Port Harcourt, Nigeria: (CESSAC REPORTERS: Osemhantie, O., Arinze, L. & Famgba P)

At the ongoing 33rd Theology Week Conference at the Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Professor Ikenga Kenneth Oraegbunam delivered a lead paper titled, “The Church in Africa and Fiducia Supplicans : Between Ecclesial Universality and Peculiarity.”

Professor Oraegbunam’s presentation explored the tensions between centralized Church authority and the needs of local communities, particularly in light of the Declaration on the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith on 18 December 2023.

Fiducia Supplicans has received mixed reactions from African bishops’ conferences, noted Professor Oraegbunam of the Faculty of Law, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria. The document, while not an official papal decree, has the Holy Father’s approval and incorporates consultation with the wider Church community.

Professor Oraegbunam highlighted how this approach has reignited discussions on Papal Infallibility, the concept of universal versus particular faith experiences, and the balance between faith and cultural practices.