Catholic Student Leaders Gather in Addis Ababa to Reimagine Youth Leadership and Synodality in Africa

PRESS RELEASE

Catholic Student Leaders Gather in Addis Ababa to Reimagine Youth Leadership and Synodality in Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: From 24 to 31 October 2026, over 75 Catholic student leaders, university chaplains, animators, and ecclesial dignitaries representing more than 25 African nations convened in Addis Ababa under the auspices of the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS Pax Romana Africa) to reflect on the theme “Building a Synodal Church for a Just and Resilient Africa: Deepening IMCS Pax Romana and Youth Contribution.”

The weeklong 14th Pan-African Assembly of IMCS Pax Romana coincided with two historic milestones: the 70th Anniversary of IMCS Pax Romana’s formal apostolate in Africa (1956–2026) and the Centenary of World Mission Sunday, joining in-person delegates with over 100 digital participants across the continent.

In his homily to participants during the Ge’ez Opening Mass at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, His Eminence Berhaneyesus Cardinal Demerew Souraphiel, CM, Emeritus Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Ababa, called on Catholic students to be missionary disciples and ethical leaders within higher education and public life. Celebrating seven decades of lay student action, His Eminence emphasized that university campuses remain a critical mission land for the Church in Africa.

Reflecting on Africa’s demographic realities, where over 70% of the population is under age 30, yet millions face systemic unemployment, poverty, and conflict, delegates conducted an official delegation visit to the African Union Headquarters on October 30. Speaking at the session on “The Vision of Peace and Security in Agenda 2063,” Fr. Dr. Louison Emerick Bissila Mbila, C.S.Sp., AU Chaplain, urged young intellectuals to leverage their moral formation to build early warning conflict networks, promote democratic governance, and champion peace across volatile regions.

Participants of the 14th Pan-African Assembly of IMCS Pax Romana, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

In a deeply moving thematic session titled “The Road Ahead: Renewing Our Mission and Vision for Africa,” Mr. Marcel Carlos Akpovo, UN OHCHR, Regional Director for East and Southern Africa and former movement leader from Benin, challenged delegates to draw strength from the prophetic spirit of the movement’s founders: “Thirty-three years ago, as a student leader from Benin attending an assembly at Makerere University in Kampala, we stepped into leadership with modest material means but an abundance of purpose. Yet we possessed the founding spirit of Pax Romana, a spirit of vision, prophecy, and transformational faith,” stated Mr. Marcel Carlos Akpovo. “In a world marked by brutality, division, and dishonesty, Catholic students are the custodians of the Church’s conscience. We are called to be our brothers’ keepers, moving beyond individual duty to collective responsibility as we address AI, digital technology, climate change through Laudato Si’, and human rights. We created this movement so that the world should not remain as it is but be transformed through Jesus Christ.” 

In their concluding statement and official Assembly Communiqué, presented during the closing session by Mr. Fasika Lachore Laba, International Secretary-General of IMCS Pax Romana, student leaders committed to building a self-sustaining, structurally resilient movement. “In recent months, our Pan-African Coordination has embarked on a journey of profound grace, structural alignment, and synodal renewal,” noted Mr. Fasika Lachore Laba, International Secretary-General of IMCS Pax Romana. “Guided by faith, strong governance alongside our Board of Trustees and the dedicated Pan-African coordination team, IMCS Pax Romana Africa is entering a vibrant new chapter. We are steadfast in our commitment to building sustainable self-reliance and ensuring young Catholic intellectuals actively co-shape the future of our Church and continent.”

A session of the 14th Pan-African Assembly of IMCS Pax Romana

Echoing these reflections throughout the week, Dr. Ndjao Stanislas, Pan-African Coordinator of IMCS Pax Romana Africa, highlighted the transformative momentum of the movement from its opening sessions to the final commissioning: “From our opening welcome in Addis Ababa to the closing ceremony, we have witnessed a powerful awakening across our national movements,” stated Dr. Ndjao Stanislas. “Seventy years after IMCS Pax Romana took root in Africa, this Assembly has proven that our strength lies in synodal unity, intergenerational accompaniment, and faith in action. As our delegates return home, they carry a strategic roadmap that equips every Catholic student chapter to be an engine of self-reliance, peacebuilding, and ethical leadership on campus and across the continent.”

Addressing delegates during an institutional visit to the St. John Paul II TVET Institute, Abba Petros Berga, Pastoral Coordinator and founding member of the center, highlighted the necessity of integral human formation to stem irregular youth migration: “A young person is a whole human being, with both body and soul needing care. It is not enough to ask young people not to risk dangerous migration across the Mediterranean or the Gulf; we must provide practical skills, such as solar installation, ICT, videography, and music, connected to real jobs so they can live with dignity and hope at home.”

Few participants of the 14th Pan-African Assembly of IMCS Pax Romana, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Assembly also addressed emerging global challenges, engaging in formation on Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica humanitas with Rev. Fr. Jojo Fung, SJ (International Chapalin of IMCS Pax Romana), to establish ethical framework guidelines for Artificial Intelligence and digital technology in youth ministry. In partnership with the CYNESA, delegates committed to planting native trees across African university campuses and observed a candlelight vigil in memory of the late Pan-African Chaplain, Rev. Fr. Fratern Masawe, SJ.

The landmark event concluded with a solemn Closing Mass presided over by His Grace Abune Tesfasilasie Tadesse, M.C.C.I., Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Ababa, who imparted his episcopal blessing and urged delegates to translate the Gospel into tangible social transformation. The gathering also acknowledged the vital support of Abba Abraham Gabremariam (CBCE Pastoral Coordinator), Brother Kassu Fantaye (President of ECUSTA), the SOS Chrétiens d’Orient, the Katholische Jungschar Österreichs (KJSÖ), the Canadian Jesuits International, the Jesuitenmission (Jesuitenweltweit), the Community of St. John, the Secretariat of Archidioses of Addis Ababa, and the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat (ECS).

Media Contact:

Pax Romana IMCS Africa Coordination Office

Nairobi, Kenya

Email: imcs_africa@yahoo.com

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