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Vatican Cardinal Urges Church in Central Africa to Be Credible Artisans of Justice, Reconciliation

Michael Cardinal Czerny. Credit: Catholic Archdiocese of N’Djamena
Jude Atemanke

By Jude Atemanke

N'Djamena, 27 January, 2026 / 8:13 pm (ACI Africa).

Michael Cardinal Czerny, who is at the helm of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD), has challenged the Church in Central Africa to become credible artisans of justice, reconciliation, and lasting peace.

In his presentation at the ongoing 13th Plenary Assembly of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa (ACERAC) on Tuesday, January 27, in N’Djamena, Chad, Cardinal Czerny emphasized that true peace demands “the courage of peace” rooted not in human justice alone but in charity, the supernatural love that comes from God.

Addressing the Church in Central Africa, Cardinal Czerny called for evangelization, justice, and peacebuilding to be inseparably linked. 

He urged that “every Christian community” become “a tangible model of communion and dialogue,” and underscored the need to prioritize the formation of young people in “a culture of peace and nonviolent conflict transformation.”

The Catholic Church leader, who was Ordained Bishop on 4 October 2019 and elevated to Cardinal the following day, reminded participants that peace is “both a gift from God and a courageous human construction.”

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For the Church in Africa, he said, this means allowing charity to transform hearts, structures, and social relationships to become “credible artisans of a just and lasting peace, the seed of the Kingdom of God.”

Reflecting on the theme “The Courage of Peace,” Cardinal Czerny noted that peace is not merely a political or social construct but a deeply spiritual calling.

“True peace can only be built on a courage rooted in Christian solidarity,” he said, adding that peace is inseparable from the integral human development of individuals and peoples.

Drawing from St. Augustine and the Church’s social doctrine, the Cardinal outlined what he described as the five pillars of the courage of peace. 

He began by pointing to the shared human longing for peace, noting that “every human being aspires to lasting peace,” and stressing that peace is an indivisible good, since “harm to one person’s peace harms everyone.”

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Cardinal Czerny contrasted two forms of love, explaining that “love of self (cupiditas) is a source of conflict and fragile peace, while love of God (caritas) is the only love capable of grounding a just and lasting peace.” 

He added that “the courage of peace is the courage to love—even one’s enemies—through the grace of Christ, which frees us from fear.”

About Christ as the model for peacebuilding, he said, “Peace is built through the concrete imitation of Christ’s humility and service.” 

This, the Czechian-born member of the Society of Jesus (SJ/Jesuits) noted, must begin in the family, which he described as “the essential cell of peace,” and extend to parishes and institutions that promote “a culture of encounter, dialogue, and nonviolence.”

Cardinal Czerny highlighted the Eucharist as central to the Church’s mission of peace, stating that “the Eucharist is the sacrament of unity and the supreme source of courage for peace.”

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Through participation in Christ’s sacrifice, he said, believers “become one body and are called to be themselves a sacrament of peace and reconciliation in the world.”

He also underlined the importance of perseverance in daily life, explaining that “the courage of peace is lived through quiet perseverance, daily gestures of charity, attentive listening to victims, and patient, long-term commitment to transforming conflicts through dialogue.”

The January 25 – February 1 Plenary Assembly brings together Catholic Bishops and Church leaders from Central Africa to reflect on the mission of the Church three decades after Ecclesia in Africa, amid the region’s complex social, political, and pastoral challenges.

Jude Atemanke

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.