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Africa Must “return love for love,” Vatican-based Nigerian Catholic Archbishop Calls for Renewed Missionary Zeal Abroad
The Secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization has called upon the people of God in Africa to “return love for love,” embracing renewed missionary zeal, and sharing the spiritual fruits sown by early missionaries.
“Prayer was my strength in prison”: Sudanese Woman Who Hid Bible Pages in Hair Shares, Prays for Persecuted People
The biggest challenge for persecuted people in the world is accessing God’s Word, Mariam Ibrahim, the Sudanese woman who was arrested and jailed for being a Christian, has said.
“A public plea for mercy”: Catholic Priest on Annual Rosary Procession in Monrovia, Liberia
The annual rosary procession in the Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia has been described as a “public plea for mercy” from the people of God in the Metropolitan See.
Catholic Bishop Cautions against “selfish motives” in Marriage of 19 Couples in Kenya
Bishop Mark Kadima Wamukoya of the Catholic Diocese of Bungoma in Kenya has warned couples against entering into marriage for selfish reasons, urging them instead to build unions grounded in faithfulness, honesty, and prayer.
Jihadists Expand Operations in Mali, Force Women to Wear Veils, Extort, Kidnap for Ransom: Report
Jihadism in Mali is expanding with reported kidnappings and attacks on women who do not wear veils.
“We must heal wounds within Church”: Catholic Diocesan Priests in Nigeria Call for Renewal, Simplicity, and Justice
Members of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA) have called for renewed unity, simplicity, and justice within the Church in Nigeria, urging Priests to be instruments of healing and hope in a world deeply marked by sin, injustice, poverty, and moral confusion.
“A fruitful meeting”: Catholic Bishop in Zimbabwe on Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies
Bishop Eusebius Jelous Nyathi of the Catholic Diocese of Gokwe in Zimbabwe has described the three-day Jubilee of the Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies in Rome, which concluded on October 26, as “fruitful.”
Pope Leo XIV Appoints Apostolic Administrator of Uganda’s Jinja Diocese after Bishop’s Burial
The Holy Father has appointed the Archbishop of Uganda’s Tororo Metropolitan See as the Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Jinja.
“A divided pulpit”: Catholic Bishop Criticized for Comments on Persecution of Christians in Nigeria
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah’s speech at the recent launch of the Aid to the Church in Need’s 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom in the World has attracted a lot of criticism, with some believing that what the Local Ordinary of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Sokoto said in Rome about persecution in his country does not address the anguish of Christians in the West African nation.
Africa’s Youth Reflect Profound Social Transformation, Not Just “demographic indicator”: SECAM President
Young people in Africa reflect a “profound” social transformation, and their growing numbers are aa tremendous opportunity if they are accorded appropriate education and are empowered, the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has said.
Catholic Bishop of Jinja Diocese in Uganda Laid to Rest amid Calls to Uphold Vision “to be one”
Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere of Uganda's Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala has encouraged the people of God in Jinja Catholic Diocese to uphold the unity and pastoral vision of their Bishop, the late Charles Martin Wamika who was laid to rest on Tuesday, October 28.
Nigeria’s Catholic Youths Urged to Rediscover Faith, Reject Social Vices, “become agents of peace”
Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja in Nigeria has challenged young people in the West African nation to renew their faith, embrace moral discipline, and play active roles in promoting peace and national transformation.
Church in Africa “gift of life”: Pope Leo XIV at Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies
Pope Leo XIV has recognized with appreciation Africa’s vibrant faith and missionary dynamism, describing the Church on the continent as “a gift of life” to the entire Universal Church.
Court in Kenya Exonerates Catholic Sister Earlier Detained over Colleague’s Death, Names Her State Witness
Sr. Caroline Kanjiru, a member of the Nazareth Sisters of the Annunciation(NSA) in Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Meru, has been exonerated by a Kenyan court after being held as the prime suspect in the October 12 murder of her colleague, Sr. Anselmina Karimi.
Religious Leaders Call for Peaceful Participation in Tanzania’s October 29 General Elections
As voters in Tanzanian head to the polls on Wednesday, October 29, faith-based leaders have issued a united plea for peace, urging citizens in the East African nation to safeguard the country’s long-standing stability.
