Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2026

Degree Name

Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL)

Director

Julie Rubio

Abstract

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) exemplifies a society marked by recurring cycles of violence, rooted in colonial exploitation, authoritarian rule, and protracted conflict. These dynamics have fractured both social cohesion and ecclesial memory, particularly among marginalized groups such as the Banyamulenge, whose contested belonging reflects broader patterns of exclusion in the Great Lakes region.

Within this context, the Catholic Church—despite its moral authority—has oscillated between complicity and prophetic engagement. The leadership of Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya illustrates both the Church’s ambivalence and its potential as a mediator in processes of peace and reconciliation.

Drawing on Robert Schreiter’s theology of reconciliation, this thesis argues that authentic reconciliation requires more than pastoral intervention. Violence distorts collective memory into what Schreiter terms a “narrative of the lie.” True reconciliation, therefore, entails the reconstruction of memory into truthful testimony, enabling both victims and perpetrators to envision a renewed communal future.

Download

Share

COinS