THE MISSIONARIES OF AFRICA

Their way of life

Lavigerie "My last recommendation, without which all others would be useless, is the recommendation from the Old Apostle of Ephesis: "Love one another, stay united in your heart and mind. Be really a family… Don't be only united: Be One."

International communities

"Two are better than one: they get a good wage for their labour. If one falls, the other will lift up his companion. Where a lone man may be overcome, two together can resist. A three ply cord is not easily broken". Eccl. 4, 9-12

Living together, for us, is essential

If we have chosen to live together, three in a community, it is because of our belief in the evangelical meaning of togetherness, in the power of testimony, because fraternal cooperation is a strong guarantee of continuity in our apostolate.

Since the beginning the White Fathers' mission is lived in international communities that are bound to become interracial. So that the wealth of differences, that are respectfully lived together, become a Church testimonial, we have to take care of the living quality of our communities. In this way, each missionary of Africa is bound to understand that "without fraternal charity, the mission is impossible".

But living together is exacting…

Better communication: To build a community, it is not sufficient to live together, speak the same language and be dedicated to its work. We are also called upon to be attentive to the experience of others and talk over what we are doing and living.

"Things that may scandalise people, prevent close contact with them, self-centered attitudes, you must have the courage to correct if you really want to be an apostle in the spirit of the Gospel.

By yourself, it may be sometimes difficult to judge. Do not be afraid to ask the advices of your coworkers and members of your Christian community. Take great care of what they tell you.

Look at the details of your life with the eyes of others: you will see more clearly".

"… The possibility to communicate as much as possible is important!

Each one of us must endeavour to know one of our two official languages, French and English; also you must be able to understand the other one!"

To live better, like the Apostles, in solidarity with the poor, we are called to discern the style of life that will enable us to use whatever we have for the apostolate and development.

It is only in the light of the Gospel that our communities will be signs of our Christian life.

There are two things that attract me to the White Fathers. First, in Africa, a community where we can live, talk and work together. Second, it is something that I experience very strongly in Africa: our international missionary teamwork. It is sometimes hard to live, but it gives us different points of view, different from the French, Italians, etc., Lavigerie said: "I have declared that I would not keep anyone of you who would not love in the same way all members of the Society, whatever the nation he comes from".

Internationality: A wealth of differences

"For us, internationality is a basic principle. All our communities must aim to be international. It is more than a visible sign: it is our spirit, mentality and life".

We must know and estimate others as different from ourselves. We must feel some of our own characteristic cultural traits as relative to others.

Learn to live and work fraternally in complementarities with other ideologies and cultures.

Those are exigencies that will help you in all contacts in your missionary life if you really live them in your community.

It is the respect for national characteristics, not uniformity that will really build the specific value of an international community. Be yourself.

Prayer of Apostles

            Lavigerie: "The aim of our prayer is wider than what we have to do. Missionaries will know that if they really live in faith; they know that supernatural enterprise can only be attempted and bear fruit by the grace of God".

Pray your life, live your prayer

            The apostles' prayer is always corrected and reoriented to the mission in response to specific demands and conditions, in the Spirit of the Father.

            In an active life, it is also seeking, questioning and adjusting to the plan of God as it was in the Annunciation of Mary.

            "There is no fraternal prayer without fraternal living. Praying together helps us to live together: it is all one thing".

            The prayer of an Apostle is the meeting point of freedom and fidelity to the Kingdom of God.

In the spirit of saint Ignatius

            Lavigerie called men together for the mission. They must be trained so that God is given the finest place wherever they go. What spirituality must they have? In view of the active life to which they are called, he did not want them to be monks. However, he did not invent a new spirituality. Looking over the wealth of Church traditions, he spotted a man who had the same purpose, Ignace of Loyola, the founder of Jesuits: he had formed men of God, totally devoted in obedience, sent to the world to build the kingdom of God. Lavigerie chose the Jesuits to train the first White Fathers. The spirituality will be ignatian… with a White Father coloration because of international community life dedicated to Africa.

With Mary…

            Since its origins, our Society has been placed under the protection of Mary Immaculate Queen of Africa, Our Lady of Algiers, Our Lady in Carthage, Tunisia, in Mary's birthplace in Jerusalem… Very many White Fathers have prayed their rosary building the future in contemplation of the past. Mary has chosen to give the Saviour to the world, in Cana yesterday, at the Calvary and Pentecost… today on African trails, towns and bush-chapels. She goes on giving her son with motherly tenderness that removes fear and helps to discover God's infinite love.

To live and grow together

            Lavigerie: “The study of local languages is essential: it must be given priority on all the rest: without this knowledge, it is impossible to have a fruitful apostolate with Africans”.

