Editorial: A REVISTA SINODAL DA ÁFRICA PARA 2028

AFRICA’S SYNODAL JOURNEY TOWARDS 2028

Editorial of SECAM NEWS, Year 2026, No 08

Por Padre Rafael Simbine Junior

As the Catholic Church continues its synodal journey towards the 2028 Ecclesial Assembly, the Church in Africa is developing its own continental itinerary, rooted in the realities, experiences and gifts of its people.

At the heart of this process are the Continental and Regional Synodal Teams, established by the Standing Committee of SECAM. Working together, they are called to animate, coordinate and support the synodal journey across the continent, linking diocesan, national, regional and continental experiences. This itinerary unfolds through four stages: Remember, Interpret, Orient and Celebrate.

The first stage, Remember, in the first semester of 2027, invites dioceses and eparchies to look back at their synodal experience since the 2024 Synod. Through local assemblies, communities will identify signs of renewal, unfinished processes and moments of genuine conversion. Their stories and experiences will form narrative reports and letters of exchange with other Churches.

The second stage, Interpret, during the second semester of 2027, will take place at national and regional levels. Synodal teams and theologians will reread these experiences, identify common challenges, tensions and pastoral opportunities, and discern what God may be saying through them. This stage will transform experiences into theological and pastoral reflection.

The third stage, Orient, in the first four months of 2028, will bring the continental dimension into focus. The Continental Synodal Team and theologians will discern emerging paths, identify shared pastoral priorities and formulate orientations for the future, preparing Africa’s contribution to the universal Church.

Finally, the fourth stage, Celebrate, in October 2028, will invite the Church to give thanks for what God has accomplished throughout the journey. African delegates will participate in the Ecclesial Assembly in Rome, sharing the fruits of continental discernment and Africa’s synodal priorities.

This journey will be supported by key gatherings: After the preparatory seminar in Addis Ababa in August 2026, the second seminar is scheduled in Yaoundé in May 2027, the Continental Synodal Assembly in Dar es Salaam in March 2028, and the third preparatory seminar in Johannesburg in August 2028.

Padre Rafael Simbine Junior

Secretário-Geral da SECAM

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