2014-07-27 11:55:00

AMECEA PLENARY ASSEMBLY OF BISHOPS CLOSES IN LILONGWE, MALAWI


(Vatican Radio) The newly elected Chairman for the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) comprising of the Episcopal Conferences of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan/South Sudan, Uganda, Zambia as well as the affiliate members of Djibouti and Somalia, Most Rev. Berhaneyesus Souraphiel, the Archbishop of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia has celebrated the AMECEA closing Mass and presented the AMECEA Communiqué to the faithful in Lilongwe.

In the Communiqué, the Bishops of the AMECEA region express their commitment to do whatever is within  their ability to bring about lasting peace to conflict areas of the region.  The Bishops have appealed to all people in conflict areas to embrace peace, seek reconciliation and work towards nation-building.

Archbishop Berhaneyesus who read the Communiqué on behalf of two hundred Bishops also reaffirmed the importance of family as the nucleus of life and the desire of the Bishops of AMECEA that the family becomes an agent for New Evangelisation which is truly African and truly Christian.

"The threat to the family in our region is now more real than ever before.  The crisis of marriage and the family has been increased by individualism in contemporary society, breakdown of morals, attacks on the family unit, poverty and unemployment. As a Church in the region, we will endeavour to protect the family which is the domestic Church against all these dangers. We commit ourselves to the pastoral care of broken families and all those who are going through difficulties in their families. We also condemn all forms of domestic violence,” the Bishops said.

In accordance with the teaching of the Catholic Church, the Bishops further reiterated the importance of the institution of marriage as an indissoluble union of love between a man and a woman open to procreation. They denounced any attempt to redefine the institution of marriage. “Family life must be respected, promoted and protected so that it can provide men and women who can weave a social fabric of peace and harmony. We strongly condemn same sex unions and other deviations that go against human nature and natural law,” the Bishops added.

Other areas of concern to the Bishops in the Communiqué include the challenge of New Evangelization as an instrument to address the new pastoral challenges of our times.

The Bishops also allude to the continued importance of Small Christian Communities as places for true experience and expression of faith.

The call for the Church to embrace the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and new media for Evangelization also gets mention in the Communiqué. The Bishops urge pastoral agents to not only use social media but also make responsible use of it especially by developing good content. More importantly, the Bishops commit themselves to strengthening their social communication departments in order to realise this aim.

The AMECEA closing Mass was held at Maula grounds of Our Lady of Africa Cathedral. Their Eminences Gabriel Cardinal Zubeir Wako, John Cardinal Njue and Most Rev. Tarcisius Ziyaye, the outgoing AMECEA Chairman concelebrated.

The Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, Saulos Chilima, the Governor of the city of Lilongwe also joined the Bishops together with the lay faithful who filled the Cathedral grounds of Maula.

Email Radio Vatican, English Africa Service: engafrica@vatiradio.va

 








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