Portail Documentaire
| Titre : | The african family spirit : a nexus of justice, peace and reconciliation (2009) |
| Auteurs : | Peter Assenga, Auteur |
| Type de document : | Article : texte imprimé |
| Dans : | AFER. African Ecclesial Review (Vol.51 N°1-2 ) |
| Article en page(s) : | P. 52-77 |
| Note générale : | Bibliogr. |
| Langues: | Anglais |
| Résumé : |
In its pastoral constitution on the church in the modern world, the second vatican council states :
"The joys and the hopes, the griefs and anxieties for the men [sic] of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these (too) are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ." In a world full of individual tendencies motivated by the urge for personal gain in every sphere of life, such remarks may seem too unrealistic, or rather, a bit too hypocritical. On the other hand, this is an honest and spontaneous remark of a person who knows what love is all about. Indeed, no one can be indifferent in the situation whereby one's dear ones are tormended. This is what love implies. Aware of the current african predicament, the church tries everything within her reach to make this remark a reality in the effort towards reconciliation in Africa. In this regard, it is our conviction tha such a move could gain much if one endeavours to examine the very african mentality that has alwas reflected this concern. It is to be said actually, that the insight towards the adaptation of the african family as the model of the church by the first bishops' synod for Africa is an acknowledgement of this reality. Likewise, while calling for the second assembly for Africa dedicated precisely for reconciliation, justice and peace, emphasis has been put this is rightly to be seen in relation to the first such assembly. This remark may be interpreted as an acknowledgement of the fact that such reconciliation is to be approached in the trajectory already articulated, namely : in the family spirit. It is in this regard that this article sees the need to revisit the nature of the very african family in order to reiterate the fact that this effort stands only to gain if such a correlation is maintained. Among other points of emphasis in this regard, the palaver system used by the african societies is taken as a guideline in the search for a lasting peace, as a result of justice, among the people who see each other as "relatives" Jamaa. |
