Scholars decry poor Bible study at Catholic seminaries
August 29, 2007
Catholic Information Service for Africa (www.cisanewsafrica.org/)
NAIROBI, Kenya (CISA) – Though future Catholic priests spend many years in seminaries, it has emerged that they are not adequately taught how to teach others something very basic to the Christian faith: the Bible.
Because of this, Catholics in eastern Africa have not yet fully appreciated the importance of the word of God in Christian life, according to Bible scholars from 10 African countries attending a workshop here last week.
There is "lack of adequate biblical apostolate formation in our major seminaries and other formation houses," they concluded.
The participants said there was need to ensure that "seminarians are equipped with tools and methods to communicate the Word of God, and that the rightful position of the Bible is reclaimed in priestly formation."
They also identified the need for "ongoing biblical formation, with specific programs for pastoral agents: bishops, priests, religious men and women and catechists. Such formation should extend to specific groups like the youth, children and the laity in general."
Two Kenyan bishops, Peter Kihara of Marsabit who is in charge of seminaries, and Emmanuel Okombo of Kericho, in charge of the Biblical Apostolate, attended the workshop.
It was organized by the Biblical Centre for Africa and Madagascar (BICAM) and the Pastoral Department of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa (AMECEA), ahead of the Synod on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church to be held in Rome, Oct. 5-26, 2008, and the second African Synod, in Rome, Oct. 4-25, 2009.
In a communiqué issued at the close of the event on Aug. 24, the 32 participants pledged to set up a team to develop a course on biblical apostolate for seminarians in eastern Africa to "help the seminarians to link the Bible with their life; that is, to help the seminarians know, love, live and proclaim the written word of God."
On the other hand, ongoing formation in the Word of God should be conducted by biblical coordinators in collaboration with Bible scholars in each country and throughout the AMECEA region, they agreed..
To achieve better pastoral use of the Bible in and outside the seminaries, there is need for relevant materials, for instance, publications and radio broadcasts in the African context and perspective, the participants said.
Biblical apostolate teams should also be established at the diocesan, national and regional levels.
It was suggested that dioceses and parishes in the AMECEA region set aside a day to collect special funds to promote the biblical apostolate in their areas.
The workshop also proposed that there be an annual month of the Bible in order to bring out the importance of the word of God in the Christian life in the AMECEA region. Participants suggested September, when the feast of St. Jerome, patron of the Bible, is celebrated.
They requested that AMECEA bishops endorse these proposals.
SOURCE:http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=25201