"Africa is the continent with the highest yearly growth rate in Christianity in the world. Very many Africans are baptised every year. In some African countries, seminaries and female novitiates have more applicants than they can reasonably take. New parishes and dioceses are created". It was said this morning by card. Francis Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for the Cult of God and the Discipline of the Sacraments, as he presented the “Lineamenta” of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of the Bishops, "the first big step" towards the celebration of a second Synod for Africa". "Growth is a fact stated Arinze -. The rise and in-depth study of faith are not left in the background", as is proven by "the growing number of monasteries and higher church institutes, the organisation of yearly retreats in the parishes and missions with no resident priests, the increase in diocesan centres for the pastoral and catechesis, and the many sessions organised in the dioceses to reflect on what the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Africa says to the Church". The cardinal mentioned the many beatification processes, "one of the latest being that of the President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere", and the next events, such as a liturgical congress for all of Africa and Madagascar in Ghana. (to be continued)
