Cardinal Ambongo Seeks Prayers for Success of Mission to Congolese Diocese Experiencing Leadership Crisis

Kinshasa, 15 October, 2025 / 9:15 PM

Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has appealed for prayers for the success of a special mission to the Diocese of Wamba, which he is undertaking at the request of the Holy See, following a leadership crisis that has affected the local Church community.

Speaking during a brief stop in the Catholic Archdiocese of Kisangani on his way to Wamba on Tuesday, October 14, Cardinal Ambongo said he was “very happy to be back in Kisangani,” describing the visit as a passage en route to his “final destination,” the Diocese of Wamba.

“I am on this visit at the request of the Holy See, as you know, following the situation prevailing in Wamba,” the Congolese Cardinal said.

He added, “I have been sent there to assess what can be done to help the Diocese return to normal functioning.”

“Please pray for the success of this mission,” Cardinal Ambongo said.

Wamba Diocese has been experiencing a leadership crisis since the January 2024 appointment of Bishop Emmanuel Ngona Ngotsi as its Local Ordinary. 

Although he was ordained Bishop in the Congolese capital city, Kinshasa, Bishop Ngotsi has yet to take canonical possession of his Episcopal See amid opposition from some members of the Clergy and Laity who insist that the Diocese should be led by a native of the region.

The Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization suspended the formation of Seminarians in the Catholic Diocese of Wamba, citing a “difficult ecclesial environment”, which it said undermined Priestly training.

In a letter issued on October 7, the Apostolic Administrator of the Congolese Episcopal See informed the Seminarians of the Vatican Dicastery’s decision, alluding to the challenge of transition.

Bishop Sosthène Ayikuli Udjuwa said the Dicastery for Evangelization has noted that the “formation of future Priests in such a difficult ecclesial environment would be entirely inappropriate, and has therefore ordered its suspension until further notice”

“Therefore, the Dicastery has decided that Seminarians who wish to continue their Priestly formation may contact other Bishops who are willing to receive them after proper discernment,” the Local Ordinary of Mahagi-Nioka Diocese said.

Speaking to journalists on October 14, Cardinal Ambongo likened the current challenges in Wamba Diocese to the suffering of one member within a family, noting that “when one member suffers, the whole body suffers.”

“The situation in Wamba, I believe, has caused suffering for the entire ecclesiastical province of Kisangani,” the Local Ordinary of Kinshasa Archdiocese, who also serves as President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), said.

Cardinal Ambongo continued, “I simply ask the faithful to pray so that this mission may bear good fruit for the healing of our family of God’s children—here in the province, in Kisangani, and beyond. For indeed, the entire country is affected.”

In his welcoming address, Archbishop Marcel Utembi Tapa of Kisangani expressed gratitude for the Cardinal’s visit, saying, “We warmly welcome you to the Church family of God here in Kisangani. We know that your stay will be brief, but your presence brings us great fraternal comfort.”

He assured the visiting Cardinal of the support and prayers of the local pastoral agents, who, he said, came “to express their closeness in the life of the Church and to pray for the success of the mission entrusted to you by the Holy See in the Diocese of Wamba.”

In response, Cardinal Ambongo thanked Archbishop Utembi and the pastoral workers for their hospitality. 

“I also take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all who made the effort to come and meet me during this brief stop,” the Congolese member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap) further said.

He invited the people of God in Kisangani Archdiocese to accompany his mission spiritually, saying, “I truly wish that together we may carry this mission in prayer, as you have encouraged. It is a mission that the Holy Father holds very dear.”