Oleh African Catholic Voices

Dr Jude Dumfeh, an award winning internal medicine and pediatric physician and his wife, Evelyn Dumfeh share with us the challenges they faced when their daughter was diagnosed with sickle cell disease. Their family experience is a testimony of love that triumphs all things; sacrifice in the midst of pain; and hope and faith in God's goodness and h…

In this Easter homily, Bishop Gerard Musa of Katsina Diocese delivers a touching message about the incredible transformative power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He eloquently explains that for believers, death is not the ultimate end but instead a transformation to a new life. The bishop emphasizes that faith in Jesus means that death is not…

As Pope Francis celebrates his eleventh year on the Chair of Peter, some Catholics might disagree on his legacy; but all agree that his papacy has been consequential. In this episode, we look at some of the central teachings of Pope Francis and especially the current Synod on Synodality, and his call for missionary conversion and for a Church with …

Christians are called to give alms to the poor and reach out to all those who need our help. In this episode, we talk about doing charity and working for justice and the best way to do almsgiving so as to find favor with God. We also critically analyze the challenging social conditions in many African countries and discuss what is causing so much p…

In this episode, we talk on the importance of prayer in the lives of African Christians. During this Lent, we are invited to deepen our prayer life. The episode delves into different kinds of prayers and raises the questions: How can we pray better? Does God answer all our prayers? Must we pray always until something happens? Is there something lik…

The Gospel presents to us the story of a woman who was searching for God. She was a woman who had no name. In the NT, those who have no name are usually people who have no status in society. She was also a Samaritan. The Samaritans were regarded as inferior spiritually by the Israelites because they were unfaithful to God’s covenant and worshipped …

In this episode Sr Jane and Fr Stan discuss the Lenten discipline of fasting, abstinence and penance. They invite the people of God to a deeper reflection on the reality of suffering and poverty in Africa. God's people are already living a long penance of fasting with the rising cost of living, inflation, and failing governments that have failed to…

In this episode, Sr Jane Kimathi, shares her stories of the life of the African female religious. In this frank discussion, Sr Jane teaches us how to fall in love with God and how African religious women are living their religious life faithfully and fruitfully. It is a life that they live on earthen vessels amidst two fires that burn in the religi…

In this episode, Sr Jane and Fr Stan offer some spiritual insights on how we can journey together throughout these forty days with the Lord. The Lord invites you to walk through the desert with faith and trust in the Lord who leads us on the way. The Lord asks you today to leave your slavery to sin and fear behind; to leave your past behind; and to…

In this recent episode of the African Catholic Voice, a group of amazing African Digital Faith Influencers had an interesting conversation with Sr Titilayo Aduloju. They discussed a six-month formation program that aims to help them stand up for their faith among their peers who live in the digital peripheries. The influencers also shared that this…

Archbishop Scicluna of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith has called on the Church to consider ending celibacy as a way of preventing clerics from living " a dangerous double life." Chapter 11 of the Synodal synthesis report also invites us to pay attention to "different opinions that have been expressed about priestly celibacy." This episode …

Co-hosts, Sr Jane Kamathi and Fr Stan Chu Ilo discuss sex, sexuality, and the taboos around them in Africa. They delve into the beauty of sex, sexuality, and the theology of the body. They answer the questions: Why are people uncomfortable to talk about sexual issues or to discuss about their sexuality in Africa? Why are people unwilling to open up…

Fr Marcel Uwineza, Principal of Hekima University College, Nairobi speaks on the achievement of this premier Jesuit university, and the vision and hope for the future. Listen to the moving narrative of Fr Uwineza's spiritual and theological journey of surviving the genocide in Rwanda and witnessing his parents' violent deaths and his message of hop…

Rose Egolet, Ugandan humanitarian, and grassroots women mobiliser based in Moshe, Tanzania, challenges the notion that polygamy is a good cultural practice in Africa that should be accepted today. He agrees with the view of one of our listeners, Amainini Regina Matambanazo, that no one should ever endorse polygamy in Africa because of issues arisin…

Prof Itumeleng Mothoagae, a South African biblical scholar and Head of the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of South Africa addresses the contested questions around polygamy in Africa. He introduces what he calls 'biculturality and bireligiosity' in understanding why the churches in Africa are struggling with finding the…

Rose Egolet, an advocate for women justice and human rights and resource mobilization advisor for Kilimanjaro Women Information and Education Community Organization (KWIECO), Moshi-Tanzania (funded by Crossroads International), and Fr Ruffino Ezama, Provincial superior of the Comboni Missionaries of the North American Province, share their thoughts…

Bishop Paride Taban who died at 87 on All Saints Day has left an inedible mark in South Sudan, Sudan, and the rest of Africa and the world as a peace-builder, a peace-maker, and a servant leader. In establishing the Peace Village, he has left a permanent example of how to be a pastor with the smell of a sheep and how to heal the wounds and brokenne…

