Journalists in Malawi Receive Training in Climate Resilience Policies

Episcopal Conference of Malawi || By Prince Henderson || 23 February 2015

Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM), a relief and development arm of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) of the Catholic Church in Malawi recently held a two day workshop in Salima where journalists drawn from various media houses in Malawi were sensitized on climate resilience policies which includes right to Food Bill, National Disaster Risk Management Policy and National Climate change.

The initiative falls under a three year Increasing Food Security and resilience to climate shocks project implemented with funding from UKAID through Trocaire.

Speaking when he opened the workshop, CADECOM’s National Secretary Carsterns Mulume said the workshop was aimed at equipping journalists with knowledge and information on the climate resilience policies so that the media is able to raise awareness and concerns to the public and stakeholders involved.

He said CADECOM is working hand in hand with Civil Society Network on Climate change (CISANET) and Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISONECC) in advocating for enactment and implementation of climate resilience policies such as Right to Food Bill, National Disaster Risk Management Policy and National Climate change.

“CADECOM has therefore organized a media awareness workshop that aims at providing awareness to various journalists/reporters so that they report extensively on the three policies so that policy gaps or issues are highlighted and push the policy makers to act on the same,” he said.

Presenting his paper, CADECOM’s National Programmes Coordinator Yusuf Mkungula said the Disaster Risk Management policy (DRM) seeks to create an enabling framework for the establishment of a comprehensive disaster risk management system for Malawi.

“DRM is linked to a number of development policies which among them include: National Social Support policy; Malawi Decentralization policy; Health policy; National HIV/AIDS Policy; Nutrition policy; Food security policy; Gender Policy; Child Protection policy; Education Policy; Elderly and Disability policy; National Sanitation Policy; National Housing Policy; National Environmental Policy; and Mining policy” said Mkungula.

He said DRM therefore is a developmental issue for reducing socio-economic and environmental disaster losses for economic growth.

On National Climate Change Policy, Mkungula said recently environment and Climate Change have emerged as major development issues that are severely impacting on people’s livelihoods.
He said evidence in Malawi shows that the most serious ones have been prolonged dry spells, seasonal droughts, intense rainfall, riveline floods and flash floods.

“Some of these, especially droughts and floods, have increased in frequency, intensity and magnitude over the last two decades; and have adversely impacted on food and water security, water quality, energy and the sustainable livelihoods of rural communities” said Mkungula.

Human rights activist, Billy Mayaya also presented on the right to food bill which he said is aimed at providing for the protection of the Right to Food, establish the National Food Security Council and establishing the Food Security Fund.

Commenting on the workshop, Nation Publication Limited’s reporter, Ephraim Nyondo commended CADECOM for sharing with the media what is contained in the policies and the bill.

He said this will help them write good stories that raise awareness and advocate for action both from government and other stakeholders.

Meanwhile Mkungula has commended the Government for approving the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Policy as this will provide a platform for effective implementation of Disaster Risk Management related programmes.

He has however, asked the Government to ensure that Right to Food Bill and National Climate change Policy which are in draft form to be urgently looked into and approve them since they are linked to the Disaster Risk Management Policy.

Apart from Nation Publication Limited other journalists were drawn from, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Zodiak Broadcasting Station, Radio Maria, Times Group, Luntha Television and Radio Alinafe

Delegation of Catholic Bishops of Southern Africa among Observers of National Elections in Lesotho

Agenzia Fides || 26 February 2015

A delegation of the Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) is in Lesotho as observer in the national elections to be held on February 28th.

In a note sent to Agenzia Fides, His Exc. Mgr. José Luis, Bishop of Manzini (Swaziland), recalls that IMBISA is a liaison and pastoral collaboration body among the Episcopal Conferences of Angola and Sao Tome (CEAST); Lesotho (LCBC); Mozambique (CEM); Namibia (NCBC); Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland (SACBC); and Zimbabwe (ZCBC).

In 2012 on the occasion of the elections that were held in Zimbabwe, IMBISA decided to form a group of Bishops, one for each member Country, as an election observer.

Over the years, the IMBISA team was able to meet several southern African leaders, such as President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, and that of Mozambique, Armando Guebuza, and has visited several Countries to learn from the experience of other election observers.

The group sent to Lesotho consists of the Bishops of Angola, Mozambique and Swaziland and two lay people from Mozambique and Zimbabwe, as well as Fr. Dos Reis who coordinates the IMBISA office for Justice and Peace.

Early elections in Lesotho are very important because they take place six months after a failed coup (see Fides 08/09/2014).

Recollection of Memorable Moments as Retired Ugandan Archbishop Celebrates Episcopal Golden Jubilee

CANAA || 26 February 2015

The Archbishop Emeritus of Tororo Archdiocese in Uganda, Most Rev. James Odongo recalled his memorable moments as a Church leader at the occasion of his Episcopal Golden Jubilee celebration marked last Saturday, February 21, at the Uganda Martyrs Cathedral in Tororo.

In a report compiled by Father Joseph Healey of the Maryknoll Society, Archbishop Emeritus Odongo shared about his vision of Small Christian Communities (SCCs) when he was a seminarian in Rome in the 1950s, the time he spent as the first African Chairman of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) from 1973 to 1979 and member of the Executive Board till 1982, and his participation in the Fourth and Last Session of the Second Vatican Council that took place in the Vatican (Rome) from 14 September to 8 December 1965.

Archbishop Odongo also recalled his role as the Chairman of the Social Communications Commission in the AMECEA Region and as the representative of AMECEA on the Pan-African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications of the Catholic Bishops (CEPACS) since its establishment in Nairobi in 1981 till 1989.

Below is the report compiled by Father Joseph Healey of the Maryknoll Society, who was in Tororo, Uganda, for the celebration and interviewed Archbishop Emeritus James Odongo.

Archbishop James Odongo Celebrates His Episcopal Golden Jubilee

in Tororo, Uganda on 21 February 2015

Archbishop James Odongo celebrated his Episcopal Golden Jubilee (50 Years as a Bishop – 1965-2015) at the Uganda Martyrs Cathedral, Tororo, Uganda on Saturday, 21 February 2015. The Archbishop Emeritus of Tororo Archdiocese was ordained a bishop on 16 February, 1965, the fourth local bishop in Uganda.

The colorful outdoor ceremony included speeches by a number of Ugandan Catholic bishops led by the current Archbishop of Tororo Emmanuel Obbo, AJ and four Ugandan Government Officials. Archbishop John Baptist Odama, the Chairman of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, called Archbishop Odongo “the memory bank of the conference.” The Vice President read the Congratulatory Message from President Yoweri Museveni.

Msgr. John Kauta, a close friend of Odongo and Secretary General of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, provided highlights and anecdotes of Odongo’s life in his lively homily. He said that the archbishop promoted the participation of the laity in the Catholic Church and the development of Small Christian Communities (SCCs) as a sign of unity in the diocese. In his talk at the end of mass Archbishop Odongo emphasized the pillars of his priesthood and episcopacy including the Mass, the Bible, prayer and the rosary.

He described how he tried to bring unity and harmony among the 11 ethnic groups and languages in Tororo by promoting solidarity and the language of love. Afterwards his talk was summarized in five African languages.

In a wide ranging exclusive interview on Friday, 20 February, 2015 Odongo vividly described how his vision of Small Christian Communities (SCCs) begin when he was a seminarian in Rome in the 1950s. He lived at Propaganda Fide College with 350 students from 52 countries. Sometimes they formed smaller groups for prayer and socializing. Odongo experienced the value of small groups composed of people from different countries and languages and the meaning and spirit of community.

As a young priest and then bishop in Tororo Diocese (later Archdiocese) he saw the need to unite the 11 different ethnic goups. A very good pastoral method was to establish neighborhood SCCs.

Odongo was elected the first African Chairman of AMECEA at the Plenary Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya in December, 1973. The AMECEA Study Conference on “Planning for the Church in Eastern Africa in the 1980s” stated: “We have to insist on building church life and work on Basic Christian Communities in both rural and urban areas. Church life must be based on the communities in which everyday life and work take place: those basic and manageable social groups whose members can experience real inter-personal relationships and feel a sense of communal belonging, both in living and working.”

This pastoral policy was in the context of the statement: “We are convinced that in these countries of Eastern Africa it is time for the Church to become truly local, that is, self-ministering, self-propagating and self-supporting.”

Three years later Odongo was re-elected chairman in Nairobi, Kenya in July, 1976. At the AMECEA Study Conference on “Building Small Christian Communities” the key statement was: "Systematic formation of Small Christian Communities should be the key pastoral priority in the years to come in Eastern Africa.”

This is the single most important statement made about SCCs. There are now over 160,000 SCCs in Eastern Africa. Over the years the SCCs in the AMECEA Region have had a significant influence on the rest of Africa and around the world.

Odongo explained that after his six years as chairman to provide continuity he remained on the Executive Board of AMECEA for three years (1979-1982) as the representative of Uganda and as the Chairman of the Social Communications Commission in the AMECEA Region.

During this time the Pan-African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications of the Catholic Bishops (CEPACS) was established in 1981 as one of the committees of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). Odongo was the representative of AMECEA on CEPACS from 1981 to 1989 and instrumental in its founding. Its first office was located in Nairobi, Kenya.

In the interview Archbishop Odongo recounted some of his experiences in Rome. He and Seminarian (now Cardinal) Francis Arinze of Nigeria both played fullback on the Propaganda Fide College Football Team. Odongo also played tennis – an enjoyable hobby thoughout his active life. He welcomed Seminarian (now Cardinal) Emmanuel Wamala of Uganda to Rome in September, 1955.

Odongo also recalled participating in the Fourth and Last Session of the Second Vatican Council that took place in the Vatican (Rome) from 14 September to 8 December 1965. Presently there are three living bishops in the AMECEA Region who officially participated in Vatican II – a significant historical milestone: Archbishop Odongo, Retired English Bishop Colin Davies, MHM, of Ngong Diocese, Kenya now living in England and Retired Tanzanian Bishop Gervas Placidus Nkalanga, OSB of Bukoba Diocese, Tanzania now living at Hanga Abbey, Tanzania.

Odongo vividly described where he sat in St. Peter’s Basilica following the plan of seniority. He explained how he and all the other bishops signed the final 11 documents in the spirit of collegiality and joint ownership.

From his seat in St. Peter’s he wrote his signature in ink that was then copied electronically and attached to all the documents. Later he wrote: “I returned to Africa with a deep impact on my life eager to share the message of the Second Vatican Council with the People of God in Tororo Diocese.”

A colorful Golden Jubilee Booklet of 46 pages was produced that contains many memorable photographs and messages of congratulations and tributes. A biography of Archbishop Odongo will be published on his 84^th birthday on 27 March, 2015. He complied many of his favorite sayings and inspirational thoughts in a book entitled Wise Sayings.

Compiled by:

Rev. Joseph G. Healey, MM

Maryknoll Society

P.O. Box 43058

00100 Nairobi, Kenya

Telkom Orange Wireless: 057-2522977 (Kenya)

Blackberry: 973-216-4997 (USA)

Email: [email protected]

26 February, 2015

“We are yet to see Nigeria as a family,” Catholic Bishops Lament

CANAA || Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 26 February 2015

The Catholic Bishops in Nigeria have expressed their concerns about the situation in the country ahead of the general elections, apportioning blame on a section of politicians for depriving Africa’s most populous nation the sense family and nationhood.

The concerns are contained in a communiqué at the conclusion of the weeklong Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) sent to CANAA titled Good Families Make Good Nations.

“Events leading to the 2015 general elections make millions of Nigerians apprehensive and show that we are yet to see Nigeria as a family to which we all belong irrespective of our diverse ethnic, religious and political affiliations,” the Bishops said.

The Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria have been rescheduled to take place on March 28, 2015 after a six-week postponement. The elections of Governors and State House of Assembly are slated for April 11, 2015.

The Catholic Bishops in Nigeria have accused a section of those vying for various political positions for failing to promote the common good through campaigns “largely devoid of issues of national interest but full of threats of violence, falsehood, rumour mongering, mudslinging and suspicion.”

“It is clear that Nigerian politicians, with very few exceptions, speak and act in ways that negate the consciousness of a nation as a family, a community of persons in pursuit of the common good,” the Bishops lament and warn, “All political actors and all political parties in the coming elections should know that they are individually and collectively responsible for the process and its outcome.”

The Bishops’ message, which announces the re-election of Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos as CBCN President, calls on Nigerians to “assume the responsibility of evaluating the performance and antecedents of those who ask for their votes.”

The Bishops also call on married couples “to restore and strengthen love and mutual respect in their marital lives,” and the state, lawmakers and public officials “to ensure that laws and policies protect the family” and “bear in mind that marriage as a divine institution must not be subjected to arbitrary legislations.”

The Church leaders decry the general loss of family values in Nigerian society, citing the “shift from solidarity to self-centredness” and “many formidable challenges such as selfishness, materialism, infidelity,” among other vices.

“May Nigerian families live out their vocation as first schools of religious and civic virtues,” the Bishops pray in conclusion, adding, “May Nigerians be blessed with leaders who will unite and not divide, leaders who will manage the abundant blessings with which the Almighty has endowed Nigeria for the good of the family of Nigeria.”

The Bishops’ meeting took place in Abuja at the Daughters of Divine Love Retreat and Conference Centre Lugbe and concluded on Thursday, February 26, 2015.

Below is the full text of CBCN communiqué sent to CANAA, signed by CBCN President, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos and CBCN Secretary, Archbishop William Avenya of Gboko on behalf of the Catholic Bishops in Nigeria.

GOOD FAMILIES MAKE GOOD NATIONS

Communiqué at the End of the First Plenary Meeting of the

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the

Daughters of Divine Love Retreat and Conference Centre

Lugbe, Abuja (February 20 – 26, 2015)

PREAMBLE

1. We, members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, held our First Plenary Meeting of the year t the Daughters of Divine Love Retreat and Conference Centre, Lugbe, Abuja, from February 20-26, 2015. Having prayerfully reflected on the theme, “Good Families Make Good Nations”, we now present our communiqué to the Church and to the nation.

EVENTS IN THE CHURCH

2. Since our last plenary meeting, there have been moments of joy and sorrow in the Church. On October 19, 2014, we witnessed the beatification of Pope Paul VI. On September 20, 2014, Most Rev. John Ayah, hitherto Bishop of Ogoja, was installed as the new Bishop of Uyo. The Episcopal ordination of Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe Chikpa, CMF, as Coadjutor Bishop of Makurdi took place on October 4, 2014. The new Bishop of Uromi, Most Rev. Donatus Ogun, OSA, was ordained on January 31, 2015. We joyfully look forward to the Episcopal ordination on May 1, 2015 of the newly appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Onitsha, Rev. Monsignor Denis Isizoh. We rejoice with our new bishops, with the Diocese of Sokoto which celebrated its golden jubilee on December 19, 2014, and with Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of Oyo who has just been elected Chairman of Communications for the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).

