“Mercy opens doors to hope” | DIOCESE OF BUKAVU (RdC)
In this column, throughout the year, the journey of the Jubilee as told by spazio + spadoni from different parts of the world
Rodrigue Bidubula tells us about the opening of the Jubilee Year in Kisangani, ancient Stanleyville, one of the largest cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Bishop Maroy calls on Christians to be pilgrims of Hope and Love in their families
On Sunday, Dec. 29, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Bukavu was the scene of a pilgrimage of Christians on the
occasion of the opening of the Jubilee Year by Archbishop François Xavier Maroy of Bukavu, accompanied by Bishop Faustin Ngabo, Bishop Emeritus of Goma.
On this Solemnity of the Holy Family, the faithful from the various parishes of the diocese gathered to celebrate the beginning of a jubilee placed under the sign of hope.
In his homily, Bishop Maroy invited Christians to approach this jubilee year with joy, gladness and thanksgiving, and above all with their hearts turned to conversion.
Inspired by the liturgy of the day, he urged the faithful to model themselves on the Holy Family – Jesus, Mary and Joseph – and the biblical couple Anna and Elcana, presented in the first reading. These figures, he said, embody the reason for Christian hope: to walk as pilgrims under God’s grace and mercy.
Hope in a world in crisis
Archbishop Maroy highlighted contemporary challenges marked by the wars and suffering afflicting many peoples, including the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In the face of these trials, he called on Christians to embody an unshakable hope capable of alleviating the misery of others.
This hope, he said, must go beyond hatred. “The Christian is not a man of hatred, but a witness to the love of Christ.” A love that goes beyond feelings, but is ready to love everyone, without distinction.
Hence the need to activate works of mercy in families and society. The faithful are called to be witnesses of love, in the image of Christ who offered himself for love of humanity.
Love, the Christian identity
According to Bishop Maroy, love is the fundamental identity of the Christian.
It is through love that we are called children of God and enter into communion with Him and with our brothers and sisters. He then urged Christian families and communities to bury the hatchet of hatred and cultivate love.
This love, manifested in forgiveness, is essential for building a better and more fraternal world. Forgiveness, he stressed, is at the heart of the Lord’s Prayer, a forgiveness we ask of God and are ready to grant to others.
The Eucharist, a covenant of unity
Bishop Maroy stressed the importance of the Eucharist, which he described as a covenant of commitment and unity.
“The Eucharist unites us to Christ and to our brothers and sisters, making us one Church, one body of Christ, which helps us grow as a Christian community,” he explained.
By taking communion, Christians commit themselves to living out love and mercy in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, thus strengthening the bonds that unite them.
Living the Gospel message every day
For this jubilee year, Bishop Maroy called on the faithful to live the Gospel message in their daily lives.
This message, ever new since Christ’s incarnation, must be lived and witnessed through our actions. The Jubilee, he added, is a time of grace, joy and gladness for the Lord.
He called for fidelity to the Word of God, love in families and participation in the Eucharist as a sign of unity.
An interior pilgrimage
Finally, Bishop Maroy recommended that the faithful undertake an inner pilgrimage during the Jubilee Year.
This spiritual pilgrimage is a personal and collective journey to God, where love is the shortest path to holiness.
“Walking together in the footsteps of Christ” is the appeal made by the archbishop, who invites all the faithful to turn their hearts toward God and allow themselves to be transformed by love.
The opening of the Jubilee Year in Bukavu is a highlight of the spiritual life of the diocese, a call to conversion, love and hope.
Bishop François Xavier Maroy urged the faithful to live this time of grace in communion with God and each other, to build a Christian community united and faithful to the message of Christ. May this Jubilee Year be for all a time of spiritual renewal and witness to Christ’s love in the world.
For this Jubilee Year, the Holy Door will be opened to pilgrims at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Bukavu, Mater Dei Parish and the Shrine of Lukananda, the symbolic place where missionaries first arrived to proclaim the Gospel in the diocese.
Parishes and communities, groups and movements will celebrate their jubilee and complete the pilgrimage according to the program that will be communicated to them.
Source and images
- spazio + spadoni
- Rodrigue Bidubula