num. 383 - October 1999

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THE OBLATES IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

It is certainly pretentious to write today about the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and about the life and work of the Oblates in that country. One runs the risk of hasty and careless statements, as well as the risk of not respecting the infinite diversity of situations and points of view, and also of taking a part for the whole.... But we must take the risk in order to sustain the bond of communion with the Oblates in the Congo, this communion which is one of the aims of our task of informing. Further information and corrections will be taken into consideration in coming editions.

The 1960 "OMI Personnel" shows that all the Oblates in the country then were in the Apostolic Vicariate of Ipamu, which later became the Diocese of Idiofa. Almost all of them were European, mostly Belgians. There were a few young Africans in formation, both scholastics and brothers. Among them were Louis Mbwol, present Bishop of Idiofa, Benoît KABONGO, who would be Provincial from 1992 to 1995, and Bro. Léonard SHINGINIEKA, currently on the formation staff at the pre-novitiate in Idiofa.

On June 30, 1960, the former Belgian Congo got its independence. (It was called Zaire from 1971 to 1997.) In his biography of Bishop Toussaint, Fr Jean-Marie RIBAUCOURT presents this new period under these telling headings: "1960 – Independence and its convulsions; 1961 – In the midst of general disorder; 1962 – Life goes on with its ups and downs; 1963 – Revolutionary mess and social efforts; 1964 – A shattered and martyred diocese; 1965 – Courage and lucidity in trial; 1966 – Pacification and restoration." On January 22, 1964, the mission at Kilembe was attacked and Frs Gérard DEFEVER, Nicholas HARDY and Pierre LAEBENS were killed. Of the 31 missions, 27 were destroyed or pillaged. All missionary personnel were withdrawn. They would return bit by bit the following year.

This time of change, sometimes calm, sometimes more violent and painful was to continue.... On the political level, it was the long Mobutu era. His 32 years in power came to an end in 1997 when president Kabila took power. For the Catholic Church it was a time of Africanization. In 1964, the future Cardinal Malula became the first African Archbishop of Kinshasa.

As for the Oblates, the Ifwanzondo novitiate which had closed in 1971, was reopened on September 8, 1977. In 1982, the Oblates established a scholasticate at Kinshasa/Kintambo. This event reveals the rapid growth in the number of young Oblates in formation. In the twenty years from 1980 to 1999, ninety-eight young Congolese Oblates made perpetual profession. – Eight made their definite commitment this past September 5. – The foundation at Kinshasa was decisive because the Oblates had already gone beyond the territory of the Diocese of Idiofa to which, except for the Mission Procure in Kinshasa and the adjoining parish, they had limited their activity until then.

In this immense country (more than four times the size of France), where the means of communication have always been a problem, the situation still remains very difficult today. Errors by the central authority, rebellions, foreign interventions – both solicited and unsolicited – have made the difficulties worse. We quote a rather pessimistic African university professor: "The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa's field of ruins and pillaging, a victim of its size (2,345,000 sq km), of its mineral resources (copper, cobalt, diamonds, gold), a victim of the size of its population (45 million), is reduced to helplessness for a long time to come because of the failure of the State and of economic and social collapse. If the thirty-two years ofmobutuismare the main cause, it is none the less true that the new powers nipped in the bud any hope for change."

"Fighting for the past two years," wrote theFidesService in June, "has reduced living conditions of the Congolese people to the lowest ever, totally destroying the nation's infra-structure. The Churches have also paid the price of the conflict, due to pillaging and the destruction of places of worship, the lack of security for pastoral workers, the displacement of whole communities...." More recently Cardinal Etsou and some bishops said in a message for the anniversary of independence: "Unfortunately we see egoism, greed for money, worship of the person and power as reigning supreme in the Congo. This has led us to forget our civic duty, which is to build up our country. We have practically knowingly destroyed what existed, reducing the population to an undescribable misery. That is why God asks us:What have you done? Where is your brother Abel?Indeed, what have we done with the talents God gave us? Looking at the scandalous enrichment of a few, the destruction and this culture of pillaging, we would do well to remember the old saying: Ill-gotten gains seldom prosper."

Public safety and security is still a problem. We need only recall how Fr MUBESALA, when he was Provincial, had a close brush with death in Kinshasa in 1997 when thieves shot him with the intent to steal his car. Last November 21, Fr Anaclet DUPAR, Provincial treasurer, had the ill fate of meeting some soldiers who threatened him and forced him to drive them to their camp. Anaclet headed for the police station.... When the soldiers became aware of this, they started beating him.... Upon arriving, the police said they could not resolve the dispute.... Other Oblates have had similar experiences in Kinshasa. The Provincial newsletter "Echos du conseil" (Echos from the Council) warns "We must point out how dangerous it is to go about Kinshasa alone by car during these times. So, please be careful!"

We must not however overlook the daily hidden efforts at reconstruction.... Two recent events bear witness to these. In Kinshasa, more than 80,000 people took part in a march for peace on August 2. In July and August, all the parties involved in the various outbreaks of war finally signed a ceasefire that was negotiated in Lusaka, Zambia.... Will it be observed? Well, at least the artisans of peace are at work.

The Congolese Oblates have had missionaries abroad for the past ten years. We find them in Cameroon, Nigeria, Zambia, Angola, and even in Tahiti. The Mission in Angola depends on the Province of the Congo.

