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One of the strong voices, from our African continent, a Cameroonian Catholic Archbishop at the ongoing synod in Rome has declared, “Synodality for us in Africa is a total rejection of individualism”.

Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea of Cameroon’s Catholic Archdiocese of Bamenda has described the Synod on Synodality as a process of avoiding selfish interests on the African continent.

Speaking at the Tuesday, October 22 Media Briefing at the Vatican, Archbishop Nkea underscored the importance of synodality as a vital path for the future of the Catholic Church, particularly in Africa.

“Synodality is an eschatological sign for us that we come together from all parts of the world with different ideas. And what Isaiah says comes true. The lion with the lamb is at peace. The bear and the calf are together. This is what has happened in this synodality,” the Cameroonian Catholic Archbishop said.

He added, “My wish is that practically all of us who are members or who have attended this synod can go back not just as passive recipients of synodality, but as active ambassadors. Because synodality is the way we should go. I believe that synodality is the way forward.”

“Synodality for us in Africa, especially for the community where I come from, is a total rejection of individualism,” the Archbishop of Bamenda who also serves as the President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) said.  He said that synodality in Africa “is a call for community living and working together.”

Archbishop Nkea underscored the importance of Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in Africa, describing them as a model for sustaining the Church’s growth.

“The Small Christian Communities are a complete rejection of individualism. Because these communities begin with families, with the small communities themselves, the mission stations, right up to the parish, the diocese, the national level, continental, and then we have the universal level,” the member of the Synod Commission for Information said.

He continued, “We are going through a moment of the boom of Catholicism in Africa. Our churches are full. But our greatest preoccupation with synodality is how to keep our churches full for the future.”

The Catholic Church leader said that in Small Christian Communities, members don’t subsume “in anonymity.” “There is no anonymous Catholic. Everybody knows everybody within their Small Christian Communities. This is a, very big treasure for Africa,” he said.

The Local Ordinary of Bamenda underscored the essential role of catechists in African parishes, especially in remote mission stations.

“Catechists are very important and they play a vital role. This is what is making our churches, for now, still alive. Because at every level, we have Catechists for the Small Christian Communities, for the mission stations, and for the parishes,” he said

Addressing concerns about women’s participation in Church leadership, Archbishop Nkea said that such discussions seem “strange” in the African context, where he said women play a significant leadership role, particularly as catechists in the SCCs and mission stations.

“More than 50 percent of our Catechists who lead the Small Christian Communities and the mission stations are women. Therefore, it’s a very important aspect for our synodal church that we are together within the Small Christian Communities and we are within these mission stations and parishes and want to move forward,” the 59-year-old Catholic Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in August 2013 as the Coadjutor Bishop of Cameroon’s Mamfe Diocese said.

He continued, “We are a synodal church and it’s a new way of being church. Africa is a special ground and a fertile ground for synodality. It helps us in peacekeeping because, in these Small Christian Communities, we resolve our matters.”

Archbishop Nkea reaffirmed the commitment of African Catholics to the synodal path, stating that it is “a new way of being Church.”

He expressed confidence that synodality would help the Church face future challenges while preserving its unity and mission.

“At the end of this synod and in continuation to live our Catholic faith, the church will still be one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic.,” he said.

Rev. Fr. George Nwachukwu
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