More than 50 delegates representing seven regional episcopal conferences of Africa, Madagascar, and the Islands concluded a foundational preparatory gathering in Vatican News on Wednesday, August 5. Held under the theme The Synodal Church in Africa: Journeying Towards the 2028 Ecclesial Assembly,
the meeting marked the official start of the continental phase of Africa’s preparations for the upcoming ACI Africa scheduled to take place in Rome in October 2028.
Addis Ababa Seminar Launches Continental Preparations for Rome Assembly
The gathering was hosted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) and the Archdiocese of Addis Ababa. During the opening proceedings, His Eminence Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo Besungu, President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and Archbishop of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expressed gratitude to the Ethiopian Church and to His Eminence Berhaneyesus Demerew Cardinal Souraphiel, President of CBCE, for their hospitality extended to delegates.
Roadmap and Four Successive Stages Leading to 2028
The continental roadmap aligns with the implementation phase of the Synod on Synodality, following the multi-year XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops inaugurated by Pope Francis in 2021 and extended to 2024. In May, the General Secretariat of the Synod published an 18-page guidance document titled The Path of Implementation of the Synod: Towards the Assemblies 2027–2028 — Stages, Criteria, and Tools for Preparation.
According to SECAM leadership, the Church in Africa will navigate four successive stages leading up to the Vatican gathering:
* Awareness / Recollecting: Scheduled for the first half of 2027. * Interpretation: Set for the second half of 2027. * Orientation: Planned for the first four months of 2028. * Celebration: Culminating with the Continental Synodal Assembly and the Vatican Ecclesial Assembly in October 2028.
Cardinal Ambongo described the Addis Ababa seminar as a critical formation exercise intended to prepare regional teams. Upon returning home, delegates are tasked with establishing national synodal teams, which will subsequently form diocesan synodal teams to cascade the synodal process across local communities.
Addressing Continental Challenges and Pastoral Priorities
During the discussions, participants examined various social and pastoral hurdles affecting local communities across Africa. Cardinal Ambongo cited poverty, armed conflicts, forced migration, forced displacement, insecurity, limited resources, and inadequate formation in synodality as major concerns. He noted that some communities continue to struggle in transitioning from a culture of consultation to a culture of shared discernment and co-responsibility.
Despite these hurdles, the SECAM President encouraged participants to approach the process with discernment, prayer, and dialogue rather than discouragement. The meetings allowed delegates to identify signs of hope and outline a set of African synodal priorities that will guide the Church’s journey over the next two years, offering a common horizon to strengthen listening and missionary renewal.
Reflecting on the broader mission, Cardinal Ambongo emphasized Africa’s desire to contribute its distinct experiences and gifts to the universal Church. In his closing address, he underscored that implementation requires ongoing discernment at every level of Church life, from local parishes to continental and universal structures, while remaining attentive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
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