Africanews The Catholic Church in Tanzania has started preparations to celebrate the forthcoming Jubilee Year 2000. Between February 5-10 this year, a nationwide seminar was held for this purpose at the headquarters of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) in Kurasini, just outside of Dar es Salaam city centre. Over 80 participants from almost all dioceses and institutions of the country attended. Fr. Theobald Kyambo of the Pastoral Department of TEC and organiser of the seminar explained that the preparations would be inspired throughout by Pope John Paul II's Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation The Church in Africa.
According to him, the purpose of the preparations and the celebration of the Jubilee Year is to make sure that the fruits of the African Synod reach and influence all local ecclesial communities throughout the country. Accordingly, Fr. Kyambo said, there would be a yearly national seminar to prepare animators for the dioceses in all areas of concern to the Synod, namely, the Church as a responsible family (1996), Inculturation (1997), Spirituality (1998), the Church's missionary activity (1999), and celebrating the Jubilee (2000).
Despite the request of some members, the seminar was reluctant to address at depth some of the issues arising from this year's theme. Questions like: what does "family" actually mean in the present context of Tanzania and what are its implications? What is the environment in which our young people grow up and live? What are the problems facing them in family and society? were not sufficiently analysed. Perhaps it was assumed that they were universally understood. One issue, though, that generated some prolonged discussion concerned justice in the family, in the Church, and in society generally.
There was almost total concensus that the situation on all of these levels in Tanzania left much to be desired. Asked about lack of justice in the Church, and particularly the failures of bishops in this respect, Bishop Amedeus Msarikie of the Diocese of Moshi in north-eastern Tanzania and TEC Chairman of the Pastoral Department remarked that like everyone else Tanzanian bishops need conversion or a change of heart. Involvement in the preparations for celebrating the Jubilee concerned them too, he said. Dialogue at all levels Five papers were presented during the seminar. They dealt with aspects of the year's theme of the Church as a responsible family. Fr. Barnabas Mahunja, Professor at Segerea Major Seminary just outside Dar es Salaam, spoke about the Church as the family of God. The theme of the Social Teaching of the Church was addressed by Fr. David Schwinghamer, MM, of the Justice and Peace office of the Association of the Religious Superiors of Tanzania. Fr. Lucas Mzuanda of the TEC Youth office described the present situation of the country, particularly those areas affecting the realization of justice. The centrality of the Word of God in the life of the Christian was the theme of Fr. Thadeus Matowo's paper, also a Professor at the Seminary. The paper that attracted most participants was presented by Fr. Method Kilaini, Secretary General of TEC. He discussed the theme of "Pastoral Needs in the Church in Tanzania.
" He insisted that the Church in Tanzania must be, and must be seen to be, responsible, transparent, humble and dialogical at all levels. It must make use of its female members, and especially the more than 9000 women religious, in the ministry of evangelization, he emphasized. This made conspicuous the fact that although there were 12 women participants at the seminar, none had been invited to present a major paper. One of them had been an observer in the African Synod Bishops' Assembly in Rome. Fr. Kilaini explained this as having to do with problems of communication and time constraints. Asked whether the circular model of Church should now receive greater practical emphasis in the light of what he had said, and also in the wake of Tanzania's efforts at democratization, Fr. Kilaini answered that the hierarchical model of the Church could not be replaced, only "humanised" by taking seriously the elements he had enumerated. He did not elaborate why. Fr. Kilaini advised the participants "to light a candle, not to curse the darkness."We will have succeeded," he said, "if we went home and put into practice intentions that reduce suffering that exists at present in our world. Our task is not to generate despair but to foster hope."He ended by quoting from St. Paul in 1 Cor 12:20-22 bidding everyone to go and play a positive role in church and society.
The participants are in charge of conducting follow up seminars in their own regions. These will be followed as soon as possible by diocesan, parish and small Christian Community seminars to ensure that the preparations for Jubilee Year 2000 in all their dimensions reach every member of the Tanzanian Church. The logistics and expense of this enterprise will be considerable for the Church. It remains to be seen how far the plans will be successful in practice.
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