Bishops of Eastern Africa start plenary with focus on environment

Cardinal John Njue

Source: Vatican News

The Catholic Bishops of Eastern Africa began their plenary assembly in Tanzania last Sunday with an outdoor Mass in a Dar es Salaam stadium and prepared to focus attention on the environment and integral human development.

It was the 20th Plenary Assembly of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA). The principal celebrant at the Mass, attended by thousands of Catholics, was Cardinal John Njue, Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi, Kenya, and the homily was delivered by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation and representative of Pope Francis at the event.

Then the meeting took place 10-18 July at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre with the theme, 'Environmental Impact on Integral Human Development.'

According to Chairman of AMECEA, Bishop Charles Kasonde of Solwezi in Zambia, the Assembly was to focus on the central message of Pope Francis' landmark encyclical, Laudato Si'. "This is an urgent challenge for the world and the region because environmental degradation and its impact threatens the very existence of humanity that Jesus came to save," said the Zambian Bishop.

Four successive seasons of failed rains and drought have left more than 18 million people desperately short of food in East Africa. Local conflict, combined with skyrocketing food prices caused by the invasion of Ukraine, is making the situation even worse. Churches are tackling the humanitarian situation and supporting communities with emergency food relief, alongside encouraging tree planting and training farmers with new techniques so that they can adapt to the changing weather patterns.

The Chairman of AMECEA applauded the Bishops of Tanzania and lay Catholics for preparing resources for the Plenary. Bishop Kasonde further expressed his gratitude to God that the plenary has finally taken place following the Covid-19 pandemic.

AMECEA is a regional institution of Catholic Bishops in Eastern Africa with nine member countries, namely Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Its secretariat, headed by a Secretary General, is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Djibouti and Somalia are affiliate members.