By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko
The Standing Committee of Symposium of Episcopal Conference of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) have urged all faithful in Africa to unite, fast and pray from 3rd to 5th March, 2025.
SECAM enjoined all dioceses, parishes and religious community in Africa to unite in a triduum of the prayer and fasting according to their local customs and facilities.
The bishops made the call in a statement signed by the SECAM President , H.EM. Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo, on Monday in Ibadan.
The statement was issued after SECAM’s first annual ordinary meeting held from 11 to 14 Feb. in Accra.
The bishops acknowledged the immense suffering that many faithful endured due to conflicts, violence, massacres and instability in various parts of the continent.
“We stand with all who are bereaved, pray for you, and continue to call for justice, peace, and reconciliation.
“To those who persist in the scramble for the resources of Africa, we echo the words of the Holy Father Pope Francis, in his speech of January 2023 in Kinshasa, DRC.
“The speech states ‘Hands off the Democratic Republic of Congo! Hands off Africa! Stop choking Africa, it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered’.
“As we embrace this Jubilee Year as Pilgrims of Hope, we are reminded that even in the darkest times, hope must never fade.
“The Jubilee invites us to renew our trust in God, strengthen the bonds of communion, and seek new paths of healing and unity; the message of Christ, the Prince of Peace, must resound loudly in Africa,” it stated.
The bishops urged all people of goodwill—within the Church and beyond to be instruments of peace, choosing dialogue over division, love over hatred, and hope over despair.
According to them, the call to walk together as a Church, listening to one another and acting in unity, must become a lived reality.
They remarked that the challenges before the continent compelled it to greater collaboration among bishops, priests, religious, and the people of God everywhere.
“No one can stand alone; we are one body in Christ.
“As shepherds of the Church in Africa, we commit to strengthening the structures of communion and ensuring that the Church remains a voice of truth, justice, and hope in our society.
“As followers of Christ, we are called to stand together in prayer for those in need and seek God’s intervention for peace and healing.
“We urge all believers to dedicate time for prayer, asking the Lord to bring an end to the war, to comfort the afflicted, and to guide our leaders toward justice and reconciliation.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) May the Lord grant peace to Eastern Congo and all regions suffering from conflict,” they stated.
The bishops regretted that Africa’s rich mineral deposits, truly a potential source of prosperity, had instead continued to be a source of conflict.
They added that the desire to control and appropriate these resources motivated powerful nations and multinational corporations to fund armed factions in some African countries.
“These armed factions funded in countries such as: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan, etc, perpetuate violence, displacement and instability,” they said. (NAN)
