Nairobi, 01 December, 2025 / 11:38 am (ACI Africa).
Catholic Bishops in Africa are calling for renewed hope, spiritual renewal, and concrete action toward peace, justice, and human dignity as the continent faces multiple crises, including conflict, displacement, poor governance, poverty, and the worsening impacts of climate change.
In an Advent message they issued November 28, the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) said the holy Season of Advent invites Christians to “lift up our hearts” despite the heavy burdens carried by millions across the continent.
“Our beloved continent, Africa, continues to face trials that weigh heavily on the hearts of her people. In many regions of Africa, families endure the harsh realities of conflicts, violence, and forceful displacement, kidnapping and banditry, poor governance and infrastructural deficits, hunger and poverty,” Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said in the message on behalf of Africa’s Catholic Bishops.
He lamented, “Economic fragility, corruption, and weak institutions strain the fabric of our societies. The ongoing effects of climate change, manifested in droughts, destructive floods, and environmental degradation, are threatening the livelihoods of millions, especially the poorest among us.”
“Many of our young people, deprived of opportunities, embark on perilous journeys in search of a future, often risking their lives along dangerous migration routes. Others are displaced within their own lands, searching for safety and dignity,” Cardinal Ambonfo said.
