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Catholic Bishops in Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda Advocate for “pilgrims of peace”

Members of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa (ACEAC) comprising Catholic Bishops in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Rwanda. Credit: Radio Maria Bukavu

Members of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa (ACEAC) comprising Catholic Bishops in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Rwanda have reflected on the security situation in their respective countries and called upon the people of God to foster peace in their respective countries.

In a Sunday, January 28 statement issued following their four-day meeting in DRC’s Kinshasa Archdiocese, ACEAC members lament that “recurrent crises are weakening the social fabric and threatening ecclesial and social cohesion within our countries and increasingly in inter-state relations.”

“Civil wars and massacres have extended to acts of genocide,” they further lament, and continue, “These are unspeakable evils to be warded off with all the energies of faith and reason. We firmly condemn them, and call on all those involved, each in his or her own area of responsibility, to join in building peace.”

 ACEAC members describe Christians as “pilgrims of peace … called to multiply the initiatives that build bridges between peoples and unite their hearts, so that peace once again becomes a shared dream, the heart of the education of the younger generations, the foundation of society, and one of the major issues of political debate.” 

“In our sub-region, marked by the dark history of genocide and large-scale massacres, we are called to form the ‘City of Peace’, built on mutual acceptance, welcoming people in distress, and facilitating the meeting of hearts, despite differences and disagreements,” the Catholic Bishops in Burundi, DRC, and Rwanda say in their collective statement.

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They continue, “More than a pilgrim, the Church is the guardian of peace. Like the goalkeeper in soccer or the guardians of tradition, the Church is the guardian of peace. Each of her children is an incarnation of peace for himself, his family and his country. They are also peacekeepers for the common home of the planet and all humanity.”

They go on to describe peace-building as “an apostolic responsibility incumbent on every Christian by virtue of his baptismal rebirth, through which he is configured to Christ, the Prince of Peace.”

ACEAC members encourage the people of God to “set up a network of peacemakers that will extend to various socio-professional circles, bringing together ordinary citizens as well as corporate and academic players, right up to senior civil servants.”

“Please commit yourselves to a true path of brotherhood, around a community of values and not of warriors,” they say.

Giving a hint to their position on the closure and reclosure of the Burundi-Rwanda borders amid rising tensions between the two neighboring countries, the Catholic Church leaders in the African nations say, “Do not close borders, but open them, guaranteeing the security of people, goods and territories.”

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“May the God of Goodness help us to combine our efforts to create a sub-regional brotherhood around peace and development,” ACEAC members implore in their January 28 collective message following their four-day meeting in Kinshasa.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.