1.

0 Introduction

In this work, I have summarized the challenges/problems facing the church in Africa in its
mission and suggestion on the ways forward in the mission of the church in Africa. (Ecclesia
in Afrika) the post-synodal apostolic exaltation of the Holy Father John Paul (II), issued on
14th. September. 1995 at yaule.

1.1 Challenges facing mission of the Church in Africa (Holy Father John Paull II)

1.1.1 More profound evangelization

The Synod recognized the urgency of proclaiming the Good News to the millions of people
in Africa who are not yet evangelized. The Church certainly respects and esteems the non-
Christian religions professed by very many Africans, for these religions are the living
expression of the soul of vast groups of people. However, "neither respect and esteem for
these religions nor the complexity of the questions raised is an invitation to the Church to
withhold from these non-Christians the proclamation of Jesus Christ. On the contrary the
Church holds that these multitudes have the right to know the riches of the mystery of Christ
(cf. Eph 3:8) — riches in which we believe that the whole of humanity can find, in
unsuspected fullness, everything that it is gropingly searching for concerning God, man and
his destiny, life and death, and truth".

1.1.2 Various form of divisions

Another challenge identified by the Synod Fathers concerns the various forms of division
which need to be healed. It has been rightly noted that, within the borders left behind by the
colonial powers, the co-existence of ethnic groups with different traditions, languages, and
even religions often meet obstacles arising from serious mutual hostility. "Tribal oppositions
at times endanger if not peace, at least the pursuit of the common good of the society. They
also create difficulties for the life of the Churches and the acceptance of Pastors from other
ethnic groups". This is why the Church in Africa feels challenged by the specific
responsibility of healing these divisions.

1.1.3 Social and political difficulties

"In Africa, the need to apply the Gospel to concrete life is felt strongly. How could one
proclaim Christ on that immense Continent while forgetting that it is one of the world's
poorest regions?

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How could one fail to take into account the anguished history of a land where many nations
are still in the grip of famine, war, racial and tribal tensions, political instability and the
violation of human rights? This is all a challenge to evangelization".

All the preparatory documents of the Synod, as well as the discussions in the Assembly,
clearly showed that issues in Africa such as increasing poverty, urbanization, the international
debt, the arms trade, the problem of refugees and displaced persons, demographic concerns
and threats to the family, the liberation of women, the spread of AIDS, the survival of the
practice of slavery in some places, ethnocentricity and tribal opposition figure among the
fundamental challenges addressed by the Synod.

1.1.4 Marriage and vocations

A major challenge emphasized almost unanimously by the Episcopal Conferences of Africa

in their replies to the Lineamenta concerned Christian marriage and family life. What is at
stake is extremely serious: truly "the future of the world and of the Church passes through the
family". Another fundamental responsibility which the Special Assembly highlighted is
concern for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. It is necessary to discern them
wisely, to provide competent directors and to oversee the quality of the formation offered.
The fulfilment of the hope for a flowering of African missionary vocations depends on the
attention given to the solution of this problem, a flowering that is required if the Gospel is to
be proclaimed in every part of the Continent and beyond.

1.1.5 Intrusiveness of the mass media

Finally, the Special Assembly addressed the means of social communication, an issue which
is of the greatest importance because it concerns both the instruments of evangelization and
the means of spreading a new culture which needs to be evangelized.

The Synod Fathers were thus faced with the sad fact that "the developing nations, instead of
becoming autonomous nations concerned with their own progress towards a just sharing in
the goods and services meant for all, become parts of a machine, cogs on a gigantic wheel.
This is often true also in the field of social communications which, being run by centres
mostly in the northern hemisphere, do not always give due consideration to the priorities and
problems of such countries or respect their cultural make-up.

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1.1.6 The scourge of AIDS

Against the background of widespread poverty and inadequate medical services the Synod
considered the tragic scourge of AIDS which is sowing suffering and death in many parts of
Africa. It noted the role played in the spread of this disease by irresponsible sexual behaviour
and drafted this strong recommendation: "The companionship, joy, happiness and peace
which Christian marriage and fidelity provide, and the safeguard which chastity gives, must
be continuously presented to the faithful, particularly the young". The battle against AIDS
ought to be everyone's battle. Echoing the voice of the Synod Fathers, pastoral workers are
therefore asked to bring to their brothers and sisters affected by AIDS all possible material,
moral and spiritual comfort.

1.2 Ways forwards to the problems/challenges facing the Church in Africa

1.2.1 Formation of the agents of evangelization

For this reason, the Synod strongly emphasized the training of the agents of evangelization in
Africa. The whole community needs to be trained, motivated and empowered for
evangelization, each according to his or her specific role within the Church". I.e formation of
candidates to the priesthood and those called to the consecrated life. The Assembly also paid
due attention to the formation of the lay faithful, appropriately recognizing their
indispensable role in the evangelization of Africa.

In particular, the training of lay catechists received the emphasis which it rightly deserves.
Consequently, called for the thorough formation of the lay faithful, a formation which will
help them to lead a fully integrated life. Faith, hope and charity must influence the actions of
the true follower of Christ in every activity, situation and responsibility. Since evangelizing
means bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence
transforming humanity from within and making it new.

