Bishop Richard Kuuia Baawobr has been elected the new president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conference of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). Bishop Baawobr, Bishop of the Diocese of Wa, Ghana and Cardinal-elect was elected at the 19th Plenary Assembly of SECAM held from July 25 to August 1, 2022 at the Ghana Institute of Public Management and Administration (GIMPA). Explaining what SECAM is all about in a message signed by the president, the assembly disclosed that it is the body that makes the Church in the continent to feel at home and contribute to the universal Church. They urged the Church to strive through concrete engagement of her members to be financially and materially self-sufficient. Speaking on insecurity in Africa and Madagascar, and calling on all people of good will to put an end to the problems, the assembly noted that several regions in the continent are experiencing insecurity owing to socio-political instability, violence, economic poverty, weak health structures, insurgency among others.

The assembly tasked leaders to put in place structures and conditions to discourage irregular migration, as it urged Christian communities to develop an active pastoral care for migration which can be broken down into four stages of action, welcome, protect, promote and integrate. They expressed pain in seeing the youths leaving their countries knowing that they are going to suffer and possibly lose their lives in foreign lands. On the Church in synodality, the assembly disclosed, “Since October 2021, the Holy Father, Pope Francis has called the Church to live a synodal process of reflection on its vocation to promote communion, participation and mission. Speaking on communications, the assembly noted that they have been reenergised by the Church’s teaching on social communications and goodwill of their partners, adding that as Church and family of God in Africa and Madagascar, it remains committed to engaging the world of media through traditional, modern and social means of communication and the new discoveries of the digital era. They gave thanks to God for the celebration of golden jubilee of 2019 and for the Kampala Document which also constitutes their roadmap to continue their mission in the African continent. T
he message read in parts: “We give thanks to the Lord of life who helped us through the hardship linked with the COVID-19 pandemic, and who gave SECAM the intelligence and strength to continue working and made it possible for us to meet again for this 19th Plenary Assembly.” The assembly expressed gratitude to the Holy Father, Pope Francis for his message of encouragement and for initiating the synodal dynamic which challenges the whole people of God and sets the Church in motion anew. Others elected on the occasion include Cardinal Fridolin Besungu Ambongo of the Archdiocese of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo as first Vice-President and Most Rev. Lucio Andrice Muandula of the Diocese of Xai Xai, Mozambigue, second Vice President. According to Fr. Dieu-Donne Kofi Davor, Director of Communications, Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the new president of SECAM was elected a Cardinal on May 20, 2022 by Pope Francis and will be officially installed Cardinal on August 27, 2022. The Plenary Assembly was attended by 130 Cardinals and Bishops representing over 600 members of SECAM from all over Africa. Present at the Assembly also were delegates from the Vatican, the Bishops’ Conferences of America, Europe and partner agencies.