Clergy in Africa Urged to Spearhead Pastoral Care for Women at International Conference on Bible

Fr. Kadyampakeni who had earlier made a presentation on “The Bible and Women Empowerment in Africa” said that in addition to pastoral letters, Priests can use their influence at the Parish level and in Small Christian Communities (SCCs) to raise awareness.

“At the Parish level, Priests can, by going to the small Christian communities, through their homilies, tackle such issues to show how society tramples upon the rights of women and help women to rise up, stand for their rights, and gain what they deserve,” said the PhD student in Pastoral Theology at CUEA.

Drawing inspiration from the example of Prophet Elisha in 2nd Kings 4:4-7, the Malawian-born Priest from the Catholic Diocese of Dedza underscored the need for the Clergy to pay attention to the plight of women under their pastoral care and offer practical solutions.

He said, “We need to be a listening church. In the passage we have analyzed, Elisha listened to the widow and then helped her to get a solution.” 

“Likewise, the Church needs to listen to the challenges of the women and offer some solutions,” said Fr. Kadyampakeni, and added, “Women should also fight for their rights. Because at times, women suffer in silence without presenting their issues.”

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Meanwhile, in her input during the same plenary session, Dr. Zipporah Maureen Chepkemoi Kiprono, who made a presentation on the ‘social consequences of religious beliefs on African women’s health,’ cautioned against “normalization” and “spiritualizing” the suffering of women.

“I do not intend to start a debate here, but often, as women, we are perceived as emotional and fragile, and it seems that society has accepted, and even normalized, our pain,” said the Kenyan-born lecturer in the faculty of Social Sciences at the Gregorian Pontifical University.

She added, “It is considered normal for a woman to feel pain during childbirth. It is considered normal for a woman to experience pain during menstruation. It is even considered normal for a woman to be beaten and to endure it silently.”

“In this way, every form of pain seems to have been normalized by our institutions and by our society. This is without even mentioning illnesses that require medical attention,” she said.

Dr. Ziporah advocated for a shift from the tendency to normalize the suffering of women, saying, “If all institutions, the Church, and faith-based health centers could come together and address this issue, we would begin to see a change.”

“When we preach in Church and encounter someone who is sick and has chosen only prayer, we should encourage them, saying, ‘We can pray, but first, seek medical attention,’” she emphasized.

She continued, “It is good to draw examples from the Bible as sources of strength for our faith. That is why we speak of the ambivalence that exists. On one side, faith gives us strength, unity, and cohesion within the community and the Church, but on the other side, it can also lead to stigma.”

“Pain is personal, yet also social,” said the Kenyan scholar and added, “I believe the key issue is to be aware of the ambivalence of pain.”

She explained, “For example, when one member of a family is ill for a long time, that suffering affects the entire family, the community, and even the Church, especially if that person is part of the faith community.”

“By acknowledging this ambivalence and becoming more conscious of it, I believe the Church and health institutions can place the human person at the center, helping people not to overlook either aspect, faith or health. We can pray, yes, but prayer cannot substitute health-seeking behaviour,” she said.

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Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.