1.2.2 A reconciled community

Evangelization continues the dialogue of God with humanity and reaches its apex in the
person of Jesus Christ. Through the Cross he brought an end in himself to the hostility which
divides people and keeps them apart (cfr. Eph 2:16). Despite the modern civilization of the
"global village", in Africa as elsewhere in the world the spirit of dialogue, peace and

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reconciliation is far from dwelling in the hearts of everyone. Wars, conflicts and racist and
xenophobic attitudes still play too large a role in the world of human relations.

The Church in Africa is aware that it has to become for all, through the witness borne by its
own sons and daughters, a place of true reconciliation. Forgiven and mutually reconciled,
these sons and daughters will thus be able to bring to the world the forgiveness and
reconciliation which Christ our Peace (cfr. Eph 2:14) offers to humanity through his Church.
Otherwise, the world will look more and more like a battlefield, where only selfish interests
count and the law of force prevails, which fatally distances humanity from the hoped-for
civilization of love.

1.2.3 Dialogue

Openness to dialogue is the Christian's attitude inside the community as well as with other
believers and with men and women of good will. Dialogue is to be practised first of all
within- the family of the Church at all levels: between Bishops, Episcopal Conferences or
Hierarchical Assemblies and the Apostolic See, between Conferences or Episcopal
Assemblies of the different nations of the same continent and those of other continents, and
within each particular Church between the Bishop, the presbyterate, consecrated persons,
pastoral workers and the lay faithful; and also, between different rites within the same
Church.

SECAM is to establish "structures and means which will ensure the exercise of this
dialogue", especially in order to foster an organic pastoral solidarity. "United to Jesus Christ
by their witness in Africa, Catholics are invited to develop an ecumenical dialogue with all
their baptized brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations, in order that the unity for
which Christ prayed may be achieved, and in order that their service to the peoples of the
Continent may make the Gospel more credible in the eyes of those who are searching for
God".

1.2.4 Urgent need for inculturation

The Synod Fathers rightly affirmed that "a serious concern for a true and balanced
inculturation is necessary in order to avoid cultural confusion and alienation in our fast-
evolving society". The truth is that, people to reject a way of living which does not
correspond to the best of your traditions, and your Christian faith. Many people in Africa look
beyond Africa for the so-called 'freedom of the modern way of life'. We are therefore, urged

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to look inside ourselves. Look to the riches of your own traditions, look to the faith which we
are celebrating in this assembly. Here you will find genuine freedom here you will find Christ
who will lead you to the truth".

On several occasions the Synod Fathers stressed the particular importance for evangelization
of inculturation, the process by which catechesis 'takes flesh' in the various cultures.
Inculturation includes two dimensions: one, "the intimate transformation of authentic cultural
values through their integration in Christianity" and, on the other, "the insertion of
Christianity in the various human cultures". The Synod considers inculturation an urgent
priority in the life of the particular Churches, for a firm rooting of the Gospel in Africa. It is a
requirement for evangelization.

1.2.5 Deepening the faith

The Church in Africa, in order to evangelize, must begin by being evangelized herself ... She
needs to listen unceasingly to what she must believe, to her reasons for hoping, to the new
commandment of love. She is the People of God immersed in the world, and often tempted
by idols, and she always needs to hear the proclamation of the mighty works of God.

In Africa today "formation in the faith ... too often stops at the elementary stage, and the sects
easily profit from this ignorance". A serious deepening of the faith is thus urgently needed,
because the rapid evolution of society has given rise to new challenges linked to the
phenomena notably of family uprooting, urbanization, unemployment, materialistic
seductions of all kinds, a certain secularization and an intellectual upheaval caused by the
avalanche of insufficiently critical ideas spread by the media.

1.2.6 The power of witness

Formation must aim to provide Christians not only with technical expertise in passing on
more clearly the content of the faith but also with a profound personal conviction enabling
them to bear effective witness to it in daily life. All those called to proclaim the Gospel will
therefore seek to act with total docility to the Spirit, who "today, just as at the beginning of
the Church, acts in every evangelizer who allows himself to be possessed and led by him.

Genuine witness by believers is essential to the authentic proclamation of the faith in Africa
today. In particular they should show the witness of sincere mutual love. " 'This is eternal life,
that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent' (Jn 17:3). The

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ultimate purpose of mission is to enable people to share in the communion which exists
between the Father and the Son.

1.2.7 Means of social communication

"From the beginning it has been a characteristic of God to want to communicate. This he does
by various means. He has bestowed being upon every created thing, animate or inanimate. He
enters into relationships with human beings in a very special way. "In many and various ways
God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he as spoken to us by a
Son" (Heb 1:1-2)". The Word of God is by nature word, dialogue and communication. He
came to restore on the one hand communication and relations between God and humanity,
and on the other hand those of people with one another.

The Synod paid great attention to the mass media under two important and complementary
aspects: as a new and emerging cultural world and as a series of means serving
communication. First of all, they constitute a new culture that has its own language and above
all its own specific values and counter-values. For this reason, like any culture, the mass
media need to be evangelized.

Training in the use of the mass media is therefore a necessity not only for the preacher of the
Gospel, who must master, among other things, the media style of communication but also for
the reader, the listener and the viewer. Trained to understand this kind of communication,
they must be able to make use of its contributions with discernment and a critical mind.

2.0 General conclusion

The above explanation is showing the problems/challenges of the church in Africa and the
suggested ways forward by the documents which was employed to overcome such challenges
from the church in Africa.