SECAM has unveiled a comprehensive 12-point roadmap to guide the Catholic Church’s ministry across Africa from 2025 to 2050.
Newsroom (05/08/2025 Gaudium Press ) The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has unveiled a comprehensive 12-point roadmap to guide the Catholic Church’s ministry across Africa from 2025 to 2050. The strategic document, adopted during SECAM’s 20th Plenary Assembly held from July 30 to August 4, 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda, outlines a transformative vision under the theme “Christ, Source of Hope, Reconciliation and Peace.” The roadmap addresses pressing challenges while leveraging Africa’s spiritual, cultural, and human resources to foster a vibrant, self-reliant, and inclusive Church.
The 27-page document, deliberated and voted on by Catholic bishops from across the continent, is structured around 12 pillars, each presented through five components: a pastoral vignette, an African proverb or wisdom, an observation of African realities, a vision statement, and actionable steps for implementation. Fr. Rafael Simbine, SECAM’s Secretary General, described it as a “vision document” designed to inspire national and regional Episcopal Conferences, religious congregations, and ecclesiastical movements in crafting strategic plans over the next 25 years, aligning with the Church’s jubilee cycle.
Evangelization: Rooting Faith in Daily Life
The bishops reaffirmed evangelization as the Church’s core mission, emphasizing a dynamic and renewed approach focused on human liberation and salvation. They celebrated Africa’s vibrant faith, often witnessed through martyrdom, but expressed concern that in some regions, Christianity remains superficial, failing to permeate daily life or culture. This gap, they noted, results in a disconnect between professed beliefs and lived realities, particularly in areas where faith has not been deeply inculturated.
To address this, SECAM proposed a multifaceted strategy: explicit and implicit proclamation of the Gospel, reimagined faith formation, and evangelization that transforms cultures. The roadmap calls for fostering a sense of belonging to the “Family of God,” strengthening family and domestic church ministries, and promoting participatory liturgies that resonate with African spirituality. Additional steps include training catechists, leveraging small Christian communities, and ensuring faith formation is accessible and culturally relevant.
Self-Reliance: Breaking Economic Dependency
Despite its spiritual vitality, the African Church remains economically dependent, a challenge the bishops attributed to a culture of reliance on international aid. While acknowledging the contributions of global partners in building churches, seminaries, and formation houses, they criticized this dependency for stifling local initiative and accountability. Poor planning, weak administrative structures, and insufficient training in Church management were identified as key barriers.
The bishops highlighted Africa’s wealth in faith, creativity, and resources, calling for a shared vision of stewardship and entrepreneurial responsibility. Proposed actions include theological formation on stewardship, promoting local giving through tithing and fundraising, and establishing diocesan development offices to oversee sustainable projects. Training in financial and project management, creating legal and institutional frameworks, and investing in education and Church-owned enterprises were also emphasized. The roadmap advocates for a culture of accountability, intra-African solidarity, and the integration of youth and digital platforms to drive economic self-reliance. “A self-reliant Church does not reject global solidarity,” the bishops clarified, noting that Africa’s missionary gifts will continue to enrich the universal Church.
Family Model of Leadership: Embracing Synodal Governance
Rooted in the 1994 Synod for Africa’s vision of the Church as the Family of God, the roadmap aligns leadership with African values of unity, harmony, and collective decision-making. However, the bishops lamented persistent hierarchical, centralized, and exclusive leadership models marked by clericalism, tribalism, and patriarchal attitudes that marginalize laity, women, and youth. They noted that rigid authority structures within African families often mirror similar patterns in the Church.
To foster inclusive leadership, SECAM proposed adopting synodal governance that encourages dialogue and mutual care. Recommendations include comprehensive leadership formation, empowering laity, women, and youth, and promoting family-inspired pastoral strategies. The bishops called for accountability, transparency, and modeling leadership on Christ’s example of service, aiming to create a Church that reflects the dynamism and inclusivity of African family values.