3. We mourn the passing away of two of our Bishops. Bishop James Daman, OSA, of Shendam, who died on January 12, 2015, and was buried on January 29, 2015. Bishop Vincent Ezeonyia, CSSp, of Aba died on February 8, 2015, and will be buried on February 27, 2015. May the Lord grant them eternal repose, console the people of God entrusted to their care, and provide new shepherds for the dioceses they have left behind.

THE FAMILY AS COMMUNITY OF FAITH, LOVE AND LIFE

4. The family is a divinely instituted community of persons made of husband, wife, children and relatives open to life in love. In the words of Pope St John Paul II, “Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it” (Redemptor hominis, 10). Consequently, the first task of the family is to be the first school where fidelity to one another, love, sanctity of life, solidarity, mutual respect and values that promote human dignity are learnt.

The family is at the service of love and life when parents educate their children on the essential values of human life—to love the truth, to love the good, to love and to be loved, to love God. This is itself the ministry of the Church in which the family is able to participate when husband and wife live in fidelity, love and mutual respect. In this way, parents teach their children to love in the wider society, and good families build good nations.

5. A nation is itself a family of families, a community of persons who share common core values, and the family is the nucleus of the community of persons that a nation is. Every nation needs effective institutions and leaders of intellectual, moral and technical competence to administer these institutions. The family, as vital cell of the society, is where such leaders are born and nurtured. Hence, both the effectiveness of such institutions and the emergence of good leaders in the nation largely depend on the family. The family, as a community of persons, gives birth to and nourishes the nation and every other institution critical to the life of that nation. Nations are built on and secured by values, and the family is the first place of acquisition of values. That is why the state of a nation is a reflection of the state of its families.

6. The primary responsibility of parents is not just to pass genes unto their children, but also, to bring them up in every aspect of life in the society. Christian parents in particular have the responsibility of inculcating civic and religious values to form them into good citizens and good Christians. The religious education they provide for their children is the foundation on which their civic education rests. This is best achieved by the witness value of the parents, by the spiritual and moral fruits which they hand unto their children by their own personal example. For, as the saying goes, examples are better than precepts.

CHALLENGES FACING THE FAMILY

7. We witness today a shift from solidarity to self-centredness, a frightening erosion of values that reduces the ability of the family to respond to its vocation. The family faces many formidable challenges such as selfishness, materialism, infidelity, to mention but these.

In a contemporary society that promotes selfishness and individualism, the value of marital love, that is, the mutual self-giving of husband and wife which bears fruit in good families, faces relentless attack. The promotion of the self to the detriment of the common good is reinforced by a movie industry and social media that promotes primacy of the erotic and marital infidelity; by pressure groups funded from within and without fighting to impose a redefinition of marriage, as well as abortion and contraceptive mentality on our society; by bad examples and scandals found among persons in position of authority in homes and in offices, in politics, and even in religious communities.

Alongside promotion of the self at the expense of the common good is the problem of materialism. The pursuit and possession of material prosperity without regard for the morality of its means, negligence of children by parents who sometimes have to live apart in order to earn their means of livelihood, working conditions that have negative consequences on the life of the family—these and related factors pose challenges to the family.

BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS

8. We cannot speak of challenges to the family without referring to the Boko Haram insurgency and the heightened tension occasioned by the coming general elections. We cannot ignore the plight of internally displaced persons. The Boko Haram insurgency has not only led to loss of innocent lives, it has also led to separation of members of the same families. Our hearts go to children separated from their parents, especially our beloved daughters, the Chibok girls, and others who have been abducted by mindless terrorists. We think of many others who live in camps far away from their homes lost in the insurgency.

We are saddened by the use of young and innocent minds indoctrinated by Boko Haram and used as suicide bombers. We deplore the fact that young children are used to commit such crimes, and the fact that young Nigerians are used by politicians to intimidate and inflict violence on their political opponents is a disturbing symptom of breakdown of family values in our society. We wonder: who are the parents of these young Nigerians? Do these young ones not belong to families?

Neither can we forget some of our young and gallant soldiers and other security operatives who have died while fighting to put out the insurgency, leaving young spouses and children behind. May their souls rest in peace, and may their families be consoled. May the Lord grant the government and people of Nigeria the wisdom, courage and sincerity to overcome this insurgency and bless us with the gift of peace.

NIGERIA AS A FAMILY AND THE COMING ELECTIONS

9. Events leading to the 2015 general elections make millions of Nigerians apprehensive and show that we are yet to see Nigeria as a family to which we all belong irrespective of our diverse ethnic, religious and political affiliations. We have been witnessing an electioneering campaign largely devoid of issues of national interest but full of threats of violence, falsehood, rumour mongering, mudslinging and suspicion.

It is clear that Nigerian politicians, with very few exceptions, speak and act in ways that negate the consciousness of a nation as a family, a community of persons in pursuit of the common good. All political actors and all political parties in the coming elections should know that they are individually and collectively responsible for the process and its outcome. Utterances and conduct capable of undermining the credibility of the democratic process must be avoided. On their part, Nigerians should assume the responsibility of evaluating the performance and antecedents of those who ask for their votes.

10. The time has come to realize that Nigeria is bigger than any individual, bigger than any of her ethnic, religious or political groupings. Our diversity is a beauty to celebrate in gratitude to God. Every Nigerian has a right to be different in so far as such difference is not inimical to the common good and the ideals we share in common. This is the time to reflect and to identify those ideals summed up in the words of our old national anthem: “Though tribe and tongue [and creed] may differ, in brotherhood we stand.” Faced with the challenge of nationhood, let us enlarge our traditional African concept of family. Let us liberate ourselves from the shackles of ethnocentrism, of malicious ethnic and religious solidarity. Let us, in our diversity, recognize our common humanity. For the sake of our children, and for the sake of generations yet unborn, let us see one another, irrespective of the families to which we belong, as members of the same family—the family of Nigeria.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE

11. The good health of nations depends largely on the good health of the families within them. Faced with the challenges of insurgency and insecurity, a deficit of good and transparent leadership, and rarity of good citizenship, we affirm that there is need to rediscover, protect and promote the value of the family in our nation Nigeria. This task resquires the synergy of the family, the Church and other religious bodies, and the whole society.

SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILY

12. On the part of the family, we urge married couples, especially Christian spouses, to restore and strengthen love and mutual respect in their marital lives. In our need to restore family values, let husband and wife mirror the love of God to each other. By their example as parents, let them be the first and the best teachers to their children. The family is the first school of virtue. The Christian family is the domestic Church, the first school of evangelization, the first school of faith, and an indispensable pastoralThe family also has a responsibility to the society. Every family must be involved in the way the nation is built. “The social role of families is called upon to find expression also in the form of political intervention: families should be the first to take steps to see that the laws and institutions of the State not only do not offend but support and positively defend the rights and duties of the family” (Familiaris Consortio, 44).

13. The role of the Church is summed up in the Instrumentum Laboris, the working document of the 2014 Synod: “In her pastoral activity, the Church is called to assist families in the upbringing of children, beginning with Christian initiation. Catechesis and formation in the parish are an indispensable means of assisting the family in educating, particularly during preparation for Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist” (Instrumentum Laboris, 132-133). To this we must add that there is need for adequate preparation of intending couples and a well-designed pastoral care of married couples. Such pastoral care should educate couples on responsible parenthood based on natural family planning, and explain what marital love is in the plan of God: a mirror of God’s love, a covenant between two equal partners, coheirs who form a community of life and love for bringing forth and bringing up children in the way of the Lord and for the good of the society.

14. On the part of the state, lawmakers and public officials are to ensure that laws and policies protect the family. They should bear in mind that marriage as a divine institution must not be subjected to arbitrary legislations. An area of concern in matters of state intervention is the education sector. Nigeria needs to move away from an era of education policies formulated by government bureaucrats depriving families of their right to choose the kind of education they want for their children. The ill-advised and illegitimate take-over of schools in the military era simply violated those rights. While we commend the return of schools to their owners in some states, we observe that government gives little room for independent administration of the affairs of such schools. Education policies are still being formulated and implemented without the input of parents. Government still dictates what type of education our children must have, even in private schools and universities. The state is not to educate the child without the family, neither can the family educate the child without support from the state. But providing support is different from usurpation of functions. “The family and society have complementary functions in defending and fostering the good of each and every human being. But society—more specifically the State—must recognize that ‘the family is a society in its own original right and society is under a grave obligation in its relations with the family to adhere to the principle of subsidiarity” (Familiaris Consortio, 45).

15. The Church appreciates ongoing government initiatives that assist the Nigerian family. She remains, as always, ready and willing to collaborate with government in initiating and running programmes that promote the welfare of the Nigerian family especially in the areas of education, health care delivery and economic empowerment.

We commend those who have remained faithful to their marital vows and to their responsibilities as parents. May the grace of God continue to sustain them. We also pray for families going through difficulties and pain. May the Lord heal their wounds and bring them solace.

CONCLUSION

16. We announce the re-election of Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, Archbishop of Jos, as President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria; of Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze, Archbishop of Benin, as Vice President; of Most Rev. William Avenya, Bishop of Gboko, as Secretary; and of Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, Bishop of Ekiti, as Assistant Secretary. May the Spirit of the Lord guide them in their new tenure.

17. When Jesus the Word of God became man, he was born and nurtured in a human family. Families pray when they recognize the presence of the Word made man in their midst, and the family that prays together stays together. That is why we pray: through the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Holy Family of Nazareth, may Nigerian families live out their vocation as first schools of religious and civic virtues. May Nigerians be blessed with leaders who will unite and not divide, leaders who will manage the abundant blessings with which the Almighty has endowed Nigeria for the good of the family of Nigeria.

Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama                                          Most Rev. William Avenya

Archbishop of Jos                                                            Bishop of Gboko

President, CBCN                                                             Secretary, CBCN

Election Calendar Made Public in DR Congo

Agenzia Fides || 21 February 2015

The National Independent Election Commission (CENI) of the Democratic Republic of Congo has made public a long awaited Election Calendar .

“The Calendar is ambitious, - remarks Congo Network for Peace which sent the news to Fides - since it aims to hold a series of elections in a time space only 2 years: direct election of provincial, city, and area counsellors (25 October 2015); indirect election of national Senators (17 January 2016), urban counsellors, burgomasters and heads of department (20 January 2016), governors and deputy governors (31 January 2016), mayors and mayors adjunct (7 March 2016); direct elections of the President of the Republic and national members of parliament (27 November 2016)”.

“A tight programme: eight elections, direct and indirect, and one wonders if all this can possibly be organised within the establish dates, especially considering that in eight years (early 2007 to end of 2014), only two elections were held: highly contested presidential and legislative in 2011” the report remarks. Many observers fear that delays in one lap will delay in the entire process. However CENI is convinced the plan is possible, but on certain conditions.

The first condition is the question of funding. In view of the organisation of the series of elections, CENI, which estimates that it will be necessary to raise 1.145.408.680 US dollars, says it is already in agreement with the government for a plan to make these monies available.

However one might ask where the government expects to find such a considerable sum knowing that the annual national budget amounts only to 9 billion dollars. Various members of the opposition and civil society foresee that this economic difficult could be used by the regime in power as a pretext for suspending and postponing the organization of presidential and legislative scheduled for 27 November 2016.

The second condition of a legislative nature, concerns the approval and promulgation of the law on the repartition of seats in the house of national representatives according to the different electoral areas.

To overcome these difficulties the opposition suggests the order of the election process should be inverted and start with elections of provincial representatives, national senators and provincial governors in 2015, continuing with presidential elections in 2016, to close with municipal and local elections after 2016.

Regarding the economic difficulties, the estimated electoral budget of over one billion dollars, must be lowered and adapted to the actual situation in Congo. “On this subject, what happened to the material (plastic ballet boxes, voting booths, computers, other kits, etc) used in previous elections ?” the note ends.

Southern African Bishops Launch Online Survey towards Synod on the Family

Vatican Radio || By Fr. Paul Paul Samasumo || 20 February 2015

The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) has launched an online survey to help them prepare for the forthcoming Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October 2015. The synod on the family, as it is commonly known, will be held in the Vatican.

The Bishops in their Questionnaire have outlined 42 questions. The survey will run with SurveyMonkey’s cloud-based software.

Surveymokey is an international company that provides data analysis, sample selection, bias elimination and data representation tools. The SACBC survey is perhaps one more indicator of how seriously the Southern African Bishops are taking the forthcoming synod.

The SACBC survey titled, “On Issues relating to Family” asks ordinary Catholics, “To help the SACBC in providing as accurate a picture as possible of our situation at this General Assembly of Bishops from around the world,” the Bishops have say in their appeal.

The Bishops ask Catholics to answer questions on family issues most prevalent in the Catholic Church.  The survey will run till 27 March 2015.

Some of the questions include the usual hot button-issues such as, “How serious a concern are people who are divorced and re-married; How can we respond compassionately to people in irregular unions while remaining faithful to the teaching of Christ and the Church? How serious a concern is the pastoral care of those with same sex attraction?” Other questions include matters about co-habitation, marriage annulment and questions that are perhaps more peculiar to the African environment such as the prevalent problem of child-headed families.

Vandalized Catholic Radio in South Sudan Resumes Broadcasting

CANAA || Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 23 February 2015

Sout al Mahaba (Voice of Love) Radio, a Catholic Radio in South Sudan, vandalized at the onset of the violent conflict in mid-December 2013, resumed broadcasting on Sunday.

The Malakal-based Catholic Radio of the Diocese of Malakal in Upper Nile State, which had all its equipment looted, was successfully repaired last month and awaited the approval of the diocesan administration to resume broadcasting.

According to the Catholic Radio Network (CRN) News, the radio went back on air on Sunday, February 22, 2015, after the Apostolic Administrator, Monsignor Roko Taban Musa gave permission in consultation with the members of the CRN Board.

The radio has been off air since February 18, 2014, just three days after the opposition forces attacked the headquarters of Upper Nile State, Malakal town.

Sout al Mahaba radio is one of the nine community-based Catholic radio stations constituting the Catholic Radio Network.

SECAM Moves towards Establishing Presence at the African Union

CANAA || Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 23 February 2015

The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has made a move towards establishing its presence at the African Union (AU) by appointing an officer to be responsible for the SECAM-AU Liaison Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

SECAM has appointed Berhanu Tamene Woldeyohannes as the Programme Officer of the   SECAM Justice, Development and Governance Department.

According to a message sent to CANAA by the Communications office of SECAM, Woldeyohannes has been tasked with facilitating “the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an Observer Status for SECAM at the AU.”

In January, Ethiopia’s Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel told CANAA that the participation of the Catholic Church in the activities of the AU with Observer Status was among his priorities.

Cardinal Berhaneyesus promised to collaborate with the members of SECAM and the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) to lobby for an observer status at the AU.

