More than 50 delegates representing seven regional episcopal conferences of Africa, Madagascar and the Islands concluded a landmark gathering in Ethiopia, marking the official beginning of the continental phase of Africa’s preparations for the global Catholic Church assembly scheduled at the Vatican, according to Vatican News. Held from August 3 to August 5, the first preparatory seminar of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar took place under the theme, The Synodal Church in Africa: Journeying Towards the 2028 Ecclesial Assembly,
as reported by businessghana.com.
SECAM Launches Continental Preparations in Addis Ababa for 2028 Synodal Assembly
Hosted in the Catholic Archdiocese of Addis Ababa, the seminar formed part of the broader implementation phase of the multi-year XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which was officially inaugurated by Pope Francis in 2021 and extended to 2024, as detailed by ACI Africa. Welcoming participants to the country, His Eminence Berhaneyesus Demerew Cardinal Souraphiel, President of the Ethiopian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, described Ethiopia as the cradle of humanity and highlighted the remarkable growth of the Catholic Church across Africa, as noted by Amecea.
Addressing Regional Challenges and Identifying Seven Continental Priorities
During the Addis Ababa meetings, church leaders addressed various obstacles affecting local communities across the continent. According to ACI Africa, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, President of SECAM and Archbishop of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, pointed to ongoing difficulties such as poverty, armed conflict, forced displacement, insecurity, limited resources, and inadequate formation. Some communities still struggle to move from a culture of consultation to a culture of shared discernment and co-responsibility,
Cardinal Ambongo said, while emphasizing that these realities should inspire renewed hope rather than discouragement.
Building on regional reports and evaluations, the assembly identified seven key priorities to guide the Church in Africa toward the 2028 Ecclesial Assembly, as outlined by Amecea:
- Strengthening evangelization and catechesis
- Promoting shared leadership and co-responsibility
- Increasing participation in the Church’s mission
- Fostering self-sufficiency and good stewardship
- Advancing justice, peace and integral human development
- Encouraging ecumenical and interreligious dialogue
- Promoting inculturation and liturgical renewal
The Four-Stage Implementation Roadmap Toward 2028
The General Secretariat of the Synod published guiding criteria in May titled The Path of Implementation of the Synod: Towards the Assemblies 2027–2028 — Stages, Criteria, and Tools for Preparation,
establishing a common method and calendar for local Churches, episcopal conferences, and continental bodies, according to ACI Africa and synod.va.
Cardinal Ambongo and official Vatican guidelines outline a four-stage process running from 2027 through 2028, moving progressively from grassroots dioceses to continental assemblies:
- Recollecting (First semester of 2027): Evaluation assemblies in dioceses and eparchies, concluding by June 30, 2027.
- Interpreting (Second semester of 2027): Assemblies of national or regional Episcopal Conferences preparing theological-pastoral reports, concluding by December 31, 2027.
- Orienting (First four months of 2028): Continental synodal assemblies identifying shared priorities, concluding by April 30, 2028.
- Celebrating (October 2028): The final Ecclesial Assembly of the universal Church gathered with the Holy Father at the Vatican.
Closing the seminar, Cardinal Ambongo urged regional delegates to return home and establish national and diocesan synodal teams to prepare local communities for the upcoming stages, ensuring that African experiences and gifts enrich the universal Church ahead of the Vatican gathering, as reported by Vatican News.
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