S.E. Jabulani Nxumalo, OMI, Johannesburg

The Church has affirmed the African clergy in leadership by appointing more bishops from the local clergy. This might seem a banal statement and declaration. But this is proved by the fact that with appointment of local and native bishops numbers have increased in seminaries. The local bishops and clergy begin to feel responsible and that this institution called the Church is theirs.

Secondly, the sense of being missionary is slowly and surely developing in the mind and attitude of the African clergy. The encouragement from the Holy See and the Congregation of the Evangelization of the Peoples has kindled that fire and courage in the local priests, diocesan and missionary congregations to accept the call to preach Christ beyond the borders of their native countries. For example, I am aware of Congolese missionaries going to South Africa, Kenya, Mongolia; Nigerians, Kenyans, Cameroonians and others in South Africa; Basotho is in Paraguay, Latin America; South Africans in Papua New Guinea etc

Thirdly, the Church contributes a lot in the education and improving standards of the formation of the African clergy today. More and more of the African clergy are taking charge of the formation programmes in their own countries; more are engaged in research in the areas of pastoral ministries, liturgy, inculturation, Biblical studies for the purpose of building of a strong Church. Thanks to the opportunity that is given to the African clergy to specialise in ecclesiastical sciences by the Department of Catholic Education in Rome and other institutions which have the resources and means to educate the clergy from poor countries.

Fourthly, through the help and encouragement from some bishops, there is the development of mutual appreciation between the local diocesan clergy and clerical missionary institutes. The diocesan clergy are being helped to appreciate their special charism and the members of the religious congregation are encouraged to express and witness their specific charism. The examples of such encouragement are the Bishop emeritus of Meru, on the foot of Mount Kenya and Archbishop Gabriel Zubeir Cardinal Wako of Khartoum. The former, for example, not because of the shortage of the clergy in his diocese, invited the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate for the main purpose of living our their charism in his diocese. And the latter too emphasizes that, while being involved in the local Church, the religious congregations should stamp their engagements in the local Church with their charismatic witness to enrich the local Church.