For true synodality, counseling needs to be prioritized in Africa, religious sister says

ACI Africa, Sep 8, 2025 / 12:07 pm

To realize synodality in Africa, the Church on the continent should prioritize counseling amid the myriad of scars — including those of colonialism, war, ethnic conflict, poverty, disease, and systemic injustices — a Catholic religious sister said at the second African Women Theologians Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 3.

In her presentation on the first day of the conference, Sister Gisela Rfanyu Shey, whose talk was titled “Counseling as a Path to Healing in a Synodal Church: An African Perspective,” said the scars cannot be healed by the sacramental ministry alone.

“The Catholic Church in Africa stands at a crossroad, challenged by the deep wounds of its people and the urgent need for reconciliation and healing,” Rfanyu, who is a therapist a