THE BIENNIAL PERIOD OF INTERCULTURALITY (IMC, D.R.CONGO),

“May we, together, give testimony to the world”

   The Consolata missionaries all over the world have consecrated the biennial period of interculturality (2008-2009) to  reflect, comprehend, deepen and live the aspect of interculturality, more so their respective communities. In order to achieve effectively the objective of this consecration, it is important for the members of respective communities to share and give their contributions. Equally important, is to share with a specialist in that field in order to complement, deepen and at the same time to better the understanding of the theme.

It is with this view in mind that the team of basic formation at regional level organised a session on interculturality for all the formation houses in D.R. Congo. The event took place in the regional house complex, which consists of the regional house itself, the philosophical seminary and the propedeutic, from 21/03/2009 to 22/03/2009. It was attended by the members of four different communities- the three formation houses (the propedeutic, the seminary Antonio Barbero (philosophy), and the theological community), plus our confreres in the regional house.

Fr. Bauduoin, O.M.I., Rector of the Theological Institute of Saint Eugene Mazenod, who is a specialist in the world of interculturality, animated the session. He commenced by dividing the lecture into three parts: firstly, internationality and interculturality, their chances and challenges; secondly, self-knowledge; and thirdly, the community life.

The father continued that our capacity to manage the differences found in   different cultures and nations is very important for a today’s missionary. Hence he went ahead to define interculturality as the capacity and the act of integrating and assimilating and living different cultures from different countries and different backgrounds. Interculturality is said to have been realized where members from different nationalities and different backgrounds live together in an harmonious and integral manner. If this is realized, then missionary and religious life would be possible, and the communities would live in harmony and in the love of Christ, who send his apostles to the whole world to preach to all nations, to all cultures. On the contrary, the facilitator regretted that this does not happen more often. Sometimes, these cultural differences are badly managed that more often than ever we have conflicts and misunderstandings in various religious and missionary communities.

Interculturality involves the knowledge and the mutual understanding of each other. When different members meet to form a community, there is a creation of a new alliance. Each culture carries along with it a certain research i.e. it has something new and specific. Hence, in order to learn that new/specific aspect, it is a must to appreciate and learn that person’s culture, otherwise, we be led astray by our prejudices. The knowledge and understanding of the other involves going out of the self, in order to meet the other. The other helps us to evaluate, to introspect and enter deep into ourselves in order to do a reflection of our life. To meet the other is a chance in our life which helps us in self discovery.

Unfortunately, the going out of the self is not always an easy game, for there is always a fear/ insecurity caused by seeing the other as a threat. Hence, it needs a lot of courage.

When two or several cultures meet, a third or a new culture has to be born, which has its specificity different from those of the former ones. In forming the third or the new culture, the point of reference should never be one of the cultures which have met, but Christ himself, motivated by the spirit or the charism of the founder, and made practical by the foot-notes/contributions of each member.

In missionary and religious life, the community plan/project of life (C.P.L) becomes the third or the other specific culture of each community. This specific culture (C.P.L) becomes rich when every member of the community is willing to give and receive mutually from the other. Hence the idea that one’s culture is superior to the others, which might more often lead one to impose his culture on others, should be discouraged.

In order to be able to know the other better, it is necessary first to know oneself, for the knowing and appreciating of the self allows one to create equilibrium in oneself. This adventure of self discovery starts in asking the questions: who/what am I? Who/what do I want to become? Who/what am I able to become?  What am I capable/incapable of? Then the following exercise will follow: introspect into inner self, go into one’s obscurity, discover one’s strengths, limits, accept and welcome them with humility and authenticity, and learn how to dominate over one’s weaknesses/limits.

A person who does not accept himself cannot accept the others, for he makes some resistance by saying that “I am who/what I am”, instead of making some efforts to better himself and become a free person. A free person is the one who lives an equilibrium life with himself and with the others in trust. It is only after self- knowledge and encounter that one can go out of himself and reach the other with trust and confidence, for at the moment he can create some space in himself for the other. It is only when one masters his house very well that he can always  make some new arrangements in order to accommodate his ever growing family, and even so to accommodate not only his frequent visitors, but also the unexpected ones.

After all that, one can now go out of himself and present himself before the other with all confidence and authenticity-that the other may take and accept me as I am, and him as he is, that we accept one another with sincerity “not to be ashamed of who/what I am” – that is the greatest principle of being truthful to oneself and to live happily with the other.

The animator of the session said that community is a place par excellence where interculturality is lived/ effected. Hence he defined community as a common pool which is united, sustained and effected by one desire/mission/vision/objective of life.  It is a place of faith where we meet God the Father; a place of fraternity where we live and celebrate the joy of life; a place of formation where we come to know one another with confidence and trust, which implies the respect for everyone; a place of sharing, research, and forgiveness; a place where we can attain both human and spiritual maturity; where we come to understand and respect the rhythm of everyone. The community forms itself around Christ, where different characters meet and complete themselves with the wisdom of the superior, and with a willing collaboration of all members.

But with whom can we form a community? A community is very different from a friendship or a marriage. While in friendship or in marriage it’s us who choose a certain friend or companion who has the kind of characters we like, in forming a community, it’s God who chooses for us a confrere with whom to live with, whether he has the qualities we like or not, “friends we choose them, but not the confreres. It is God who gives them to us, we accept them with faith” Therefore, we are expected to have much faith, confidence, trust, courage, sacrifice, maturity and understanding in every community life. But, we should not forget the fact that we have to be different in order that the community be complete, otherwise it will no longer be a community. But yet, we must not expect the same rhythm from every member, for each member operate at a certain rhythm. What we should do is to encourage one another, while giving each member an equal chance, at the same time discouraging the weaknesses “All injuries/wounds can get healed/cured, but not at the same rhythm, as we often think”

“Interculturality is a challenge, but also a chance in the world”

The facilitator concluded his lecture by leaving us a series of questions to reflect on:

                *Which are our frequent points of divergence, and why?

                *Which are our frequent points of convergence, and how can we live them in common?

The two-day session ended with a celebration of the Eucharist, presided over by Fr. Kota, imc, for Fr.  Baudouin left immediately after giving his last lecture, in order to attend another meeting.

 Fr. Kota, imc, is currently doing his mission in Côte d’Ivoire, at that time he was in D.R. Congo for his holidays.

<<<This article is also published in the Site of Consolata Missionaries: http://www.consolata.org/>>>