INTRODUCTION SYNOD ON SYNODALITY

The Church Family of God in Africa Prepares for the Second Session
of the Synod on Synodality (an online African Palaver on the Future
of the Church in Africa)

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

At the recent seminar (April 21-25, 2024) organized by the Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) for African bishops and delegates to the second session of the Synod on Synodality, the SECAM president, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, urged African theologians and pastors to continue the discussions begun at the seminar.

This conversation, he proposed, should help to sensitize and form the people of God in Africa on the themes proposed by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, so that Africa offers the world a common front through a united voice. Cardinal Ambongo also urged Africa's theologians to work closely with the bishops to deepen the understanding of the issues at stake, and to draw the attention of God's people to the priorities of the Church in Africa on the mission God has entrusted to Africa to lead the global Church in these difficult times. He encouraged partnership between bishops and theologians, priests and religious, clergy and laity. He particularly praised the emerging partnership between SECAM and the Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COSMAM) and stressed the need to build on these partnerships to accompany the people of God in Africa through this synodal process and beyond. He urged African Catholics to always focus on the hopes and sufferings of our people, while building on our strong faith and commitment to God and to a better Africa for everyone especially our children and young people as well as our elders and all Africans who are living in any situation of precarity and vulnerability.

The Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) has taken this call to heart. Working with COSMAM for the past two years to design an ongoing program on transformational leadership in the service of others (382 students are currently taking online courses every week), and with 120 young people in Africa currently studying (through seven modules approved by the Dicastery for Communication) on how to become a digital missionary for Africa and the world, PACTPAN is launching a unique online conversation on the themes that emerged from the Synthesis Report. Using its extensive network, PACTPAN and COSMAM invite you to take part in these conversations.

These online synodal palavers will take place every Friday from June 7 to September 6, 2024. These weekly thematic palavers are structured around the 5 topics of the next session of the Synod on Synodality, and the 10 topics of the papal chirograph that require in-depth study, and themes identified in SECAM's Kamapal Document. We shall work in close collaboration with the Paulines of Africa, who have published two of the fundamental works produced by African theologians on the Synod themes, namely: Journeying Together as A Synodal Church in Africa; Journeying Together in Hope to disseminate the fruits of our research to the people of God in Africa and beyond, on the priorities and mission of the Church Family of God in Africa.