SECAM launches continental Year of Reconciliation
By Damian Avevor
The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has launched the Continental Year of Reconciliation with an appeal to African Governments and international Organisations in Africa to help in the efforts towards attaining a more reconciled Africa.
The Year, which started from July 29, 2015 and ends on July 29, 2016 during the Plenary Assembly of SECAM in Angola, was launched by Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, Treasurer of SECAM and Archbishop of Accra during its 46th Anniversary at the SECAM Secretariat.
Every July 29 is marked as SECAM Day after its establishment in Kampala, Uganda in 1969.
Launching the Year, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said the celebration of the Year of Reconciliation was in reference to a call in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Africae Munus (AM).
He said Pope (Emeritus) Benedict XVI stated in Africae Munus that: “In order to encourage reconciliation in communities, I heartily recommend, as did the Synod Fathers, that each country celebrate yearly a day or week of reconciliation, SECAM will be able to help bring this about and, in accord with the Holy See, promote a continent-wide Year of Reconciliation to beg of God special forgiveness for all the evils and injuries mutually inflicted in Africa, and for the reconciliation of persons and groups who have been hurt in the Church and in the whole of society. This would be an extraordinary Jubilee Year during which the Church in Africa and in neighbouring islands gives thanks with the universal Church and implores the gifts of the Holy Spirit especially the gift of reconciliation, justice and peace.” (AM # 157).
In this regard, he said, SECAM was organising several workshops and seminars at the Regional and Continental levels. The promotion of reconciliation will have an ecumenical outreach as well as involving all other religions in Africa.
He said SECAM had asked all Episcopal Conferences on the Continent of Africa, with the assistance of their Justice and Peace Commissions, to celebrate the Year, according to their own programmes based on the general theme: A Reconciled Africa for Peaceful Co-existence. He said the celebration was to afford “all people of goodwill on our continent to allow themselves to be reconciled with God and with each other so that together we may build an Africa with structures which are more humane, more just, more respectful of the rights of all persons irrespective of their tribe, nationality, race or religious affiliation.”
He noted that African traditions which call for solidarity and sharing and concern for the common good with various religious practices of reconciliation were “to inspire us with confidence and to testify that such an ideal is not beyond us.”
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle noted that apart from the Year of Reconciliation, SECAM was also preparing for the forthcoming Synod of Bishops on the family in Rome in October in the light of many challenges that the family in Africa was faced with.
“It is our conviction that families ought to rediscover their true identity. We also recognize the vital role that the youth and women paly in sustaining family life hence the need for us to value them and protect them from undue influences alien to African culture and the value of human life.”
He said in marking SECAM DAY and the Year of Reconciliation and in the resolve of the Bishops of Africa to strive for self-reliance, all Episcopal Conferences have been asked to take a special collection in all Churches in Africa on a Sunday close to July 29, 2015 or any day that is convenient to them before the end of this year- 2015.
The Archbishop said the collection would be used to support the operational expenses of SECAM Secretariat and the carrying out of projects in the realm of Evangelization: Biblical Apostolate, Faith and Culture, the Laity and Family; Justice, Peace and Development, and Good Governance; Social Communications: Catholic News Agency for Africa(CANAA), Publication of the Directory of the Church in Africa and of Documents, Website development; Administration, meetings of the Standing Committee, SECAM Plenary Assemblies and to study and collate materials pertaining to the challenges the Church faces today, the promotion of integral human development and deeper evangelization as enshrined in the Strategic plan of SECAM Secretariat.
He appealed to the lay faithful of Africa to contribute towards this project tp make SECAM self-reliant
SECAM was founded in Kampala, Uganda in July 1969 during a visit to that country by Pope Paul VI. It was a resolve of the Bishops of Africa to build a continental structure in order to bring about the African vision and contribution to the Universal Church.
It is a Pan-African body for organic pastoral solidarity among the Catholic Bishops in Africa and Madagascar which promotes collaboration and joint activities and foster communion among the Episcopal Conferences of Africa in their evangelising mission and the promotion of integral human development.
At the programme were Diplomats, Priests, Religious, Church Societies, Staff of SECAM and friends of SECAM including.
The celebration, preceded with Holy Eucharist, presided over by Rev. Fr. Yves-Lucien Evaga Ndjana, Director of the Biblical Apostolate of Africa and Madagascar (BICAM).
In his homily in French, Fr. Evaga acknowledged the growth of the Church in Africa saying, “The commemoration of SECAM Day has within it a vitally important spiritual meaning for it helps us reflect on the Church as family of God which is seen building up each day in Africa.”