“I feel the Universal Catholic Church can contribute to the African Union by making the Social Teaching of the Church known and studies on that level. Since the African Union is based in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, I hope, as a Cardinal of the Church, to be able to help in this aspect together with the members of AMECEA and of SECAM. Let us pray that both SECAM and AMECEA shall have observer status at the African Union," Cardinal Berhaneyesus who was among twenty Church leaders raised to the dignity of the Cardinalate on February 14, 2015 told CANAA in January.

Below is the message from the Communications office of SECAM on the appointment of the SECAM-AU Liaison officer, Berhanu Tamene Woldeyohannes.

SECAM appoints a Liaison Officer to the AU in Addis Ababa

Mr. Berhanu Tamene Woldeyohannes has been appointed by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) as a Programme Officer of the   SECAM Justice, Development and Governance Department. He will be responsible for the SECAM African Union (AU) Liaison Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The appointment takes immediate effect.

Mr. Woldeyohannes will facilitate the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an Observer Status for SECAM at the AU. This is in line with some of the objectives of the Catholic Church in Africa in contributing to the building of a unified, integrated, strong, democratic, well governed, developed, prosperous, equitable, peaceful, and respected Africa.

To enhance SECAM’s objectives of working with the AU, Mr. Woldeyohannes is expected to collaborate with Regional Justice and Peace Commissions in the sharing of information of common concern in order to provide guidance to decision makers.

With the Regional Justice and Peace Commissions he will create collaborative relationships with Regional Economic Commissions in Africa in order to promote the Integral Development of Africa in line with the Post-Synodal Exhortation Africae Munus and the AU 2063 Development Agenda for the continent.

Prior to his joining SECAM, Mr. Woldeyohannes was Head of the Justice and Peace Department of the Episcopal Conference of Ethiopia. He was also an instructor of Social Sciences and Ethical Education in one of the Secondary Schools of the Catholic Church in Addis Ababa.

He also worked for the Social and Community Development Program of the Catholic Church of his country in the Youth and Gender Program Section.

Mr. Woldeyohannes has major competences in facilitation, community education, conducting trainings, and organizing events.

He also has vast experience in planning, analyzing, implementing as well as monitoring and evaluating peace initiatives and conflict transformation processes at the community level.

He holds an Executive Master’s Degree in Managing Peace and Security and a degree in Law from Addis Ababa University, Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, PGDBA from Loyola Institute of Business Administration India, and BA in Philosophy from Arrupe College, Jesuit Institute of Philosophy and Humanities, Harare-Zimbabwe.

From the Communications Office of SECAM

February 19, 2015

Raising Saints, Not Rabbits

UCANews.com || By Fr William Grimm || 17 February 2015

When Pope Francis commented that people should not reproduce “like rabbits,” some who read his comment were upset that he seemed to be attacking large families even though he was raised in one himself.

That is probably one reason that lately he has extolled the wonders of large families and criticized the “selfishness” of some who choose to be childless.

What might seem to be mutually contradictory positions are accurate, in fact, when viewed in a larger context because, ultimately, family size is not a matter of arithmetic.

Celibates who “have no children to speak of” are too often prone to view human reproduction in ways that seem more like animal husbandry than a sharing of human life.

Insisting that every act of coitus must be open to the breeding of children while ignoring the fact that human reproduction entails much, much more than simply the production of fetuses smacks more of the barnyard than of human society.

Human reproduction is not simply biology. Giving birth is the beginning of a process that takes years, even decades. Children must be fed, housed, socialized and educated. They must have access to an environment in which their health and safety are protected. They must be equipped to one day take their places as members of society, and even as parents themselves. In short, they must be enabled to exercise their dignity as children of God.

There is no ideal size for a family that will enable children born into it to achieve that dignity. Size is not so important as quality. Much depends upon what counts as a dignified life in particular societies and circumstances.

When food and access to medical care are severely limited, giving birth to more children than can be supported is, in many cases, simply condemning babies to a short life of suffering. Those who survive are often handicapped intellectually and physically by deprivation in infancy and childhood.

Even in situations where biological life is not threatened, there are still the demands of social life. If, for example, a family has too many children to provide them with an adequate education, then, though they may manage to stay alive, their quality of life compared to the opportunities their society offers and the expectations it will place upon them will be compromised.

However, the biggest challenges that parents and guardians face are not material.

Raising children from bawling infancy through exhausting childhood and frustrating adolescence to the point where they have children of their own requires the sacrifice of parents’ or guardians’ time, energy, interests and personal comfort until the day they can say, as my mother once did, “Grandchildren are a mother’s best revenge.”

Until then, there are intellectual, emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual demands involved in child rearing. The rewards of being a parent or guardian come precisely in responding to those demands.

The limits of what a family can manage differ from case to case. Some families are joyfully, healthily large. Others are joyfully, healthily small.

Caring for a child with special physical, emotional or psychological needs may compromise the care provided to his or her siblings. In such cases, the sacrifices the entire family makes can be a source of growth in love and virtue for all. For other families, though, responding to the needs of one child requires limiting the number of others.

But even when no child in the family has what are generally called “special needs,” the usual needs of children can exhaust the limits of their parents’ or guardians’ or siblings’ ability to provide for them.

In many situations, families can rely on relatives and friends or organizations or governments for assistance, but that is not always the case.

Pope Paul VI in his encyclical Humanae Vitae (called by the irreverent “Paul’s Epistle to the Fallopians”) proscribes certain methods of birth control, but also recognizes that circumstances may make such control necessary.

“With regard to physical, economic, psychological and social conditions, responsible parenthood is exercised by those who prudently and generously decide to have more children, and by those who, for serious reasons and with due respect to moral precepts, decide not to have additional children for either a certain or an indefinite period of time.”

I once heard a speaker ask, “If you die tonight, will your children go to heaven?” That is the glory and responsibility of being a Christian parent. We must not reproduce like rabbits, but like men and women who will raise up saints.

To do that requires the humility to know our limitations, the intelligence to not attempt more than we can handle, and the faith to know that God will work with us in fulfilling our humbly intelligent choices.

Maryknoll Fr William Grimm is publisher of ucanews.com, based in Tokyo.

Catholic University of DR Congo Inaugurates Second Campus

Vatican Radio || By Fr. Jean-Baptiste Malenge Kalunzu || 19 February 2015

The Apostolic Nuncio in Congo-DR, Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana has blessed the crosses that now hang on the walls of each room of the second campus at the Catholic University of Congo.

Officially inaugurating, this week, the new campus situated in Mont-Ngafula, 15 km from the main university site, President of the Episcopal Conférence Nationale du Congo, Bishop Nicolas Djomo Lola of Tshumbe Diocese, cut the symbolic Ribbon and handed over the keys of the rooms to the Rector of the University, Mr AbbéJean Bosco Marsi.

The occasion was attended by students, professors, administrative staff, politicians and several Bishops.

The new campus will house the faculties of Theology, Philosophy and Communication.

Congo’s Minister for Higher and university education, Théophile Mbemba, congratulated the Church on the new campus and said he recognised the high quality of education that was being offered by the Catholic University.

The Rector of the Catholic University, Mr Abbé Jean Bosco Marsi, thanked guests and appealed for support from the Government.

Catholic MPs in Malawi Start Lent with Holy Eucharist on Ash Wednesday

ECM || ECM Communications || 19 February 2015

Catholic Members of Malawi Parliament ended their Wednesday business with a Holy Eucharistic Mass which is termed as Ash Wednesday for Catholic Christians world over marking the beginning of Lenten season, thanks to the Episcopal Conference of Malawi’s (ECM) Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office.

The Holy Mass which attracted the presence of Parliamentarians from all Political parties in Parliament, Independents and Cabinet Ministers was ably handled by Parliamentarians themselves with Fr. Henry Chinkanda, ECM’s Parliamentary Liaison Director as the main celebrant.

Among others, Parliamentarians Mary Mpanga and Deus Gumba Banda read out first and second readings respectively. Intercession prayers or prayers of the faithful were offered by Parliamentarians Anna Kachikho, Juliana Lunguzi, Tarcizio Gowelo (Minister of Local Government and Rural Development) and Roy Kachali Banda.

Speaking earlier before he started the Mass,Fr. Chinkanda said the Mass was celebrated with four aims which included thanking God for appointing them through the Constituents as Members of Parliament, thanking God for the freedom of worship that Malawi has, Praying for oneself and leaders in the country including those people that voted them to power and lastly praying for all flood victims in the country.

And in his homily from the reading in the book of Mathew 6:1-6, 16-18,Fr. Chinkanda challenged the Parliamentarians to realize where their life lies on.

“If you are in trouble, do not lose hope. You have to realize the meaning of your life on this earth hence have a good working relationship with your constituents, care for the environment and remember fasting and praying especially during this Lenten season,” said Fr. Chinkanda.

While quoting Philosopher Victor Frankl, Fr. Chinkanda said it is important for an honorable MP to realize the meaning of life ranging from realizing what makes one’s life citing worthy or position like in the case of an MP as an example.

Fr. Chinkanda added by challenging the Parliamentarians to be true and responsible representatives of the people.

“I hope it would not be in the interest any Honorable Member of Parliament to peg his or her signature on a motion or a bill that would adversely affect many vulnerable and marginalized Malawians! That would be like crucifying Christ once more onto the cross” he said.

Speaking on behalf of fellow Parliamentarians, Anna Kachikho commended Malawi Bishops for instituting the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office which is represented by Fr. Chinkanda saying the office is able to bring them all closer to their Church and God Almighty.

“We as MPs will abide by what we have been advised by Fr. Chinkanda through his homily. We will strive to be Parliamentarians who loves a prayer as a weapon in our day to day undertakings. We also wish to continue having such gatherings in the future,” she said.

Other notable faces that were present during the Holy Mass included Joseph Manamveka, Minister of Trade and Industry, Francis Kasaila, Minister of Transport and Leader of the House, Patricia Kaliati, Minister of Gender, Disability and Social Welfare,his husband Aggie Kaliati,Ralph Jooma and Balaka North Parliamentarian,Lucias Banda who is also Leader of United Democratic Front in Parliament.

The offerings of the day will go towards assisting flood victims in the country through the Episcopal Conference of Malawi.

The Church in Zimbabwe called to “look at the sick” During Lent

CANAA || By Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 19 February 2015

The Catholic Church in Zimbabwe will prioritize attention to the sick during the Lenten season this year, directing the Lenten collections to health care structures.

This was communicated by Archbishop Robert Ndlovu of Harare, Zimbabwe, in his pastoral letter for Lent 2015.

“This year, I want us to look at the sick, among those to whom the Lord calls us today attention,” the wrote, making reference to the words of Jesus, ‘I was sick and you looked after me.’

“The call of Jesus to care for the sick continues to ring clear, and demands our response,” the Archbishop said.

“The situation of the sick in our country is well known, and their plight is personally felt by all of us,” Archbishop Ndlovu observed and appealed for appropriate response through the established health institutions of the Church.

He acknowledged the Church initiatives in the health sector but described the endeavours as “inadequate to the problem at hand.”

The pastoral letter further recalls the message of Pope Francis for lent, who cautions Catholics worldwide against the “globalization of indifference.”

“The challenge of the Holy Father, to confront the globalization of indifference, calls us in the Archdiocese to start where we are. Let us start by looking at our health care institutions and initiatives and give them what support we may,” the Archbishop said.

He appeals for material support during the Lenten season, promising to have the sick as the primary beneficiaries of the Lenten contributions.

“Your material support, through alms giving, will go a long way to provide the much-needed new equipment, medicines and other supplies, maintenance, repairs, and various running costs in our mission hospitals.”

Below is the full Pastoral Letter, available from the Jesuit Communications Zimbabwe.

“I was sick and you looked after me…” (Matt. 25:36)

Pastoral letter for Lent 2015 – Harare, Zimbabwe

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We enter into the Holy Season of Lent attentive to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, who tells us that: in as far as we feed, give to drink, clothe, shelter, visiting sickness, visit in jail, his little ones, it is him to whom we are doing these things (Matthew 25:31-46).

Lent is a time of conversion, turning away from sin and turning towards God. Jesus taught us that he is present before us in a very special way through the poor and most abandoned, who lack the basic necessities of life, and are marginalized in society. The poor are often marginalized in the Church too. Turning to God, inauthentic conversion, means taking into account and consideration, these little ones of God.

In our Lenten Campaign last year I called you to turn to God by looking at the situation of the elderly and destitute among us, in our families and in our parish communities. I want to thank you for your faith filled response and for your generosity. I trust that we continue to meet Jesus in our service to the elderly and destitute and that our pastoral ministry brings to them the help and solace they need most.

This year, I want us to look at the sick, among those to whom the Lord calls us today attention. Let the words, “I was sick and you looked after me…” (Matthew25:36), be our call to action this Lent. The situation of the sick in our country is well known, and their plight is personally felt by all of us. I want us to look at our response to this problem through the various health institutes and initiatives of the Church in the Archdiocese.

From the onset of missionary activity, health care was a special concern and an important aspect of our pastoral care. Prominent at any mission station established, was the pharmacy, dispensary, clinic or hospital. Our sisters, brothers and priests gave of themselves tirelessly in the establishment, building, caring, maintenance and development of health care facilities. The Church excelled in the education, training, formation, renewal and support of a variety of healthcare personnel.

In the times of outbreaks of pandemics the church has stepped in, through its healthcare facilities and other initiatives to help fight diseases. Our response to the HIV/Aids pandemic, attending to the infected and affected, supporting orphans and vulnerable children, raising awareness, contributing to research and management, is second to none. Our mission hospitals are a shining beacon, and our health care personnel and pastoral care workers are the human face of the compassion of God much needed by the sick.

All that we have done in our response to sickness, still remains inadequate to the problem at hand. The call of Jesus to care for the sick continues to ring clear, and demands our response. As we deepen our prayer, deny ourselves and reach out to those in need, in this Lenten season, lets us open our hearts to the needs of the sick. Our fasting will help us to be sensitive, our prayers will help us to bring them before the mercy of God and our alms giving will help us to do something concrete and tangible to help their needs.

In his message for Lent this year, Pope Francis challenges us not to be indifferent to the plight of the sick. He says:“Usually when we are healthy and comfortable, we forget about others (something that God never does): we are unconcerned about their problems, their sufferings and the injustices they endure… Our heart grows cold. As long as I am relatively healthy and comfortable, I don’t think about those less well off. Today this selfish attitude of indifference has taken on global proportions, to the extent that we can speak of a globalization of indifference. It is a problem which we, as Christians need to confront.”

The challenge of the Holy Father, to confront the globalization of indifference, calls us in the Archdiocese to start where we are. Let us start by looking at our health care institutions and initiatives and give them what support we may. I want to direct our Lenten collection for this year to support our health care system, and I am counting on your support. Your material support, through alms giving, will go a long way to provide the much-needed new equipment, medicines and other supplies, maintenance, repairs, and various running costs in our mission hospitals. Let us not remain indifferent and uninvolved, but let us heed the call: “I was sick and you looked after me.

