BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
LANGATA-KAREN
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2011
TAKE-2

Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

The Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya, Archbishop Alain Paul Lebeaupin in his address during the AMECEA Assembly, Wednesday at Catholic University said there is a great need in Africa to give African values a priority in evangelization.

When we talk of African values we refer to African cultural values that include the sense of community life, sense of good human relations, sense of the sacredness of life, of hospitality, of the sacred and of religion, sense of respect for authority and the elders, sense of language and proverbs among others.

Proverbs serve as the best approach since the meaning of proverbs is easily understood because so much can be said with a minimum of words. For example, a Ghanaian proverb: “The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people” has proved to be an accurate assessment of life.

Another Ghanaian proverb shows the value of being an honest person at all times. “One falsehood spoils a thousand truths” is a saying designed to show how destructive one falsehood can be to the reputation of a person. This proverb helps to preserve our good name. This is because an African believes that “honesty is the best policy” to keep your reputation sound.

Although a well-known saying in African culture that “it takes a whole village to raise a child” can no longer work in our modern world today, this saying is very important because it reminds us that for any child to develop successfully, they should benefit from the input of the whole community.

In many days the training children was not left to parents alone but the entire community and neighbourhoods. Children were trained how to respect elders, to be honest, responsible, human among others.

This is also true in African philosophy: “I am what I am because of who we all are.” It speaks of the essence of being human, particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality you are known for your generosity.

In an African context it suggests that the person who behaves with humanity will eventually be an ancestor worthy of respect or veneration. The philosophy behind the African communalism, therefore guaranteed individual responsibility within the communal ownership and relationship.

Some of these proverbs and languages enabled Africans to dislike violence per se. This is because shedding of blood is abhorred. People who were killed were those whose continued existence was a threat to the life of others and to the peace of the community.

In such cases, the principle that it is better for one man to die than for all the community to perish, applied. War was only taken to as a last resort- that is when all formal and normal courses of action to search for peace had failed.

Suicide was never permitted in most African communities because punishment for it was such that the person was not buried since his corpse was also believed to be abominable to mother earth.

Although the African sense of hospitality is one of the African values that is still quite alive today, because of mistrust this is also diminishing slowly. In early days the Africans easily incorporate strangers and give them lands to settle hoping that they would go one day, and the land would revert to the owner.

Known as ITEBEA in 1960 then, although AMECEA was the brainchild of the Catholic Bishops of Tanganyika (today’s Tanzania) there was a need to corporate it with other countries under the then Apostolic Delegation (today’s Nunciature) in Nairobi, that was, Kenya, Nyasaland (today’s Malawi), Uganda, Sudan, Tanganyika and Northern Rhodesia (today’s Zambia).

When these other Bishops’ Conferences agreed to the necessity of working together, the then Apostolic Delegate (today’s Nuncio) Monsignor Guido Del Mestri consulted Rome. Rome gave its approval.

This was the time when many AMECEA countries were heading for independence-Tanganyika (1961), Uganda (1962), Kenya (1963), Nyasaland (1964) and Northern Rhodesia (1964) under charismatic leaders such as Hastings Kamuzu Banda (Nyasaland), Kenneth Kaunda (Northern Rhodesia), Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya), Julius Kambarage Nyerere (Tanganyika) and Milton Obote (Uganda).

These periods the society needed value-led leaders. Leaders who were highly qualified and creative, but at the same time who were people of moral integrity guided by Christian and gospel values, of which some of the mentioned leaders were not qualified because the white missionaries working in these regions viewed them as communists.

Historically the first plenary meeting took place in Dar-es-Salaam from 17th – 26th July 1961 under a very significant theme: “The Future of the Church in Africa”. Interestingly the agenda items for this first Plenary included: The Church and Media: Regional TV, Radio Station and Printing Press.

Spiritual Formation for the Diocesan Priests, a need for a centre for pastoral renewal and on – going Formation, a possibility of a regional university or at least a University College, a comprehensive Self – reliance Programme, the future of Catholic Schools and Catholic Education (need for a Christian Religious Education Syllabus).

Other areas included Justice and Peace issues in the region. Present during that historic meeting were Bishops from Kenya, Nyasaland, Tanganyika, Uganda and Northern Rhodesia. These were the founding members of the regional body. The Sudan and Eritrea/Ethiopia joined later though the former were observers from the beginning.

The Bishops decided to form a board consisting of Bishop Representatives from the five founding conferences. This was known as the Inter-Regional Episcopal Board in Eastern Africa (ITEBEA). Initially of course , ITEBEA was not to be a permanent structure, but rather a study forum where Bishops could meet time and again and together reflect on pastoral issues of common interest within the region. This was why they elected a part-time Secretary, Father Killian Flynn, who till 1964 was also full-time Secretary General for the Bishops’ Conference of Northern Rhodesia.

The meeting elected as ITEBEA’s first Chairman the Most Reverend Adam Kozlowiecki, the former Archbishop of Lusaka till 1969 and now a Cardinal and Archbishop Emeritus. The Late Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa was the President of ITEBEA.

Today Cardinals are called Patrons of AMECEA. In a nutshell the beginnings of ITEBEA were characterized by the presence of prophetic and foresighted church leaders. The original intention of ITEBEA was to be a regional forum for collaborative study of and reflection on pastoral issues of common regional interest.

The following was how the plenary themes were designed: 1961: The Future of the Church in Africa- 17th – 26th July 1961, Msimbazi Centre Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 1964:Review of Draft Constitution of AMECEA- 4th November 1964, Rome, Italy.

1967: Pastoral Perspectives in Eastern Africa after Vatican II- 4th – 11th September, 1967, St. Mary’s School- Nairobi, Kenya, 1970: The Priest in Africa Today- 3rd – 10th August 1970, Dominican Convent School Lusaka, Zambia, 1973: Planning for the Church in Eastern Africa in the 1980’s-14th – 23rd December 1973, St Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary Nairobi, Kenya. 1976: Building Small Christian Communities in Eastern Africa-13th – 23rd July 1976, St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary Nairobi, Kenya,

1979: The Implementation of the AMECEA Bishop’s Pastoral Priority of Building Small Christian Communities: An Evaluation- 8th – 16th August 1979, St. Peter’s Major Seminary Zomba, Malawi, 1982: Families: Truly Christian and Truly African- 22nd – 28th August 1982 K.T.T.C. Nairobi, Kenya.

1986: Families: Truly Christian and Truly African- 28th April – 10th May 1986, Cooperative College Moshi, Tanzania, 1992: Evangelism with its Central Issues: Inculturation, Small Christian Communities and Priestly, Religious and Christian formation- 15th – 30th August 1992, St. Dominic Major Seminary Lusaka, Zambia.

1995: The Role of the Church in Development in the Light of the African Synod- 6th – 20th August 1995, St. John the Baptist Major Seminary Mangochi, Malawi,
1999: Formation of Agents of Evangelization- 26th July – 8th August, Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) Nairobi, Kenya.

2002: Deeper Evangelization in the new millennium-14th – 27th July 2002, Kurasini
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 2005: Responding to the challenges of HIV / AIDS within the AMECEA Region 3rd- 11th June 2005 Mukono, Uganda, 2008: Reconciliation through Justice and Peace in AMECEA Region 27th June – 7th July 2008 Lusaka, Zambia.

June 27- 6 July 2011-AMECEA Family of God celebrating a Golden Jubilee of Evangelization in solidarity- Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya- AMECEA Golden Jubilee/ 17th Plenary Assembly.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya

Tel 254-20-4441372
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org