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| Bishop Philip Anyolo, Chairman AMECEA Pastoral Department |
Bishop Chairman of AMECEA Pastoral Department Rt. Rev. Philip Anyolo on behalf of AMECEA Bishops expressed commitment to the revival of the Council of Laity of Eastern Africa (COLEA).
Addressing the participants at the opening ceremony of COLEA in Dar-es-salaam, Bishop Anyolo said, “As your Shepherds, we, the Bishops of AMECEA, pledge our commitment to making formation of the lay people, a pastoral priority.”
Amid calls from the participants to come up with strategies that would strengthen family life, Bishop Anyolo who is also the ordinary of the Diocese of Homa bay Kenya said that the family is indeed the sanctuary of life. “It is in the family where life is received, nurtured and raised to its maturity. In fact, the future of the world and of the Church passes through the family, which is the fundamental cell of society,” he said.
Bishop Anyolo challenged the participants to remember that they are on the frontiers of evangelization and have the mandate to cause the Church to be present in the world. “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world,” he said.
He explained that Pope Benedict XVI, in Africae Munus, says, "The laity are called to activity in the political, economic, cultural and social fields. They must be equipped with a good knowledge of the Social Doctrine of the Church, which can provide them with principles for acting in conformity with the Gospel" (AMI28).
Speaking at the same event, Rt. Rev. Telesphor Mkude, Bishop of Morogoro Tanzania, pointed out that today the family is experiencing very difficult times that require Church's compassion and understanding.
He said that the recently concluded Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization, convoked by Pope Francis came at the very right time.
He said that some of the challenges facing the family and which need to be urgently addressed include widespread cohabitation which does not lead to marriage and family; homosexuality; presumption that the marriage bond can be temporary and lack of faith in the sacrament of Marriage.
The workshop on revival of council of the laity in Eastern Africa will be concluded on Saturday 30th. A total of 60 participants are attending the conference.
Source: Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Social Communications, Dar es salaam, Tanzania