VATICAN - Cardinal Filoni to the Bishops of Congo: Priority to integral formation and permanent formation of lay people and candidates to priesthood or religious life

Tuesday, 3 July 2012

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - "Situated in the heart of Africa, the Church of the Congo is among the oldest in the sub-Saharan region, with its many fruits known and admired by all, in particular holiness." With these words, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, praised the fertility of the Congolese Church in his speech on July 2 at the Plenary Assembly of the Congolese Episcopal Conference (CENCO). The local Church is also characterized by the dynamism of the faith of her believers, co-responsibility in the life and mission of the Church, which give as fruits the continued growth of the faithful, the flowering of vocations to priesthood and religious life, missionary zeal of ecclesial communities.
"Despite the limited resources available, and often under difficult conditions, the Catholic Church contributes significantly to alleviating the plight of oppressed peoples from poverty, insecurity and forced to flee - emphasized the Cardinal -. Your National Episcopal Conference deserves congratulations and encouragement for its constant attention to the socio-political situation of the country, for the correctness of its analysis and especially for relevant messages and bold statements published on the occasion of the events marking the life of the nation . Public confidence in the Bishops should encourage you to continue this prophetic mission by remaining united in the service of truth and common good. This is a sign of credibility and pastoral effectiveness, when the Bishops are united and speak with one voice! "The Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, however, urged not to privilege social and political issues "to the detriment of reflection and adequate work on serious ecclesial and pastoral matters that shake Christian communities" and called on the Episcopal Conference to greater attention to spiritual and morale growth of the people of God, focusing on its internal problems, such as the mission of the diocesan Bishop and his relations with the clergy; the moral situation of priests and consecrated people; transparent financial management of the diocese. Besides these, other important pastoral issues to be addressed are the revival of the evangelization ad gentes, family pastoral, the formation of the clergy and laity, the fight against tribalism and ethnic conflicts.
"Despite the growth of the local Church and the authentic progress of Evangelization, the difficulty with regard to penetration and accession to the Gospel in the deep layers of cultural and folk traditions remain - stressed Cardinal Filoni -. Superstitious beliefs and practices, witchcraft and magic, which affect the daily lives of people and fuel fear and suspicion, are still alive in Christian communities. Priests men and women religious are not exempt from this situation. While the independent churches and sects are multiplying, ethnic conflict and tribalism cause serious damage to the Congolese society and the Church. This challenge, big and important, must be approached with two priority commitments for the Episcopate of Congo: the integral formation and permanent formation of lay people and candidates to priesthood or consecrated religious life.
"Returning to the theme of the Plenary Assembly "The Church in Congo: since the II Vatican Council to the present day. Evolution, development, analysis", Cardinal Filoni invited to spread the Apostolic Exhortation Africae munus," which must inspire the life and pastoral work of the Church in Africa in the coming years. Concerning in particular the Democratic Republic of Congo, in view of the many conflicts that persist at a social and ecclesial level, among the priorities of the local Church, as well as Justice and Peace, there is also Reconciliation." The Year of Faith, which begins on October 11, is an opportunity for an authentic conversion, and Cardinal Filoni urged the Bishops in the Diocese to promote "a reflection on faith to help the faithful to be more aware and to reinvigorate their adherence to the Gospel." (SL) (Agenzia Fides 03/07/2012)


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