real home, my only home, Malawi.”

Share WORLD Open University – Honorary Doctorate Award

Upon the authority of the Senatus Academicius through the University Council of Share WORLD Open University, and the nomination and recommendation thereof Fr. Claude Boucher Chisale is awarded the Degree of Doctor in Philosophy in Cultural Anthropology and Heritage Management, Honoris Causa will all honours, rights and priviledges belonging to that Degree. In witness thereof we have signed and sealed this instrument on the 22^nd day of November 2014.

Chancellor Yvan Reid

Police and Church partner to combat Human Trafficking at London

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On December 6, 2014

In Publications

Taking the lead on human trafficking: Second international conference of the Santa Marta Group
Lancaster House, London, 5-6 December 2014

Police chiefs and Church representatives from across the world are coming to London to join Home Office ministers for a Conference aimed at developing strategies to combat human trafficking. The guiding principle of the Santa Marta Group is always to keep the welfare of the trafficked victim at the heart of all law enforcement.

The conference, which will take place in London on 5-6 December, is being organised by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the Home Office.

The delegates are coming at the invitation of Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, and Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe. The conference has been organised with the full support of the Home Office, which is hosting the event at Lancaster House, and will be addressed by the Home Secretary Theresa May, and the Minister for Modern Slavery and Organised Crime, Karen Bradley.

At the launch of the Santa Marta Group, named after the Papal residence where the participants stayed, in April 2014 Pope Francis described human trafficking as “an open wound on the body of contemporary society; a crime against humanity”.

The Santa Marta Group, led by Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe and Cardinal Nichols is an alliance of international police chiefs and Bishops from around the world, working together with civil society to eradicate human trafficking and provide pastoral care to victims. It seeks to develop strategies in prevention, pastoral care and re-integration by working together internationally.

At its launch, the police chiefs signed a declaration of commitment in which they stated: “As senior law enforcement officials within the international community, we commit to eradicate the scourge of this serious criminal activity, which abuses vulnerable people.”

The conference at Lancaster House will also showcase and build on the joint police and church initiative in London that has been running for the past three years; a collaboration that is to be copied and adapted around the world.

Training modules and good practice will be shared and developed. Closer collaboration will also enable joint investigations between law enforcement agencies enabling a more co-ordinated international approach to rid the world from the scourge of the world’s second most profitable crime: estimated by the International Labour Organisation to generate $32bn annual profits for criminals, with 2.4 million people trafficked globally at any given time.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “I am delighted to be hosting the Santa Marta Conference, a forum dedicated to the eradication of Modern Slavery which brings together police chiefs and bishops from across the globe.

“This government has taken great strides to tackle this abhorrent crime. The publication of the Modern Slavery Bill is the first of its kind in Europe and gives law enforcement the tools they need to target slave drivers, ensuring their prosecution as well as the protection of their victims.

“But this is a problem that cannot be addressed through legislation alone. It requires action at all levels of society. That is why, last week, we published the Modern Slavery Strategy which makes it clear we must work together to tackle exploitation both here and overseas.”

Cardinal Nichols said: “The Santa Marta Group is not about theory; it is focused on rescuing people who have become victims of trafficking and find themselves in an impossible situation.

“We meet again in London to continue this important collaboration between Church, police, government and civil society, reporting on the progress made this year and planning future area of work. Since April, The Church has launched the Bakhita Initiative, comprising a refuge for victims and a hub where good practice on prevention, pastoral care and reintegration will be developed and disseminated nationally and internationally, in addition to the ongoing work of the Santa Marta Group.

“The work against trafficking lies at the heart of the Church’s pastoral concern and ministry. There is much to be done, but the emergence of the Santa Marta Group’s international network is an important step towards helping the victims and fighting this crime.”

Metropolitan Police Service Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: “I am proud that London is hosting the second Santa Marta Conference. It allows us to highlight human trafficking on an international platform and demonstrate the determination of church leaders, communities and our policing colleagues worldwide to combat these horrendous crimes.

“Knowing the full scale of the problem is an almost impossible task as those most vulnerable to exploitation often live at the margins of our society and the criminals hide in the shadows.

“However, this must not stop those who can help, from all nations, making the commitment to do everything they can to enable trafficking victims to escape the clutches of their captors and bring the criminals involved to justice.

“We know our collective efforts are not adequate to end this modern form of slavery and therefore we must all do more.”

