ETHIOPIA: Steering Committee Holds Consultative Fora for Ownership of Ten-year Church-wide Pastoral Planning
Participants during the Ten-year Church-wide pastoral planning (1)
By Bezawit Assefa
The Ethiopian Catholic Church’s Ten-year Church-wide strategic planning consultation forum was held at Bishan Guracha St. John’s 23rd Human formation Center in Vicariate of Meki.
After the approval of the plan by the bishops in the month of July, the National steering committee has had multiple consultation forum with different dioceses and institutions in creating ownership and discussions on contextualization of the plan.
The forum was attended by participants from ten dioceses, including Vicar Generals, Pastoral coordinators, development coordinators, representatives of priests and religious nuns, education and health department coordinators, administrative, human resources and financial coordinators, and the national steering committee.
In the consultation forum, the NSC presented the plan framework that has been discussed and refined in various consultation forums with the participants in all areas of the Catholic Church in Ethiopia. The participants have had group discussions on specific issues that needs more attention, issues that needs corrections and, issues that needs to be added.
Rev. Abba Teshome Fikre chairperson of the national steering committee and Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia, implied the Ten-year plan will help the Catholic Church in Ethiopia to exercise her vision and mission through a synodal way. He added “the Church-wide pastoral plan will create an opportunity for the Church to implement and address her core strategic issues throughout the country. Therefore, the Church calls all for Prayers for this new approach and to realize its implementation.”
The consultation forum so far has engaged the General Secretariat, Dioceses, Congregation, laity and, youth movements and will continue to have such forum in the remaining dioceses and various stakeholders.
