AMECEA: Updates on the 19th Plenary Preparations
The preparations for the upcoming 19th plenary assembly in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia are underway almost completion.
According to the Secretary General of AMECEA, Rev Fr. Ferdinand Lugonzo, the preparations commenced two years ago and there were two instruments put in place to facilitate the preparations. “The theme of the plenary was defined two years ago, Fr. Lugonzo explained adding, the plenary prayer which was meant to prepare AMECEA Spiritually and the posters which had the logo of the plenary aimed to bring the theme of the plenary at the door steps of the stake holders, have been the two instruments for the preparations.”
These instruments were distributed to the member conferences and institutions of AMECEA to help them reflect on the issues of diversity, equality, and the need for unity for the sake of peace in the AMECEA region as well as praying for the success of the plenary.
Other logistics in terms of security, the venue for the meeting, Visa processing, accommodations for the bishops, the partners and other delegates have also been ongoing.
“I am so impressed that from the last meetings we had in Ethiopia for the executive board and the Secretaries General, it is clear that the host conference has done a lot of preparations, and what is left is just follow-ups,” Fr. Lugonzo narrates.
Other preparations regarding the sessions during the assembly have also been in the process and the Secretary General explains, “The assembly normally has two sessions; the study session which is done through presentations to break down the theme that had been chosen and the business session, that has two key issues; getting reports from AMECEA institutions and election of leadership of the association together with the leadership of the institutions” he explains.
Those who will participate in the plenary are divided in two major groups: the delegates who are all Bishops, the Archbishops and Cardinals from member conferences and members from the national secretariats of the local Churches who will add value to the discussions during the study sessions.
The Delegates who have already confirmed attendance are from Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Djibouti, Somalia, Zambia, Sudan and South Sudan. According to Fr. Lugonzo, Eritrea one of the member conferences will not be represented in the plenary.
“Unfortunately we will miss the participation from one of our member conferences and that is Eritrea. Efforts have been made to ensure that they attend the plenary but this has not been fruitful. We hope, all that will be discussed in the plenary will be distributed to the church in Eritrea,” Fr. Lugonzo said.
The other participants from partners and sectors of the church who will attend the conference apart from the delegates include, delegations from Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) , Roman Curia, United States Conference of Catholic Bishop (USCCB), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), SIGNIS, CAMECO, Church in Need, Missio AACHEN, International Missionary Society, Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA), International Young Christian Society African Coordination Team , International Young Christian Workers Coordination Team and CAFOD among others.
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Sr. Antoinette Jecinter Okoth, FSSA
