Nairobi, 26 September, 2019 / 12:02 am (ACI Africa).
On Saturday, September 21, the Vatican released the list of participants for next month’s meeting of bishops from the Amazon region consisting of nine countries, that is, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
While the majority of the 185 voting members of the Vatican meeting are either bishops or priests from the nine countries, the Holy Father has included participants from his international council of Cardinals, those who head the offices of the Roman Curia, other clergy nominated by the Pontiff, 14 religious priests nominated by the men’s Union of Superiors General (USG), one religious brother elected by USG, 10 observers elected by the women’s International Union of Superiors General (IUSG), among other participants.
ACI Africa has sought to profile Africans and Africa-based personalities who will be taking part in the three-week synod, scheduled to begin on October 6 under the theme: “The Amazon: New paths for the Church and for an integral ecology.”
Among these personalities are two Cardinals, one Cardinal elect, one Archbishop and two priests from Africa. They include Robert Cardinal Sarah and Peter Cardinal Turkson Kodwo Appiah from the Roman curia; Cardinal-elect Fridolin Ambongo Besungu and Archbishop Marcel Madila Basanguka, both from DR Congo; Fr. Martín Lasarte Topolanski, a Salesian missionary serving in Angola; and Fr. Rigobert Minani, a Congolese Jesuit priest of the Ecclesial Network of the Congo Basin Forest (REBAC).
Peter Kodwo Appiah Cardinal Turkson