On Sunday, 28 January 2024, 68 bishops and cardinals from Burundi, Rwanda, and DRC gathered in Goma (DRC) for a Mass of Solidarity for Peace.
Billboards across Goma announced this solemn event, a collaborative effort of Pax Christi International, AFRICA RECONCILED, and ACEAC (Burundi, DRC, Rwanda).
This mass reflects ACEAC bishops’ commitment to nonviolence, stemming from their meeting in Rome last October 2023.
“If you want peace, prepare peace.”
The event marked a significant step towards fostering peace in the Great Lakes Region.
The success of the event was highlighted by a series of activities that took place over the weekend. On Saturday, January 27, intercultural activities led by groups from Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC set the tone for the Mass of Solidarity. Cardinals and bishops, serving as emissaries of peace, held a press conference in front of local, regional, and international journalists, conveying their message to a global audience.
A poignant moment unfolded as the ACEAC Cardinals and bishops visited the Lushagala refugee camp, delivering a message of solidarity and peace to the 90,000 displaced people residing there.
Mass of Solidarity for Peace
The solemn Mass itself was a testament to unity, attended by ACEAC bishops, cardinals, a Vatican delegation, and guests from the USA, EU, and AU, along with a multitude of faithful locals.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa, delivered a homily, urging everyone to actively work towards peace. “The history of our countries will no longer be written without mentioning your tenacity in defending peace and unity. This celebration is an opportunity to start again on the right foot in hope,” he said. He then recalled the role of the bishop as “first responsible for the proclamation of the Gospel” as emphasized by the Synod on Synodality. He concluded by saying, “Only the power of love can persuade us that peace is closer to us than when we began this initiative. This hope comes from our commitment to building lasting fraternal relations between our peoples. It’s the hope of a peace built from the grassroots, through networks of fraternity, mutual aid, solidarity, and sharing. Let’s weave this “bond of peace” on a large scale.”
Advocacy Note
A two-day workshop for operational planning brought together cardinals, bishops, priests, and eight partners, including representatives from Pax Christi International. During the workshop, an advocacy note by Pax Christi International, AFRICA RECONCILED, and ACEAC was presented to the bishops, reinforcing their commitment to peace.
The advocacy note calls on Bishops in the Great Lakes sub-region to support regional leaders in ending ongoing wars, emphasizing the promotion of peace and active nonviolence. Heads of State are urged to prioritize dialogue over armed conflict and invest consistently in development, while regional bodies are asked to adopt measures for lasting peace and encourage collaboration. The note also calls on the people of the Great Lakes sub-region to unite for peace, discourage divisive actions, and commit to human dignity and forgiveness while denouncing troublemakers. You can read the complete note here.
This significant gathering received extensive coverage from local, regional, and international outlets such as Fides, BBC, VOA, France 24, and more.
ACEAC’s statement
The Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa have published an exhortation to the people of the Great Lakes sub-region. They strongly condemn civil wars and massacres, urging different actors to participate in building peace. The call includes the establishment of four ministries of peace that mutually and constantly impact each other: to be peacemakers, peace pilgrims, peace sentinels, and peacekeepers.
To church leaders, they emphasize that peace-building is the responsibility of every Christian. They commit to the exchange of religious pastoral agents between communities in their countries, cross-border twinning, capacity-building of pastoral agents in dialogue, mediation, and reconciliation, and joint pilgrimages.
Addressing Christians and young people, ACEAC bishops encourage the formation of a network of peacemakers that reaches various socio-professional circles, urging individuals to leave armed groups, stop killing their brothers, and relentlessly pray and act for peace.
ACEAC bishops then urge leaders to embark on a true path of fraternity, authorizing a community of values and not warriors. The plea is to avoid closing borders but to open them, guaranteeing the security of people, goods, and territories, and to refrain from building walls but instead, build bridges.
You can read the full statement (in French) here.
This gathering stands as a beacon of hope and a call to action, resonating with the collective commitment to building a peaceful future in the Great Lakes Region.
The journey toward peace continues, and Pax Christi International and its local partners remain steadfast in their mission to sow the seeds of peace, active nonviolence, and reconciliation.
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Picture via AFRICA RECONCILED