In his message on the occasion of Pentecost, the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has called on the people of God to work towards the establishment of “a new world where peace, justice, and brotherhood between peoples reign.”

“For those of us, Christians and non-Christians alike, who believe in the advent of a better world, the answer is clear: we must work to establish a new world where peace, justice, and brotherhood between peoples reign,”, said Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo.

Citing Pope Francis’s encyclical letter Fratelli Tutti, Cardinal Ambongo said, “We all know that Pentecost, as experienced by the apostles and the first Christians, brought new life and renewal to the world. The renewal that the Church and Christians must bring to humanity consists in “building the civilisation of love”, and it is “thanks to ‘social love ‘ that it is possible to progress towards a civilisation of love to which we can all feel called”, says Pope Francis in his encyclical Fratelli tutti (2020: no. 183).”

“And the same Pope adds: “Charity, with its universal dynamism, can build a new world (…) Social love is a “force capable of inspiring new ways of confronting the problems of today’s world and of profoundly renewing structures, social organisations, and juridical norms from within” (no. 183),” he added.

The President of SECAM further said, “Consequently, we have to clear the way “in order to travel the roads of brotherhood and build bridges between men and between peoples, in a world where so many walls are still being built out of fear of others” (Pope Francis, in Vat. News, 26.02.2017).”

Amid ongoing “armed conflicts, claiming many innocent victims,” in Africa and beyond, the Congolese Cardinal invited the people of God to “ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten the decisions of our leaders so that they are taken with intelligence, wisdom and discernment for the good of all African peoples and for the establishment of a more just and fraternal society.”

“May the Blessed Virgin, Queen of Africa, intercede for our Continent so that the Lord may put an end to fratricidal wars and so that every nation may live in peace,” said Cardinal Ambongo.