Prayer for the sick is vital; this is something that we must commit ourselves to this Lent, as individuals and communities, as families and parishes, in our groups and guilds. Let us not neglect the words of St James: “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord”  (James 5:14-16).

By fasting and self-denial, we identify with Jesus, who endured suffering on our behalf. St Peter, recalls Isaiah 53:5, and teaches us that: “He was bearing our sins in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to our sins and live for uprightness; through his bruises you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). By carrying our cross, fasting and denying ourselves this Lent, we allow Jesus to heal our sick brothers and sisters, through the stripes we bear on our bodies in his name.

Let us not spare an effort to look after the sick; to pray for them, to offer our sufferings together with the suffering of Jesus for their healing, and to direct our alms to the noble work of our health institutions and initiatives in the Archdiocese.

I wish you fruitful Lenten season and the joy of the resurrection at Easter.

Yours in Christ,

+Robert. Ndlovu

Archbishop of Harare.

The Three African Cardinals, Who are They?

Vatican Radio || 16 February 2015

The three new African Cardinals that Pope Francis created on Saturday 14 February are, Ethiopian Archbishop of Addis Ababa, Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel who is 66 years old; Cape Verdean Bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde, Arlindo Gomes Furtado, 65 and the retired Mozambican Bishop Julio Duarte Langa, the emeritus Bishop of Xai-Xai. He is 87 years old.

Several people have commented on one thing that seems to unite and distinguish the three new African Cardinals: their simplicity.

Once when Vatican Radio’s Portuguese Service spoke to Cardinal Duarte Langa about what it felt like to be appointed Bishop of Xai-Xai in 1976, he characteristically remarked, “Well, I think the Holy Father at the time was looking for someone better and not finding anyone exceptional he just settled for what was available –that’s how they chose me!” He would go on to become a much loved Bishop for 28 years.

At some point during that time, he was appointed Bishop responsible for diocesan priests in Mozambique. His time in office is fondly remembered. He was seen as a “caring Bishop and a loving father-figure” by many Mozambican diocesan priests.

The new Cape Verdean Cardinal, Arlindo Furtado has spent most of his pastoral life as a parish priest, teacher and professor of various disciplines before he became Bishop. Trained in Portugal and Rome, he taught Scripture and related studies.

As a Bishop, Cardinal Furtado is praised not only for his pastoral zeal but also for taking a keen interest in the pastoral welfare of Cape Verdean communities in the diaspora. It could well be said that he lives his episcopal motto: "Jesus, the Good Shepherd."

Of the three, perhaps the Archbishop of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Cardianl Berhaneyesus Souraphiel is better known. The Cardinal is a gracious and jovial man. He is a very engaging speaker with a healthy sense of humour.

Cardinal Berhaneyesus is the current Chairman of the association of African Bishops called AMECEA. The association brings together more than 250 African Bishops in the Eastern and Central regions of Africa under the banner of Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA).

When the people in Eastern Africa found his Ethiopian name “Berhaneyesus” too cumbersome to pronounce, they simply christened him, “Bwana Yesu” which in Swahili means, 'Lord Jesus.' He laughs heartily at this and when in East Africa introduces himself as such.

While attending the Synod on the Family in Rome, last October, Cardinal Berhaneyesus spoke to Vatican Radio’s English Service for Africa. He was of the view that the AMECEA pastoral programme of Small Christian Communities be used to entrench African family values.

This article was first published on Vatican Radio site on 8 January 2015 following the announcement of the new Cardinals.

March against Boko Haram in Niger: Christians Call Nation to Unite

Agenzia Fides || 16 February 2015

Anti-Christian violence which affected the Catholic community in Nigeria in January has the same roots as Boko Haram activity now threatening Niger, Fides learned in a message from the Groupe de Réflexion et d’Actions des Cadres Chrétiens Catholiques du Niger (GRAC Niger), on occasion of a national demonstration against Boko Haram in Niger tomorrow, 17 February.

“Almost a month has passed since those unexpected and tragic events which we cannot explain” says the statement referring to events in January and anti-Christian violence which heavily affected the Church (see Fides 21 and 22 January 2015).

Moreover Niger is being targeted by the Nigerian Islamic sect Boko Haram which has attacked the border town of Diffa (see Fides 10/2/2015).

The message connects the two events: “Let us not be misled, brothers and sisters of Nigeria, those who destroyed our churches and our infrastructures are those against whom we march. They are the result of intolerance, hatred and exclusion”.

GRAC Niger recalls the exhortation addressed to Nigerians in 2014: “That which unites us from the cultural, political and religious point of view is far stronger than that which divides us: this bond is love for our homeland. (…). We are rich in our differences and very proud of our roots”.

Tripoli Apostolic Vicar Vows to Stay in Libya with his Flock, Pope Francis Denounces Murder of 21 Coptic Christians by ISIS

Vatican Radio || By Linda Bordoni || 16 February 2015

The leader of the Catholic Church in Libya is calling for dialogue and understanding in his violence wrought country.

Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli, has vowed to stay in Libya with the few remaining Christians, witnesses of Jesus’s message of love.

Speaking in Italian to Vatican radio as the last foreign nationals scramble to flee Libya, Bishop Martinelli says he is not leaving his church and the few Christians left in Tripoli, “we are ready – he says - to bear witness to whom whom we are and to what we do according to the words of Christ”

Confirming that Jihadi militants are currently in Tripoli and that at any moment he and his parishioners could be taken by terrorists, Martinelli denounces  a lack of dialogue that goes back a long time and says that the International Community should take it upon itself to launch talks with this divided nation that needs – first of all – to find internal unity.

And referring to the West he says: "we have helped ourselves to oil, we have guarded our own interests, we have put dialogue and a sincere human exchange between parts to the side".

Describing a situation of chaos and suffering for the entire civilian population in Libya, Martinelli reiterates there is no way to turn back. But he appeals to persons of goodwill to come forward and set the table for fraternal dialogue between different cultures and religions. 

Not only – he says – is the situation terrible for Christians, but for all the people of Libya who want to live normally. Martinelli calls for a concerted effort that includes Muslims and Arab countries to start addressing  the void, the selfishness and the economic interests that have led to the deep and tragic fractures within the Libyan nation. 

Pope Francis: The blood of murdered Copts a "witness that cries out"

Vatican Radio || 16 February 2015

Pope Francis on Monday denounced the murder of 21 Coptic Christians by ISIL militants in Libya. The Islamist terrorist organization released a video of the killings on Sunday. 

Speaking in Spanish to an ecumenical delegation from the Church of Scotland, the Holy Father noted those killed only said “Jesus help me.”

“They were killed simply for the fact they were Christians,” Pope Francis said.

“The blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to be heard,” said the Pope.  It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts or Protestants. They are Christians! Their blood is one and the same. Their blood confesses Christ.''

Pope Francis said that in remembering these brothers and sisters who have been murdered simply for confessing Christ, Christians should encourage one another in the ecumenical goal, noting the “ecumenism of blood.”

“The martyrs belong to all Christians,” he said.

Church in Kenya Wants Government to Review Criteria for Secondary School Admissions

CANAA || By Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 16 February 2015

The Catholic Bishops in Kenya have expressed their concerns on how the ministry of education has carried out the selection of candidates joining secondary schools and called on the government to review the new selection criteria.

The Kenya Ministry of Education has changed the selection criteria for admission into Secondary Schools of candidates who seat for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education.

The new selection criteria have been faulted for discriminating against pupils from private schools in their bid to realize affirmative action in the distribution of pupils to National, County and District Day Schools.

In a Press Release sent to CANAA on Monday, February 16, the Bishops in Kenya acknowledge the value of affirmative action but advocate for other considerations in the selection exercise.

The Bishops note that “although affirmative action is important, the criteria used in Form One selection did not put into consideration individual student’s learning entry behaviour, and as such, might create some teaching/learning challenges in our schools.”

“In one of our schools for instance, the lowest student admitted had 183 marks and the highest 408 marks. This begs the question: is it useful to have a student with 183 marks in the same class with a student who attained 408 marks?” the Bishops pose and add, “It is true that schools have different opportunities but it is not the children’s fault.”

The Bishops fault the selection criteria for discriminating against pupils clarifying that not all private schools are established to benefit children from rich backgrounds.

“We reiterate that there are no private and public children - all are our children, and not all pupils studying in private schools come from rich backgrounds – many poor parents sacrifice to give their children a better education by sending them to private schools,” the Bishops said.

“Let us step back from the brink and restore the status of education in Kenya, our beloved country,” the Bishops conclude.

Below is the full Press Release signed by the Chairman of the Commission for Education and Religious Education, Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), Bishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba.

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD REVIEW THE FORM ONE SELECTION CRITERIA

The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops through the Commission for Education and Religious Education, has been keenly following the ongoing debate on the selection of students to join Form One. After careful consideration, we wish to state the following:

1. That the Ministry of Education should not treat the matter casually and dismissively as it could have serious implications on the future of this country. As such, the Government must address all the concerns by stakeholders in the education sector regarding this year’s Form One selection process.

2. That private non-profit making schools, specifically established to cater for children from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds by charging affordable fees, were not taken into consideration during the Form One selection exercise. As such, thousands of children from poor backgrounds were admitted to schools whose fees they cannot afford. We find this unacceptable and a violation of these children’s constitutional right to a good education.

3. That although affirmative action is important, the criteria used in Form One selection did not put into consideration individual student’s learning entry behaviour, and as such, might create some teaching/learning challenges in our schools. In one of our schools for instance, the lowest student admitted had 183 marks and the highest 408 marks. This begs the question; is it useful to have a student with 183 marks in the same class with a student who attained 408 marks? How will one teach students with such a big disparity? It is true that schools have different opportunities but it is not the children’s fault.

4. The Ministry sensitize parents, teachers and pupils so as to check on the current situation where a huge number of pupils choose only the already established and prestigious national and extra-county schools which can only admit a certain number of students leaving out many other qualified ones. Thus leading to disappoinemts and allegations of malpractice in Form One admission.

5. That every child has the right to achieve the highest grade of education and must not be condemned to schools that do not perform. That schools be made to account for all the levies they charge. We recommend that the Government intervenes to make sure schools recently elevaed to national and county status improve their standards of performance.

6. That the Government must not be seen to be discriminating against a section of her own children - whether from public or private schools. We reiterate that there are no private and public children - all are our children, and not all pupils studying in private schools come from rich backgrounds – many poor parents sacrifice to give their children a better education by sending them to private schools. Similarly, the Government must consider that some academies are low cost and are established to cater for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. As such, the Government should give adequate opportunities to children from private schools.

7. The Ministry must expose and take stern measures on schools and persons who engage in examination malpractice.

8. The Government should offer more incentives to individuals, institutions and faith-based organisations to establish low-cost private secondary schools to cater for the high number of children who are unable to find places in the existing public secondary schools.

9. That the education sector in this country is going through a crisis; a crisis brought about by populist education policies that put more emphasis on quantity instead of quality and political interference, which has compromised the quality of education. The Ministry of Education should implement the well thought-out reports that have the potential to transform education in this country now gathering dust at the ministry headquarters and are well known to the ministry and the public.

10. Let us step back from the brink and restore the status of education in Kenya, our beloved country.

Signed:

Rt. Rev. Maurice M. Makumba

CHAIRMAN

COMMISSION FOR EDUCATION AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Date: 16th February 2015

Church in Kenya Acknowledges Love and Dedicated Service of Venerable Sr. Irene Stefani

CANAA || By Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 11 February 2015

The Catholic Church in Kenya has acknowledged with appreciation the love and dedicated service of the Consolata Missionary Sister Irene Stefani, whose beatification is slated for May 2015.

The acknowledgement was expressed by the Chairman of the Commission for Missions of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), Bishop Peter Kihara, during the Commission’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Watakatifu Wote (All Saints) Pastoral Centre, Ngong Diocese.

Born in 1891, Sr. Irene who belonged to the Consolata Missionaries came to Kenya in 1914. She died in 1930 after contracting a deadly plague while serving the poor and the sick and her remains were buried in a Church at Mathari, the Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri, Kenya.

Bishop Kihara went on to describe Sr. Irene as humble, recalling her name Nyaatha, which the local people gave her having observed her acts of mercy.

Venerable Sr. Irene Stefani will be beatificatied on May 23, 2015 at the Dedan Kimathi University grounds in Nyeri, Kenya.

Bishop Kihara described Sr. Irene’s love as total self-giving and cited miracles that have happened through her intercession.

“There have been miracles reported, authenticated and confirmed due to her intercession,” Bishop Kihara said, explaining, “One of the miracles happened among the Christians in Mozambique when water of the baptismal font of the Church of Nipepe (Diocese of Lichinga, Niasa, Mozambique) multiplied and served catechists from different parishes of the dioceses through her intercession.”

It is said Sr. Irene's intercession was invoked by the Christians of Mozambique who had taken refuge in a church following the civil war in the country. There was eventually enough water for all the refugees in the church for a couple of days - not just for drinking, but also to cool off from the sweat and also to wash a baby girl born on that occasion and called Irene. 

Bishop Kihara further expressed appreciation for the commitment and sacrifices of missionaries in Kenya and recognized the silver and golden jubilee celebrations by various religious and missionary congregations in Kenya in recent times.

He saw the celebratory events by various religious congregations as “a sign that the Church in Kenya is slowly becoming mature, strong and more vibrant.”

100 years of the foundation of the Congregation of Daughters of St. Paul, 100 years since the establishment of the first major seminary in Kenya and 110 years’ Anniversary of the arrival of the Consolata Missionaries in Kenya were some of the recent celebrations bishop Kihara cited.

Other celebratory events he cited included the Golden jubilees of Ad Gentes, the Vatican II document on the missionary activities of the Church, the presence of Comboni Sisters in Kenya, Fidei Donum priests and the Little Sisters of St Joseph.

Silver Jubilee commemorations include the presence of Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family, the establishment of Christ the King Major Seminary (Nyeri), the Emmanuel Sisters, Notre Dame de Namur Sisters, and the establishment of the Commission for Missions by KCCB.

The Bishop urged the missionaries to continue being the “light and salt” of the world and appealed to the faithful to support those in mission.

Meanwhile, delivering his keynote address at the same function, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, Archbishop Charles Daniel Balvo urged the Diocesan Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS) Directors to emulate St. Paul who was bound by the love of Jesus Christ to spread the gospel.

The Nuncio also quoted Pope Francis who keeps encouraging priests to be joyful announcers of the gospel.

“An evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral,” Archbishop Balvo said in jest.

The AGM was coordinated by the National Director of the Pontifical Missionary Society (PMS) in Kenya, Father Charles Bundi.

The event brought together PMS Diocesan Directors and Holy Childhood Coordinators.

