Vatican urges African Church to involve more women in decision making

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai

The Catholic Church in Africa has been urged to support and promote women and encourage their participation in decision making.

While addressing hundreds of delegates from Eastern Africa (AMECEA) during the 17th plenary assembly in Nairobi, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, the secretary of the Congregation for Evangelization also stressed the ever increasing role of the lay faithful in evangelization.

"Given that between 70% -80% of our church collaborators are women, AMECEA should make the effort to increase room for them in decision making processes, he said.

He warned against the culture of death especially abortion and other 'ideological poisons from abroad', which are leading to the erosion of certain African values whose sense of family the church supports. "AMECEA as a community of Christians has been useful in promoting the family beyond the limits of blood relationship and tribal allegiance," he said, in reference to the many inter-ethnic conflicts engulfing the region.

The Archbishop lamented that wars and terrorism were a big threat to evangelization not only because they disturb social order but they also lead to massive needless deaths and destruction of property.

The Plenary that concludes on July 7 brings together all Catholic bishops and delegates from Kenya, Uganda Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Zambia and Malawi.

The assembly coincides with the 50th anniversary celebrations since AMECEA, the umbrella body of catholic bishops conferences from the nine African countries was formed.

Source: CISA