As Pope Francis celebrates his eleventh year on the Chair of Peter, some Catholics might disagree on his legacy; but all agree that his papacy has been consequential. In this episode, we look at some of the central teachings of Pope Francis and especially the current Synod on Synodality, and his call for missionary conversion and for a Church with an open doors that goes out to those at the existential peripheries of life. We note that since the retirement of Cardinal Sarah in 2021, and the end to Cardinal Turkson's tenure at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (2022), there is no African Cardinal heading any Roman dicastery. It is important at this decisive point in the papacy that Africa's voices, contributions, and representation be prioritized and respected given that what goes on in the Church in Africa is going to determine the identity and shape of Catholicism into the future.
As Pope Francis celebrates his eleventh year on the Chair of Peter, some Catholics might disagree on his legacy; but all agree that his papacy has been consequential. In this episode, we look at some of the central teachings of Pope Francis and especially the current Synod on Synodality, and his call for missionary conversion and for a Church with an open doors that goes out to those at the existential peripheries of life. We note that since the retirement of Cardinal Sarah in 2021, and the end to Cardinal Turkson's tenure at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (2022), there is no African Cardinal heading any Roman dicastery. It is important at this decisive point in the papacy that Africa's voices, contributions, and representation be prioritized and respected given that what goes on in the Church in Africa is going to determine the identity and shape of Catholicism into the future.