African bishops remind Synod: our families have different problems

October 10, 2014

African prelates speaking at the Synod of Bishops have reminded their colleagues that their primary concerns about pastoral care for families do not match those of bishops in affluent Western countries.

The Catholic faith is spreading rapidly in Africa, bishops from that continent note, and the faithful believe that after generations of learning from European missionaries, their communities now have something to teach the West. Some prelates have voiced their exasperation at Western attempts to change traditional African moral standards. Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos, Nigeria, complained:

We get international organizations, countries, and groups that entice us to deviate from our cultural practices and traditions and even our religious beliefs because they think that their views should be ours, their opinions and their concept of life, should be ours.

At the same time, African bishops face severe challenges in coping with the influence of pagan cultures—notably including polygamy—and the deleterious effects of poverty on family life.

 

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Further information:

• Africans to Westerners at synod: We’ve got our own problems (Crux)