II African Continental Meeting
YOU WILL BE MY WITNESS IN AFRICA. Reality and prospects for the laypeople’s formation. The contribution of Catholic Action/2 – Bujumbura, August 21st/25th 2002

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1. From 21st to 25th August 2002, at “Le Grand Séminaire” in Bujumbura, it has been held the Second IFCA African Continental Meeting. The theme has been“You will be my witnesses in Africa.Realities, challenges and perspectives for the formation and mission of lay people. The contribution of Catholic Action.”
The partecipants were more than 100 people:Bishops,Priests,Religious and Lay people from Zambia,Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwuanda and Burundi together with representatives of the IFCA Secretariat from Argentina, Italy,Mexico and Romania.

2. The work has started with a reading of the reality with a special attention to the Great Lakes Region where the heavy socio-political-economical difficulties cause situations of violence,hate and poverty. The Church – and the Catholic Action Movements – live in this reality and are called to be witnesses of brotherhood to build peace and nourish hope.The partecipants have discussed about the real meaning of new evangelization and about the choices which qualify it: spirituality, socio-political-economical commitment, formative commitment, inculturation, faith-justice and peace.

3. The MAC have stressed that the essential element for the life of each believer consists in meeting Christ; this meeting roots us in the Church which is missionary communion, makes all of us brothers and sisters and calls us to announce the Gospel and to solidarity. The MAVC have renewed their apostolical commitment both in the local Churches, cooperating with their Pastors, and in the society which is waiting for their witness of holiness.
In a particular way, the partecipants have underlined the need and urgency of a deep spirituality, of an integral and missionary formation, of an absolutely necessary inculturation of faith, of a wider and wider awareness of the contribution as lay people to the socio-political life and to the construction of the civilization of love in justice and peace.

4. One day of the meeting has been dedicated to the reflexion about the identity and the formative and missionary proposal of Catholic Action as shown in the Ecumenical Council Vatican II and in the Magisterium of Pope John Paul II.
Together with the four peculiar notes (ecclesiality, laity, organicity and cooperation with the hierarchy), they have dealt with the formative and methodological choices related to the reality and addressees (adults, family, youth, children, students…).
In particular the partecipants have underlined the necessity and the urgency of:
* assistants priests who can partecipate and accompany the life of lay people,
* responsibles to be formed and qualified,
* an associative life more dynamic, thanks to new members and to an – at least minimum – availability of resources, of moments of exchange as this one, to walk together in an atmosphere of dialogue, exchange and mutual support.

5. IFCA Second African Continental Meeting has closed with a wide prospect upon the way of CA in the third millennium enlightened by the invitation of John Paul II addressed to Italian Catholic Action on April 26th 2002: “Duc in altum, Catholic Action! Look to the future with courage, be a prophetic presence in the world, be humble and daring enough to fix your eyes on Jesus! …”.