The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has launched the Continental Year of Reconciliation with an appeal to African Governments and international Organisations in Africa to help in the efforts towards attaining a more reconciled Africa.
The Year, which started from July 29, 2015 and ends on July 29, 2016 during the Plenary Assembly of SECAM in Angola, was launched by Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, Treasurer of SECAM and Archbishop of Accra during its 46th Anniversary at the SECAM Secretariat.
Every July 29 is marked as SECAM Day after its establishment in Kampala, Uganda in 1969.
Launching the Year, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said the celebration of the Year of Reconciliation was in reference to a call in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Africae Munus (AM).
He said Pope (Emeritus) Benedict XVI stated in Africae Munus that: “In order to encourage reconciliation in communities, I heartily recommend, as did the Synod Fathers, that each country celebrate yearly a day or week of reconciliation, SECAM will be able to help bring this about and, in accord with the Holy See, promote a continent-wide Year of Reconciliation to beg of God special forgiveness for all the evils and injuries mutually inflicted in Africa, and for the reconciliation of persons and groups who have been hurt in the Church and in the whole of society. This would be an extraordinary Jubilee Year during which the Church in Africa and in neighbouring islands gives thanks with the universal Church and implores the gifts of the Holy Spirit especially the gift of reconciliation, justice and peace.” (AM # 157).
In this regard, he said, SECAM was organising several workshops and seminars at the Regional and Continental levels. The promotion of reconciliation will have an ecumenical outreach as well as involving all other religions in Africa.
He said SECAM had asked all Episcopal Conferences on the Continent of Africa, with the assistance of their Justice and Peace Commissions, to celebrate the Year, according to their own programmes based on the general theme: A Reconciled Africa for Peaceful Co-existence. He said the celebration was to afford “all people of goodwill on our continent to allow themselves to be reconciled with God and with each other so that together we may build an Africa with structures which are more humane, more just, more respectful of the rights of all persons irrespective of their tribe, nationality, race or religious affiliation.”
He noted that African traditions which call for solidarity and sharing and concern for the common good with various religious practices of reconciliation were “to inspire us with confidence and to testify that such an ideal is not beyond us.”
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle noted that apart from the Year of Reconciliation, SECAM was also preparing for the forthcoming Synod of Bishops on the family in Rome in October in the light of many challenges that the family in Africa was faced with.
“It is our conviction that families ought to rediscover their true identity. We also recognize the vital role that the youth and women paly in sustaining family life hence the need for us to value them and protect them from undue influences alien to African culture and the value of human life.”
He said in marking SECAM DAY and the Year of Reconciliation and in the resolve of the Bishops of Africa to strive for self-reliance, all Episcopal Conferences have been asked to take a special collection in all Churches in Africa on a Sunday close to July 29, 2015 or any day that is convenient to them before the end of this year- 2015.
The Archbishop said the collection would be used to support the operational expenses of SECAM Secretariat and the carrying out of projects in the realm of Evangelization: Biblical Apostolate, Faith and Culture, the Laity and Family; Justice, Peace and Development, and Good Governance; Social Communications: Catholic News Agency for Africa(CANAA), Publication of the Directory of the Church in Africa and of Documents, Website development; Administration, meetings of the Standing Committee, SECAM Plenary Assemblies and to study and collate materials pertaining to the challenges the Church faces today, the promotion of integral human development and deeper evangelization as enshrined in the Strategic plan of SECAM Secretariat.
He appealed to the lay faithful of Africa to contribute towards this project tp make SECAM self-reliant
SECAM was founded in Kampala, Uganda in July 1969 during a visit to that country by Pope Paul VI. It was a resolve of the Bishops of Africa to build a continental structure in order to bring about the African vision and contribution to the Universal Church.
It is a Pan-African body for organic pastoral solidarity among the Catholic Bishops in Africa and Madagascar which promotes collaboration and joint activities and foster communion among the Episcopal Conferences of Africa in their evangelising mission and the promotion of integral human development.
At the programme were Diplomats, Priests, Religious, Church Societies, Staff of SECAM and friends of SECAM including.
The celebration, preceded with Holy Eucharist, presided over by Rev. Fr. Yves-Lucien Evaga Ndjana, Director of the Biblical Apostolate of Africa and Madagascar (BICAM).
In his homily in French, Fr. Evaga acknowledged the growth of the Church in Africa saying, “The commemoration of SECAM Day has within it a vitally important spiritual meaning for it helps us reflect on the Church as family of God which is seen building up each day in Africa.”
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle launching the SECAM continental Year of Reconciliation
