African bishops meet, will ‘speak with one voice’ at Synod

June 16, 2015

The presidents of African national and regional episcopal conference gathered in Ghana from June 8 to 11 to discuss the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the family.

Fifty prelates, including five cardinals, were present. Among them was Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

“Be conscious of the mission of the Church; protect the sacredness of marriage which is now being attacked by all forms of ideologies that intend to destroy the family in Africa,” said Cardinal Sarah, according to a Vatican Radio report. “Do not be afraid to stress the teaching of the Church on marriage.”

“Africa will speak with one voice at the next Synod: with one voice we will present the challenges and successes of family life in Africa,” added Angolan Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi, the president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.

Cardinal Christian Tumi, 84, of Cameroon urged the future synod fathers “to remain united” in the face of “the false doctrines that destabilize the Church.”

In their final communiqué, the bishops offered a “clear affirmation of family and marital values according to the Word of God and the doctrine of the Church” and pledged “to avoid a blind and destructive consumption of doctrines that kill the family and marriage.”

They also spoke about the importance of “not repeating the language used by movements that fight for the destruction of the family, to avoid legitimizing” the language.

“It is necessary to start from faith, to reaffirm and live it in order to evangelize cultures in depth,” they added.

 

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Further information:

• The Church in Africa must speak with one voice on the Family (Vatican Radio)
• Speak with one Voice, Cardinal Sarah tells African Bishops on Synod (CISA)
• Synod. Africa’s Hour (L’Espresso)
• Communiqué final (L’Espresso)