The following are excerpts from the Communiqué of the 18th AMECEA Plenary Assembly. Please pray for the Church in Somalia and for the Church's mission throughout Eastern Africa, which at this time is suffering much due to famine, war and terrorism.- RCMS
(Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 1)
The Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), comprising of the Episcopal Conferences of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan/South Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and the affiliate members of Djibouti and Somalia met for their regular triennial Plenary Assembly from 16th-26th July 2014 under the theme: “New Evangelization through True Conversion and Witnessing to Christian Faith”.
Solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Region
We are saddened by the ongoing conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia and other parts of the world. We deplore the suffering of the people in these countries. We strongly advocate for a peaceful resolution to these conflicts and remain committed as Catholic Bishops in AMECEA region to do whatever is within our ability to bring about lasting peace to these Countries.
We ask our Catholic faithful and people of good will to remember Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia in their prayers and to attend with a helping hand to their urgent needs. We appeal to all peoples in these countries to embrace peace, seek reconciliation and work towards nation building.
Terrorism and Violence
While countries in the AMECEA region and beyond can claim to enjoy relative peace, the recurrent acts of violence and terrorism are very disturbing. We appeal to governments in the region to work hard to address the root causes of these problems and ensure protection of the lives of people and their properties. We further appeal for concerted regional and global efforts towards solving these problems. We appeal to all people to work for peace.
Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Conscience and Respect of Human Rights
We strongly affirm that all human rights should always be respected and guaranteed in every society. This is the basis of lasting peace and harmony.
We therefore appreciate the efforts of our governments in the region in guaranteeing freedom of worship.
We condemn all forms of violence coming from religious fundamentalism, radicalism and fanaticism and implore all religious leaders to pursue the path of mutual respect and dialogue.
Happenings Across the World during our Plenary Celebrations
During the period of our Plenary Assembly, we have heard of the loss of lives in the Malaysian Plane crash, loss of lives in Palestine and Syria, and different kinds of sufferings in many parts of the world. We pray for all those who lost their lives and express our solidarity with the countries affected.
