In-depth articles by columnists
The post-election protests in Tanzania shook many across Africa, exposing once again the deep wounds of governance and democracy on the continent. They reminded us that when elections are stripped of fairness, they become instruments of domination rather than expressions of the people’s will. President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the national election, “winning” by a staggering…
The recent reflections of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah in Rome and Bishop Wilfred Anagbe’s powerful testimony before the U.S. Congress in Washington have reopened one of the most urgent moral questions of our time: Are Nigerian Christians persecuted? Their differing tones—Bishop Anagbe’s cry from the valley of suffering and Bishop Kukah’s call for nuance and hope, reflect the two sides…
A Reflection on Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te (“I Have Loved You”) Under the scorching Sahelian sun, a mother carries her infant across the sand, fleeing violence that has ravaged her village. She is not just a refugee; she is, in the words of Dilexi Te, “the very flesh of Christ” (DT 3). Throughout Africa, displaced women and…
The story of Paul, a 30-year-old former Catholic, reveals what Gen Z thinks of Christianity in Africa today. For him, the Church no longer speaks to his pain. “Going to church is for fools,” he said. “The Church exploits the poor while clergy dine with corrupt politicians.” When reminded of Church schools and hospitals as agents of charity, he replied,…
❝ The digital environment is not a parallel or purely virtual world but is part of the daily experience of many people, especially the young.” “ — Pope Francis, Message for the 48th World Communications Day, 2014 A Call to Discernment In this month’s edition of Young Faith, New Horizons, we explore how media literacy is becoming an essential tool…
Archbishop Nwachukwu has recently offered a profound and timely reflection on the current state of the Church’s missionary life, describing our age as the “Church of the Sheaves.” Drawing inspiration from Psalm 126, he interprets the sacrifices of Western missionaries as the seeds sown “in tears,” which today bear abundant fruit in the vibrant churches of Africa, Asia, Oceania, the…
Though there is no exact statistic for the percentage of Africa’s Catholic Gen Z population, a recent survey published by Bible Society shows that “young adults aged 18-34 are among those newly drawn to Christian beliefs after years of declining congregations.” Also, the Vatican noted that “Africa added the greatest number of Catholics in 2021 out of all the continents.”…
For more than a century, the global Catholic Church viewed Africa as a vast mission field, a continent in dire need of evangelization and structure. European and North American missionaries arrived to plant the seeds of faith, establishing institutions and proclaiming the Gospel. Today, those seeds have blossomed into a vibrant, self-sustaining Church. From thriving seminaries and religious houses to…
A major flaw in the ethic of war is the inability to account for activities that fall outside the domain of violence itself, but which play important roles in shaping the ability to perpetuate war. This is because war is itself an expression of human illogicality. As Pope Francis rightly notes, “war is irrational; its only plan is to bring…
“In a bold move to restore public trust in vaccines and boost childhood immunization rates, Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale, EGH, officially launched Kenya’s Integrated Measles-Rubella and Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine campaign. Running from July 1 to 14, 2025, the nationwide effort targets children from 9 months to 14 years and seeks to reverse the growing burden of preventable diseases,…