Johannesburg, 21 January, 2025 / 3:09 pm (ACI Africa).
Members of the Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) have expressed solidarity with the Catholic Church in the United States and communities affected by the ongoing wildfires that have driven thousands out of their homes.
In a Monday, January 20 statement, the IMBISA Secretariat conveyed concern over the devastation caused by the fires, which continue to impact various regions across the United States, with significant developments in California and Texas resulting in the loss of lives and significant destruction.
“These fires have left many families grieving and communities struggling to recover, and IMBISA cannot remain indifferent in the face of such devastation,” the secretariat said in the statement.
The IMBISA officials added, “As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) continues to play a significant role in advancing evangelization efforts across the African continent, the IMBISA Secretariat feels a profound connection to the people and Church of the United States.”
“In this time of hardship, we want to express our solidarity and offer our prayers for the victims and their families,” said the secretariat of the representatives of the Catholic Bishops from Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.