African cardinal says women disadvantaged by culture and ‘a certain mentality in the Church’

YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – A leading African cardinal says African cultures and “a certain mentality in the Church” have put women in a disadvantaged position.

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo was speaking during a November 29 webinar as leading African Church leaders reflected on implementing the Synod’s insights and shaping the Church’s synodal future in Africa.

“In our traditional cultures in Africa, a woman has always been considered as a person who has to take care of the household, it’s a good role. But the synod tells us, no, we are all equal. We have all been created men and women,” said the Congolese cardinal, who serves as the President of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, SECAM said.

He said that although equality between men and women comes from baptism, the imbalance between the two sexes has been aggravated by what the cardinal referred to as “a certain mentality in the Church.”

“In the Church, there is a certain mentality that says that a man is always in front,” Ambongo Besungu said.

“If you take these two factors, the African culture, which disfavors women, and a certain mentality in the Church, which has always given the first role to men, naturally, the African woman is doubly disadvantaged,” he continued.

The SECAM president emphasized the need to re-evaluate relationships in Africa, focusing on gender equality and societal roles, and advocated for equal respect and opportunities for both men and women, grounded in the baptismal equality of all people.

Ambongo Besungu also highlighted various societal disparities, such as the respect for the elderly and the treatment of disabled individuals. He questioned traditional beliefs that restrict young people’s voices in the presence of older people. While emphasizing the importance of respecting the elderly, Ambongo Besungu also urged older individuals to cultivate a sense of responsibility towards the youth. He asserted that a balanced relationship between the old and the young requires mutual respect and responsibility.

“This is why the synod tells us, OK, respect for the elderly, but that the elderly understand that it is at the same time a responsibility,” the cardinal said.

“It’s not just an age, but also a model of behavior for the youngest,” he said.

He also spoke out against discrimination against other vulnerable groups-such as the disabled.

“What is our view of the weakest of people who are born with certain defects? Instead of considering it as the work of the sorcerer, the work of the demon, how do we recognize and welcome these people as creatures of God?” Ambongo Besungu asked.

The Kinshasa cardinal said a review of relationships should not be limited to people. It should also include institutions. He called for a review of relations at the level of congregations and conferences.

“I can tell you that we have already started to analyze the type of relations that must now exist between us and the churches in the north, but also between the African Episcopal Conferences. This is why you often see me going to such and such a conference so that we can, between local churches, analyze how we can work together,” he said.

He stressed the importance of the African Church’s relationship with the Holy See, insisting that the relationship “must no longer exist as before.”

“For us Africans, this is very important. It is our responsibility. If we want to be taken seriously, we must also adopt consistent behavior,” he said, however didn’t say what needs to change in the relations between the African Church and the Holy See.

Ambongo Besungu underscored the need for formation, noting that in order “to enter this new synodal Church, we must all let ourselves be formed. Let us form a synodal spirit, a synodal behavior, a synodal attitude, a synodal language between us.”

“This is why I say the synod on the synodality is a kairos for a new future for our African Church,” the cardinal said.

Father Stan Chu Ilo – the Coordinating Servant of the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) and Research Professor at the Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology at the DePaul University in Chicago – called on participants at the online discussion to ponder the essence of relationships.

“How do we rebuild relationships?” he asked.

He spoke of the African Ubuntu, the deep-rooted belief that we are all connected.

This philosophy, he explained, could guide the Church in rebuilding relationships across the continent, especially as Africa looks towards the hopeful dawn of a new year.

“We talk of the African Ubuntu, that we are all connected, we are all related. And how do we rebuild relationships in the continent, especially as we move into next year, talking about hope?” Chu Ilo wondered.

The priest emphasized the importance of understanding hope through the lens of renewed relationships. He envisioned a future where the final document from the synod would be a testament to a hermeneutics of relationship, urging participants to think of concrete propositions that could bring synodality to life.

In his speech, Ambongo Besungu concluded “the synod is a vast project for us in Africa, whether it is for the life of dioceses, for the life of congregations, or for the life of all lay faithful.”

“Let us take courage and face this challenge with hope for the future and the future of a truly responsible and truly synodal African Church,” the cardinal said.