The meeting was also graced by Bishop John Oballa Owaa of Ngong Diocese, as the host.

The original report was provided to CANAA by Rose Achiego of Waumini Communications, KCCB.

Nigerian Presidential Aspirant and Former Military Ruler- Buhari Assures Bishops

Vatican Radio || 12 February 2015

Nigeria’s Presidential aspirant and former military ruler, Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday night, in Abuja, told Catholic bishops that he has no religious agenda and that he was not a religious fanatic. This is according to Nigerian media.

“Although I am a practicing Muslim and I have been all my life, I have never belonged to or shared the views of any extremist group. I am not even a cleric. I believe that religion is personal and private. Many of the people close to me are not of my religion,” Buhari said as he sought to allay fears that his Islamic background would be used against Christians were he to win the presidential elections. 

Buhari, 73, of All Progressives Congress (APC) party met the Bishops in what has been described as an interactive session at the Blessed Pope John Paul II Centre in Abuja.  The Catholic Bishops that met Buhari were led by Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference.

Buhari told the Bishops, “I would like to solemnly declare that in spite of what our detractors say, I am not a religious fanatic of any sort and I have never been. In all my life, I have never supported extremism of any kind…Indeed, it is very unfortunate and I feel extremely sad that I have to give this type of assurance,” Buhari explained.

Earlier, Bishop Kaigama said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria stood for unity and progress in the country.

Media in Nigeria described the interaction between the Bishops and Buhari as convivial and boisterous.

Buhari was accompanied by his running mate, Pastor Yemi Osinbajo as well as other members of his party. Analysts expect Nigeria's presidential election to be a close contest. The two top contenders are incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan and former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari. Source...

New Bishops in DR Congo and Benin, Archbishop in Equatorial Guinea Appointed

CANAA || By Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 12 February 2015

On Thursday, February 12, 2015, Pope Francis appointed new Bishops in DR Congo and Benin, and elevated a bishop in Equatorial Guinea to Archbishop.

In DR Congo, the Holy Father appointed Father Ernest Ngboko Ngombe, C.I.C.M., as bishop of Lisala.

50-year old bishop-elect was born in Kanya Mbonda in DR Congo. He took his perpetual vows in 1987 and was ordained a priest in 1996. He did his philosophy and theology studies in Yaounde, Cameroon and further studies in theology at the Catholic Theological Union (C.T.S) in the U.S.

According to Vatican Information Service, Father Ernest Ngboko Ngombe has served as a missionary and parish priest in Dakar, Senegal; superior of the autonomous C.I.C.M. district of Senegal for three consecutive mandates; rector of the theological seminary of Cameroon and coordinator of the C.I.C.M. for the Africa Region.

Until his appointment as bishop, Father Ernest Ngboko Ngombe has been the vicar general of his Congregation in Rome.

In Benin, Pope Francis has appointed Father Francois Gnonhossou, S.M.A., as bishop of Dassa-Zoume.

Born in Dassa-Zoume in Benin in 1961, the bishop-elect took his perpetual religious vows in 1996 and was ordained a priest in 1997.

He holds a licentiate in civil law and a bachelor's degree in theology.

According to Vatican Information Service, Father Francois Gnonhossou has served in various pastoral roles, among them, parish priest in Guffanti, Nigeria; chaplain of the Apprentis d'Auteil in Paris; vice-superior and subsequently superior of the S.M.A. district in formation Africa, assistant in various parishes in the diocese of Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, Canada; parish vicar of St. Sylvain, Montreal, Canada, and bursar of the local community.

Until his appointment as bishop, Father Francois Gnonhossou has been the general counsel of the Society of African Missions in Rome.

In Equatorial Guinea, Pope Francis has elevated Bishop Juan Nsue Edjang Maye of Ebebiyin to Archbishop of Malabo.

57-year old Archbishop-elect was ordained bishop of Ebebiyin in 2011.

He succeeds Archbishop Ildefonso Obama Obono whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese was accepted by the Holy Father, upon reaching the age limit.

Ethiopia’s Cardinal-Designate Calls on Vatican to be 'the voice of the voiceless'

National Catholic Reporter || By Joshua J. McElwee || 10 February 2015

One of the 20 Catholic prelates who will be named a cardinal by Pope Francis on Saturday has called for the Vatican to focus its energies towards speaking on behalf of suffering people around the world, saying it should be "the voice of the voiceless."

Speaking specifically about people in East Africa who are being displaced from their homes in efforts to mine natural resources, Cardinal-designate Berhaneyesus Souraphiel said: "These people need to be heard."

"The Vatican is a big voice in the world," said Souraphiel. "It is also not just a voice to make a voice, but is also a moral voice."

"To be the voice of the people in Africa, the Vatican could help us with that," he continued. "To be the voice of the voiceless."

Souraphiel, who is head of Ethiopia's Addis Ababa archdiocese and the country's conference of bishops, was speaking Tuesday in an exclusive interview with NCR at the Collegio Etiopico, the historic seminary for Ethiopian priests that was founded in the 15th century and is located next to the Vatican gardens.

The prelate called on the Vatican to speak for those suffering around the world in response to a question about what he wants most from Francis' expected reform of the Vatican bureaucracy.

One of 20 prelates announced by Francis as cardinals in January, Souraphiel will officially take up his new role in a formal ceremony in St. Peter's Square on Saturday. Before that, he will be joining cardinals around the world in a meeting with the pope Thursday and Friday that the Vatican has said will specifically focus on reform of the church's central bureaucracy.

During Tuesday's interview, which lasted 30 minutes, the cardinal-designate spoke at length about the situations being faced by people in his country, the changing dynamic of the elite group of prelates known as the College of Cardinals, and how he said Francis is "reviving" the church around the world.

Noting that Francis' choice of which prelates are becoming cardinals represents a more diverse group than in the past -- with selections from 18 different countries and several coming from places never before included -- Souraphiel said the cardinal's role is being changed.

"You see the function of cardinal, the position of a cardinal is changing," said Souraphiel. "It's no more a big honorific task."

"This is more those who will be nearer to the Holy Father -- when he asks our views, our opinions he will be able to get them," said the cardinal-designate. "The Holy Father is saying, 'We are a universal church and the church is present universally.' "

"I think it is the only great institution in the world which is present universally," said Souraphiel. "And more and more society is looking towards the Catholic church for leadership and for being a voice, especially for the voiceless, for the marginalized."

"In that case when people come from all over the world -- [Francis'] counselors, those who are here to help him -- they will bring their riches with them, I would say," he continued.

Speaking on the changes Francis has brought to the Catholic church, Souraphiel said he thought the word revival best emphasized the pope's focus.

"He wants to see a simpler church, more close to the people, and more evangelical," said the cardinal-designate. "And he is going on that. I think the whole church is following him on that. The faithful are following him."

Mentioning also that many of other faiths are also following the pope, Souraphiel said, "they are following him because he is putting first the human person and the dignity of the human person."

"He is emphasizing that," he said. "Whatever religion, whatever background people have, they stand for life."

"Respect for life and fighting abuse of human life -- whether it is through war or through violence against women and children -- he is standing for that," said Souraphiel. "I would say he has come to revive but at the same time to revise, without throwing out or condemning the past."

Asked about what specific concerns he brings from his people in Ethiopia to the Vatican, the cardinal-designate spoke at length about migrants who have fled East Africa in sometimes-dangerous ways across the Mediterranean Sea and about efforts to bolster education in his country.

Mentioning a Catholic university he has helped found in Ethiopia -- called the Ethiopian Catholic University of St. Thomas Aquinas -- Souraphiel said he and others believe "education is the key to create love of one's country, to appreciate one's own country and culture, and to be creative in all kinds of aspects of life so that the youth will be able to create employment within the country."

He said he hopes that Ethiopian youth "will not be dreaming to leave, to go abroad, but to live there."

"I think with that education is the key -- not only to arm them with clear thinking [but] also to see what is the essentials of human living, to have the right perspectives of human living that you don't have to be a billionaire overnight," he said. "You have to build up this slowly and you can do that also in your country."

Souraphiel also said he hoped Francis might make a visit to Addis Ababa at some point during his papacy to address the African Union, a coalition of 54 African states that is headquartered in the city.

Mentioning Francis' visit last year to Strasbourg, France, to address the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, he said Ethiopia's role in the African Union was teaching the country and the region about the role of leading together.

"That puts a lot of weight on Ethiopia," Souraphiel said. "You know, they say many other African countries are asking Ethiopia to lead and you cannot lead alone now. You have to lead together, [with] teamwork."

[Joshua J. McElwee is NCR Vatican correspondent. His email address is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @joshjmac.]

World Radio Day 2015: Youth and Radio

Vatican Radio || 09 February 2015

Radio producers and broadcasters across the world are invited to celebrate World Radio Day on February 13.

The theme chosen this year is "Youth and Radio" calling for greater social inclusion of the generation under 30 years old, which accounts for more than half of the world’s population.

World Radio Day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2011 as aday to remember the unique power of radio to touch lives and bring people together across every corner of the globe.

Marking the occasion, UNESCO has released a statement about celebrating radio, about  why we love it and why we need it today more than ever:. 

“From news and public debate to music and entertainment, radio continues to inform, captivate and inspire us in a way that no other medium can.

But radio is so much more than a forum for information and entertainment. It reaches more people in more places than any other medium. It’s a bridge of communication for remote communities, developing regions and vulnerable populations, sometimes with no other connection to the outside world. Perhaps no other platform can have the real-time reach between people and across cultures.

Radio is also the medium best-adapted to navigate the new digital frontiers that are pushing the media and communication into unchartered waters. Technologies such as the Internet, mobile communication and geolocation have shifted the traditional dynamic in which the media operate, with young people at the fore-front of these converging trends, at the same time embracing radio as enthusiastically as ever.

So let’s come together on 13 February not only to celebrate the importance of radio in our lives today, but to ensure it lives up to its huge potential in the future”.

UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, released the following message for World Radio Day:

The fourth annual World Radio Day focuses on young women and men. On this occasion, UNESCO calls for greater social inclusion of the generation under 30 years old, which accounts for more than half of the world’s population, and underlines the power of radio to contribute to this objective.

Young women and men are not sufficiently represented in the media -- an exclusion that often reflects a wider social, economic and democratic exclusion. Young producers and broadcasters are still rare. Too few programmes are devoted to or designed by young people. This deficit explains the many stereotypes concerning young people circulating in the media and over the airwaves. 

Radio provides the means for change.

It is a vector of cohesion, education and culture.

It is a platform for exchange, where young people may find their place and express themselves.

It is often through young people (citizen journalists or freelancers) that the international press are able to cover current affairs in sensitive or dangerous regions. Many have risked their lives in the service of information and the radio. Supporting them better by giving them greater voice, we can air innovative ideas and new viewpoints and renew collective energies. This is the goal of World Radio Day in 2015, reflecting UNESCO’s efforts to counter all forms of discrimination. 

Ideas, events, resources and additional information can be found on the World Radio Day 2015 website.

New Bishops in Mozambique and Nigeria Appointed, A Spiritan Bishop in Nigeria Passes On

CANAA || 09 February 2015

On Sunday, February 8, Pope Francis appointed Father Atanasio Amisse Canira as bishop of Lichinga Diocese in Mozambique and accepted the resignation from the pastoral governance of the same diocese by Bishop Elio Greselin, S.C.I., in accordance with canon 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law.

Until his appointment, bishop-elect was serving as Vicar General of Nacala and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Mozambique.

He was born on May 2, 1962 in Mossoril, Diocese of Nacala.

He was ordained a priest on 12 December 1993 and incardinated in the diocese of Nacala, the first priest of the clergy of the ecclesiastical Circumscription.

According to a report by Agenzia Fides, bishop-elect served in a number of pastoral and academic roles after his ordination: 1994-1996: Pastor in solidum in the parish of Nossa Senhora da Paz in Namapa; 1996-1998: Sent to Rome for a Licentiate in Moral Theology and Spirituality at the St. Alfonsiana Academy; 1998-2001: Pastor of the Cathedral in Nacala; 2002-2007: Spiritual Director of the Theological interdiocesan S. Pio X major Seminary in Maputo; since 2008: Pastor of the parish of Nossa Senhora da Purificação in Ilha de Moçambique.

On Friday, February 6, the Holy Father appointed Monsignor Chidi Denis Isizoh as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Onitsha in Nigeria and assigned him as the titular Bishop of Legia.

According to a report by Vatican Radio, was born on 24 January 1956 in the Archdiocese of Onitsha, Anambra State.

He studied philosophy at Bigard Memorial Seminary in Ikot Ekpene between 1977 and 1981, Theology at Bigard Memorial Seminary in Enugu from 1981 to 1985 and was ordained a priest on 28 September 1985 for the Archdiocese of Onitsha.

Until his appointment, the Bishop-elect has been the secretary and assistant to Francis Cardinal Arinze and official at the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican.

Meanwhile, the Bishop of Aba Diocese in Nigeria, Most Rev. Vincent Ezeonyia, a Spiritan, passed on “after a brief but serious illness” on Sunday, February 8.

Late Bishop Ezeonyia, 73, was the first diocesan bishop of Aba Diocese. He was installed on 2 July 1990 when the diocese was established.

He was ordained Bishop on 1 July 1990 at Mater Dei Cathedral in Umuahia in Nigeria.

Catholic Bishops’ Pan-African Committee for Social Communications Gets A Leader

CANAA || By Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 09 February 2015

The Pan-African Committee for Social Communications of the Catholic Bishops, also known as CEPACS, has a new Episcopal Chairman, Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo of the Diocese of Oyo in Nigeria.

Bishop Badejo’s official appointment to the continental bishops’ communication body was contained in a letter signed by the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi.

“The appointment of Bishop Badejo is seen as an attempt to revive the Pan-African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications, which has the acronym CEPACS, derived from the original French name: Comité Episcopal Pan-Africain des Communications Sociales,” partly reads the press release by SECAM Director of Communications.

Bishop Badejo joins CANAA Board of Directors in ex officio capacity.

“I am hoping to be of some help joining the SECAM/CEPACS team,” Bishop Badejo told CANAA on Monday.

Below is the Press Release on the appointment of Bishop Badejo by SECAM Director of Communications dated Friday, February 6, 2015.

Bishop Badejo appointed Chairman for Social Communications of SECAM.

Most Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo, Bishop of Oyo diocese, Nigeria, has been appointed the Chairman for Communications of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). The appointment which takes immediate effect was contained in a letter signed by the President of SECAM, Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi of Lubango, Angola.

The appointment of Bishop Badejo is seen as an attempt to revive the Pan-African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications, which has the acronym CEPACS, derived from the original French name: Comité Episcopal Pan-Africain des Communications Sociales. CEPACS which has been without a Chairman since 2004  was established in Ibadan, Nigeria, at the end of a meeting that took place from November, 28 to December 2, 1973 of African bishops in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and Stem Van Afrika (Voice of Africa) in The Netherlands.

