Maputo, 19 November, 2019 / 1:53 am (ACI Africa).
The just concluded 12th Plenary Assembly of the Bishops within the Southern Africa region under the Interregional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) continued the reviewing of the five-year strategic plan developed in 2016 as “Coordinated Leadership Plan 2016 – 2021” in view of improving it, with deliberations done by each of the six conferences of the nine-member regional entity handed over to the new Standing Committee elected during the five-day meeting.
“On the second day of the 12th IMBISA plenary session, Bishops worked at “Conference” level groups to improve the “coordinated leadership Plan 2016-2021,” reads in part a statement sent to ACI Africa Sunday, November 17.
Developed in 2016 by the leadership of IMBISA “together with the presidents of the bishops' conferences who once a year came together for this purpose,” the strategic plan is one of the indicators of the relevance of regional conference as being “at the service of each episcopal conference,” according to the statement shared with ACI Africa.
Six focus areas characterize the five-year plan of action. It emphasizes “Christian and spiritual formation at all levels,” including the clergy, religious men and women as well as the lay faith.
The plan promotes the realization of the teachings contained in Pope Francis’ Laudato Si, ensuring that the Encyclical “is a living document.”