AMECEA to be represented at the Synod Papal Exhortation in Benin

The Chairman of AMECEA His Grace Archbishop Tarcisio Ziyaye will be among witnesses of the signing of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops which is to be done by the Holy Father in Benin.

The signing ceremony is due to take place in the presence of thirty-five presidents of national episcopal conferences, and the seven heads of the continent’s regional conferences.

Pope Benedict XVI will be making his second Papal trip to Africa on Friday (Nov. 18); AMECEA Region will be fully represented.

During Mass at a stadium in the city of Cotonou on Sunday, Benedict will present Catholic Bishops from across Africa with an authoritative Papal Exhortation document about the church’s efforts to promote “reconciliation, justice and peace.”

The document is based on a three-week synod of Bishops of African held at the Vatican in October 2009. That convention ended with an unusually strong official statement that blamed violent conflict in Africa on “greed for power and wealth at the expense of the people and nation,” and called on political leaders to “clean the continent of corruption.”

The AMECEA Region has actively been involved in the preparation for the synod. In March 2009 prior to the synod, a delegate preparatory workshop was organized by AMECEA to purposely fine-tune issues AMECEA wanted to take to the synod. The workshop involved analysis of social-political and economical issues that came up from the responses to the Lineamenta and possible pastoral response. From the workshop, an advisory team comprising of four members was appointed to accompany the AMECEA Bishops to the Synod. The work of this team was to prepare interventions and help the Bishops keep abreast with the identified issues of concern at the preparatory workshop.

From the Synod, AMECEA continues to organize workshops and activities around the propositions that came from the Synod awaiting the Papal Exhortation to be released later. The launch of the Papal Exhortation is a culmination of the entire Synod process for which AMECEA wants to be part of.

Together with AMECEA Chairman AMECEA will also be represented Fr Jude Waweru, AMECEA Justice and Peace Desk Coordinator. Their presence at the launch will help AMECEA to harness theological output around the launch and to enthusiastically work out activities informed by the exhortation in a way of implementation.

The Pontiff will be visiting the West African country of Benin for three days, where he is likely to address economic justice, peace-building and interfaith dialogue.