Five Lessons to Learn from the African Church

Friends, the Church in Africa is on fire for the faith. The number of laity attending weekly Mass in Nigeria, for example, is upwards of 94 percent. This week on the Word on Fire Show, we discuss five things Catholics in the West can learn from the African Church.<br />
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A listener asks how best to observe the Sabbath as a whole family. <br />
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00:00 | Intro<br />
01:50 | DOWR Chancery dedication<br />
03:00 | The African church as a robust exemplar<br />
05:35 | Does Africa’s numerical strength translate to ecclesial strength?<br />
07:12 | Lesson 1: Primacy of the supernatural<br />
10:56 | Lesson 2: Hold fast to theological orthodoxy<br />
12:08 | How the Church engages cultures<br />
16:13 | Lesson 3: Commitment to evangelize the culture<br />
17:49 | The rhythm between “hunkering down” and “diving in”<br />
19:50 | Lesson 4: Praise in public, criticize in private<br />
23:13 | Lesson 5: Courage in the face of opposition<br />
25:19 | Counter-claims for Africa’s religious success<br />
28:49 | Listener question<br />
31:28 | Join the Word on Fire Institute<br />
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———SHOW NOTES———<br />
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Stats for Nigerian Church attendance: www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253488/where-is-mass-attendance-highest-one-country-is-the-clear-leader<br />
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Stats for American Mass attendance: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/12/9-facts-about-us-catholics/<br />
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National Catholic Register article: www.ncregister.com/news/same-sex-blessings-and-the-catholic-church-in-africa<br />
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E&C Online article: www.wordonfire.org/articles/pope-francis-isnt-actually-visiting-peripheries-hes-leaving-them-behind/<br />
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Crux article: cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2023/01/running-the-numbers-africa-isnt-the-catholic-future-its-the-present<br />
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Vatican News article: www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2023-04/over-50000-christians-killed-in-nigeria-by-islamist-extremists.html<br />
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Word on Fire Institute: institute.wordonfire.org/<br />
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