Missionary Discipleship and Synodality: A Reciprocal Mission
The bishops redefined mission as bringing the Gospel to social, cultural, and ecclesial contexts, moving beyond traditional foreign missionary work. They emphasized synodality—journeying together—and the reciprocal exchange of spiritual gifts. Key actions include listening to creation, renewing catechesis and Catholic education, and providing formation for priests and religious. The roadmap advocates for inclusive teamwork, deeper study of Church documents on mission, and compiling best practices by SECAM. It also calls for the Africanization of Christianity and the Christianization of African culture, recognizing African theology’s global contributions.
Care for Creation: An Ecological Conversion
The bishops linked environmental degradation—pollution, deforestation, and climate change—to socio-economic inequalities, warning that by 2030, over 100 million of Africa’s poorest could face extreme droughts, floods, and heat. They called for an ecological conversion that renews relationships with God, others, and creation. Proposed actions include integrating care for creation into pastoral efforts, establishing diocesan ecological offices, and collaborating with justice and peace commissions. The roadmap designates September as the Season of Creation, encouraging liturgies, tree planting, environmental clean-ups, and promoting regenerative agriculture to restore soil health and sustainable food systems.
Youth: Empowering the Church’s Future
Africa’s youthful population is both a blessing and a challenge, with social media, peer pressure, and global influences often pulling young people away from faith. The bishops proposed empowering youth through mentorship, digital evangelization, and deeper cultural rooting. Recommendations include fostering adult support, engaging youth in social issues, promoting vocations, developing lay leadership, and ensuring safeguarding measures to protect young people.
Justice, Peace, and Integral Development: Confronting Systemic Injustice
Political instability, communal conflicts, and systemic injustice contribute to displacement, violence, and poverty across Africa, the bishops noted. They criticized Catholic political leaders for failing to uphold justice and human dignity. To address these challenges, SECAM called for strengthened education on justice and peace in Catholic institutions, renewed pastoral letters to denounce injustices, and collaboration with governments to promote sustainable development. Making SECAM’s key documents accessible to Catholic universities and formation centers was also recommended.
Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue: Building Unity
Africa’s religious diversity is a strength, but the rise of radical movements and online hate speech threatens unity. The bishops criticized imported education systems for eroding traditional values and the lack of collaboration between theologians and bishops. Proposed actions include strengthening ties between Protestant and Catholic theological institutions, establishing joint commissions with other faiths and new religious movements, and fostering dialogue to address common concerns.
Digital Mission: Evangelizing the Virtual Space
The bishops recognized the potential of digital technology for evangelization but noted that many faithful lack the skills to use it ethically. They called for training in Catholic universities and parish centers, defining evangelical criteria for technology use, and creating virtual Church spaces through websites and platforms to enhance participation. The roadmap also emphasizes preparing youth to evangelize in digital environments, including navigating artificial intelligence.
Healthcare: Addressing Inequalities
The Church’s role in African healthcare, particularly in rural areas, is significant, but unequal access, underdeveloped mental health services, and socio-economic barriers persist. The bishops advocated for prioritizing primary healthcare, promoting health education, developing Church-based health insurance, and reforming cultural practices that hinder well-being. Enhanced pastoral training and advocacy for inclusion were also emphasized.
Liturgical Inculturation: Celebrating African Identity
Since the Synod on Evangelization, the Church has pursued inculturation to avoid cultural alienation. The bishops called for deepening knowledge of traditional practices neglected by early missionaries and diversifying liturgical roles, including opening lector and acolyte positions to women where appropriate. They encouraged lively, festive celebrations in dioceses and parishes to reflect African spirituality.
Church and Politics: A Prophetic Voice
Despite democratic progress, poor governance, corruption, and repression persist in many African nations. The bishops acknowledged the Church’s advocacy for justice but noted moments of silence or complicity. They urged careful engagement in political matters, promoting civic education rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, policies that bridge social divides, and reconciliation in conflict zones.
The roadmap, a culmination of extensive deliberation in Kigali, positions the African Church to address contemporary challenges while celebrating its spiritual and cultural richness. As Fr. Simbine emphasized, it serves as a beacon for hope, reconciliation, and peace, guiding the Church toward a transformative future by 2050.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Africa
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