JPIC-ED Bulletin December 2014 – January 2015

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On December 5, 2014

In Publications

All things to all. By Richard Nnyombi, M.Afr

Christmas is already looming on the horizon! A joyful feast indeed not only for Christians but also for others who are not adherents to the Christian faith. According to one of the websites, Christmas is the second most popular annual feasts worldwide after New Year, followed by Eid al-Fitr, Eid-al-Adha, Valentine, Diwali, etc. Surprisingly, different people have different reasons for celebrating this day and not all Christians celebrate it because of its Christian understanding of ‘God’s incarnation in Jesus-Christ’. The key message that seems to be appealing to many in this feast is that of peace and good-will echoed in the message of the angels to the shepherds: “…….and peace on earth to all people of good will.” (Lk. 2: 14). Wouldn’t this feast, therefore, in a way be an expression of humanity’s longing for the incarnation of peace and good-will on the earth?

The Christian understanding of Christmas was the foundation of Cardinal Lavigerie’s preference for and recommendation of the tout-à-tous (making ourselves all things to all) to his missionaries as the apostolic method par excellence of witnessing to the Gospel and Kingdom values. Inspired by St. Paul (cf. 1 Cor. 9: 22; also Phil. 2: 1-11), he sees in the tout-à-tous “God’s way of doing things, the divine way.” How relevant but also how demanding is this instruction of our Founder in the multi-cultural and multi-faith globalised world of today? And to what extent does it urge us to purify our intentions so that we do not use it as a tactic to convert others to our faith community! How are we transmitting this divine way of doing things to our spiritual sons and daughters who are members of the Christian communities of which we are so proud to be the spiritual parents and founders through our predecessors?

When our spiritual sons and daughters in the local churches show hatred and aversion to the ‘different-others’ especially those of different faith communities, e.g. Islam and ATR, is it not a sign of failure on our side for not having passed on to them this spiritual and apostolic divine way essentially enshrined in the Christmas message? A Luganda proverb says that: “Ennyonyi enkulu y’eyigiriza ento okwonoona mu kisulo.” (The old bird teaches the young ones to foul the nest). Would this mean that we ourselves have fallen short of living out the depth and breadth of this divine method?

May this Christmas season be yet another privileged moment of prayer and reflection and may it help us to rediscover the divine wisdom hidden in this instruction of our Founder, a tradition which we are so proud to name as a constitutive element of our missionary identity and our way of doing mission.

I wish each and everybody a very Happy Christmas and a blessed and fruitful new year.

FULL TEXT IN PDF FILE

Prayers for Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation and Encounter and Dialogue

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On December 4, 2014

In News, Publications

In prayer, we seek Divine intervention: “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labour; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil.” (Ps. 126 [127]: 1)

“While some are enrolled under the flag of mercy and fraternal solidarity, taking the arms and ready to go for the battle, we who are staying behind must call on the name of the Lord (cf. Ps 20: 7), and go up to the mountain to raise up our hands together towards heaven.” (Card. Lavigerie)

Let our prayer for JPIC-ED be a continuous reminder of the urgency of our commitment as individuals, communities, and of the Lavigerie Family wherever we are.

Missionaries of Africa and Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa

Nature and God’s Creation

Loving Father and Creator of all we come to you today deeply grateful for your creation. As we look around us, we are amazed at the greatness and majesty of all that you have made. Nature around us speaks of your greatness – the vast expanse of the sky, the mountains, trees, lakes and streams speak of your great design. You have given us such beauty in the colours of the rainbow, the beauty of flowers and fields. Words cannot adequately express the magnificence of all you have created. We join in praise with the writer of the psalms when he says, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” May we show our love and reverence to you, our Lord, by caring for all that you have created. We humbly give you praise and thanks. Amen

Lettre aux sœurs et amis du monastère de Sainte Claire, Lusaka

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On December 3, 2014

In Publications

Chères sœurs et chers amis,

Au sein du puissant battement mondial de cette année,

le cœur de notre communauté fait écho à l’inimitable battement de gratitude pour chacun de vous, très chères sœurs et chers amis, pour votre présence dans nos vies, pour la beauté et la bonté du Seigneur qui nous sont parvenues grâce à vous.

Que les ondes de notre battement zambien vous apportent toute bénédiction!

Venant de loin, un son de flûte solennel franchit la lumière du crépuscule. Au loin, avec nos yeux intérieurs, nous voyons de jeunes garçons dans les rues jouer au football, prétendant être Messi, Ronaldo, Katongo, les grands footballeurs. Au loin nous voyons avec nos yeux de l’esprit, les petites filles suivre leur mère pour aller chercher de l’eau et du bois pour la fabrication de la munkoyo (bière douce). Les hommes, jeunes et vieux, nettoient leurs filets après une capture dans le Luapula. Le grand poisson aigle glisse au-dessus du majestueux fleuve Zambèze, attentif au moindre mouvement de l’eau, et après une plongée éclair, il plonge à nouveau, s’élevant dans le ciel chaud africain louant le Créateur pour un double cadeau : son dîner et une douche rafraîchissante bienvenue, car, c’est vrai, il a fait très chaud cette année.

