The Pope: Congolese rite, precious fruit of inculturation and missionary spirit

Gabriella Ceraso – Vatican City

Theology and spirituality of the rite celebrated in the dioceses of Zaire, today’s Democratic Republic of Congo. This is at the heart of the book published by Lev, out in December 2020, entitled “Pope Francis and the ‘Roman Missal for the Dioceses of Zaire'”, which is presented today, in the headquarters of our broadcaster in the French translation (“Le Pape François et le Missel Romain pour les Diocèses du Zaïre “) under the direction of Sister Rita Mboshu Kongo, Congolese theologian of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Most Holy. Co-redemptrix. The Zairean rite of the Roman Missal is “so far the only inculturated rite of the Latin Church approved after the Second Vatican Council” and “this process of liturgical inculturation in Congo is an invitation to value the various gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are a treasure for all of humanity “. This is how we read in the preface signed by Pope Francis and thus reiterates today in a message that accompanies the presentation of the work in French, conceived in the context of the preparations for the apostolic journey, planned and then postponed, in the first days of July, precisely in the African country. .

The importance of a culture marked by faith

The volume was born from the intent to make known in depth the different aspects of the “Roman Missal for the Dioceses of Zaire”, approved and confirmed in the Ordinary of the Mass in French, on April 30, 1988 by the Congregation for Divine Worship. In today’s message the Pope recalls this, but not before having placed the accent, citing the apostolic exhortation of Saint John Paul II Ecclesia in Africa, on the role of the Holy Spirit in the evangelizing action that began at the mouth of the Zaire river, in Pinda, starting a “missionary epic”. And what does the Christian have – the Pontiff wonders – that is more precious than his faith in Jesus Christ? The “great treasure” inherited and to be transmitted intact to future generations “? In this the liturgy – he explains – makes a fundamental contribution. And then, as already said in the message that accompanied the publication of the volume in Italian, Francesco relaunches the importance of the Congolese rite “fruit of missionary preaching under the African sun” in its triple fidelity “to the faith and apostolic tradition, to the intimate nature of the Catholic liturgy itself, and finally to the religious genius and African and Congolese cultural heritage” This “inculturated” Roman Missal, the Pope writes, is “the fruit of long years of research, experience on the spot and fruitful collaboration between the Holy See and the Church in Congo. It could rightly be said that this Missal has perfectly achieved the objectives assigned to it. In fact, it allows the Congolese to pray in his own language, with his body and soul, and to use symbols that are familiar to him. “In the words of the Pope, therefore, the Missal is the” model for other Churches in search of a liturgical expression appropriate to bring to maturity the fruits of the missionary enterprise of the evangelization of cultures and the inculturation of the Gospel “. It is evangelized popular culture which – according to Francis – has many resources and a” peculiar wisdom “to respond to attacks of “current secularism”, with its values ​​of faith and solidarity.

It is beautiful, Francis concludes, “to celebrate God’s meraglie together” therefore his exhortation is to continue – as Saint John Paul II said on April 23, 1988 to the visiting bishops of Congo ad limina – to “commit oneself to the whole ritual of the sacraments and sacramentals” in preparation for completing this rite.