 Some of the objectives of CEPACS-SECAM Communications are:

1.     To stimulate, promote and coordinate the Church’s mass media activities in Africa both on the regional and the continental levels.

2.     To promote the Christian dimension by the use of all aspects of the mass media in the evangelisation process, which includes the integral development of the human person.

3.     To foster good relation with both Christian and secular media organisations at the regional, continental and international levels.

4.     To work in a very special way and in close collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and with Catholic International Organisations e.g. SIGNIS and CAMECO.

5.     To collaborate with other African and worldwide organisations which have relations with these Catholic International Organisations.

Bishop. Badejo, who is already Chairman of Social Communications Directorate of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), will be the fifth Chairman for SECAM Communications and was born on July 13, 1961. He had his secondary education in the Local Church Minor Seminary, he studied philosophy at the Regional Major Seminary of Ss. Peter and Paul which was affiliated to Nigeria’s premier university, the University of Ibadan, until 1980.

He then went to Rome, Italy to undertake theological studies. In the summer of 1983 he pursued a Bible Course at the Hebrew University in Hadassah, Jerusalem. In 1984, he graduated with a Bachelor of Theology degree from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. Bishop Badejo was ordained a priest in Osogbo, Nigeria, on January 4, 1986, where he served as an Associate Pastor for seven years. During that period he held many positions, for example: Diocesan Vocations Director, Assistant Diocesan Communications Director and Chairman, Diocesan Communications Director.

Bishop  Badejo, who exhibited great interest in Communications was given the opportunity to attend the International Catholic Union for the Press (UCIP) Summer University for journalists in Fribourg, Geneva in 1989. In the same year he received the Media in Your Country Award (UCIP Best Journalist Award) during the UCIP World Congress in 1989 in Ruhpolding, Germany.

 He did further studies in the same field in Rome where he received a Licentiate in Communication Sciences from the Silesians University in Rome as the best student in his faculty in 1995. During his studies in Rome, from 1993-1994 he was the President of the Association of Nigerian Priests and Religious in Rome.

On his return to his diocese he was appointed in 1996 as the Secretary/Director of the Department of Communication of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria in Lagos; a position he held till 2003.

During this period he founded and served as the First National Chaplain of the Catholic Artistes and Entertainers Association of Nigeria, (Film/Video) CAEAN from 2005-2006. He also served as the Administrator of St. Benedict Catholic Cathedral, Osogbo and became Vice President, Indigenous Clergy Association of Yorubaland.  

In 2006 he spent a Sabbatical year in the US, returning to his country in April 2007 with the intention of writing a Doctoral thesis on the theme of Film and Spirituality.
However, on August 14th of that same year he was elected bishop of his old Diocese of Oyo and ordained on October 20, 2007.

Bishop Badejo who is also a musician and loves drama has produced the following:

        “For a Clearer Sky” (Drama Publication, Rome, 1989); “In God’s Family” (Music cassette, on Christian Doctrine 1999); “The Broken Bread” (Video Documentary on the 3^rd Nigerian National Eucharistic Congress, 2002.

The rest are  “Take My Hands” (Musical advocacy CD on HIV/AIDS), 2003 and “Think About This” (Video Documentary on the Hanndicapped of Society for St. Mary’s Rehabilitation Centre, Ipetumodu, Osun State, Nigeria)

He is also a Columnist for some Nigerian national newspapers, regular guest on many audio visual programmes and a well-known preacher and speaker.

Issued by the Director of Communications, SECAM.

Pope Francis Urges SECAM to Invest in Education for the Youth

CANAA || By Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 09 February 2015

Pope Francis has urged the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) to invest in the education of the youth, including the offering of pastoral care to university students on the continent, maintaining that “the future is in the hands of the young, who need to be protected from new and unscrupulous forms of 'colonisation'.”

The Pope cited “the pursuit of success, riches, and power at all costs, as well as fundamentalism and the distorted use of religion, in addition to new ideologies which destroy the identity of individuals and of families” as examples of “unscrupulous forms of colonisation” to which the youth in Africa can easily succumb.

The Pope was addressing SECAM leadership team last Saturday when he received them in audience at the Vatican.

“It is the youth who need your witness,” Pope Francis told SECAM leadership and proposed education saying, “The most effective way to overcome the temptation to give in to harmful lifestyles is by investing in education. Education will also help to overcome a widespread mentality of injustice and violence, as well as ethnic divisions.”

The Pontiff went on to propose “a model of education which teaches the young to think critically and encourages growth in moral values.”

“An important component in this educational process is the pastoral care of students: in Catholic or public schools there is a need to unite academic studies with the explicit proclamation of the Gospel,” Pope Francis said.

He acknowledged SECAM as an institution that provides “a common response to the new challenges facing the continent, allowing the Church to speak with one voice and to witness to her vocation as a sign and instrument of salvation, peace, dialogue and reconciliation.”

He insisted that SECAM endeavours to “remain faithful to its identity as a vibrant experience of communion and of service to the poorest of the poor.”

The Pontiff cautioned against “distancing the Church from the people” as is common in highly structured entities and advocated for simple and streamlined pastoral structures.

“It is necessary to maintain the simple ecclesial experiences available to all, as well as streamlined pastoral structures,” Pope Francis said and added, “Experience teaches that large bureaucratic structures approach problems in the abstract and risk distancing the Church from people. For this reason, it is important to be concrete: that which is concrete is in touch with reality.”

He also lauded the work of the missionaries saying, “Dear brothers, I express my appreciation for the invaluable contribution made by so many priests, men and women religious and lay faithful to the proclamation of the Gospel and the social advancement of your people.”

On their part, the leadership of SECAM briefed the Holy Father about the current situation of the Church in Africa and invited him to visit Africa.

SECAM leadership, also known as the Standing Committee, was in Rome for its first biannual meeting, during which representatives held discussions with heads of a number of dicasteries at the Vatican.

Below is the full text of Pope Francis’ address to SECAM leadership at the Vatican last Saturday, available from Vatican Radio.

A report by Vatican Radio on SECAM’s “successful visit to the Vatican” is further below.

Dear Brother Bishops,

I am pleased to meet with you, the representatives of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, and to encourage your work.  SECAM was conceived and developed to be at the service of the local churches in Africa.  It seeks to provide a common response to the new challenges facing the continent, allowing the Church to speak with one voice and to witness to her vocation as a sign and instrument of salvation, peace, dialogue and reconciliation.  To fulfil this mission, it is important that SECAM remain faithful to its identity as a vibrant experience of communion and of service to the poorest of the poor.

To this end, pastors must remain free from worldly and political concerns, that they continually strengthen the bonds of fraternal communion with the Successor of Peter (through cooperation with the Apostolic Nunciatures), and through easy and direct communication with other Church bodies.  At the same time, it is necessary to maintain the simple ecclesial experiences available to all, as well as streamlined pastoral structures.  Experience teaches that large bureaucratic structures approach problems in the abstract and risk distancing the Church from people. For this, it is important to be concrete: The concrete can touch reality.

Above all, it is the youth who need your witness: Young people look to us. In Africa, the future is in the hands of the young, who need to be protected from new and unscrupulous forms of “colonization” such as the pursuit of success, riches, and power at all costs; but also fundamentalism and the distorted use of religion, and new ideologies that destroy the identity of persons and families. The most effective way to overcome the temptation to give in to harmful lifestyles is by investing in education.  Education will also help to overcome a widespread mentality of injustice and violence, as well as ethnic divisions.  The greatest need is for a model of education which teaches the young to think critically and encourages growth in moral values (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 64).  An important component in this educational process is the pastoral care of students: in Catholic or public schools there is a need to unite academic studies with the explicit proclamation of the Gospel (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 132-134).

There are various reasons why we are seeing, also in Africa, a trend towards the breakdown of the family.  In response, the Church is called to evaluate and encourage every initiative to strengthen the family, which is the real source of all forms of fraternity and the foundation and primary way of peace (cf. JOHN PAUL II, Message for the XXVII World Day of Peace, 1 January 1994).  More recently, many priests, men and women religious as well as members of the lay faithful have admirably taken responsibility for the care of families, with a special concern for the elderly, the sick and the handicapped.  Even in the most distant and remote regions, your local Churches have proclaimed the Gospel of Life and, following the example of the Good Samaritan, have come to the help of those most in need.  A magnificent witness to charity has been given in response to the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus, which has struck many communities, parishes and hospitals.  Many African missionaries have generously given their lives by remaining close to those suffering from this disease.  This path must be followed with renewed apostolic zeal!  As followers of Christ, we cannot fail to be concerned for the welfare of the weakest; we must also draw the attention of society and the civil authorities to their plight. 

Dear brothers, I express my appreciation for the invaluable contribution made by so many priests, men and women religious and lay faithful to the proclamation of the Gospel and the social advancement of your people.  SECAM is also a means of promoting respect for the law, so as to ensure that the ills of corruption and fatalism may be healed, and to encourage the efforts of Christians in society as a whole, always in view of the common good.  The great work of evangelization consists in striving to make the Gospel permeate every aspect of our lives so that we, in turn, can bring it to others.  For this reason, it must always be borne in mind that evangelization implies conversion, that is, interior renewal.  The process of purification, which is inherent in evangelization, means accepting the call of Christ to “repent and believe the Good News” (cf. Mk 1:15).  As a result of this conversion to salvation, not only individuals but the entire ecclesial community is transformed, and becomes an ever greater and more vital expression of faith and charity.

May the light and the strength of the Holy Spirit sustain your pastoral efforts.  May the Virgin Mary protect you and intercede for you and for the entire continent of Africa.  To each of you, I give my Apostolic Blessing.  Please pray for me.

SECAM Bishops wind-up a successful visit to the Vatican

Source: Vatican Radio.

SECAM completes engagements at the Vatican and in Rome

Members of the Standing Committee of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) have wound-up their week-long trip to Rome, Italy. During their visit, the SECAM Bishops were received in audience by Pope Francis. They also met several Vatican officials and held a press conference to conclude their visit.

SECAM Director of Communications, Benedict Assorow, told Vatican Radio’s English Service for Africa Monday 9 February, that the SECAM Bishops and the Ghana-based secretariat staff were returning to Accra satisfied after successfully completing all their engagements in Rome and the Vatican.

Invitation to Pope Francis to visit Africa

The SECAM leadership of Bishops, at the weekend presented to Pope Francis a message on the current situation of the Catholic Church in Africa.

The Bishops also invited Pope Francis to Africa, this year and in particular to SECAM’s 19th Plenary Assembly which will be held in Uganda in the year 2019. That Assembly will also mark the Golden Jubilee of the founding of SECAM.

SECAM visited Vatican Decastries

The delegation of the leadership of the Church in Africa that comprised eleven Bishops headed by the President of SECAM, Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi of Angola, also held discussions with heads of a number of Vatican Decastries. The decastries visited included the Secretariat of State; the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples; the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Others are the Pontifical Councils for Culture; Inter-religious Dialogue as well as the Pontifical Council for the Family.

The Bishops’ Standing Committee was accompanied to Rome by SECAM Secretary General, Fr. Joseph Komakoma and four senior members of staff as well as two consultants of the SECAM Secretariat.

New Episcopal Chair of SECAM Communications

In another development, the new Episcopal Chairman of SECAM Communications, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of Oyo diocese, Nigeria, was officially introduced to the President of the Pontifical Council for Communications, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli by the President of SECAM.

Blessed Pope Paul VI: "Africans, be missionaries to yourselves."

SECAM was officially inaugurated by Blessed Pope Paul VI in 1969 during his Apostolic visit to Uganda. It was at that inauguration in Kampala’s Lubaga Cathedral that Blessed Pope Paul VI issued that now important statement: "Africans, be missionaries to yourselves."

Ugandan Archbishop of Gulu and President of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, John-Baptist Odama told Vatican Radio’s English Service for Africa that, the general assessment since Blessed Pope Paul VI made that statement is that, “We have not fully lived up to the statement (of Blessed Pope Paul VI)”   According to Archbishop Odama, Blessed Pope Paul VI wanted Africans to share more of their personnel and resources for evangelization through the newly founded association of SECAM. In light of the Beatification of Pope Paul VI last year as well as the impending golden jubilee of SECAM, Archbishop Odama believes that the African Church needs to revisit Blessed Pope Paul VI’s Kampala statement and “see how we can implement it. It is homework that Africa still needs to implement,” Archbishop Odama said.

SECAM for communion and collaboration

The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) was intended as a body that would preserve and foster communion, collaboration and joint action among all the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and the adjacent Islands of the continent. Its secretariat is in Ghana.

Nigerian Diocese Starts Novena for Peace

Vatican Radio || 05 February 2015

The Diocese of Maiduguri led by its Bishop, Oliver Dashe Doeme has started a nine day novena of prayer for peace. The novena will end and coincide with Nigeria’s presidential and general elections scheduled for14 February, 2015. Maiduguri Diocese Director of Communications, Fr. Gideon Obasogie has made a passionate appeal calling on all Nigerians and well-wishers all over the world to pray for peace in Nigeria,

“The Diocese of Maiduguri has suffered greatly from terrorist activities of the radical Islamist sect, Boko Haram. From the waves of recent attacks, we have seen for ourselves, a group of miscreants, successfully snowball into a sophisticated and ferocious terrorist network capable of pulling down nations.  We have come to witness a culture of savagery and bloodletting over the years perpetrated by Boko Haram,” said Fr. Obasogie. He continues to say that the Northeastern part of Nigeria is still experiencing unrelenting large-scale slaughter of innocent civilians. “The mayhem inflicted on helpless citizens is unprecedented and irreparable. Lives have been lost and thousands are now internally displaced or have crossed the border as refugees, while opportunity for growth and progress have been truncated,” Fr. Obasogie explained.

Acccording to Fr. Obasogie the Diocese of Maiduguri is currently faced with the challenge of caring for IDPs. He concluded, “Pray with us!”

THE OFFICIAL PRAYER FOR PEACE IN NIGERIA

God the Father our creator, God the Son our Redeemer, God the Holy Spirit our Sanctifier!

We praise and thank you  for the precious gift of Nigeria, which was and still remains a cosmopolitan, multi- cultural, multi- ethnic as well as multi-religious society. Your gift of tolerance, moderation, accommodation and Love for one another were the traits that made great this people and this society.

Sadly though, in recent times, they have been plagued by political, ethnic and religious crises and have suffered the destruction of lives and property. We humbly ask for the gift of reconciliation, that we forgive each other. Heal the wounds with the radiance of your love and mercy.  Teach us to live in peace and harmony.

May their leaders be instruments of love, peace, tolerance, social and economic development. Help them to be selfless in service and to lead their people in the path of dialogue and reconciliation, so that they can truly be one family, working for the common good. May dissenting views be a source of harmony and peaceful coexistence! Bless and provide for their youth and help them to be peace loving.