FULL TEXT ON PDF FILE

To all SAP confreres, Happy Christmas and wonderful New Year 2014 from Phelim Malumo, M.Afr

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On December 3, 2014

In Publications

By Phelim Malumo, M.Afr

Dear Confrere,

Greetings from the Philippines. I received your email with pleasure and wonderful memories. I took a few moment of recollection remembering God’s Love for me and the rest of Humanity as we prepare to celebrate the mystery of God’s Incarnation. I felt encouraged, and indeed, strengthened after repeatedly going through your short, deep and touching letter.

Yes, I am settling well here in Masbate: living, listening, sharing and discovering so many things each day: one -day -at- a- time. Today afternoon I am giving formation class on the Holy Spirit for those preparing to become Lay Missionaries/Volunteers in the Future. Next week I shall teach about Mission to the Boys/Girls. This evening I shall have confessions and another Mass at the girl’s farm. A mission/task requiring compassion, Reaching out and listening and giving direction/guidance to so many boys and girls, some under aged and too young to understand and discern about their lives and what to do. They have so many unanswered questions. My presence is seen and experienced, by most of them, as God’s will and intervention in their life “…The Lord has visited his people”; the troubled, downtrodden, suffering and addicted and those who have lost HOPE in life’s purpose.

FULL TEXT IN PDF FILE

Bishop Patrick Chisanga: Year of Consecrated Life is a call for introspection

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On December 1, 2014

In Publications

30/11/2014

The declaration by Pope Francis that a Year of Consecrated Life be celebrated throughout the world starting today, the first Sunday of advent, has been described as “timely and important” by Zambia’s Bishop Patrick Chisanga. Bishop Chisanga is the Bishop of Mansa Diocese. Before becoming a Bishop, early this year, he was a formator in his congregation, the Order of Friars Minor Conventuals.

The Year of Consecrated Life will close on 2 February 2016, the World Day of Consecrated Life.

In an exclusive interview with Vatican Radio’s English Service for Africa, Bishop Chisanga said the declaration of a Year of Consecrated Life coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of the Second Vatican Council document, Perfectæ Caritatis. This document promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1965 is the “Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life.” It deals with institutes of consecrated life in Church.

Zambian Bishops: Patrick Chisanga, OFM Conv. (R) with Evans Chinyemba OMI (l)

According to Bishop Chisanga, this period should be used by the religious to revisit their call to religious life. ”It is an important moment of introspection. Every religious institution in Africa needs to re-examine and ask itself where they are as an institution, where they are coming from and where they are going. In other words, in this moment in time, what is their place and role in the Church?” asks Bishop Chisanga.

The Bishop was however keen to underline the fact that the year is not exclusively for the religious. “It is not exclusively a year for the religious only. It is a year in which the Church as a whole reflects on the charisms of the religious in the context of new evangelization and in the context of the importance of the family in Africa and in the Church. We must never forget that the men and women in religious life come from families.” Bishop Chisanga emphasised.

Asked about what he sees as the contribution of the religious to the Church in Zambia, Bishop Chisanga says, “The religious and the history of the Church in Zambia are intertwined. We cannot talk about the establishment of the Catholic Church in Zambia without thinking of the religious.” The Bishop says, the religious in Zambia continue to play a significant role in the life of the Church. He adds, “When you talk about quality health care and education in Zambia, you will find that these are always associated with the Church. In great part, we thank the religious sisters and brothers for this. This is the richness of the Church in Zambia and in Africa.” Bishop Chisanga said.

“While all these apostolates are important, we cannot reduce the value of religious life to these external apostolic ministries. More importantly, this special year gives to the religious institution an opportunity to bring out that which prompts them to give quality health care to remote outposts in rural areas. What motivates them as religious people to go to these places? In order to make this introspection, the religious need to go back to their spiritual foundations.” Said Bishop Chisanga.

Bishop Chisanga is also aware of the many challenges facing religious life today in Africa. He is convinced that religious life cannot pretend to be spared of these challenges. He cites the changing times and the consequent secularisation of society as a big challenge. He says, “In a world where faith is pushed aside and spiritual matters are pushed aside, people today are looking for solutions everywhere else other than in the spiritual realm.”

Other challenges he notes, include a Church in Africa which now has to look to itself for both material and human resources. Further still there is the ever-present danger of individualism. “While religious men and women vow to live in poverty or without property, there is a huge temptation that a religious person could easily fall into: This is the world of materialism.” Bishop Chisanga underlines.

In the end, what is really essential is that during this year, the religious continue to witness to that spirit which prompted most of their founders to “leave everything in order to gain everything.” The Bishop concludes.

