The 18th Plenary Assembly and Golden Jubilee of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) took place from the 20th to 29th July 2019 in Kampala, Uganda. The theme of the assembly was “Church-Family of God in Africa, Celebrate Your Jubilee! Proclaim Jesus Christ Your Saviour.”
Bishop Declan Lang sent a message of greetings to the participants of the assembly which emphasised the bonds of fraternity and solidarity that unite the Church in Africa with the Catholic community in England and Wales.
There were around 300 participants at the Assembly, including representatives from the Holy See, cardinals, archbishops and bishops, priests, representatives of religious congregations, the lay faithful and other dignitaries from the length and breadth of the world, Africa and the surrounding islands. During their 9 days together, they deliberated on how far the Church has come and what the future could look like in the next fifty or so years.
SECAM was born as a wish of African Bishops attending the Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965), to establish a forum in which they could speak with one voice on matters pertaining to the Church in Africa.
Bishop Declan Lang’s full statement can be downloaded below.