             Lavigerie: “In each mission where the local dialect has not been used and published, I hereby prescribe that one of the missionaries devote one or two hours a day to the compiling of a dictionary”.

            Lavigerie: “Local and original traditions of people must be observed and written down before they are changed”.

To go further

            Each person is free to believe and risk his future, free to follow and live his filial relation to Gods and brotherly love of all human beings: a personal commitment can deeply change his way of living. On this way, a Christian is a sign, a bridge to show clearly what he lives and proclaim.

But, a White Father… who is he?

            Lavigerie: "How will people hear the word of God if no one preaches?, says saint Paul. I add to that: how will they understand if we don't know their language? And how will we know their language if we don't learn it?"

            To understand the needs and difficulties of people, we must have a special devotion to the poor, a commitment for justice and peace, and we must work for a better way of life for all.

            Work together, talk together, relax and rest together: all this is necessary for a missionary community. We must be ready to adapt our life to circumstances but never to the detriment of our community life.

            You must have a simple way of life, ordinary food and recreation possibilities: you must accept all this to have a happy life.

            Prayer and apostolic life are all one. Be faithful and realistic about that. Plan for yourself moments of more intense periods of personal prayer.

"Be initiators"

            Lavigerie: "Missionaries will be chiefly initiators; but the lasting work will be accomplished by the Africans themselves as Christians and apostles".

 Rapid upsets

            In 1968, Africa was mainly "a mysterious and unknown world, strongly coveted for its possible treasures. Europe did not divide the continent, at the Congress of Berlin (1884) for disinterested motivations… Already exploited and severely wounded by the slave trade, it was also upset by some occidental ideas of progress. The many and rapid access to independence (in the 1960's) brought also necessary changes in former colonies, the will to become free and responsible for their human and national development in union with all nations.

            To Christianize Africa by the Africans themselves had been, from the beginning, Lavigerie's basic idea. He warns about the danger of creating "black Europeans", insisting on solid formation of leaders who will have more influence on their nation: it is already a vision of partnership.

Credibility of the Church and opportunities of Evangelisation

            "… Today, our young nations are showing great concern to preserve and protect their recently acquired freedom (an effort to work in all matter for the improvement of their people). Their greater concern is to recover their authentic roots and to preserve their identity. It is on these principles that they look forward to having relations with other nations.

            In this context, the credibility of the Church and chances of evangelisation will be measured by its solidarity with legitimate aspirations of Africans to have in hand their own destiny, and also, to the extent of its openness in finding proper solution to the problems and building of this continent".

(Letter of the Bishops of Africa and Madagascar, 1986.)

White Fathers are determined to follow the often repeated recommendations of their Founder Cardinal Lavigerie

             "Form men capable of taking over from you! Some people blame the White Fathers for being too strict on this matter. But for them, there is no half-measure to excellent formation. Once you agree to initiate someone else to do the work of apostolate, you must not hide things, especially difficulties inherent to life. Gardens and orchards will give vitamins; schools will provide seminarians, catechists and leaders… Hidden talents will become bishops, priests, religious sisters, catechists, doctors, masons, welders, teachers… trees of many excellent fruits".

            Come the time of independence, we will have men ready to fill position of responsibility in political structures of new countries that will be able to face many difficulties. In addition, nowadays, we have bishops, priests, religious sisters, doctors, masons, welders, teachers… and many other professionals fully qualified to cope with new situations although they are often faced with political and economic obstacles.

Africa is proud of its priests

            The White Fathers have always tried to maintain, for African Priests, their own high standard of formation. Since 1987, except for a few dioceses still in the process of first evangelisation, the African Church is now in the hands of Africans. But bishops and priests are seriously developing a real African Christianity while maintaining close links with the Universal Church. It is a difficult and fascinating labour. There are plenty of vocations with the same exigencies. Even if it is sometimes rather painful, White Fathers leave stations of important leadership while maintaining their collaboration with the new young churches. They are renouncing all positions of spiritual and material authority… facing the fact that evangelical virtues are not always easy.

Africa, proud of its lay people

            Many times missionaries have been accused of proselytism. Of course, Lavigerie wanted all Africa to be Christian; but he is still known for his respect for all human beings: no baptism before 4 years of preparation, preferably for adults than for schoolchildren and full understanding for those who could not make it…

            With this attitude, thousands of men and also, nowadays, many women have received and developed the grace of their baptism, undertaking years of contact with the Scripture and the Sacraments, fully aware of the necessity of human formation, they have grown up to proclaim the Good News themselves.

            Also, especially from the beginning, through seminaries and all sorts of other schools, White fathers have been promoting formation of young people of all religious affiliations. It was always a great joy for the missionaries to meet leaders, masons, and secretaries just for friendly conversations… be they Catholics, Protestants or Muslims, to understand how the Word of God had made them witnesses to justice, love and truth, capable of transforming the whole society.

