In Case You Missed Them: Some Other Moments of SECAM Plenary Assembly in Rwanda and Photos

Credit: ACI Africa

Kigali, 11 August, 2025 / 10:48 am (ACI Africa).

Not much attention might have been given to some moments during the recently concluded July 30 – August 4 20th Plenary Assembly of Africa’s Catholic Bishops under their common forum, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali.

In photos, we look back and highlight moments of prayer, the animation of Eucharistic celebrations, and pilgrims at the concluding Holy Mass at Our Lady of Kibeho, among other activities that characterized SECAM Plenary Assembly that brought together 13 Cardinals, over 100 Archbishops and Bishops, dozens of Clergy, select women and men Religious and Laity.

An intervention during the Plenary Assembly is worth highlighting: the address of the President of the Association of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Central Africa (ACEAC), Bishop José Moko Ekanga.

Bishop José Moko Ekanga. Credit: ACI Africa

The President of ACEAC had the duty to explain the theme of the 20th Plenary Assembly of SECAM, “Christ, Source of Hope, Reconciliation and Peace: The Vision of the Church Family of God in Africa for the Next 25 Years (2025–2050)”.

Referring to St. Pope John Paul II’s September 1995 post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Africa, the Congolese member of the Society of the Priests of St. Sulpice (PSS/Sulpicians) at the helm of DR Congo’s Idiofa Catholic Diocese recalled the likening of Africa to the robbed and injured man in the Good Samaritan story (Luke 10:30-37). Here are some excerpts from his August 1 presentation.

Bishop José Moko Ekanga. Credit: ACI Africa

Pope John Paul II once said in his post-synodal exhortation Ecclesia in Africa, Africa, both yesterday and today, is like the man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho (cf. Lk 10:30–37). That man fell into the hands of robbers who stripped, beat, and left him half dead. Today, Africa lies on the ground, still the scene of violence, imposed wars, and exploitation in both literal and figurative senses.

“This reality was recently highlighted on Africa Day (May 25), celebrated by the African Union. On that occasion, the President of SECAM, His Eminence Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo, called on us to become “Architects of the Africa We Want.”

But what kind of Africa is this? It is one in which people face the scourges of injustice, terrorism, conflict, displacement, human trafficking, poverty, and lack of access to healthcare and education. These words from the Cardinal echo the cries and concerns that SECAM has expressed since its foundation. Yet, rather than resign ourselves to despair or fatalism, the true antidote is the joyful proclamation of Christian hope.

Hope is, therefore, the greatest gift the Church of Africa and Madagascar can offer to the African continent and its surrounding islands. It is the Good News we are called to proclaim boldly to our diverse peoples and in the heart of their existential struggles.

On behalf of ACEAC, we believe the time has come for SECAM, as it looks forward to the next 25 years, to seriously engage the new challenges facing our African countries and Churches today: living together harmoniously, reception of the conclusions of the Synod on Synodality, poverty, peace and the end of wars, equitable distribution of natural resources, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, environmental crisis, postmodernity and its ideologies, disembodied spiritualities and naïve pietism, the educational pact, and more.

It is time for SECAM, as a pilgrim of hope, to play, wherever possible, a decisive role in reconciliation and peace among peoples, African states, and their leaders. “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” (Ps. 133:1)

Bishop José Moko Ekanga. Credit: ACI Africa

Prayer moments

While the Eucharistic celebration for the conclusion of the SECAM Plenary Assembly held at Our Lady of Kibeho on Sunday, August 3 started early afternoon, the program for the pilgrimage that brought together pilgrims from Rwanda and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had Saturday, August 2 activities.

Pilgrims walking from Rwanda’s Catholic Diocese of Butare to Our Lady of Kibeho in the country Gikongoro Catholic Diocese, a distance of about 60 kilometers had a visit to the Marian Shrine on August 2 from 5 p.m. local time.

An hour later, they were scheduled to participate in a Praise and Worship session, followed by learning session at 7 p.m. Holy Mass at 8.30 p.m. was preceded by a testimony session.

The pilgrims kept vigil from 10 p.m.; they had opportunities for the Sacrament of Penance ahead of the August 3 activities, which included praying the Holy Rosary, prayer and worship, Catechesis, and testimony sessions that also incorporated presentations of poems and songs.

A section of the pilgrims were visibly fatigued during the August 3 Eucharistic celebration; some of them found space and time to sleep.

Credit: ACI Africa

Informal interactions

SECAM Plenary pic.twitter.com/biShlejsmi
— Jude Atemanke (@AtemankeJ) August 11, 2025

Credit: ACI Africa

Posing for photo?

Credit: ACI Africa

Media Moments

Credit: ACI Africa

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In Case You Missed Them: Some Other Moments of SECAM Plenary Assembly in Rwanda and Photos

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