Catholic Bishops’ Commission in Zimbabwe Reaches Out to Families with Counseling Services

Pope John Paul II’s Familiaris Consortio, the Apostolic Exhortation on the role of the Christian family in the modern world, was among the documents that guided the training.

In her message during the event held at Emthonjeni Pastoral Center in the Archdiocese of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, Sr. Manyahi reflects on the Familiaris Consortio document, saying, “It is from the family that citizens come and it is within the family that they also find social virtues that are animated by both natural and divine law.”

The Catholic Nun said the training that had 18 participants drawn from the Archdiocese of Bulawayo, the Lutheran community and a member from the Pentecostal church in attendance is part of the Synodal process.

The Synodal process, the member of the Congregation of the Handmaids of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (HLMC) says, “invites us to involve the family representatives in the pastoral care of families, and there is a lot to be done for and with families, and counseling is one of those interventions”.

In the report, Fr. Limukani Ndlovu who co-facilitated the training identifies the family as an integral part of the Church and community. He reflects on challenges families faced in the current volatile socio-economic and political environment in Zimbabwe.

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Fr. Ndlovu defines counseling, “as a person-to-person encounter, a psychological process of helping individuals achieve self-direction, self-understanding and mental balance necessary to make the maximum adjustment to the school, home, and society.”

He goes on to say that counseling is “a service by which a Counselor can be of help to Counselee to grow into integrated harmonious personalities.”

The Catholic Priest says that the solution for undesirable family conflicts lies in Counseling programs. He adds that the Church has a responsibility to spearhead the counseling process without “making people feel judged”.

“Counseling, as a psychological process, helps individuals achieve self-direction and have a stable life,” Fr. Ndlovu who serves as the Administrator of Emthonjeni Pastoral Center says in the February 23 report.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.