AFRICA/KENYA – AMECEA Plenary Assembly concludes: East African Bishops identify young people as pastoral priority for the next four years

Nairobi – The 21st Plenary Assembly of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa concluded in Nairobi, Kenya, after bringing together bishops, priests, religious, lay people and youth delegates from across Eastern Africa from July 19 to 26 .
The Assembly’s final document identifies young people as the shared pastoral priority for AMECEA over the next four years, recognizing that they are not only the future of the Church, but already an essential part of its present. The Bishops call for concrete pastoral accompaniment capable of responding to young people’s aspirations, struggles and the profound social and cultural transformations affecting the region.
“We love you, we believe in you, and we invite you to participate fully in the life and mission of the Church and in the life of your respective countries,” the Bishops state in their concluding document.
Among the commitments adopted are the strengthening of youth ministry offices within the Episcopal Conferences, the training of digital evangelizers, the promotion of education, entrepreneurship and vocational skills, and the reinforcement of safeguarding policies for children and vulnerable persons, particularly those living with mental health conditions.
The final message also stresses the need for closer cooperation between the Church, civil institutions and regional organizations in order to encourage young people’s participation in public life, promote safe migration and address the root causes of conflict.
Particularly significant is the section in which the Bishops gather the testimony of the young people attending the Assembly, who said they often feel “used during election campaigns and forgotten after the vote.” The final document therefore calls on political leaders to end all forms of exploitation of young people for partisan interests and instead pursue policies that offer hope, opportunities and meaningful participation.
The message also encourages young people to become protagonists of the Church’s evangelizing mission, recalling St. Paul’s exhortation to Timothy: “Let no one despise your youth.” They are invited to allow themselves to be guided by Christ and to become credible witnesses of the Gospel in society and in the digital culture. At the same time, the Church pledges to listen to them more attentively and to involve them more fully in pastoral planning and decision-making processes.
On the institutional level, the Assembly elected Msgr. Gervas John Nyaisonga of Mbeya, Tanzania, as the new President of AMECEA. In his closing address, he emphasized that implementing the Assembly’s resolutions cannot be the responsibility of the Association’s governing bodies alone, but must involve all Episcopal Conferences, dioceses, parishes and Catholic faithful throughout Eastern Africa.

Read original article