AMECEA PLENARY: New Bishops in Eastern Africa Share their Experiences about AMECEA Plenary, Commend the Assembly
Bishop Raphael Mweempwa of Monze diocese, Zambia
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
In the just concluded 20th plenary assembly of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, new bishops in the region have shared their experiences about the week- long assembly applauding its success as they recommend continuity of the Association.
“It has been a learning moment and very enlightening. I have come to understand how the proceedings of the assembly are conducted and at the same time I have been enriched by the insights shared by other delegates,” Bishop Raphael Mweempwa of Monze diocese, Zambia shared with AMECEA online Saturday, July 16, adding, “Having come for this assembly for the first time, I have interacted which many bishops from various countries and Conferences, I have listened to their experiences and learnt how they carry out their various apostolates in dioceses.”
Bishop Mweempwa who was consecrated about two months ago on May 7, 2022 shared further that the discussions on the plenary’s theme ‘Environmental Impact on Integral Human Development’ has sharpened his understanding on care for Mother Earth saying: “The theme we have discussed in this plenary has helped me understand at a deeper level about care of creation and I feel the urge of doing more about ecological conversion. I’m very happy to have participated in this assembly.”
Sharing his sentiments about the same plenary, Bishop Matthew Remijio Adam Gbitiku of South Sudan’s Wau Diocese, highlighted that the plenary “was very healthy and worth attending.”
“This meeting of Bishops’ Conferences as an association in the region together with affiliate countries is very important as we share common pastoral experiences and challenges we have including political ecological, pastoral and social challenges,” Bishop Remijio a member of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ) said during Saturday 16, interview.
He added, “I realized that the majority of the bishops are still young in the ministry, and so with such association it helps us share our views, pastoral challenges and come up with solutions which can help us together as members of the same region.”
Stressing on the significance of the 20th AMECEA plenary’s theme in relation to his country South Sudan, the Prelate who was ordained January 24, 2021 narrated: “This theme is very important, and in reference to our country South Sudan, this is very vital because so far there is no guidance from the side of the government concerning care of environment and now the Church has to take lead in collaboration with the government and develop ways of caring for creation. So the Church has to create more awareness to the people who still seem ignorant about this topic.”
He appreciated the leadership of AMECEA for the successful organization of the 20th plenary amidst the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic.
On the other hand, Bishop Remijio highlighted his concern regarding the duration of the plenary saying, “I feel the time frame for the assembly is quite short. Having the plenary in eight to nine days is tedious, since we had to work from morning till evening to finalize all that is in the timetable and come up with resolutions for the next four years.”
For Bishops Joseph Eciru Oliach of Soroti Diocese, Uganda, who was consecrated 29th May 2019, the experience was unique.
“I felt the words of the psalmist resounding: “How beautiful it is when brothers live together,” he said and continued, “We cannot but thank God for inspiring the founding Fathers of AMECEA and the association should never die in our hands.”
On his part, the Local Ordinary of Kenya’s Lodwar Diocese Bishop John Mbinda acknowledged that the plenary assembly was a special time for him “to learn how AMECEA bishops transact their business, address issues facing the people in the region and make decisions which seek to improve the living standards of the people and grow their faith.”
“It was also a profound time to encounter and link up with prelates from the AMECEA region as well as friends and partners of the AMECEA fraternity,” the member of the congregation of the Holy Spirit (CSSP) said and emphasized further, “There were great moments of deepening of faith as we celebrated the Holy Eucharistic and the Liturgy of the hours together and enjoyed the hospitality and the faith of Tanzanian people.”
In his opinion, the Prelate who was ordained 4th June, 2022 underscores that, “The Association is something which each one of us (Bishops) should work hard to sustain, support and encourage.”
“As the saying goes, two heads are better than one and two hands make the work lighter, AMECEA forms a formidable force which can interrogate the daily experiences of our people and influence policies which improve the living standards of the people and facilitate their faith journey,” he narrated.
Sharing his sentiments in relation to the plenary’s theme he said, “The Church seeks to promote the integral development of the human person and it is the interest of the AMECEA to make this a reality.”
The bishop of Lodwar Diocese noted that “The study component of the AMECEA Plenary gives us a scientific foundation of addressing specific challenges or issues and examine possible solutions while the business component helps us to revisit and evaluate our common projects as well as the internal organizational of AMECEA.”
Echoing other prelates, Bishop Mbinda, said the union of AMECEA “should not only be nurtured but we should also seek to bring on board other countries who are not yet members. This will give us a strong common front as we forge forward to serve our people in the AMECEA region.”
The bishop for Dedza Diocese in Malawi, Rt. Rev. Peter Adrian Chifukwa also shared: “Initially before departure for Dar es Salaam, I did not habour any list of expectations as to what attending this regional plenary assembly entailed for me as an individual Bishop and for my Local Church.”
“There was time for our spiritual needs when as bishops we together celebrated the Most Holy Eucharist and recited the Divine office; there was room for personal devotion (and) I did not miss home for the sake of pursuing my spiritual exercises,” Bishop Chifukwa said in an interview Thursday, July 21, adding that “The plan of activities guiding the plenary Assembly paid attention to the spiritual, pastoral and social elements which a Bishop would need.”
According to the Prelate who was consecrated August 28, 2021, the social aspect of meeting and knowing other bishops from various conferences in the region was” so rewarding.” Besides, “discussions of pastoral matters affecting our ministry came almost instantly (and) “I drew from meeting with other bishops the boldness to be open to new forms of pastoral charity in the face of particularly local pastoral challenges, in order to continue holding out a promise of salvation of souls of the faithful.”
Bishop Chifukwa further appreciated the processes of developing policies which guide the entire region, praying for collaborative prophetic voice that continues to unify the Christians in the region.
“I felt the power and the effectiveness of the solemnness with which the plenary generated policies to be implemented in the local Churches of the region. I was prophetically nourished being part and parcel of this powerful voice of the Catholic Church in the region,” he said and narrated further, “The experience of being part of this prophetic voice which not only addresses the faithful but also the whole world was quite empowering. I pray that the prophetic voice of the Church in the region would continue to solidify as a necessary pastoral feature which unites the catholic faithful of this region into one huge family with a noble mission to fulfil.”
He also acknowledged that the presence of the Catholic media personnel during the week-long plenary “showed the serious commitment the Plenary Assembly consciously nurtured to inform, teach and instruct the faithful back in the local churches as agents of evangelization.”
