SECAM Secretary General Participates in Synodality Continental Stage Meeting in Rome

Meeting on Synodality Continental Stage

The Seven Synodal Continents met at the General Secretariat of Synod in Rome from 28-30 November 2022.  The Secretary General of Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Rev Fr Junior Rafael Simbine represented the Africa Continent, also present were secretary generals from Asia, Europe, Middle East, Ocean, North America (Canada & USA) and South America

Secretary Generals shared continental experiences between and among themselves on their achievements, challenges and aspirations for the future and most especially the preparatory works toward the Synodal Continental Assembly during the two-day meeting in Rome.

In his report to the assembly, Rev Fr, Rafael Simbine informed them that they have collected and summarized of the regional syntheses; established the 25-member Continental Synodal Team including religious men and women and laypersons in charge of planning, coordinating, animating and leading all the activities of the Continental phase.

The first working session of this working group will take place in Accra, Ghana from 6-8 December 2022. In this working session, the 25 participants will be trained on Spiritual Conversational Method, and they will practice it in studying the Document of the Continental Stage. Praying, listening and discerning while working on this document will culminate with the draft of the African Synodal Document.

The second working session will be held in Nairobi, Kenya from 20-22 January 2023. During this session, the main work will be to share and collect the outcomes of the study of the document for the Continental Stage made by each one of these 25 persons of the animators’ team. Then, the results that they would bring will enrich the draft started in Accra. This meeting will finalize the preparations for the Continental Synodal Assembly.

The climax of the Continental Synodal Assembly will be celebrated in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia from March 1-6, 2023, and it will be attended by 155 delegates from all over Africa and the Islands. All the participants will study the document, using the same method. The conclusion would, then, be collected and used in completing the draft started in Accra. They will, then, conclude the African Synodal Document, which will be sent to Rome before 31^stMarch, 2023.

The Holy Father spoke about the importance of the ongoing synodal path, underlining the need to listen to the Holy Spirit, to one another and to everybody. He noted that this process of praying, discerning and listening in a manner of communion and participation will help build a missionary and Synodal Church; he finally gave his support and blessings and encourage them to work together for a synodal and missionary Church by tolerating vary views and differences.

The 2-day meeting ended with a workshop on Methodology of the Spiritual Conversation which allows everyone to participle in the process, giving opportunity and voice to everybody to share his/ her vision after praying, discerning and listening to the Holy Spirit. We were also taken through the Document for the Continental Stage by using the Method of the Spiritual Conversation.