(Fr. Paul Samasumo)

Missionary Congress, Johannesburg, South Africa

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On November 26, 2014

In Publications

By Michel Meunier, M.Afr

25^th – 26^th October 2014

On Saturday and Sunday, from 9am to 4pm, around 250 people came from fifty (50) different parishes (out of 120 parishes in the whole archdiocese). Not bad, for a first time! But we got the quality, if not the expected quantity: we had aimed at five delegates from each parish, which would have amounted to 600! The M.Afr who took part were Jan DeGroef (Bishop), Didier Michon, Christophe Boyer, Martin Somda (stagiaire), Seán O’Leary and Michel Meunier.

The AIMS of the Congress were:

to explore ways for us, the Church, to fulfil our vocation of proclaiming the Gospel / Mission
to move from maintenance to being on mission (enlarge our tent)
to celebrate our baptismal call together
to take back to our parishes the motivation to move forward on mission

FULL TEXT PDF FILE

Link: Missionary Congress in October 2014 in South Africa

Mafrwestafrica – Lettre du 16 novembre 2014

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On November 16, 2014

In Publications

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

Dans la rubrique « Actualités » :

« Prise d’habit à Bobo-Dioulasso » : c’est le 24 octobre 2014 que les 17 novices présents à Samagan, près de Bobo-Dioulasso, ont pris l’habit des Missionnaires d’Afrique (lire la suite)

« Invitation au serment et diaconat à Abidjan » C’est le 12 décembre 2014 que 11 étudiants Missionnaires d’Afrique de la maison de formation d’Abidjan prononceront s’engageront à vie par le serment missionnaire et seront ordonnés diacres le 13 décembre. (lire la suite)
« Pères Blancs, les aventuriers de Dieu », tel est le titre d’un livre qui vient d’être publié et dont le bon de commande (réservé aux Pères Blancs) est disponible par téléchargement (lire la suite)

Dans la rubrique « Vu au sud, vu du sud » :

« Au Burkina le 16 novembre 2014 » quelques liens internet mis à disposition pour donner une idée de la situation présente dans ce pays. (lirela suite )

« Accaparement des terres au Mozambique » un article rédigé par le père Norbert Angibaud au sujet de cette situation préoccupante qui lèse les plus pauvres dans ce pays (lire la suite)

Dans la rubrique « Justice et Paix » :

« Vivre ensemble » un article de Voix d’Afrique n° 104 de septembre 2014, qui est un appel de diverses associations pour plus de tolérance envers les migrants et un accueil plus humain de ces personnes en difficulté (lire la suite)

Dans la rubrique « Dialogue interreligieux » :

« Quel dialogue islamo-chrétien ? » quelques articles tirés du bulletin n° 96 de l’ARCRE, (Action pour la Rencontre des Cultures et des Religions en Europe) (lire la suite)

« Lettre du diocèse de Laghouat Ghardaia ». Du mois de novembre 2014, lettre rédigée comme à l’accoutumée par Mgr Claude Rault, évêque du lieu. (lire la suite)
« Quelques évêques d’Afrique de l’Ouest à Rome » : la visite « ad limina » des évêques du Sénégal, de Guinée Bissau et de Mauritanie, et les encouragements que leur a prodigués le pape François. (lire la suite).

Dans la rubrique « Témoignages » :

« Un livre du père Serge Traore », dont le titre est « Retrouver l’harmonie ». Le Père Serge Moussa Traoré, originaire d la P.A.O., vit présentement la mission au Brésil. (lire la suite)
« L’Algérie vers le 150^ème anniversaire », (le 150^ème anniversaire de la fondation des Missionnaires d’Afrique) un texte du Provincial du Maghreb, le Père José Maria Cantal Rivas et qui se trouve aussi dans « diverses nouvelles » du Maghreb. (lire la suite)

November 2014 JCTR – BNB and Press Release – Zambia

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On November 11, 2014

In Publications

Greetings from JCTR,

We are happy as always to share with you the end of October 2014 Basic Needs Basket for Lusaka and accompanying Press Release. We hope this information is helpful for you.

Mwiinga Shimilimo (Miss), Media and Information Officer

Press Release, 7^th November 2014

PROMOTION OS SOCIAL JUSTICE MUST LIVE ON SAYS JCTR

As Zambia mourns the passing of the late president H.E Michael Chilufya Sata, it is important to acknowledge the strides made by the late president and the PF government in the area of infrastructure development and efforts to enable workers afford a decent cost of living by implementing the minimum wage and raising the tax free threshold. It goes without saying that the efforts made will go a long way in boosting the positive economic growth that the country has been experiencing for the past 10 years. However for this growth to have lasting benefits it must significantly translate into poverty alleviation for the majority of Zambians that are living in poverty. The high poverty levels of 60.5% living below the poverty line indicate the extent of hardships currently being experienced by households in accessing basic needs and these hardships are much more severe in the rural parts of Zambia where 77.9% of the population are living in poverty.

FULL TEXT

JCTR BASIC NEEDS BASKET: LUSAKA