Lord may the weapons of evil, hatred and violence be silenced by love. May we enjoy unity and stability as your children who live, move and have our being in you. 

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

O Jesus prince of peace: be merciful, restore permanent peace to the world and, these days especially, to Nigeria, from north to south.

Our Lady Queen of Peace: Obtain for us peace in our hearts, peace in our families, peace in our countries.

Amen. Source...

Some Regions of Nigeria Now Devoid of Christians

Aleteia || By Team Aleteia || 03 February 2015

Bishop of Maiduguri requests emergency Western intervention.

A female suicide bomber killed herself Monday when she exploded a vehicle packed with explosives near a stadium where Nigeria's president had just held an election rally in the northeastern city of Gombe, police said. They said there were no other casualties.

The U.S. State Department, meanwhile, published a warning urging U.S. citizens not to travel to 17 of the country's 36 states "due to the risk of kidnappings, robberies, and other armed attacks." The list encompasses every state in the far north, central Plateau state and Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers in the oil-rich south.

Monday's explosion occurred about 1 mile from the venue, which President Goodluck Jonathan had just left, said Deputy Superintendent Fwaje Atajiri.

Two other suicide bombings in Gombe city on Sunday injured a few people but killed only the bombers, he said. A couple sharing a bicycle blew themselves up at a central traffic circle and a man blew himself up at a timber market. All three bombers died, Atajiri said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility. Most suicide bombings are blamed on Boko Haram Islamic extremists who are against democracy and have vowed to disrupt the Feb. 14 elections for the president, state governors and legislators in Nigeria, Africa's richest and most populous nation.

Meanwhile, the Bishop of Maiduguri, while describing Boko Haram’s advances in Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Libya, confirmed that Western military intervention may be the only option sufficient to confront the militants of these terrorist groups who have allied themselves to ISIS.

The bishop, whose diocese is located in the middle of an area that is controlled by ISIS in northern Nigeria believes that “the West must send ground forces in order to oust Boko Haram and contain its advances.” He added that “a Western-led military campaign is necessary.”

Bishop Dashe Doemi indicated that the attack on Baga has revealed the weaknesses of the Nigerian Army and the inefficacy of its officers who spend their time “taking orders instead of giving them.”  

He added, “Within the ranks of the Army there are Boko Haram sympathizers, some of whom have secretly joined the organization. There are also others who have simply left the Army and joined Boko Haram.”

Likewise, Bishop Doemi has requested that secret foreign assistance, which the Islamic organization has obtained, be stopped. He claimed that the “Nigerian government knows precisely who is supporting Boko Haram.”

Thousands of people have been killed, 50 churches have been destroyed and most of the members of those churches have become refugees. Boko Haram’s threats over the last five years have ruined his diocese. Two hundred other shrines and churches have fallen into neglect.

Bishop Doemi indicated that thousands of his parishioners have been murdered; most of them at the hands of Islamists. “They are pointing guns at their heads or holding knives to their necks while telling them that they will kill them all if they do not convert to Islam. A large number of believers have already been assassinated because they refused to convert to Islam.”

Since 2009 between 70,000 and 125,000 Catholics have fled Maiduguri, leaving their homes and their lands. This amounts to more than half of all Catholics in the region.

Bishop Doemi called upon everyone to pray to Mary for her intercession. He insisted that “we must confront the threat that is before us; otherwise, the Church’s future looks bleak. Due to the fact that so many of the believers are leaving the area or are dying, some of the regions have become completely devoid of its Christian population.”

He added, “Fortunately, the Church belongs to Christ the King and will remain strong, just as the number of believers who have returned to their homes in areas where the Nigerian Army has regained control.”

Bishop Doemi pointed out in an interview with Fides News Agency that Boko Haram attempted to infiltrate Maiduguri on two separate occasions at the end of last week. The first time was on January 23 and again on January 25. He also stated that its soldiers are attempting to take over the northeastern part of the country and have already taken control of a number of cities.    

He added, “The National Army has been able to repel Boko Haram militants from the city in an intense battle where Boko Haram lost a number of men. However, the police also sustained significant losses.”

“Boko Haram may gain control of the northeast portion of the country before the elections occur if foreign forces do not intervene,” a reference to the presidential elections that will take place in mid-February. Source...

A version of this article originally ran on Aleteia's Arabic site and was translated by Donald Puhlman. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

DR CONGO Bishops Ask for a Clear Electoral Calendar

Agenzia Fides || 05 February 2015

The silence of President Joseph Kabila on his possible candidacy in the elections of 2016 is disturbing, as stated in an interview with RFI by His Exc. Mgr. Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Bishop of Bokungu-Ikela and President of the "Justice and Peace" Commission of the Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kabila, in power since 2001, under the current Constitution cannot present himself for a third term. According to his opponents, Kabila is trying to amend the Constitution, and is postponing the elections to stay in power.

Attempts to link the forthcoming elections to a census of the population (which would require several years) have provoked demonstrations on behalf of the opposition and clashes with the police in the capital Kinshasa and other urban centers (see Fides 24/01/2015).

Mgr. Ambongo denounced the arrests of protesters and the fury of the police against the opposition. According to the Bishop, to shed light on the political future of the Country, the Independent Electoral Commission should publish the overall timetable for elections scheduled between 2015 and 2016, as soon as possible which include, in addition to the presidential elections, also parliamentary and local elections. Source...

SECAM Standing Committee Scheduled to Meet Pope Francis at the Vatican

CANAA || By Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 05 February 2015

The leadership of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), also known as SECAM Standing Committee, is scheduled to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican this weekend.

SECAM leadership is holding its first biannual meeting in Rome and is scheduled to be received in audience by the Pope this Saturday.

According to a report by the Director of Communications of SECAM, SECAM leadership will “brief the Pope on the current situation of the Church in Africa.”

Last month, Pope Francis gave a hint of his plan to visit Africa this year, citing Uganda and the Central African Republic as his possible hosts.

“While in the Vatican the Committee comprising eleven bishops headed by the President of SECAM, Most Rev. Gabriel Mbilingi of Angola, will hold discussions with heads of a number of (dicasteries) (major offices) of the Vatican,” the SECAM Communication Director’s report sent to CANAA reads in part.

Among the various dicasteries SECAM leadership will hold meetings with include the Secretariat of State, the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, the Pontifical Councils for Culture, Inter-religious Dialogue, and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace headed by the Ghanaian Peter Cardinal Turkson.

The continental leadership is also scheduled to “review SECAM’s collaboration and joint activities with the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) with particular reference to a SECAM-CCEE Seminar on the Family that is scheduled to take place in Mozambique in May this year.”

The weeklong meeting started on Monday and will conclude Sunday, on the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita.

The Standing Committee comprises the President, two Vice-Presidents, the Treasurer and Bishop Representatives from each of the eight regional Episcopal Conferences in Africa.

SECAM was founded in Kampala, Uganda, in 1969 and is currently headquartered in Accra, Ghana.

Vatican Announces St. Bakhita Day as Day of Prayer against Human Trafficking

St. Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese from Darfur, is considered a patron saint for trafficking victims. She was kidnapped at the age of nine and sold into slavery, first in her country and later in Italy. She was declared a saint in 2000.

In Sudan and South Sudan, many are named after St. Josephine Bakhita. She is also the patron saint of many Churches and institutions.

Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla

The story below, from Crux, gives more details about the Vatican announcement dedicating February 8, the feast day of Bakhita, the day of prayer against human trafficking.

Crux || By Inés San Martín || 03 February 2015

Building on one of Pope Francis’ top social and political priorities, the Vatican has presented plans for a first-ever “International Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking” to be held Feb. 8.

Trafficking in human beings is an illegal industry estimated to affect 36 million people around the world and to generate $150 billion in annual profits. It’s been a matter of concern for Francis from his time in Argentina, and has emerged as a core preoccupation of his papacy.

Strikingly, the prayer day announced in Tuesday’s news conference will bring together several Vatican departments as well as the main umbrella groups for women and men in religious orders, since those congregations have long been on the front lines of the anti-trafficking fight.

Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said the prayer day is a mobilization on a global scale.

“Our awareness must expand and extend to the very depths of this evil and its farthest reaches,” Turkson said, “from awareness to prayer … from prayer to solidarity … and from solidarity to concerted action, until slavery and trafficking are no more.”

The date for the initiative is the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, considered a patron saint for trafficking victims. Born in 1868 in Darfur, Sudan, she was kidnapped at the age of nine and sold into slavery, first in her country and later in Italy. She died in 1947 and was declared a saint by Pope St. John Paul II in 2000.

“For those who cry out — usually in silence — for liberation, St. Josephine Bakhita is an exemplary witness of hope,” Turkson said.

Italian Cardinal Antonio Maria Vegliò said the presence of three cardinals at Tuesday’s news conference shows “the importance of the issue,” referring to himself, Turkson, and Brazilian João Braz de Aviz.

Yet, Vegliò said, the nuns on hand are the real experts.

“It’s the sisters who are doing the work; you should listen to them,” Veglio told the assembled journalists.

Sister Carmen Sammut of Malta, a member of the Missionary Servants of Our Lady of Africa and the president of the International Union of Superiors General, said the day of prayer is intended to achieve two things:

• First is a lament in the Biblical sense: “We want to cry out in the name of all the victims [and ask], ‘Until when, Lord’?”

• Secondly, “We want to light up the world, that is, to bring hope to those who are without hope.”

Sister Valeria Gandini, a member of the Comboni sisters who has been working with illegal immigrants in Sicily for years, said contact with the victims of trafficking is essential to grasp the true nature of the problem.

“To understand what it means to human trafficking, we must meet the victims, listen to them, look them in the eyes, embrace them,” she said.

Gandini said that to understand the effects of modern slavery, one has to talk with the person who has been victim of violence, deprived of his or her freedom, guarded by “owners,” raped, threatened, bought and sold, and forced into silence.

“The feelings, emotions, fears, are something indescribable,” said Gandini.

She said the young women forced to prostitute themselves don’t ask for help because they live in fear and shame as well as silence.

“It’s silence that for us is deafening,” Gandini said.

Sister Gabriella Bottani, an Italian member of the Sisters of Mary Reparatrix who works in Brazil, said the day of prayer will help “break the crust of superficiality … that impedes us from knowing other person like brother or sister.”

Bottani is the coordinator of Talitha Kum: International Network of Consecrated Life Against Trafficking in Persons, which originates from a project implemented in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration and funded by the United States government.

When presenting the initiative in the United States in December, the auxiliary bishop of Seattle, Eusebio Elizondo, chairman of the US committee for migration, said that “if just one person realizes from this day that they or someone they know is being trafficked, we will have made a difference.”

Parishes around the world are organizing prayer vigils, and are invited to share their initiatives on the interactive website A Light Against Human Trafficking. Besides the initiatives, the site includes the testimony of victims, survivors, and family members of those killed in slavery.

Among other signs of Pope Francis’ commitment to anti-trafficking efforts, last year he founded the inter-religious Global Freedom Network, which is funded by Australian philanthropist and mining magnate Andrew Forrest.

In 2014, through the network, Francis summoned Anglican, Orthodox, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, and Muslim leaders to sign a joint declaration against modern slavery — in the sense of human trafficking, forced labor, prostitution, and organ trafficking — declaring it a crime against humanity.

During a youth symposium against modern slavery organized at the Vatican last November, the pope called for a hands-on approach into solving the issue.

“Collaborating with this cause is not enough for a Christian,” the pope said, speaking to a Rome symposium. “We’re called to commit to the cause,” he said, even if this means risking one’s life.

The theme of Pope Francis’ Message for the 48th World Day of Peace, held Jan. 1, was “Slaves no more, but brothers and sisters.”

“We ought to recognize,” Francis wrote, “that we are facing a global phenomenon which exceeds the competence of any community or country. In order to eliminate it, we need a mobilization comparable in size to that of the phenomenon itself.”

At Tuesday’s news conference, Albanian Sister Imelda Pool, a member of the Sisters of Loreto, said that in 2014, the number of victims from Albania being trafficked into the United Kingdom had grown by 60 percent. She used that statistic to call for a deeper commitment from governments and other social actors.

“Let’s go even further [than praying],” Pool said. “Let’s all of us together do more against this evil.” Source...

Kenyan Archbishop-Elect Bids Farewell to Religious and Clergy of Daystar University

CANAA || 02 February 2015

Archbishop-Elect for the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa, Martin Kivuva Musonde, last Thursday met with the religious and clergy of Daystar University to encourage them on their unique apostolate of silent witness.

The Daystar group of religious and clergy was led by Sr. Dr. Agnes Lucy Lando, who is a Senior Lecturer at the same institution, and comprised of 9 religious and 7 clergy from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Vietnam, Nigeria and India.

Daystar University’s main campus in Athi River falls in the ecclesiastical territory of the Catholic Diocese of Machakos, where Archbishop-elect has been the ordinary.

“For the larger catholic community, the bishop erected a fully-fledged Catholic university chaplaincy in 2003,” Sr. Lando recalled, adding, “The bishop decided to have annual get-together with the religious and clergy. So, every year on the feast of Christ the King, we religious and clergy of Daystar University meet and share with our shepherd and spiritual father the joys, sorrows, successes and challenges we encounter at the University.”

Archbishop explained the reason for meeting the group of religious saying, “Every year we meet on the feast of Christ the King. But this year we have met much earlier because on 21^st February 2015 I shall be installed the Archbishop of Mombasa and I did not want to leave without holding our annual get-together and sharing.”

“I encourage you to be focused on what brought you to Daystar. Make God happy and your respective superiors and bishops proud of you by excelling in your studies and being witnesses of Christ and the Church by your way of life,” Archbishop-elect further said.

He went on to encourage the group of religious and clergy to remain united and watch over each other and being “the monkey showing the other monkeys where the ripe bananas are” in supporting each other and living lives worth of their vocation.

The group thanked the Archbishop-Elect for his simplicity, welcoming spirit and availability, recalling how the annual religious-clergy get together with him has been an opportunity to have their spirits uplifted and purpose of being at the university re-affirmed.

“This is the joy of belonging to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church,” noted one student.

Both the archbishop-elect and the students promised to hold each other in prayers.

The Archdiocese of Mombasa became vacant following the resignation of the late Archbishop Boniface Lele in November 2013.

Bishop Emmanuel Barbara of the Catholic Diocese of Malindi has been serving as Apostolic Administrator.

Archbishop-elect Martin Kuvuva was appointed Archbishop of Mombasa on December 9, 2014. His installation will take place on February 21, 2015 at the Tononoka grounds in Mombasa.

Church in Kenya Calls on Government to Reconsider Stand on Public Benefit Organizations

CANAA || By Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 02 February 2015

The Catholic Church in Kenya has called on the government to review its present stand on Public Benefit Organizations (PBOs) and “relook at the proposed Amendments to the PBO Act 2013.”

