"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him" (Rom 15:13)

To you, beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, the faithful of all our Catholic Dioceses in Africa and its islands, and to all people of goodwill: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We, the members of the Standing Committee of SECAM, gathered in Accra, Ghana, from February 11-14, 2025, for our first annual ordinary meeting, address you today with hearts filled with both concern and grief because of the ongoing conflicts in our Continent, nonetheless with Christian hope.

Current Situations of Concern

We know that Africa's rich mineral deposits, truly a potential source of prosperity, have instead continued to be a source of conflict. The desire to control and appropriate these resources motivates powerful nations and multinational corporations to fund armed factions in some African countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan, etc, thereby perpetuating, violence, displacement and instability.

We acknowledge the immense suffering that many of our brothers and sisters are enduring due to conflicts, violence, massacres and instability in various parts of our continent. To all who are bereaved and suffering, we say: “you are not forgotten”. The Church has not abandoned you. We stand with you, pray for you, and continue to call for justice, peace, and reconciliation. To those who persist in the scramble for the resources of Africa, we echo the words of the Holy Father Pope Francis, in his speech of January 2023 in Kinshasa, DRC: “Hands off the Democratic Republic of Congo! Hands off Africa! Stop choking Africa, it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered.”

Our Inspiration and Hope through Synodality

As we embrace this Jubilee Year as Pilgrims of Hope, we are reminded that even in the darkest times, hope must never fade. The Jubilee invites us to renew our trust in God, to strengthen the bonds of communion, and to seek new paths of healing and unity. The message of Christ, the Prince of Peace, must resound loudly in Africa. We urge all people of goodwill—within the Church and beyond—to be instruments of peace, choosing dialogue over division, love over hatred, and hope over despair.

If the Synod on Synodality ever had meaning, this is the time to demonstrate it. The call to walk together as a Church, listening to one another and acting in unity, must become a lived reality. The challenges before us compel us to greater collaboration among bishops, priests, religious, and the people of God everywhere. No one can stand alone; we are one body in Christ. As shepherds of the Church in Africa, we commit to strengthening the structures of communion and ensuring that the Church remains a voice of truth, justice, and hope in our society.

Our Passionate Call to Prayer

As followers of Christ, we are called to stand together in prayer for those in need and to seek God's intervention for peace and healing. We urge all believers to dedicate time for prayer, asking the Lord to bring an end to the war, to comfort the afflicted, and to guide our leaders toward justice and reconciliation. To this end, we invite every diocese, parish, and religious community in Africa to unite in a triduum of prayer and fasting, each according to their local customs and facilities, from March 3^rd to 5^th, 2025.

Let us lift up our voices to God in unity, trusting that He hears the cries of His people even as we all work fervently for peace. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." (Matthew 5:9) May the Lord grant peace to Eastern Congo and all other lands all regions suffering from conflict.

We entrust our continent, Africa, to the maternal care of Our Lady of Africa and invoke God’s blessings upon all of you. May His peace reign in our hearts, in our homes, and in our nations. Amen.

Given in Accra, Ghana
13^th of February 2025
The Standing Committee of SECAM