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Document Details : Title: Valeur, signification et implémentation d'Amoris Laetitia dans l'Église d'Afrique Author(s): MITENDO, Nkelenge Hilaire Journal: Marriage, Families & Spirituality Volume: 28 Issue: 1 Date: 2022 Pages: 36-56 DOI: 10.2143/INT.28.1.3290602 Abstract : Amoris Laetitia has generally received a positive reception. It resituates the pastoral outreach to married people, who live in a diversity of cultures, while maintaining the church’s traditional doctrine. Nonetheless, it has been received differently in different countries, and there has been no shortage of controversy about its contents. This article looks at the impact of the document on the lives of African Christians today to explore the value this papal document has for the married life of an African Christian. It also examines the repercussions of the document in the African church. The African bishops, through their episcopal conference (SCEAM), have noted a number of challenges facing African Christian families to which Amoris Laetitia may provide some basis for response. These are traditional practices such as marriages in stages and polygamy, as well as modern problems like loneliness, social exclusion, aging, and migration. There is much that the African church could draw from Amoris Laetitia to meet these problems; however, there has not been much reflection on this, and the document has remained without much effect in Africa. The author argues that a renewed study of its contents and reflection on its proposal remains a task for the church in Africa and proposes some strategies for doing this. |
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