PASTORAL ACTIVITIES

While being a department of the ADCS the Pastoral Activities Coordinating Office (PACO) calls for separate consideration. In their pastoral letter " The Church We Want To Be " the Ethiopian Hierarchy spelt out some of the pastoral challenges the Church is facing today (Nos. 27-45).

 

Pastoral Challenges

- Integration between Socio-developmental Projects and Pastoral works.

There can be an imbalance between these two important dimensions of the mission of the Church. When that exists the image of the "project orientated priest" can be foremost in the minds of many people ( The Church We Want to Be" N.37). Part of the reason may lie in the fact that funding can be found for socio-developmental projects, but the same cannot be so easily said for specifically pastoral work.

- Ecclesiastical Regionalism.

Throughout its history successive generations have produced in turn a variety of threats that have endangered the integrity of the Church. In our own time, as the Ethiopian Catholic Hierarchy have pointed out in their booklet "The Church We Want To Be" (cf. no. 38,39) that threat is rooted in regionalism, ethnicity and individualism. Preserving the unity of the Church, therefore, is a matter of paramount importance, since, as St. Paul says: "You belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God" (I Cor. 3: 23 ). Only from such a solid basis can the Ethiopian Catholic Church express its unity and effectively engage in ecumenical dialogue with other churches.

- Formation of priests.

The need for a solid spiritual, human and academic formation is an abiding necessity for the solid formation of priests. But very often the parents sow the initial seed of a vocation. They play a highly significant role in fostering, promoting and encouraging such vocations.

- The laity.

The Ethiopian Hierarchy quoted "Ad Gentes", a document of Vatican II, when they said: "The Church is not truly established and does not fully live, nor is it a perfect sign of Christ, unless there is a genuine laity existing and working alongside the hierarchy" (Ad Gentes, no 21). Women, in particular, by reason of their God-given nature can play a unique role in enriching the Church and society.

- Youth.

Over many years the Eparchy of Adigrat has promoted the education of the youth, especially in those regions where there were no schools run by the civil authorities. The Catholic schools are deeply appreciated for their academic standards. But with the influence of certain attitudes and values being spread by some mass media programmes the moral and human formation of the youth is being seriously challenged. Teachers alone cannot be expected to respond to this challenge; parents in the home must collaborate in promoting human values.

- AIDS.

How can the Catholic Church integrate the serious challenge of the pandemic HIV/AIDS into its pastoral programme?

Pastoral Responses

General Objective: To initiate and coordinate the pastoral activities as well as promoting the pastoral well being of the Eparchy of Adigrat.

Specific Objectives :

- To sensitise the Christian communities to their Christian calling and their responsibilities in the light of the gospel.

- To develop Christian leadership in the parishes.

- To satisfy the catechetical needs of the faithful in the whole Eparchy.

- To ensure the effective handling and operation of all parish activities.

- To assist and encourage the catechetical activities of all parishes.

- To ensure the continuation of the catechetical activities in each parish.

- To assist diocesan priests in getting spiritual renewal from their apostolic life.

- To provide material for catechetical and spiritual activities in the local language throughout the Eparchy.