Facing the Pastoral Challenges Posed To Catholics by New Movements

Abstract

The general aim of this long essay is to find ways of facing the pastoral challenges posed to Catholics by the New Movements. A 'threefold rediscovery' of the Nflystagogy, the baptism vocation and movements in the Church (mainly the charismatic renewal) is discussed. The main pastoral challenge posed to the Catholic Church is that there is a great exodus of the faithful to these New Religious movements. The research shows how gospel-culture integration within the New Religious Movements has remained their main tool hi getting Catholics to join them. Indeed, such integration makes them feel at home in the New Movements. In the first Chapter, I will seek to find out if the New Religious Movements are places for Africans to feel at home, either in the manner of worship, teaching, belief and thought systems, structures, community experience or in any other ways. I will thus discuss the place of gospel and culture integration in their success. Chapters two, three and four will mainly discuss the three major rediscoveries as ways to face the challenge. Therefore the particular aim of this long essay is to search and recommend a way forward for the Catholic Church. My primary source material for this research is the interviews among the members of Revival Ministries Church in Dandora. The members were interviewed either in the church premises, in their homes or in their job places especially the shop owners. My secondary source material includes literature review from relevant books. I Iowever, the study has limitations. To begin with, establishing a more objective truth would require longitudinal studies over a long period of time. A major limitation is that I am mainly focused on one NRM which is in a poor region of the city; however the many people of diverse backgrounds will lessen the possible prejudice that may come with interviewing people of a particular creed and experience. Another limitation is the 1 fact that I am mainly focused on just the aspect of 'how homely' the New Religious Movements are to Africans with an aim to propose a way forward for Catholics