Participants at Spiritan Workshop in Nairobi Want More Young Priests Involved in Interreligious Dialogue

Participants at a Spiritan interfaith dialogue workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, called for greater involvement of young priests in engagement with people of other faiths. The workshop, organized by the Spiritan Conference of Circumscriptions of Africa and the Islands, took place from September 6 to 10.

Fr. Remmy Banda from Zambia told ACI Africa that young priests should not wait until they are older to participate in interreligious work, noting that they are already active members of the Church. He suggested that training in interreligious engagement should begin during formation for those preparing for mission rather than waiting until they start new assignments.

Fr. Banda also urged the Church to move away from a reactive approach to religious conflict. He stated that young people need practical tools to proactively engage with other faiths to prevent tensions arising from religious differences.