SEASON OF CREATION: AFRICA IMMERSES ITSELF IN LIVING WATER

SEASON OF CREATION: AFRICA IMMERSES ITSELF IN LIVING WATER

Editorial of SECAM NEWS, Year 2026, No 09

By Rev. Fr. Rafael Simbine Junior

The celebration of the Season of Creation, which began on 1 September with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and concludes on 4 October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology, is gaining momentum across the world, particularly in Africa, the continent known as the cradle of humanity.

The Season offers Christians an opportunity to renew their relationship with the Creator and with all creation through celebration, conversion and commitment. We congratulate the Catholic Bishops and the entire Church in Africa and its islands, together with our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family, for the prayers, initiatives and concrete actions being undertaken for our common home.

This year’s theme, “Immersion in Living Water,” invites communities into three movements: Contemplation, Immersion and Sending Out. Across Africa, these movements are being translated into prayer, environmental action, advocacy and solidarity.

Indeed, Catholic communities marked the Season of Creation through practical action. South Africa and Zambia promoted diocesan participation and prayer. Kenya advanced clean-water, solar energy and agroecology projects, alongside tree planting. Cameroon raised awareness about river pollution, while Uganda mobilised religious communities and Laudato Si’ members for environmental clean-up and advocacy.

The Season also calls communities to deepen their response through pilgrimages and prayer walks, encounters with communities affected by environmental crises, blessings of water, tree planting, clean-ups, youth activities and water-justice dialogues. Advocacy through petitions and digital campaigns can further amplify the voices of communities affected by water pollution and scarcity.

These initiatives remind us that ecological conversion is not merely spiritual reflection. Water, human dignity, livelihoods, food security, energy and the health of our common home are inseparable. May this Season lead us from contemplation to immersion and, finally, to action as true sources of life for creation and for one another.

Rev. Fr. Rafael Simbine Junior

Secretary General of SECAM

—

Download | Télécharger| Descarregar SECAM News

English: SECAM_NEWS_YEAR_2026_No_09_SEPTEMBER_EN

Français: SECAM_NEWS_YEAR_2026_No_09_SEPTEMBER_FR

Português: SECAM_NEWS_YEAR_2026_No_09_SEPTEMBER_PT