At National Peace Day in DR Congo’s Lubumbashi Archdiocese, Local Ordinary Urges Solidarity, Mutual Respect, Patience

Lubumbashi, 18 October, 2025 / 10:21 PM

Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu of the Lubumbashi Archdiocese in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has called on the people of God in the country to cultivate solidarity, mutual respect, and patience as some of the essential virtues for lasting peace in the Central African nation.

In his address during the celebration of National Peace Day in his Metropolitan See, Archbishop Muteba also highlighted dialogue as equally important in fostering peace.

“Peace is a vital necessity that no one can avoid. A society without peace cannot claim well-being, development, or security,” the Congolese Archbishop said during the Thursday, October 16 event that was held at the Archbishop Jean-Pierre Tafunga Mbayo Pastoral Center.

Peace, he said, “is not spontaneous.”

“Peace must be built every day by everyone—through dialogue, solidarity, mutual respect, and above all, patience,” the Archbishop of Lubumbashi who doubles as President of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) emphasized.

He went on to describe peace as a “community work” that depends on the engagement of various stakeholder, including citizens, leaders, and institutions.

Education for peace is central to the Church’s mission, he said, and hailed the efforts of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (CJPC) members to foster sustainable peace. Their grassroots initiatives have been instrumental in “actively promoting peace and reconciliation across the country,” Archbishop Muteba observed.

Reflecting on the theme of the October 16-17 celebration, “Let us act now for a democracy at the service of peace and peaceful coexistence”, the Local Ordinary of Lubumbashi since his installation in July 2021 urged participants to take concrete steps toward building a just and peaceful society.

“Achieving an effective commitment to justice, peace, and living together is not an easy task. It requires boldness, dedication, and the will to live together as one people,” he said.

The two-day event, which featured conferences, interfaith exchanges, and workshops aimed at fostering dialogue and collaboration among religious, academic, and civil society leaders.

The President of CENCO emphasized that peace is both a social and spiritual commitment. “It is a fact that politically, peace is a spiritual question,” he added, as participants reflected on the role of democracy, faith, and civic responsibility in fostering national harmony.