Rwanda: Amid the green hills and sacred air of Kibeho, the 20th Plenary Assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) drew to a resounding close on Sunday, bringing together thousands of young pilgrims and Church leaders in a celebration rich in faith, culture, and hope for Africaâs future.
The final day unfolded at the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Kibeho, a site revered across the continent for the Virgin Maryâs apparitions to three schoolgirls in the 1980s. In a powerful gesture, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, re-elected as SECAM President and Archbishop of Kinshasa, stood before a crowd of approximately 25,000, most of them youth, to consecrate the young people of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The liturgical celebration was animated by spirited choirs, traditional dance, and a palpable energy of devotion, as about 20,000 youth gathered to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee of Young People in unison with a global celebration taking place in Rome.
Cardinal Ambongo, during his homily, called on the African youth to become torchbearers of Gospel values. Citing the recent beatification of Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui, a 26-year-old Congolese martyr who died resisting corruption, Ambongo challenged the young pilgrims to be unwavering in faith and fearless in the face of moral compromise.
âAfrica has every reason to be optimistic,â said the Cardinal. âOur future is alive in our youth, who believe, who persevere, and who dare to hope. With Christ, our continentâs tomorrow is bright.â
Rwandaâs Minister of Local Government, Dominic Habimana, praised the Churchâs choice of Rwanda as host, emphasizing the importance of faith-led unity and development. The concluding Mass and blessing marked the culmination of a week of spiritual reflection and strategic planning for the Church in Africa, held under the theme: âChrist, Source of Hope, Reconciliation and Peace: The Vision of the Church-Family of God in Africa for the Next 25 Years (2025â2050).â
The final communiquĂ© released by SECAM Bishops offers a bold pastoral roadmap, centered on twelve pillars including evangelization, justice and peace, youth empowerment, synodality, environmental stewardship, digital mission, and Church-state relations. The bishops expressed a firm conviction that Christ is the anchor of Africaâs renewal, encouraging all the faithful not to lose heart despite the continentâs enduring trials of instability, poverty, and violence.
âIn the face of conflict and injustice, we must remain rooted in Christâs peace a peace not as the world gives, but as God freely offers through His Son,â the Bishops stated.
They also highlighted the urgent need for reconciliation across Africaâs ethnic and national lines, calling on governments to prioritize peacebuilding and ethical leadership. In a Church envisioned as the âFamily of God,â reconciliation is not merely a spiritual gesture but a foundational principle for Africaâs social rebirth.
This Assembly underscored the Churchâs evolving mission in a rapidly changing world. From embracing the digital environment to upholding moral integrity and walking the synodal path set by Pope Francis, the SECAM Bishops renewed their commitment to a Church that listens, accompanies, and transforms.
As the sacred hills of Kibeho echoed with hymns and blessings, the closing celebration embodied SECAMâs vision: a hopeful Africa led by a faith-filled generation, walking together under the mantle of Mary and the light of Christ.