SECAM STANDING COMMITTEE MEETS IN ACCRA, GHANA

The Standing Committee of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) is having its second meeting for the year in Accra, Ghana, from October 27-31, 2014.

The bishops will  review a number of issues that were discussed at their   last meeting that took place in Luanda, Angola in February 2014. They will  also consider the adoption of  SECAM Secretariat Working Documents which include, Regulations Governing the Staff Conditions of Service  and the Manual of Operations and the draft Statutes of CARITAS-Africa.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between SECAM and the African Union (AU) will be considered in order to pave the way for the granting of an Observer Status to SECAM at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

A special  ssesion  will be held where the bishops will Interact with the Secretary General of the Catholic Biblical Federtion, Rev. Fr. Jan STEFANOW.  The bishops will pay Courtesy Call on the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, Archbishop Jean-Marie  Antoine Joseph Speich.

The Standing Committee will also review SECAM’s collaboration and joint activities with the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) with particular reference to a SECAM-CCEE Seminar on the Family that is scheduled to take place in Mozambique next year.

The Secretary General and the various Commissions and Departments of SCAM will present their annual reports to the Committee during the Accra meeting.

The meeting will conclude with a  discussion  on   the theme,  sub-themes  and a budget  for the  17th Plenary Assembly of SECAM  to be held in 2016 in Angola. The last Plenary Assembly was held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, in July 2013.

The Standing Committee comprises the President, the two Vice-Presidents of SECAM, the Treasurer and a representative each of the eight Episcopal regions of SECAM. Most Rev. Gabriel Mbilingi of is the   President of SECAM.

 SECAM  was founded in  July 1969 in  Kampala, Uganda. It has its headquarters in Accra, Ghana. Rev. Fr. Joseph Komakoma  is the Secretary General of SECAM.