New President of Congolese Bishops' Conference says Task is “a great responsibility, new challenge”

He continued, “We want the Church to shine out in our society, and to lead our country into a brighter future.”

He expressed gratitude to the outgoing CENCO President, Archbishop Marcel Utembi Tapa of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kisangani for his “exemplary leadership.”

The Catholic Archbishop said, “The President of the Episcopal Conference is a coordinator and he's there to moderate the debate. But otherwise, the work of the presidency as such is a work that is intrinsically linked to that of the general secretariat; but it's also a synodal work which is done in co-responsibility with the other Bishops.”

“In this way, we can carry out the mission entrusted to us. Today, the Church has a synodal dimension, and we need everyone, wherever they are, to be able to assume their responsibilities and to know how to do so with excellence,” Archbishop Muteba said.

The 61-year-old Catholic Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in July 2005 as Bishop of DRC’s Kilwa-Kasenga Diocese said he expects the people of God to give him spiritual support.

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“Conducting a conference like this is no easy task. So I need divine grace, but also the assistance and prayers of all God's people,” the Catholic Church leader added. 

He continued, “My dream is that the Church in the DRC will truly be the driving force behind development in our society, as we are already doing in the field of education and development in general. But also that our country be truly a country where life is good.”

He expressed optimism that DRC will be “a country that benefits from its wealth and where there is harmony and understanding, that we can put aside all these useless polemics and problems of insecurity, but truly that it be a kind of haven of peace.”

In the new CENCO leadership team, Archbishop Muteba will be assisted by Bishop Etienne Ung’eyowun Bediwegi of Bondo Diocese as First Vice President, and Bishop Jean-Bertin Nadonye Ndongo of Lolo Diocese as Second Vice President.

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.