Co-hosts Sr Chantal and Fr Stan discuss the latest statistics on the growth of the Catholic population in Africa. Why is Africa witnessing the fastest growth in Catholic population worldwide? How can African Catholics use this population growth to drive the mission of God in Africa? How can African Catholics use its great population to influence th…

As the current session of the synod on synodality draws to a close, Fr Stan and Sr Chantal in this episode answer the question on the deliberative and consultative functions of the Synod of Bishops. They invite Catholics to pray for the synod in a special way during this final week. There is the need for the faithful to lower their expectations abo…

Co-hosts, Sr Chantal and Fr Stan discuss the importance of silence during this important moment of synod on synodality. They discuss the reasons why Pope Francis invited the delegates not to talk to the press about the ongoing discussions. They speak about some of the concerns of Africa and address the challenges facing educators in some parts of A…

Fr Vitalis Anaehobi, Secretary-General of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa, RECOWA, speaks on how he and other African delegates prepared to represent Africa in the ongoing synod on synodality. He shares with God's people his hopes and prayers for the synod and urges everyone to trust in the Spirit of God who leads the church into t…

Two leading faith-based African women leaders outline what African women expect from the forthcoming synod on synodality. Ugandan, Sr Rosemary Nyirumbe often dubbed 'the African Mother Teresa' and African biblical scholar, Prof Caroline Mbonu, outline some of the key issues that African women should be bringing to the synodal halls including partic…

Prof Simon Mary Aihiokhai and Sr Nkechi Iwuoha discuss the current state of Christianity in Africa. They identify the many faces of the current momentum of Christian expansion and call for a new Christian imagination in Africa so that Africa can use the gift of the Christian faith to recreate the face of Africa. Both guests look with hope to the fu…

Jesuit priest, social anthropologist, and social justice advocate, Fr Ludovic Lado and emerging African political theologian, Fr William Orbih address the current political situation in Africa. They help us understand why there is so much unrest, some many military takeovers of governments, and shrinking political and economic freedom in many Afric…

Speaker: Dr. SimonMary Asese Aihiokhai Dr. SimonMary Asese Aihiokhai is a Nigerian American theologian. He is an associate professor of systematic theology at the University of Portland. He is a Fellow at the Wester Institute. Dr. Aihiokhai is an Elite Member of the Conversational School of Philosophy (CSP), a forum for African philosophers who spe…

Welcome to the first episode of an enthralling conversation between Sr. Titilayo Aduloju of African Catholic Youth Voices and the Angolan youth of the Building Bridges Initiative. In this insightful discussion, Sr. Titilayo explores the intricate relationship between the state and the church in this country once ravaged by war. Together, they delve…

Dans cette vidéo, nous avons abordé principalement la conception et la contribution de la jeunesse congolaise à l'avenir de leur pays, la gestion de la richesse du pays et l'emploi. Nous avons également abordé l'aspect du phénomène que l'on appelle bébé noir (Black baby), c'est-à-dire des enfants de la rue et la délinquance juvénile en général. En …

We are pleased to present the second part of our conversation with the Zimbabwean faith influencers of the Building Bridges Initiative. In this follow-up episode, we delve further into the struggles faced by Zimbabweans amidst ongoing political and social crises that challenge their sense of self. The discussion centers on what it means to be a cit…

We are delighted to share the first episode of a conversation between Sr. Titilayo Aduloju and some young Zimbabwean faith influencers of the Building Bridges Initiative. In this first part, the young students discuss their perspectives on what identity means to them as youth, Christians, and Zimbabweans. In addition, they are concerned about how i…

Sr Teresia Wamuyu Wachira, Co-President of Pax Christi International and John Ashworth, Fellow of the Rift Valley Institute, and Catholic missionary address the current crisis and conflict in Sudan. They help us to understand the complex nature of this conflict, the suffering of the people especially the poor, women, and children, and how greed, co…

Dans ce podcast, le Père EbubeChukwu et la Sœur Titilayo ont entretenu une conversation avec trois jeunes étudiant·e·s de la République Démocratique du Congo. Ces jeunes membres du BBI ont exprimé leur joie après avoir participé activement à la visite du pape au Congo cette année (janvier/février). Ils ont également remercié le pape pour avoir pris…

In this engaging conversation, Sr Titilayo chats with Father Basil Obieje on his activities and involvement with the Congolese youth while on mission to the country. He shares with us that his mission with the young people was highly engaging, engaging, fruitful, and fulfilling. He believes that young people need the accompaniment of priests, relig…

