The ongoing preparations for the Synod on synodality has been said to inspire a new energy in the Church’s pastoral communication apostolate across the African continent. This was the position of Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, Bishop of Oyo Diocese while presenting a paper to members of the Vatican Dicastery for Communications on Monday, November 14, during their Plenary in Rome. Stating that Synod and communication is a big challenge in Africa, Synod and communication is already a big challenge in Africa bishop Badejo expressed appreciation to the Holy Father for the refrain that has always come back since the Synodality process began, which is not to leave anyone behind. According to the Bishop “We are grateful because the Synod has actually inspired a new energy in the Church’s pastoral communication apostolate, all over Africa. The African Church has always cherished the themes that come up in the Synod on Synodality, the themes of participation, of communion and of mission.” Bishop Badejo recalled that the first Synod of Bishops for Africa in 1994, took place when the genocide was going on in Rwanda and the Church in Africa still had the courage to select for its pastoral theme, “The church as family of God in Africa.”
Noting that participation and working together is always a desire that Africa has always had, the Bishop stated that the themes that have appeared in the Synod on Synodality and the synodality process have helped Africa to re-energize the values that the Church already had. He said: “The values that we mentioned here give a voice to everyone working together, not leaving anyone behind and listening to one another, the whole theme of listening has been part of Africa. “That’s exactly what happens in a good family. In a good family, only the individuals listen to one another, and even when there are differences, the family does not necessarily break up, so it has been part of Africa and that is why we are happy to own the theme that appeared in the preparatory document of the Synod: Ubuntu.” According to him, “There is an African proverb that says whoever is not willing to learn even from the madman can never be completely wise. That means even a madman has something useful to contribute to the community and if you are not ready to listen to him, you can never truly be completely wise. “The Dicastery for Communications has the task of the overall restructuring, reorganization and consolidation of all of the realities, which in various ways up to the present have dealt with communications in order to respond ever better to the needs of the mission of the Church.”
