Mechernich – Almost one hundred percent of the Christians surveyed worldwide attested that Catholic priests were "weak preachers" - and also provided the reason: " Priests often went to the pulpit unprepared and gave free rein to their thoughts relatively spontaneously," said Sister Marie Kolbe Zamora, OSF, S.T.D., from the General Secretariat of the World Synod at the Vatican.

This is obviously not appreciated by the faithful... Women who offer interpretations in speeches and Protestant preachers are generally better received than their lazy male Catholic colleagues.  

The highly decorated theologian from Houston/Texas, who was appointed to the "Segreteria Generale del Sinodo" by Cardinal Mario Grech, was the keynote speaker at the international meeting of the Ordo Communionis in Christo at the Collegio Urbano in Rome on the first weekend in May and at the same time the second woman on the podium alongside Sister Lidwina, Father Patrick Mwanguhya and Deacon Manfred Lang from Mechernich.

Woman and man, rich and poor...

At the same time, it was her speech that most excited her 70 listeners. The American was concerned with the perception of "a worldwide change in the Church that is currently underway everywhere, not just in your parish at home or in your diocese," said Sister Marie Kolbe. This is not only about faith identity and deficits worldwide, but also about the convergence of positions that have been divided for centuries, such as that of women and men in the Church. This is by no means only the case in Germany and Europe.

African students from the Collegio Urbano were more concerned with bridging the gap between rich and poor churches than with the emancipation of the sexes, with bringing together an "old" European and North American church that had become devoid of ideas and initiative and an emerging, vibrant new church in the former missionary countries, especially in Africa and Asia.

It is precisely from these countries - currently exactly 27 nations - that the members of the Collegio Urbano come, who made up around a quarter of the auditorium at the Communio meeting in the "Aula Magna". Most of the participants came from other universities and institutions in the Eternal City. There was a great deal of interest in the meeting; in many cases, participants in previous Rome meetings of the Mechernich Communio had acted as facilitators in Rome.

The largest number of conference participants came from Tanzania and Uganda, where Communio Sister Lidwina and Deputy Superior General Manfred Lang were guests in 2023 to promote the philanthropic theology of Mechernich Communio founder Mother Marie Therese. Participants from 22 other nations were also represented.

The Ordo Communionis in Christo, which was recognised by the Church in 2018, sees itself as a path for all people of good will who want to make charity their life principle in a vow. The conference in Rome was therefore also entitled "Charity - the turn to the good".

Deacon Manfred Lang presented the participants with the profile and way of life that he had developed over a year and a half together with the Superior General Father Jaison Thazhathil and Spiritual Director Padre Rudolf Ammann. He also showed how to become a member of the "Community with Christ", whose founder promised that you will find God if you do good to your neighbour.

„A prayer sung weighs twice as much“

Sister Lidwina, who has already organised and accompanied seven such gatherings in the Eternal City, opened the meeting with guitar music, singing and prayer. Participants brought out their African drums and supported the "prayer, which has a double effect when sung", said Lidwina. A documentary film about Mother Marie Therese by the filmmaker Bert Herfen, who died in 2023, was then shown in English, followed by a presentation on the status of the World Synod by Sr Marie Kolbe Zamora.

Sister Lidwina had to choke off a veritable flood of questions and contributions to the discussion on their daring positions so that the joint meal with the other students of the Collegio Urbano could begin reasonably punctually.

In the afternoon, Sister Lidwina and the Ugandan priest Patrick Mwanguhya, who came to work for the Communio in Mechernich for five years, explained the social work of the Communio in Christo, including the long-term care and hospice "Stella Maris" in Mechernich and the senior care facility "Haus Effata" in Blankenheim.

They and Deacon Manni Lang also expressly conveyed the heartfelt wishes of Norbert Arnold, Managing Director of the social welfare organisation, Sonja Plönnes, Nursing Director, and Jaison Thazhathil, Superior General, who is currently on visitation in India.

Special thanks went to the three Roman Communio sympathisers, Bro Elijah Oriokot from Uganda, Deacon Samuel Boasiako from Ghana and Fr Peter Omenyi from Nigeria, who had organised the Communio meeting. Sister Lidwina also thanked Fr Armando Nugnes, the director of the Collegio Urbano, for his extraordinary hospitality and Sr Marie Kolbe Zamora, who, in addition to her work as a speaker, also acted as Italian translator and formulated the closing prayer for the meeting. It was the first Rome meeting of the Communio with headquarters in Mechernich after a five-year forced break due to the coronavirus.

pp/Agentur ProfiPress