Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo
Besungu, O.F.M. Cap: Bringing together people of the DRC
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| Cardinal Ambongo at the Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals (ANSA) |
For the Democratic Republic of Congo, the elevation of
Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, O.F.M. Cap as Cardinal, at the weekend, became an
event for an unprecedented show of unity and solidarity by the people of Congo.
Paul Samasumo – Vatican City
After the ceremony in St Peter’s Basilica, DRC’s
politicians, priests, Bishops, the religious, diaspora community and Catholic
laity converged at Rome’s Ergife hotel to celebrate the new Cardinal. Notable
was the diversity of the people present. They came from the government,
opposition parties and different ethnic groups. For once, the occasion showed
what could be archived if the people of this great nation put aside their
perennial differences to march as one people.
Leading the DRC delegation was Republican President,
Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi, First Lady, Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi and members of
the government. Also present were a large number of Congolese Bishops.
In the shoes of Cardinal Monsengwo
Cardinal Ambongo is the head of one of the largest African
Archdioceses –the Archdiocese of Kinshasa.
At 59 years, observers say he is a worthy successor of
Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya who incidentally celebrated his 80th
birthday, Monday 7 October 2019.
Cardinal Ambongo is a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.
The Franciscan Order is divided into various groups, and the Capuchins are one
of these groups, who look to St. Francis of Assisi as their founder.
Life as a Bishop
Fifteen years ago, Cardinal Ambongo was appointed Bishop of
Bokungu-Ikela Diocese before moving to be the Archbishop of Mbandaka-Bikoro in
2016. He became Coadjutor Archbishop of Kinshasa on 6 February 2018, then
defacto Archbishop of Kinshasa on 1 November 2018.
Speaking of his nomination as Cardinal, the new ‘porporato’ said
the appointment was an honour conferred on the whole Church of the DRC. He also
said it could also be that the appointing authorities took into consideration
the Church’s efforts in speaking for the voiceless.
I, too, have tried to “add my voice on behalf of our suffering
(Congolese) people. In a way, this honour says to us in the DRC that the path
we have chosen is the right one and that we must continue to give hope to our
people,” Cardinal Ambongo said.
A Pastor and teacher of Moral Theology
The Cardinal studied Philosophy at the Bwamanda Seminary.
For Theology, he went to Saint Eugène de Mazenod Institute in Kinshasa. He made
his First Profession with the Capuchin Friars Minor in 1981. Then Perpetual
Vows in 1987. Ordained a priest on 14 August 1988, he later obtained a degree
in Moral Theology from Rome’s Alphonsian Academy, a Pontifical University
founded in 1949 by the Redemptorists
Between 1988-1989, then Fr. Ambongo was a parish priest in
Bobito. At the same time, he taught Moral Theology at the Catholic University
of Congo in Kinshasa, as well as at the inter-diocesan major seminary of Saints
Peter and Paul in Lisala. From 1995 to 2005 he taught at the Mazenod Institute.
Within the Order of the Capuchin Fathers, he has held
various distinguished positions.
A courageous human rights defender who received death
threats
Cardinal Ambongo has been an outspoken defender of human
rights in the DRC. As Bishop-Director of the Justice and Peace Commission for
the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (Cenco), he received many death
threats for speaking out against the unbridled exploitation of Congo’s vast
mineral fields and large forest areas by both local and foreign agents.
Convinced of the importance of “networking,” he paralleled the plundering of
the Amazon with that of his own country, once declaring, “as soon as a resource
is discovered, whether they are precious minerals or oil, we already know that
a war will break out.”
Last year, the new Cardinal proved himself an ardent
defender of Catholic lay organisations who staged Sunday demonstrations against
the former President. The demonstrations were met with a harsh response from
the country’s security forces.
A people coming together
The DRC has come a long way from a country on the verge of
disintegrating into chaos with last year’s elections. In August, this year, the
General Secretary of the Episcopal Conference, Fr Donatien N’ shole welcomed
steps towards better relations between the government and the Church.
It is no coincidence that events at the weekend in Rome
provided an opportunity for the DRC Government to demonstrate solidarity and
goodwill towards the new Cardinal and by extension to the Catholic Church.
New Cardinal-Priest of St. Gabriel Archangel all ‘Acque
Traversa
Every Cardinal Priest has a titular church in Rome, though
they may be Bishops or Archbishops elsewhere. Cardinal Ambongo has been
appointed as the Cardinal-Priest of St. Gabriel Archangel all ‘Acque Traversa.
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