Time for the Youth is Now Not Tomorrow- says Archbishop Gabriel Palmer

by Valerian Kkonde

PEARL NEWS SERVICE

 

Archbishop Gabriel Palmer- Right- of Cape coast, Ghana and Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa of Blantyre, Malawi during the press conference on the sidelines of the 18th Plenary Assembly at Munyonyo Photo by S P Byakatonda

The Archbishop of Cape Coast, Ghana, His Grace Gabriel Palmer has said that the sidelining of the youth in the Church and society is rooted in the African culture but that this practice must change.

Archbishop Palmer made this statement on July 23 during a press briefing on the sidelines of the 18^th Plenary Assembly and Golden Jubilee Celebrations of SECAM going on in Munyonyo Speke Resort on the outskirts of the capital Kampala, Uganda. He was flanked by Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa of Blantyre, Malawi.

“African culture rarely gives room to the youth in public arena. The youth are not for tomorrow but for today. They have the strength, energy and zeal. They should not just be institutionalized alone but they should be given the room to move the Church and society.”

The press briefing was updating journalists on the second day deliberations where partners presented solidarity messages to the delegates. 

 

Some of the youth who turned up at Lubaga Cathedral for the opening Mass for the SECAM Golden Jubilee celebrations. Photo by S P Byakatonda

“We keep telling the youth that their time is tomorrow but for them it is now. If we give them space the world will change,” added Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa.

His Grace Msusa emphasised the importance of allowing the youth more space saying that they too are leaders today because they were not suffocated.

“We are leaders ourselves because of the missionaries. The young should be given space to be good leaders of tomorrow if the Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar is to be useful in the next fifty years.”

Archbishop Palmer told the press that the youth dream of the World Youth Day being held on the African continent. They also want a Bishop in charge of the youth affairs, and SECAM to focus on the youth in the next fifty years.

The bishops also stressed the importance of the missionary spirit, referring to the words of Saint Pope Paul VI when he was opening the first SECAM meeting in Lubaga Cathedral, Kampala on 29^th July 1969 during the first ever Papal visit to Africa. He urged Africans to be missionaries of Africa.

His Grace Msusa, who is also the vice chairman of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa ( AMECEA), pointed out that as Africa extends her missionary spirit to Europe and America, it is time to share priests within dioceses of Africa.

“There should be a pastoral plan that we be missionaries with African countries which have fewer priests. It is important to note that missionaries include lay professionals to other African countries.”

Archbishop Msusa added that the Church south of the Sahara has more priests than the Church in the Maghreb region.

 

Daughters of St. Paul in front of the SECAM banner in Munyonyo. They were for their mission of evangelising using means of Social Communication. Photo by Valerian Kkonde

Stressing the fact that Africa is a complex continent due to bad governance, terrorism and negative global influence, Archbishop Palmer advised that it is time to bring Christ into politics.   

“It is time to bring Christ into the world of business and traditional leaderships. The life of Christ we receive in the Holy Eucharist should pass through us and permeate the societies we live in.”

He pointed out that the Church must invest in the education of her members so that they bring about peace, love and reconciliation.

“We have to get Catholic parliamentarians to bring their faith into their legislative roles.”

Safe guarding Africa’s children is the other challenge facing the Church that Archbishop Msusa pointed out. He said that many children are being recruited as child soldiers and trained to kill, others are trafficked and others still are taken into forced labour.

“Children must be protected in all challenges. We become a family not by word but action.”

 He promised that the Church’s position in the African Union will be used to influence leadership in Africa.

Archbishop Palmer revealed that by the close of the second day, there were 9 cardinals, 55 Archbishops, 106 bishops, 60 priests, Religious men and women and the laity.