In September 1998 the General Chapter elected the Congo's Provincial, Fr Baudouin MUBESALA, Assistant General. The Oblates in his Province took particular pride in this election. Fr Paul MANESSA NDONGO was appointed as his successor last May. The Provincial Council should be named in the current Plenary Session. We note also that Fr Cyrille ATITUNG, a student in Rome, is a member of the formation team at the International Scholasticate. This is another way of being a missionaryad extra.

The Province met for a provincial congress in 1981 and 1989. It was decided that these congresses would be held every three years, thus 1995, 1998, 2001.... The small pamphletEspérer ensemble(Hoping together, cf.OMI InfoJan. '99) is the report of the 1998 assembly that was held at Ifwanzondo from 20 to 25 April.

Listening to what the Oblates in the Congo say and reading what they write, the "provincial community" is both a reality, a "home" for the Oblates, and something to continually build up. In his parting message to the Province, Fr MUBESALA stressed the following: "The background for my involvement was a frantic search for unity, for cohesion among us, a search for fraternal dialogue and for reasons to trust each other, a search for communion through our differences.... The Oblates, that is our family. That is where we should meet as brothers, ready for the same battle, committed to the same cause. If we are on the same team, we do our utmost not to score against our side...."

The Congo is a young Province and a Province of young. Various circumstances have led the greater majority of the Belgian missionaries to leave. Thus, relatively young Oblates have found themselves thrust into positions of responsibility, with all the advantages and inconveniences that implies. They had the chance, and the obligation to become autonomous, to take charge.... They sometimes feel overwhelmed, and lacking role models with which to identify....

The Oblates have turned over most of the parishes they had in the Diocese of Idiofa to the diocesan clergy, who presently number 130. The development of a diocesan clergy is due to the Oblates' efforts, notably the creation of the minor seminary at Laba in 1947. At the bishop's request, the Oblates regrouped in six missions in 1986. Four of these are "reserved" to them: Ifwanzondo, Lozo, Panu, and Mwembe.

This decision led to accepting parishes in other dioceses. Besides the old St-Eloi parish in Kinshasa, which is attached to the Procure, Christ-Sauveur and St-Philippe have been added. Suffice it to say that these are African city parishes in a megalopolis of 6 million inhabitants. Kinshasa has more than one hundred parishes. This means that each parish has an average of 50,000 inhabitants with about 35,000 Catholics. Some of course have many more....

In 1984 Bishop Louis MBWOL MPASI was named Auxiliary Bishop of Isangi, which is about 100 kilometers west of Kisangani, 800 km northwest of Idiofa as the crow flies. The Oblates have been in the diocese since 1987 when they took charge of the minor seminary at Yabwanza, and the parish and college at Opala. Three years ago the parish of Wenge was added. The Province also has a parish in Kikwit.

A report of a meeting of Oblates in the Isangi district was sent to us last year. It gives us some idea of their work in the diocese. In Opala there are two major pastoral orientations. One is the pastoral visits to the villages in the parish. Here as elsewhere, the Oblates have the reputation of not waiting for the people to come to the mission center. Faithful to a tradition of the Belgian Oblates, they go out to where the people are on missionary rounds that sometimes last two weeks. The other major field of concern is teaching. If we understand well, it seems to refer to schools and the formation of local leaders, catechists, etc.

However, for more than a year now the war situation has cut off all contacts between the Oblates in Isangi and the rest of the Province. Oblates who had been away on holiday were not able to return to their posts. Those who are there cannot get out. Radio is the only means of communication with the others. Furthermore, the diocese has been waiting for a bishop since May 1997, the date Bishop MBWOL was transferred to Idiofa....

The novitiate, which closed in 1971, re-opened at Ifwanzondo in 1977 with a group of ten novices. It is named after Théophile MUKÉ, a seminarian who died October 9, 1975 while he was making his Oblate novitiate with the help of the Scheut Fathers, since the Oblate novitiate was closed. Seven novices made their first vows there this past September 8. Ten new ones were admitted to novitiate. The pre-novitiate is at Idiofa; the coming year should see 14 pre-novices in the care of Fr Roland DIKELELE. Fr Macaire MANIMBA, provincial vocation director put out a small pamphlet for the use of Oblate candidates: "Saint Eugene de Mazenod and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate."

Since 1987 the scholasticate has been at Kintambo, a district of Kinshasa. Fr Adélard MAPINDA is the Superior. The Institut St Eugène de Mazenod shares the same campus. This school of theology was founded by the Oblates in collaboration with ASUMA (Association of Major Superiors). It is affiliated with the Urbaniana University in Rome, and forty religious institutes are involved in the project. Fr Jean-Pierre BWALWEL is the present rector. We must also make special mention of the Institute of Mission Sciences where Fr Benoît Kabongo is director. This Institute publishes theRevue africaine des Sciences de la Mission.OMI Infohas drawn attention to a number of their issues. The philosophy campus is also managed by the Oblates.

We might add that the scholasticate publishes a review calledEveil et Croissance(Awakening and Growth), and that some Oblates also help out at the Institute for African Spirituality.

The Baobab Publications was created in 1992, near the Institut Saint Eugène de Mazenod. Fr Mick NGUNDU is the director. Twenty or so books on religious and social themes have been published so far. They are by both Oblate authors and others. Fr Jean-Baptiste MALENGE wrote two years ago inPôle et tropiques: "Until now we have been able to put out an average of four books a year without any grants whatsoever.... Manus are piling up and projects are waiting. But we always have to wait until we sell one book so that we can pay for the printing of the next one...."