Pope Leo XIV Calls on Participants in III Pan African Congress to Strengthen “family of local Churches”

Abidjan, 07 August, 2025 / 11:40 PM

Pope Leo XIV has sent out a strong message of solidarity with participants in the ongoing III Pan-African Catholic Congress on Theology, Society, and Pastoral Life, urging those gathering in Ivory Coast’s city of Abidjan to continue making the local Churches in their respective countries places where members feel loved and supported.

In a recorded address that was delivered to the African Theologians and other Church leaders who started their Congress on Tuesday, August 5, the Holy Father underlined the importance of building a network of support for Church members, especially on the continent that he said faces “its own set of particular difficulties.”

“The family is usually the first place where we receive the love and support we need to move forward and overcome the trials we face in life,” Pope Leo XIV told participants in the event that the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) organized.

He added, “For this reason, I encourage you to keep building up the family of local Churches in your various countries and areas so that there are networks of support available to all our brothers and sisters in Christ, and also to the wider society, especially those on the peripheries.”

Lauding the theme of the Congress, “Journeying together in Hope as Church, Family of God in Africa”, the Holy Father called on the Church on the continent to be the “beacon of hope” for the people going through various challenges in their life.

“Africa, like other parts of the world, faces its own set of particular difficulties. And faced with these challenges, and the perception that things do not change, it is easy to become despondent. However, it is precisely the role of the Church to be the light of the world, a city set on a hill to be a beacon of hope for the nations,” Pope Leo XIV said.

“While each one of us is called to nurture our own personal relationship with God, at the same time through our baptism, we are united as sons and daughters of our heavenly father. Therefore, we have certain responsibilities to look after each other,” he added.

Set to end on August 10, the III Pan-African Catholic Congress has been described as “a historic gathering poised to profoundly shape the future of the African Catholic communities and influence the global Church.”

Organizers of the Congress told ACI Africa that the event is “a sacred gathering” of African Church leaders, Theologians, women and men Religious, youths, lay leaders, PACTPAN’s ecumenical and global partners from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

The theologians, including Clergy, women and men Religious, and Laity at the Pan-African Congress are engaging with critical issues that the people of God in Africa and beyond are facing.

In PACTPAN’s characteristic palaver engagement, the participants are exploring Africa’s contribution to the global Church’s understanding of the Synod on Synodality, advancement of African theological scholarship, and the place of women and youths in the Church in Africa.

Participants are also set to engage on urgent issues affecting African communities, including human trafficking, religious persecution, and environmental degradation.

In his address to the participants in the Pan-African Congress, Pope Leo XIV sent out a strong message of hope to those gathering, saying, “Three years ago, on the second congress, Pope Francis spoke about the importance of faith. Now as part of this year’s Jubilee, we celebrate yet another theological virtue, hope.”

“Perhaps, at times, more prominence is given to the virtues of faith and charity. Yet hope has a vital role in our earthly pilgrimage. Indeed, it can be seen as the virtue that connects the other two,” the Holy Father said.

He said that while faith and theology provide the basis for knowing God and charity “is the life of love we enjoy with Him, it is by the virtue of hope that we desire to attain the fullness of this happiness in heaven.”

Hope, the Holy Father went on to say, “inspires and sustains us to go closer to God even when confronted by hardships of life.”

He also emphasized the importance of seeing the unity between Theology and pastoral work.

“We have to love what we believe,” he said to the theologians, and added, “Christ told us that he came not simply to give us life, but to give it to the full. Hence, it is your task to work together to implement pastoral programs that demonstrate how the teachings of the Church help to open people’s hearts and minds to the truth and love of God.”

Praying for the success of the Pan-African Congress, the Holy Father said, “I commend you and your work to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of the Church, that she may guide and inspire your efforts.”