In the statement signed by CENCO President, Archbishop Marcel Utembi Tapa, the Bishops in DRC make reference to the Episcopal motto of the late Archbishop, "Scio cui credidi" (I know in whom I have put my faith), saying it “best expresses his profession of faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“A man of prayer and great humility, he internalized his motto by putting himself entirely at the service of the Gospel and carrying his cross in the following of Christ,” the members of CENCO explain.
Born in 1937 in Kasenga Territory, within the Archdiocese of Lubumbashi, the late Archbishop Songasonga was ordained a Priest for his native Archdiocese in August 1963.
Pope Paul VI appointed him as the Bishop of Kolwezi in June 1974.
He was transferred to Lubumbashi and promoted as an Archbishop 24 years later by Pope St. John Paul II. He was at the helm of the Metropolitan See with seven suffragan Dioceses until December 2010 when he resigned at the age of 73.
As a member of CENCO, Archbishop Songasonga served in various capacities among them Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference and President of the Episcopal Commission for Christian Education.
In the January 6 message, CENCO members recall the late Archbishop’s tenure at the Bishops’ common forum saying, “CENCO keeps a high and unforgettable memory of H.E. Monsignor Floribert Songasonga as well as the work he accomplished within it.”
They add, “We know how very concerned he was, among other things, for the formation of Priests for our local Church. Giving the Church-Family of God in DR Congo Priests according to the heart of the Lord was his great concern.”
“May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Apostles and Consoler of the afflicted, be at our side and may she intercede for our brother Bishop Floribert Songasonga. May he rest in peace,” the members of CENCO implore in their January 6 statement.
Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.
