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“Be a prophet of hope, a joyful messenger of the Gospel”: Cardinal Ambongo to Newly Consecrated Bishop in DR Congo

By Jude Atemanke

Kinshasa, 16 September, 2024 / 9:53 pm (ACI Africa).

Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo has invited the new Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wamba in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to be a pastor who brings hope to the people, proclaiming the gospel with joy.

In his homily during the Sunday, September 15 Episcopal Consecration of Mons. Emmanuel Ngona Ngotsi, Cardinal Ambongo called upon the new Bishop to foster unity with the Holy Father and to play his prophetic role without fear. 

“Be a prophet of hope, a joyful messenger of the Gospel, an apostle of justice, and a witness to God's mercy. And that means being close to your Priests, close to the Consecrated men and women of your Diocese, and close to all the people of God,” the Congolese Cardinal said during the Eucharistic celebration at Our Lady of Congo Cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kinshasa, his Metropolitan See.

He added, “Do not be afraid to speak in the name of God, who has made you a prophet in His Church and for His Church.” 

“A Bishop is a Priest chosen by His Holiness the Pope to be consecrated and become pastor of a Diocese. He rules in union with the Sovereign Pontiff and under his authority. As head and guardian of the community, the Bishop is the successor of the apostles by virtue of this Episcopal Consecration,” the Congolese member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap) explained.

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He invited the new Bishop of Wamba to remain steadfast in the face of challenges, cautioning him against despair. 

Referring to the new Bishop’s Episcopal motto, “Your grace is sufficient for me,” Cardinal Ambongo said, “You yourself are the fruit of grace. You are the result of the Holy Spirit's choice through Pope Francis, and you did not appoint yourself.”

Cardinal Ambongo urged members of the Clergy, women and men Religious, and the Laity in Wamba Diocese to welcome their new Local Ordinary with faith, and foster unity, adding that to do so is to welcome Christ himself.

“For me, this is an opportunity to once again invite the Priests, the Consecrated, and all the lay faithful of the Diocese of Wamba to return to the spirit of the Gospel and the meaning of the Church in welcoming their new Bishop,” Cardinal Ambongo, who was the Principal Consecrator said. 

Pope Francis appointed Mons. Ngotsi as Bishop for Wamba Diocese on January 17. The protracted Consecration event and the decision to have the celebration in Kinshasa Archdiocese, not in Wamba Diocese, was occasioned by negative reactions to the Papal appointment, with a section of community members organizing street protests against the 64-year-old Congolese members of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers).

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Born in January 1960, the newly Consecrated Bishop was serving as Provincial Superior of the White Fathers in the Central African Province. He was ordained a Priest in August 1990. 

Speaking during the September 15 Episcopal Ordination event, the President of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu of the Catholic Archdiocese of  Lubumbashi said, “The Congolese Episcopate is a solid body that cannot be silenced or manipulated.”

On his part, the Apostolic Nuncio in DRC, Archbishop Mitja Leskovar, said the Church is the work of God, and added, “Embrace God's thoughts and not those of men, and you will find peace.”

Meanwhile, in his maiden speech following his Episcopal Consecration, Bishop Ngotsi said he was ready to serve with commitment. He is to serve as the fourth Local Ordinary of Wamba Diocese that has a population of 335,676 Catholics, according to 2022 statistics.  

Jude Atemanke

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.

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