Welcome to the African Catholic Voices. In this episode, co-host, Father Ruffino Ezama speaks with Father Anthony Kimbowa Kibira. Anthony is the provincial superior of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ), Uganda. In this conversation, Fr Anthony walks us through his journey of synodality as a combonian missionary. The listener wil…

Hello, we are pleased to introduce you to the second episode of an engaging and educative conversation between Sr Titilayo Aduloju and some young Ugandan faith influencers of the Building Bridges Initiative. In the first episode, they told us about different activities they have been doing since they started, such as planting trees and cleaning the…

Prof Philomena Mwaura is a leading Catholic theologian in Africa today and a member of the commission that drafted the continental synthesis in the ongoing synodal process. In this conversation, she shares her dream for a synodal church in Africa, the steps for including women in the mainstream of leadership in the church, and the challenges that l…

Sr Leonida Katunge is the Director of Programs for the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network, and coordinator of the Building Bridges Initiatives of Pope Francis for young Catholics in Africa. She is also an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, a sacramental theologian and teacher, and a humanitarian. In this conversation, she shares w…

Sr Nkechi Iwuoha PHJC, is a Provincial Counselor of the American Province of the Poor Handmaid of Jesus Christ and a missionary who has worked in three continents. In this conversation, she reflects on her vocation and ministry to the least of the brethren, and her current leadership roles in the Catholic Church in the U.S.A. She invites us all to …

The blind man in the Gospel represents those who are seeking goodness and search for the light in all things and eventually find the light in Christ. He was born blind and was suffering until Jesus found him and restored his sight. Even though this man endured this condition from his birth to adulthood, it is obvious in the narrative that he was a …

Fr Omonokhua is a Nigeria cleric with a mission. He wants to bring Nigerians together across tribes, religions, and regions to the table of dialogue. As the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), he works everyday to create the space for dialogue among a cross section of Nigerians on how to promote the common good and br…

In this reflection on the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John's Gospel (4), we reflect on what happens when we meet Jesus. The Lenten season offers us the opportunity of encountering this Jesus who is also searching for us. We all have a hunger for God which can only be satisfied through constant company with Jesus. In the first…

In his recent visit to South Sudan, Pope Francis exhorted the clergy, religious and church leaders to eschew tribalism and ethnic animosity in the Church in Africa. This episode is a commentary on the threats and pains of tribalism and ethnocentric considerations in African Catholicism. This has been so painfully evident in the rejection of bishops…

In this second and last episode of the African Catholic Voice's conversation with the Kenyan Building Bridges Initiative cohort, Sr Titilayo Aduloju continues to discuss with these social actors on their different engagements in their society. She dives deep into the conversation that started in part one of this episode. Today, they are giving us p…

In this first part of a very engaging and interesting video, Sr Titilayo Aduloju chats with some Faith Influencers from Kenyan Cohorts of Building Bridges Initiative. They discuss their activities since their encounter with Pope Francis and the way forward. These active young people share their individual, group and national experiences. Some of th…

Fr Stan Chu Ilo reflects on the Pope's visit to the DRC and South Sudan and points the way to the future. Based on the opinions of many analysts, there is a serious concern that the Pope's visit will amount to nothing, if the local politicians in these two countries are not committed to transparency and inclusive governments; national reconciliatio…

We present to you our guest host, Fr Ruffino Ezama of the Comboni Missionaries. Currently, Ruffino is the Provincial Superior of the North American Province. His conversation partner in this episode is Mother Alice Drajea Jurugo, the Superior General of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters, based in Juba, South Sudan. The Sacred Heart Sisters were fou…

This podcast is a special tribute to Fr Isaac Achi who was burned to death by radical Islamic fundamentalists in Nigeria's Niger State on January 15, 2023. Dominican priest and professor of political science, Fr Iheanyi Enwerem, pays tribute to Fr Achi and remembers so many Catholic priests, Christian religious leaders, Nigerian Christians and men …

Theologian, humanitarian and charismatic priest, Fr Alex Ojacor, discuss with Fr Stan Chu Ilo on why he believes in miracles. Together they lay out the conditions for miracles in the biblical tradition and in Catholic beliefs and practices. They share their spiritual insights on why they are convinced that the search for, and claims about miracles …

Ugandan theologian and humanitarian, Fr Alex Ojacor, discusses with Fr Stan Chu Ilo on why he thinks 2023 will be a great year for Africa and her peoples. They discuss the role of faith, the church, and politics in turning Africa's possibilities and hopes into reality for the flourishing of Africa and spreading prosperity for Africans in 2023.…

As Catholics and the rest of the world mourn the passing of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, we have assembled some of the most important scholars of Catholic intellectual tradition and experts on the theology of Pope Benedict XVI to discuss his legacy both as a theologian and pastor. Listen to the engaging and insightful theological analysis and tribut…