In a letter sent to CANAA on Monday signed by the Chairman of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (CJPC) of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), Archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth, the Catholic Church clarifies its position on the proposed amendments to PBOs Act 2013, advocating for “open and transparent dialogue with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

The new amendments seek, among other controversial provisions, to restrict the amount of foreign funding toward PBOs to just 15 percent of their budget.

This specific amendment would require that PBOs demonstrate to the Cabinet Secretary responsible for finance legitimate and compelling reasons for increasing the foreign funding beyond the 15 percent limit.

“In support of the objectives and the spirit of the PBO Act 2013, Catholic Church in Kenya recommends that the government should reconsider its stand with regards to the PBOs and relook at the proposed Amendments to the PBO Act 2013,” the Catholic Church’s statement reads in part and calls for more dialogue between the government and CSOs.

“The Church is of the opinion that if the amendments proposed come to pass in their current status, they will greatly jeopardise the objectives of the PBO Act (2013),” the Church’s statement continues.

In December 2014, over 540 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Kenya were deregistered reportedly because of their failure to submit financial records as expected, including 15 accused of funding terrorism.

Below is the full statement of the Catholic Church on PBOs, dated January 27, 2015.

THE POSITION OF THE CHURCH ON THE PROPOSED

AMENDMENTS TO PUBLIC BENEFIT ORGANIZATONS ACT 2013.

We, Caritas Kenya, mandated by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops to implement Development and Social Services in Kenya and the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (CJPC), mandate to promote peace and justice in Kenya wish to make the following observations to the Task Force formed by Ms. Anne Waiguru; Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Devolution and Planning via Gazette Notice No. 8003 dated October 30, 2014 and published on the November 7^, 2014, to receive Public views on the Proposed amendments published on October 30, 2013 by the Attorney-General of the Republic of Kenya; on the Public Benefits Organisations Act 2013, which received Presidential Assent on14th January, 2013.

Given this opportunity to dialogue on proposed amendments to PBO Act, the Catholic Church wish to state as follows:

Kenya’s 2010 Constitution is one of the most progressive ones globally. On its 50^th anniversary of independence, the Constitution is celebrated as one of the greater achievements of the Kenyan government. In the region, Kenya is celebrated as having created space that safeguard democratic development. Therefore, Open and transparent dialogue with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) is a necessary component of such democratic leadership.

CSOs serve a vital role in Kenya’s social and economic development and in the implementation of Vision 2030. CSOs support Kenyan advancement and prosperity in a wide range of sectors, including governance, human rights, security, health care, agriculture, natural resource management, education, economic growth, and women’s advancement among others. They help channel the collective voice of Kenya’s citizens in the promotion of policy formulation and governance that reflect the needs and aspirations of the Kenyan people, to include minorities and special interest groups. Their role therefore must be safeguarded by the government to ensure that Kenyans exercise their inalienable right to participate in governance and management of public affairs through their citizens groups – CBOs, FBOs, NGOs, and other initiatives that they may form to facilitate their involvement in service provision and public affairs.

As one of the Non-Governmental Organization, Faith Based Organizations in Kenya have played a critical role in promoting Socio-Economic and indeed holistic Development in the country and as such, the government of Kenya cannot underscore their importance and role in the country. The Catholic Church and indeed other mainstream Churches in Kenya are key players in promotion of Pastoral, Socio-Economic and Political Development Processes in the country. The Church significantly continues to promote access to Education, Health Services, Social Justice, improving livelihoods of the poor and marginalised in the society, advocating for Good Governance and protection of fundamental rights of all Kenyans.

In support of the objectives and the spirit of the PBO Act 2013, Catholic Church in Kenya recommends that the government should reconsider its stand with regards to the PBOs and relook at the proposed Amendments to the PBO Act 2013. In particular the government should dialogue more with CSO on the proposed amendments.

The Church is of the opinion that if the amendments proposed come to pass in their current status, they will greatly jeopardise the objectives of the PBO Act, key among these:

1. The re-birth of a sector guided by national values and principles, and upholding high standards of accountability and transparency, in the pursuit of the public benefit;
2. The meaningful protection of the freedoms of association, expression and assembly, which would enable individuals and groups to freely pursue their goals, in collaboration with others for the benefit of Kenyans;
3. The re-structuring of the legal and institutional framework for self-regulation, in order to ensure that the sector governs itself more effectively and engenders public trust;
4. The facilitation of principled and constructive collaboration between the Government and Civil Society to address the numerous complex challenges facing society today;
5. The proposed removal of Section 4 (1) on government’s obligation to provide an enabling environment for non-State actors and consult PBOs on public policy is in bad faith and negates the constitutional principle of public participation. Kenyans can only exercise their inalienable right to participate in governance and management of public affairs through their citizens groups – CBOs, FBOs, NGOs, and other initiatives that they may form to facilitate their involvement in service provision and public affairs; and
6. The proposed removal of a “certificate of registration” and its replacement with a vague phrase – “entry into the register” as the conclusive evidence of registration of a PBO exposes might be abused and limit fundamental rights and freedoms of some sectors in society.

Catholic Church in Kenya hereby hopes that the appointed Task Force will take note of these recommendations which represents the position of the Church on the proposed amendments to the Public Benefit Organization Act 2013.

_______________________________________

Most Rev. Zacchaeus Okoth

Chairman

KCCB-Catholic Justice and Peace Commission

New Bishop in Tanzania Appointed

CANAA || 02 February 2015

On Monday, Pope Francis appointed Msgr. Liberatus Sangu as bishop of the Cathollic Diocese of Shinyanga in Tanzania.

The 51-year-old prelate succeeds Bishop Aloysius Balina, who died at the end of 2012.

Serving as an official of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the bishop-elect will be succeeding Bishop Aloysius Balina, who passed on in 2012.

Bishop-elect was born in Mwazye, Tanzania on February 19, 1963 and ordained priest in 1994.

Among the pastoral and administrative roles bishop-elect has held include Formator at the Minor Seminary of Kaengesa, Sumbawanga; Parish Priest at Matai; Director for Vocations; Formator at the Preparatory Seminary and head of Youth Pastoral Ministry, and parish priest “ad tempus” in Sopa.

He studied sacramental theology at the St. Anselm Pontifical Athenaeum in Rome

According to Vatican Radio, the Catholic Diocese of Shinyanga has a population of some 2,440,000 inhabitants, with around 745,000 Catholics.

It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mwanza and has 28 parishes.

Catholic Bishops in South Sudan Urge Leaders to “think outside the political box”

CANAA || By Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 02 February 2015

The Catholic Bishops in South Sudan have urged the country’s leaders to consider other options to ending the violent conflict in South Sudan by thinking “outside the political box.”

In a message at the end of their first biannual plenary assembly, which CANAA obtained last Friday, the bishops make reference to Jesus’ call on Simon to let down fishing nets to the deep water for a great catch (Luke 5: 4-6) and call on the country’s political leadership do more than the “normal” things.

“Doing all the “normal” things – negotiations, talks, conferences, consultations, diplomacy, statements, hand-shakes in front of the TV cameras, threats of sanctions and arms embargoes – has “caught nothing” even though “we worked hard,”” the bishops state, advising, “Have the courage to go deeper, leave aside common assumptions, think outside the political box, make unthinkable concessions, and take risks to bring peace.”

The Bishops reiterated their September 2014 message in which they termed the civil war as evil and further described the violent conflict as “a sin.”

“This war is evil. As a people we must not be afraid to name sin for what it is, and we hereby name this war as a sin. It is sinful for either party now to mount a dry season offensive,” the Bishops maintained and added, “Some people sit in Addis Ababa discussing politics while on the ground other people are fighting and dying.”

On Sunday, the President of South Sudan Salva Kiir and the rebel leader Riek Machar signed an agreement in addis Ababa, Ethiopia, committing to end the civil war, which erupted in December 2013.

However, reports have indicated that there was no agreement on the nature of a future government and especially power-sharing.

“This war is about power, not about the good of the people,” the Bishops revealed, adding, “Only when the killing stops will it be acceptable to negotiate for posts and positions. Concessions must be made; no political advantage is worth killing more innocent civilians, nor even killing soldiers.”

Below is the full message of the Catholic Bishops in South Sudan, which also highlights disputes over land and the armament of the civilian population among the “alarming factors” affecting their country.

MESSAGE FROM THE SOUTH SUDAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS

“GO DEEPER”

When Jesus finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Push the boat out further to the deep water, and you and your partners let down your nets for a catch.” “Master,” Simon answered, “we worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will let down the nets.” They let them down and caught such a large number of fish that the nets were about to break. (Luke 5:4-6)

Preamble

We, the Catholic bishops of South Sudan, meeting in Juba from 28th – 30th January 2015, with the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, His Grace Archbishop Charles Daniel Balvo, and with our collaborators, having reflected on the disastrous war in our country and concerned about the escalation of the conflict and the uncertain prospects for peace, re-iterate the solemn declaration made in our “Message of Hope” of 25th September 2014:

The current war in South Sudan is evil... There is no moral justification for any further killing. We can accept no excuses nor conditions from any party or individual for the continuation of the war. The fighting and killing must stop immediately and unconditionally... We declare before God that it is evil for any party to use continuing violence to try to further their political agenda.

We ask you, our leaders, to leave the safety and comfort of the shallow water and push the boat out into the deep water. Doing all the “normal” things – negotiations, talks, conferences, consultations, diplomacy, statements, hand-shakes in front of the TV cameras, threats of sanctions and arms embargoes – has “caught nothing” even though “we worked hard”. Have the courage to go deeper, leave aside common assumptions, think outside the political box, make unthinkable concessions, and take risks to bring peace. Let us all, including we bishops, take up that challenge and put ourselves into the hands of God to catch “a large number of fish”. Let peace come in abundance.

The War Must Stop: We Will Finish Ourselves and Finish the Nation

South Sudan has always been considered a God-fearing nation, whether Christians, Muslims or followers of traditional religion. But in this senseless and inhuman war the nation has abandoned the ways of God.

This war is evil. As a people we must not be afraid to name sin for what it is, and we hereby name this war as a sin. It is sinful for either party now to mount a dry season offensive.

Once again we say that this war must stop immediately. Some people sit in Addis Ababa discussing politics while on the ground other people are fighting and dying. The political negotiations cannot be allowed to continue with “business as usual” while the killing continues. Only when the killing stops will it be acceptable to negotiate for posts and positions. Concessions must be made; no political advantage is worth killing more innocent civilians, nor even killing soldiers. The Church is like a Mother who mourns the death of any of God's children.

This war is about power, not about the good of the people. The aspirations of individuals and factions have led to a cycle of revenge killing. The whole nation, including the leaders and the fighters, is exhausted with war and is being worn down by attrition. We say to all who are involved in any way: if you continue fighting you will finish yourselves and you will finish the nation. The nation needs to be salvaged from this sin.

We the Catholic bishops of South Sudan have continued to make prophetic statements which have been disregarded by leaders on all sides. We pray that our voice will be heeded, and we commit ourselves to the follow-up of this message.

Leadership

Jesus called them all together to him and said, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority. This, however, is not the way it is among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served; he came to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.” (Mark 10:42-45)

A legitimate government is one which is able to bring peace, development and stability to its people. Any party that continues to fight the war against the innocent citizens of South Sudan has no legitimacy; once you are at war amongst yourselves you have already lost your legitimacy! All the factions of SPLM were part of the government from 2005 to 2013. We applaud the genuine steps forward which were made in establishing the new nation, yet we also saw corruption, nepotism, lack of development, mismanagement of the economy, failure to reform the army, rising tribalism and many other problems. What are our leaders going to do  differently from their past track record, and how are they going to do it if they continue fighting? How will the nation move forward if money is spent on weapons of destruction instead of roads, schools, hospitals and development activities? How will we establish a civilian democracy if the nation remains so militarised? We are encouraged by the new agreement signed in Arusha. We want to believe in our leaders' good intentions and to take them at their word, but so far none of the agreements made since January 2014 have been respected. We hope and pray that all parties will be faithful to the Arusha agreement and that, unlike earlier agreements, it will be honoured.

Legitimacy comes from the people. We recognise those who wish to hold an election in June 2015 to ensure that the country retains legitimate and constitutional governance. However we are also aware of many concerns that have been raised as to whether a credible election can really be held at such short notice amidst the current insecurity, and whether obligatory prerequisites such as a Census and the passing of a Permanent Constitution can be fulfilled before the election. We urge all parties to cooperate to create a consensus so that legitimate governance of the country continues in a transitional manner until such time as a new political dispensation is agreed by all parties. We would add that the future of the country must not be left in the hands of a single political party; all parties, all communities and all citizens should play a part in deciding their future and have a role in implementing it. “If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest.”

Other Factors

While the main factors in the war are the dynamics of political power and revenge, there are a number of other contributory factors which cause us concern.

We wish to highlight land issues, which are becoming extremely dangerous. Disputes over land ownership, customary land rights, public land, grazing rights, land-grabbing, land use, conflicts between pastoralists and farmers, evictions, and demarcation of boundaries are escalating and becoming increasingly violent. A credible Land Commission and Land Act must ensure that coherent land policies and laws are made and implemented. Permanent mechanisms must be set up to deal with all these issues fairly.

Another alarming factor is the armament of the civilian population.

Many communities are well-armed with sophisticated and heavy weapons, causing havoc amongst themselves and their neighbouring communities.

This will continue to be a threat to security in South Sudan, even after a peace agreement is reached.

We are also conscious that there may be commanders and communities fighting for their own agendas, even though they might be aligned with one faction or another. We appeal to them to stop fighting immediately, and we believe that they must be drawn into negotiations.

South Sudan Council of Churches

As a founder member of the councils of churches in Sudan and South Sudan, we wish to express our support for the reforms now taking place within the South Sudan Council of Churches. We look forward to continuing to play a central role in the SSCC, and we encourage SSCC to take a leading role in peace and reconciliation. Together let us once again make South Sudan a God-fearing nation.

Lenten Call

As we approach the season of Lent, we reflect on the message of Pope Francis. God is not indifferent to us, but often we are indifferent to others: “we are unconcerned with their problems, their sufferings and the injustices they endure... Our heart grows cold... It is a problem which we, as Christians, need to confront... Lent is a favourable time for letting Christ serve us so that we in turn may become more like him.” Let us no longer be indifferent to the suffering and death within our own country. Through prayer and fasting let us grow closer to Christ, and let us all serve our sisters and brothers throughout the nation by our actions for peace and reconciliation.

Blessing

All citizens from any party, faction or community are our sons and daughters. God's love and mercy extend to both the sinner and the saint. We care for all of God's children. We call upon everybody to stop the fighting and killing immediately, and to work together to build a consensus for the long term success of our beloved nation. We offer our prayers and our blessing for all the people of South Sudan, and for all those who care about them and help them.

Given on 30th January 2015 in Juba, South Sudan.