SECAM HEADS TOWARDS THE CONTINENTAL EVALUATION ASSEMBLY

Editorial No. 3/2026: SECAM Heads towards the Continental Evaluation Assembly

Although the implementation phase of this Synod is still ongoing at the local Churches’ level, the SECAM Secretariat is already focused on the Continental Evaluation Assembly scheduled for the first semester of 2028.

To achieve this, a comprehensive roadmap has been established, which includes the following key steps:

• Formation of the Continental Synodal Team: Responsible for coordinating the preparation and celebration of the Continental Evaluation Assembly. This team will ensure active and fruitful participation of the Church in Africa in the Universal Ecclesial Assembly in Rome in October 2028.
• Creation of Regional Synodal Teams: These teams will work closely with the Continental Team to implement the synodal process at the regional level, prepare Regional Evaluation Assemblies, and ensure that all regions are fully prepared for the continental assembly.
• Seven Pastoral Priorities: In light of Pope Francis’s emphasis that “the Final Document is not strictly normative” and should be adapted to local contexts, the Standing Committee has approved seven priorities for the Church in Africa. These priorities are derived from a careful reading of the Synod’s Final Document, in dialogue with the pillars of SECAM’s Vision 2025-2050, and in continuity with the deliberations of the 20th Plenary Assembly of SECAM (Kigali, 2025). This framework allows Episcopal Conferences, dioceses, religious congregations, and lay movements to identify and add other priorities better suited to their local contexts, based on the same Final Document.
• Preparatory Seminars: Two seminars will be held prior to the Continental Evaluation Assembly to ensure its success and fruitfulness. The assembly itself will take place after Easter 2028, serving to consolidate the working document and showcase the Church in Africa’s contributions to the universal Church.
• Final Preparatory Seminar: Scheduled for August 22-25, 2028, this seminar will prepare delegates selected for the Universal Ecclesial Assembly in Rome. It aims to familiarize them with the African Final Document and Rome’s preparatory materials, fostering active and meaningful participation.

Meanwhile, the SECAM Secretariat remains engaged in collecting, documenting, and disseminating best practices of synodality across the continent.

Rev. Fr. Rafael Simbine Junior

SECAM Secretary General