The uniting organ for all the Bishops Conferences of all the countries of Africa, Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar has called for prayers and fasting for peace and total reconciliation in warring countries of Africa.
The organ of the Catholic Church lamented wanton destruction of lives and property in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan, etc, warning those who persist in the scramble for the resources of Africa and stoking war to hands off the continent.
These calls were contained in a message to the Church in Africa by the Standing Committee of SECAM and signed by the President of the organ, Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo.
The statement was made available to The Point by the President of CEPACS, the Communication Committee of the Catholic Bishops of Africa, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo. The bishop stressed that the call for prayer was in view of the situation in DRC, Congo which is fast degenerating into a Regional war and threatening even the whole of Africa.
The message entitled: “Christ, Source of Hope, Reconciliation and Peace: A Call to Prayer and Fasting,” disclosed that the church leaders who are members of the standing committee, gathered in Accra,
Ghana, from February ll-14, 2025, for their first annual ordinary meeting.
“We know that Africa’s rich mineral deposits, truly a potential source of prosperity, have instead continued to be a source of conflict. The desire to control and
appropriate these resources motivates powerful nations and multinational
corporations to fund armed factions in some African countries like the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan, etc,
thereby perpetuating violence, displacement and instability.
“We acknowledge the immense suffering that many of our brothers and sisters are
enduring due to conflicts, violence, massacres and instability in various parts of our continent. To all who are bereaved and suffering, we say: “you are not
forgotten”. The Church has not abandoned you. We stand with you, pray for you,
and continue to call for justice, peace, and reconciliation. To those who persist in
the scramble for the resources of Africa, we echo the words of the Holy Father
Pope Francis, in his speech of January 2023 in Kinshasa, DRC: “Hands off the
Democratic Republic of Congo! Hands off Africa! Stop choking Africa, it is not
a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered”.
“As we embrace this Jubilee Year as Pilgrims of Hope, we are reminded that even in the darkest times, hope must never fade. The Jubilee invites us to renew our
trust in God, to strengthen the bonds of communion, and to seek new paths of
healing and unity. The message of Christ, the Prince of Peace, must resound loudly in Africa. We urge all people of goodwill-within the Church and beyond-to be instruments of peace, choosing dialogue over division, love over hatred, and hope over despair.
“If the Synod on Synodality ever had meaning, this is the time to demonstrate it.
The call to walk together as a Church, listening to one another and acting in unity,
must become a lived reality. The challenges before us compel us to greater
collaboration among bishops, priests, religious, and the people of God
everywhere. No one can stand alone; we are one body in Christ. As shepherds of
the Church in Africa, we commit to strengthening the structures of communion
and ensuring that the Church remains a voice of truth, justice, and hope in our
society,” the statement noted.
Passionately calling for prayer to end the troubling situation, urged all believers to fast and pray for three days, starting from March 3rd to 5th, 2025.
“As followers of Christ, we are called to stand together in prayer for those in need
and to seek God’s intervention for peace and healing. We urge all believers to
dedicate time for prayer, asking the Lord to bring an end to the war, to comfort
the afflicted, and to guide our leaders toward justice and reconciliation. To this
end, we invite every diocese, parish, and religious community in Africa to unite
in a triduum of prayer and fasting, each according to their local customs and
facilities, from March 3rd to 5th, 2025.
Let us lift up our voices to God in unity, trusting that He hears the cries of His
people even as we all work fervently for peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for
they shall be called children of God.”(Matthew 5:9).
“May the Lord grant peace to
Eastern Congo and all other lands all regions suffering from conflict.
We entrust our continent, Africa, to the maternal care of Our Lady of Africa and
invoke God’s blessings upon all of you. May His peace reign in our hearts, in our
homes, and in our nations. Amen,” SECAM prayed.
