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Kumasi (Agenzia Fides)- “The Meeting is underway and the debate is high-level. The gathering has brought together 100 delegates from all over Africa including bishops, members of national liturgy commissions, liturgical experts and scholars” Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments told Fides with regard to the work of a meeting to promote the Liturgy in Africa and Madagascar.
The Meeting, which opened on 5 July in Kumasi, Ghana, is organised by the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments and the Ghana Bishops’ Conference (see Fides 4 July 2006).
“In a message to the participants Pope Benedict XVI underlined the liturgical reawakening of the continent and the profound spirituality of the African people” Archbishop Ranjith recalled. “One of the goals of the Meeting is in fact to offer the African Bishops new points for reflection so the liturgy may be lived as the principal means of living our faith in the presence of Christ in the life of every person. We must ensure that the profound significance of the Liturgy is properly understood by the faithful” the Archbishop added.
“And it is emerging from the Meeting that besides searching for new liturgical modalities it is also necessary to rediscover the tradition of the universal Church” said the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. “The Church in African has always been loyal to the Holy See and this is apparent at this Meeting of profound dialogue between the African Church and the universal Church”.
Archbishop Ranjith concluded by saying “the Meeting is an opportunity to listen to the expectations, concerns and hopes of the African Church from the point of view of sharing the faith”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 7/7/2006 righe 30 parole 357)
