To be Church and make the experience of Church
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Date
2004
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
The holy men and women
of the Church which is in
, e Africa, both ancient and
modem, were greatly concerned
to build and experience Church
as a profound sign of unity in
faith and charity. As an ancient
Church its origins go back to the .
times of the Apostles, associated
traditionally with the ministry of
the Apostle Mark. This ancient
Church of Africa gave birth to
countless Martyrs, Confessors,
Virgins and many simple but
holy Christians. It had a vigorous
and leading theological centre at
Alexandria. _The Alexandrian
defending the faith, laid the foundations pf theology, as faith in
~-- Christian centre, in its service of
dialogue with reason, culture,
society, experience, etc. It is considered the oldest centre of
sacred science in the history of
Christianity. It counted amon erst
. b
its students and teachers such
famous theologians as Clement,
Athanasius, Cyril, Dionysius,
Pierius, Didymus. Then along
the North African Coastline we
recall Tertullian, Cyprian and
Augustine. They were in the
Church and made the experience
of Church; they loved the Church
in imitation of Christ, who
"loved the Church and sacrificed
himself for her" (Eph S :26). While championing the cause of
unity in faith with the weapons of
the intellect, these great Fathers
prepared the way for the scientific
study of God's revelation. The
deeper the new religion penetrated
the ancient world, the more they
felt the need for an exposition of
its tenets in an orderly, comprehensive and exact way; for this
were created the theological
"schools, the cradles of science, as ·
instruments of unity in faith and
charity. Tangaza too as a theoloz-
ical and ministerial institution in
Africa is a bearer of that tradition
at the service of faith and of God's
family.
To be that Church and to make
the same experience of Church
that is a sign and instrument of
unity in faith and charity, in
spite of the constant threats to
both, is at the heart of our beinz
at Tangaza. This lived experience
of the Church and commitment to
it is a must as we prepare ourselves scientifically and professionally to answer to the
Challenges that the Pope raises in
the Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation, Ecclesia in Africa.
These challenges are many and
very demanding: How can African
Christians become ever more
faithful witnesses to the Lord
Jesus (EA 46)? How can the
Church in Africa reject. a way of
living which does not correspond
to the. best of African traditions and our Christian faith (cf. EA
48)? How can we be catalysts of
unity and reconciliation wherever
there is hostility and division (cf.
EA 49)? How can we promote the
well-being and stability of marital
relationships and family (cf. EA
50)? As ministerially charged peo
ple, how do we face the challenges
of social and political difficulties?
(cf. EA 51), etc.
A close examination of these chal
lenges will certainly reveal that, no
appropriate answer can be given,
unless the answer itself has been
experienced, and lived in ones own
life. We are convinced that placing
ourselves at the service of the
Church in Africa is not simply a
matter of receiving doctrinal moral or humanistic instruction.
It is above all a whole attitude of
existence, consisting in a living
union with a living person, Jesus
Christ, and his living Body, the
Church. Indeed, when our being
is radically affected by the mys
tery of Christ, and we live in the
Church and experience the
Church as truly Christ's Body
here on earth, it is possible to· be
God's ministers in IJ.Il effective
way to be done. This year, I would
like to emphasise the first of our
three commitments: to build at
Tangaza College one single God
centred and people-centred com
munity while encouraging
responsible independence and
effective collegiality. The ques
tion at heart therefore is the unity
in the diversity of the-College:
the diversity of Institutes (8,
including the Islamic Studies),
diversity of nations (over 50),
diversity of religious charisms
-(102 religious communities),
ethnic groups (very hard to num
. ber them, but it may be well over
400), vocations (ordained, reli
gious, lay), tasks (students, lee- existing unity, though very much
imperfect in this world, but a unity
which is fundamental for the life of
the College.
Description
Keywords
Church