Voix Africaines : Entretien avec Sœur Josée Ngalula (PhD) sur le Synode 2024

Dans cet épisode de podcast, Sœur Josée Ngalula (PhD), théologienne congolaise et religieuse de Saint-André, nous partage son expérience au Synode 2024, offrant des perspectives uniques sur les Voix Africaines. 
En tant que première femme africaine dans la Commission théologique internationale, elle revient sur son implication dans les travaux synodaux, ses échanges avec des théologiens africains, et l’importance de la synodalité pour l’Église universelle. 
Elle nous fait découvrir les défis, les espoirs, et les richesses apportées par l’Afrique à cette assemblée synodale. 
Écoutez ce podcast pour plonger dans les coulisses de cet événement ecclésial majeur et comprendre comment les voix africaines jouent un rôle crucial dans la transformation de l’Église catholique. 
Abonnez-vous pour ne manquer aucun épisode sur la synodalité et la place de l’Afrique dans l’Église mondiale !

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#Synode2024
#SynodalitéAfrique
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#LeadershipFeminin
#EgliseCatholiqueAfrique

Transcript

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Welcome to African Voices from the Synod, a series of pan-African Catholic theology and pastoral network Sister, our listeners would like to get to know you Hello, my name is Sister José Ngalula, I am Congolese, a member of the Sisters of Saint Andrew, and I live in Kinshasa I am a theologian and I teach dogmatic theology at the Catholic University of Congo As a member of the Synod on Synodality, how has your participation in the recent African synodal conversation prepared you for this second session? As a synodal mother, I participated in the first assembly that took place in October 2023 But it is important to know that this 2023 assembly was preceded by two years of work at the local church level So from 2021 to 2023, there were activities related to the Synod on Synodality in the local churches So I participated in synodal activities at the parish level, at the diocesan level, and also at the pan-African level especially online and among the associations of African theologians So for this assembly in 2024, there were activities, in addition to those at the diocesan level, organized by African theologians and also by the Cheyams At the level of African theologians, we had discussions, meaning conversations and free exchanges online about the topics to be addressed at the 2024 synod This means that I arrived at this synodal assembly in 2024, carrying everything that had been exchanged at the pan-African level online regarding this synodal discussion in preparation for the 2024 assembly I also arrived carrying the research that was done both at our parishes and within certain associations, as well as among small groups of theologians who prepared materials to bring to the synod So, as an African synodal mother, I did not arrive at the 2024 synod on synodality empty-handed; I came truly filled with a whole process that was carried out at the level of the African continent Thank you very much, my sister Sister, I want to ask you about the atmosphere and the nature of the interactions during this second session of the synod The atmosphere in this 2024 synodal assembly is primarily one of family So, the fact that most of the same delegates from last year have returned this year has created connections, not just interpersonal ones, but links between local churches, dioceses, countries, and continents And it enhances the understanding of the universality of the church So, when we talk about the church, we no longer just see my diocese or my country; the church is truly the universal church For example, I personally have learned more about what are called the Eastern churches As a theologian engaged in ecumenism, I have always spoken theoretically about the Eastern churches I have written articles about the Eastern churches in Africa, but with this synodal assembly, I have experienced and discussed it personally I have been at the same table for a long time with patriarchs, Eastern Catholic churches, single deacons and married deacons, Eastern Catholic churches, the Syro-Malabar Church, etc So really, it reinforces the idea that the church is Catholic, meaning it is universal and spread throughout the world. But being spread throughout the world, we are the same family, we are the same church The second atmosphere is one of freedom The word is free. Really, we feel like family, we feel at home. In the Catholic Church, you can say what you think and others won't look at you harshly We can say contradictory things, we listen to each other, and everyone respects each other's viewpoint. It's truly a family atmosphere It's really interesting to consider all of this. I would like to know, based on the discussions so far, what do you personally see emerging that could help foster communion? Well, the discussions that have taken place, we have been in synodal assembly for three weeks Of course, the content of the debates during this session remains discreet because the final word in public belongs to the General Secretariat of the Synod But already, there are some gains. The first gain is the atmosphere. The Synod on Synodality, since 2021, has taught us to listen to one another and has given people the opportunity and freedom to express themselves confidently, without fear of being judged So that is a gain since 2021, and this gain has been strengthened in the three weeks we just spent in the synodal assembly The second gain is the strengthening of missionary awareness So if we hold the Synod on Synodality, it is not for the Church to turn in on itself, but to be a better servant and a better witness of Jesus Christ in its worlds So this is certainly a gain that will bring the awareness at the Synod that the Church is not closed in on itself; it is on a mission A third gain, certainly, is the universality and catholicity of the Church In this Synod on Synodality, there are representatives from all five continents of the Catholic Church So we have learned to pay attention to what is happening in other continents, the joys and sorrows, the richness of other continents There is a phrase in the instrumentum laboris that speaks of sharing gifts, sharing gifts between local churches, between continents, between cultures That is truly an achievement of this Synod on Synodality Thank you very much, my sister. It's fascinating to see all these communions being formed What is the general mood in the Synod hall during this second session? The general mood in this second assembly of the Synod on Synodality, especially as the weeks go by you can sense that many are beginning to feel the responsibility they have towards their local church So we are here, sent by our dioceses, sent by our various large and small groups So, you can feel a certain anxiety from people saying, well, now that the Synod is over, when I go home, what am I going to tell people? So, there is this sense of responsibility, this sense of accountability, that we came to the Synod not for ourselves, not to do ecclesiological tourism We came on a mission, sent by a local church. So when we return, what do we bring back for that local church? So I really feel this sense of responsibility, the anxiety, not a sad anxiety, but an anxiety of responsibility, an anxiety of accountability That when I go home, I shouldn't return as someone who just went sightseeing at the Synod about synodality I need to return as someone who brings a building block to my local church to help it take a step forward on the issue of the church's synodal identity Finally, what are your hopes and dreams for the future of the African church and the universal church? My hopes and dreams for the church in Africa, as well as for the universal church, in this final phase of the second assembly of the Synod on synodality is that the goal of this Synod is achieved. Pope Francis said from the start that the goal of this Synod was not to produce texts, but to provide training We are training in behavior. A church that acts in a synodal way, a church that organizes itself in a synodal way, a church that witnesses to the world about synodality because synodality is primarily a characteristic of God Himself There is synodality among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. So, my great wish is that this Synod inspires a way of behaving as a church, a way of living the mission, and a way of being as an individual, Christian, baptized, confirmed, that is truly synodal. Thank you Thank you very much, my sister. It was truly fascinating. Know that we continue to pray for you