Hekima Review No. 46 (May 2012)
On the 20th of November, 2011, in Cotonou, Benin Republic, Pope Benedict XVI presented Africae Munus, the Second Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Church in Africa in Service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace. The “Second Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Africa” took place in Rome from 4 to 25 October 2009. Africa Munus or Africa’s Commitment, as it is translated, builds on the first synod for Africa, Ecclesia in Africa. In this document, the model of the Church as a “Family of God” (EA#14) emphasized the evangelical mission of the African Church in the face of despair and discouragement. The Synod fathers dealt with a fundamental question, “What is it and what [the Church] must fully carry out, so that its message may be relevant and credible?” (EA #21). “In a Continent full of bad news, what is the Christian message ‘Good News’ for our people?