Incumbent Secures Fourth Term in Ivory Coast’s Presidential Poll, Religious Leaders Call for Peace
President Alassane Ouattara has secured a fourth term in office following Ivory Coast’s October 25 presidential election, according to provisional results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI).
“Keep the flame of faith and hope alive,” Spiritan Bishop in Angola Urges Newly Ordained Priests
Bishop Maurício Agostinho Camuto of the Catholic Diocese of Caxito in Angola has called upon three newly ordained Priests to become steadfast witnesses of faith and sources of hope in their ministry among God’s people.
Nigerians “dying for a living”: Catholic Bishop Decries Persistent Violence, Calls for Global Support
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto in Nigeria has decried the wave of killings and insecurity in the West African nation and termed the situation “a national tragedy.”
At Double Jubilee of Ghana’s Cape Coast Archdiocese, Papal Delegate Calls for Walking “forward with Confidence”
Wilfrid Fox Cardinal Napier of South Africa, Papal Delegate to the Double Jubilee celebration – marking both the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year and the 75th anniversary of the elevation of Ghana’s Cape Coast Church to an Archdiocese – has urged the people of God to move forward with confidence, grounded in gratitude for their past, commitment to the present, and faith in God’s promises for the future.
Benin-born Former Vatican Culture Secretary Dies at 83, Eulogized as “great theologian”
Bishop Barthélemy Adoukonou, a native of Benin and former Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture at the Vatican, has passed on at the age of 83. Bishop Adoukonou passed on shortly after midnight on Monday, October 27, at the University Teaching Hospital in Cotonou, the Local Ordinary of Cotonou Catholic Archdiocese who doubles as the President of the Episcopal Conference of Benin (CEB) announced in a statement. “A great theologian, educator, and man of faith, Bishop Adoukonou devoted his entire life to the service of God, the Church, and culture,” Archbishop Roger Houngbédji says in the October 27 statement. Archbishop Houngbédji notes that as former Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Bishop Adoukonou “worked with intelligence and passion to foster dialogue between faith and reason, between the Gospel and African cultures.” “His teaching, wisdom, and deep love for the Church have profoundly influenced generations of Priests, women and men Religious, intellectuals, and lay faithful,” the member of the Order of Preachers (OP/Dominicans) says. He further says the late Bishop’s passing “leaves a great void in the life of the Church and the intellectual world, but his radiant witness remains a precious spiritual and cultural legacy.” “We commend his soul to the mercy of the Lord, in the firm belief that Christ, conqueror of death, welcomes him into the joy of His Kingdom,” Archbishop Houngbédji says, and adds, “Funeral arrangements will be communicated at a later date.” Bishop Adoukonou served as rector of Saint-Paul di Djimé Major Seminary in Benin from 1977 to 1984; professor of fundamental theology at the Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA) in Abidjan Ivory Coast, from 1978 to 1982. From 2000 to 2009, Bishop Adoukonou served as Secretary of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA). In December 2009, he was appointed Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture and was ordained Bishop in October 2011. The founder of the Movement Le Sillon Noir (Mewihwendo), which he animated from its inception in 1970 until 1999 also served as member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, now the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. He was also a member of the International Theological Commission for two five-year terms. In another statement issued October 27, the Rector of the Catholic University of the Congo (UCC) described Bishop Adoukonou as an “undisputed and indisputable master of the inculturation of the Christian faith in Africa.” Fr. Léonard Santedi Kinkupu recalled that the late Bishop Adoukonou, who was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university’s Faculty of Theology, “was one of the pioneers of African theology.” “The Theological School of Kinshasa pays a vibrant tribute to this master,” Fr. Santedi says, adding that his 1977 doctoral thesis, Foundations for an African Theology: An Essay on a Christian Hermeneutic of the Dahomean Vodun, written under the supervision of Professor Joseph Ratzinger – later Pope Benedict XVI – “remains a masterpiece in theology and a major contribution to the essential and ever-demanding dialogue between faith and culture.” Fr. Santedi extends his condolences “to the biological and religious family of the deceased, as well as to the entire African academic community,” and commends his soul “to your fervent prayers.” “May the Lord welcome him into His Kingdom and grant him the reward promised to the good and faithful servant,” the UCC Rector implores.
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