CRS Rallying for Support of SECAM Bishops in Renewed Fight Against Hunger, Violence

The CRS official called for the support of Catholic Bishops in Africa who he said have “a critical leadership role”.

He acknowledged the Catholic Church leaders’ role of creating change from the grassroots to the national and international policy levels, ensuring that the human dignity of all people is respected, and promoting peaceful unity “through openness and love”.

Mr. Callahan asserted that Africa's current political, economic, and ecological challenges have contributed to increasing security threats and vulnerabilities to the general population.

He told delegates of the 19th Plenary Assembly of SECAM that reclaiming security through peacebuilding and justice has become for the Church in Africa “a pathway to fashioning a renewed God-centered Africa.”

The ongoing SECAM Plenary Assembly follows the July 2019 that took place in Kampala, Uganda, concluding with the election of Philippe Cardinal Ouedraogo, the Archbishop of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, as the President of the continental symposium.

The July 2019 Plenary Assembly also marked the conclusion of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of SECAM celebrations (July 2018 to July 2019). The  Plenary resulted in the Kampala Document (KD), the 100-page publication that documented the discussions Catholic Bishops in Africa had at the conclusion of their year-long Golden Jubilee.

According to one of the drafting members, KD signals “collaboration beyond boundaries”.

In his goodwill message July 26, the President and CEO of CRS described KD as a publication that bears the hope Catholic Church leaders have for the people of God on the African continent.

“The Kampala Document, issued in 2020 following your Golden Jubilee, highlighted your aspiration that the Church in Africa become a sign of hope so that people on the continent might experience the joy of the Kingdom of God,” Mr. Callahan said.

He continued, “For some time, African Church leadership has engaged actively on issues of peace and security, and we have been very pleased to support you in these processes.”

The CRS official highlighted the initiatives of the humanitarian agency of USCCB ranging from poverty eradication and peace restoration in various African countries, noting that the continent had received 70 percent of all aid provided by the international charity foundation.

Mr. Callahan said that the work of CRS, whose evangelizing mission is focused on humanitarian and development assistance, is “fully consistent with Catholic moral and social teaching.”

“For more than 79 years, CRS has lived this vocation to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas by responding to major emergencies, fighting disease and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies, and thereby bearing witness to our faith,” he said.

He continued, “This year, our over 8,000 employees work with 1,705 partners to serve 130 million program participants in 116 countries and over 70 percent of our resources are prioritized for Africa.”

“With your brothers from the Sahel, and in other countries, we are supporting you and other local partners to assist those in need, fleeing their homes, who are victims of the humanitarian crisis which emanates from violent conflict,” Mr. Callahan told delegates of the 19th Plenary Assembly who are meeting in Accra under the theme, “Ownership of SECAM: Security and Migration in Africa and its Islands”.

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He added that CRS is also providing training and capacity sharing to the Church and its local structures to facilitate community dialogue.

Such dialogue, Mr. Callahan told SECAM delegates drawn from the eight regional associations of the continental symposium, is aimed at bringing about social cohesion within and between communities. The dialogue, he noted, is also helping communities to be more resilient against those perpetrating violence.

The CRS official expressed concern about the high numbers of youth out of work in Africa and the high rates of unemployment, adding, “We realize that for the continent to thrive and for the Church to thrive, youth need to see a positive future.”

“We know that youth and migration is a concern for the Church. CRS is working to support youth employment in West Africa, as we are here in Ghana, and across Africa to create thousands of jobs-so that youth choose to stay and contribute to their communities,” he said.

According to the official of the charity entity of Catholic Bishops in the U.S., good governance remains an imperative for integral human development and human security in Africa.

“Africa's development must be guided by accountable leadership and social justice if we are to avert violent extremism, insecurity, marginalization, and illegal migration,” Mr. Callahan said July 26 in his goodwill message at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Conference Center, the venue of the 19th SECAM Plenary Assembly.

“As I speak to you, prices are rising, inflation is on the increase and hunger is expanding with more than 38M people in West Africa alone facing extreme food insecurity,” he told the delegates who include over 120 Catholic Bishops in Africa, adding, “CRS is committed to partnering with you to respond to the millions of people who are hungry.”

Mr. Callahan said that through CRS’s support strategy, the agency of the Catholic Bishops in the U.S. aspires to save lives and alleviate suffering in Africa.

The humanitarian agency also hopes to accelerate the end of poverty, hunger, and preventable disease, and cultivate just and peaceful societies, “while always placing the dignity of the human person at the center of our collective efforts,” the President and CEO of CRS said July 26.