Africa, proud of its catechists

            Many amongst our laymen have answered the call to be catechists. It is a difficult and sometimes heroic life often in great poverty: without them, Christian Africa would not be as it is today…

 Africa sensitive to poverty

            Faithful to its family traditions, people share what they have. Unfortunately, the attraction of urbanisation and frequent corruption are very detrimental to family values. Furthermore, some political evolutions are ignoring human rights. In active sympathy with the poor, White Fathers strive to go and live with them, helping them to get organised, to form living and fraternal communities. For example, this is how they are now in South Africa and in many suburban townships.

Special attention to believers of Islam

            Lavigerie: "I am a Bishop, a Father; even if those for whom I speak now don't give me this title, I love them as my sons and try to prove this to them, happy if I cannot give them my faith but, at least, show them deep concern as creatures of God".

From the beginning…

            The foundation of White Fathers dates from 1868. For ten years, the missionaries did not have any other activities outside Algeria and Tunisia with their heavy Moslem population. After some years, they moved to West and East Africa. Even if some regions had never had any contact with Islam, others had already a strong proportion of Islamic believers. Whether there is or not a Christian community, White Fathers are among Moslems. Why is this?

            Following their Founder, they feel a call to live in this way their missionary vocation. Lavigerie wants to fulfil in such a way his motto: Caritas (Love).

            Actually, he says to his missionaries: "Take care of the sick, serve the people in their difficulties. Do not discuss religion. Love them and try to be loved because God is love". He asks them to organise all their activities to promote confidence and love where distrust and hostility sets Christians and Moslems against one another. He forbids them all other goals as long as this endeavour has not been achieved, even in a hundred years.

Listening to the Father

            Jesus made himself man, one of us "loving all to the end". Everywhere he proclaimed: "Convert and believe in the Good News" (Mark 1, 15) What was this conversion?

            Jesus does not say to Jews: "Leave your religion". He does not either say: "Be good practising Jews" but he tells them: "If you want to pray, be charitable, first, go in secret to your Father. There, God your Father will answer your prayer" (Mt 6, 1-18)

            The Good News he is talking about is that God answers to that call of the heart. Always there, all the time, he is ready to give everyone the feeling of being loved in a more tender love than the love of a Father for his son. Conversion is not the change of a religion to another one, however good it is. It is binding oneself to God, accepting to meet Him heart to heart, without any mask and pretence, accepting to be guided and transformed by Him.

            It is He who will call a person to remain in Islam and, another, to discover Jesus as Saviour, Master and friend while remaining a Moslem. And, again, to another like Abraham, to leave his original faith to move to the faith of the Church.

Like Jesus

            In a Moslem context, as everywhere else, a White Father is following a special vocation that God gives to each human being. All are called to let themselves be led as God wants and where He wants. It is this call that he lives himself and witnesses to in Moslem surroundings.

            To achieve this, the missionary strives to identify with those he wants to meet. From the beginning, White Fathers have adopted the Algerian type of clothes and language; in this way, he leads a non-obtrusive and humble life of service, trying to foster friendship knowing that "where is love God is present". This is lived in many diverse professional activities, in accordance with individual abilities: teachers, librarians, journalists, medical and social workers, researchers… but always the work is in view of the essential purpose: to promote love and friendship so that God finds us open to His call for all people.

            Thus is realized, in many different ways, the saying of Jesus: "no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him". (Jn 6, 44) But the witness sees the results, in God's ways and time, of the other words of Jesus: "when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself". (Jn 12, 32)

The mission goes on…

Our priority: The Mission

            Although our vocation is essentially focussed on Africa, it does not mean that the problems are everywhere identical. Local Churches are growing and getting organized.

            We have retained four priorities:

1.      Formation of leaders to achieve autonomy of Churches. We thus underline the importance of major seminaries, catechists and lay apostolate training centres.

2.      Collaboration with the Churches in Africa so that they go on living the mission in their countries to the extent of themselves sending missionaries. Those Churches are called to cross their own frontiers to witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

3.      Many of the countries in Africa where we are working are suffering from famine, wars, injustices, corruption and arduous development. With them, we privilege tasks that promote development, justice and peace, with a special attention to the poorest of them all.

4.      At last, millions of people have not yet met with Christ. Our apostolate is, above all, evangelisation of non Christians with a special emphasis for believers of Islam.

This text is taken from the magazine "Les Missionnaires d'Afrique du Cardinal Lavigerie", Collection "La Tradition Vivante", pp. 10-23

(Traduction: Gabriel de Lorimier, w.f.)