Ndjamena, Ciad

Cattedrale di Ndjamena

 

 

Ndjamena, Ciad

1 February 2026

 

We have just concluded the ACERAC Plenary Assembly, which brings together the bishops of Central Africa (Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Congo, Cameroon and Gabon).

There are about seventy of us bishops who attend this meeting, which takes place every three years in one of the ACERAC countries. 

It is a time of communion, exchange, knowledge and fraternity, prayer and reflection on the Church in Central Africa.

Thirty years ago, in 1994, Pope John Paul II convened the Synod for Africa (followed by a second one 15 years later). It was a very difficult time for Africa (the genocide in Rwanda was taking place at that time!), and the bishops spoke with courage and strength to denounce the evils and tragedies of the continent. But they were also able to see everything through the lens of hope, of a Church that is God's family, which loves life and solidarity and celebrates its faith with joy, enthusiasm and creativity (anyone who has experienced a Mass in Africa understands this easily!).

Thirty years later, the Church in Central Africa wanted to come together and start afresh from the final document (the apostolic exhortation "Ecclesia in Africa") in order to reflect and continue on its journey. A journey marked by many tragedies and difficulties, but even more so by hope and life.

On Sunday, 25 January, the bishops were sent to various parishes in the city: there were two or three of us bishops, together with priests and lay people participating in the ACERAC Assembly.

I go to the parish of Saintes Perpetue et Félicité. The church consists of a large canopy, and there are more than 2,500 faithful present. The liturgy is beautiful and lively, incorporating local songs and dances and the various languages of the country.

Here, in a predominantly Muslim country, being Catholic is not so obvious. Faith is lived with joy and even a little pride. In Chadian culture, there is a very strong sense of hospitality, especially towards foreigners. A proverb says that a foreigner is the mirror that God places before you!

After Mass, we move to the nearby school (the only Catholic girls' secondary school), where we share lunch with the pastoral council and various lay people involved in the parish. During the meal, a traditional group performs music and dances from various ethnic groups.

On Monday, there is the official opening ceremony of the Plenary Assembly in the amphitheatre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We begin a couple of hours late, and ambassadors, ministers, lay people and choirs are present. Cardinal Czerny has arrived from Rome for the occasion, Cardinal Ambongo from Kinshasa, and the Apostolic Nuncio from the Central African Republic. The Prime Minister welcomes everyone and, in his speech, rejoices in the presence and work of the Catholic Church, particularly for the poor, for peace and reconciliation.

In the afternoon, we begin our work. The first few days are devoted to study and reflection, with the help of experts (priests who teach in various faculties in Central Africa). These are intense topics, which provoke debate and discussion, both in the hall and during the various breaks.

On Thursday, we take a break to visit the city and the National Museum, where there are prehistoric finds, including the remains of what could be the first man, dating back 7 million years!

We then continue towards the outskirts, where we visit the National Seminary, which welcomes more than 80 seminarians from across the country.

We conclude the day with a cultural evening of song and dance at the Sacre Coeur parish.

The work continues on Friday and Saturday. The schedule is very busy, but it is wonderful to meet, get to know each other, and share joys and difficulties with our brother bishops from Central Africa. It is a young, beautiful, very African Church, full of hope!

On Sunday, the Plenary Assembly closes with a solemn Mass in the Cathedral of Ndjamena. It is presided over by Mgr Richard Appora, Bishop of Bambari, in the Central African Republic. It is the turn of the Episcopal Conference of the Central African Republic to take over the presidency of ACERAC. The Central African Republic will host the next Plenary Assembly in 2029.

 

 

Museo nazionale
Musée national

Messa finale nella Cattedrale di Ndjamena
Messe de cloture dans la cathédrale de Ndjamena
Misa final en la Catedral de Ndjamena

 

 

Passage through France

 

Notre Dame - Paris

 

Passage through France

 

After the meeting with the bishops of Central Africa on Monday, 12 January, I will leave for France the following day to visit the priests of the Diocese of Bangassou who are there to study or work in various dioceses (Fidei Donum).

I will arrive in Paris on Wednesday morning and immediately have an appointment with the auxiliary bishop who looks after the various foreign priests attending the universities of Paris. In the afternoon, I have another appointment with the bishop who looks after the priests working in the diocese as Fidei Donum.

It is a beautiful experience of Church: Churches that help and support each other. For our priests, it is an important grace, which allows them to receive a good formation, but also to engage with a different culture and very demanding pastoral needs.

In the evening, I meet the first of the priests, who is studying law. His study schedule is demanding, and we carve out some time in the evening.

On Thursday, I go to a parish where another priest, Abbé Guy Florentin, lives. I celebrate Mass in the parish. Then I move on to Versailles, where Abbé Heritier lives, and meet with the bishop and the vicar general.

On Friday, I travel to Soumoulou, a village in the south of France, where Abbé Bienfait works. We have a nice time talking, and in the afternoon we go to Lourdes, about twenty kilometres away. Here we stop for the rosary, in front of the grotto where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette. And we pray for the diocese of Bangassou, and for all the people who are dear to us in one way or another.

I leave in the evening for Paris, and on Saturday I leave for Rennes, in Brittany, two hours away by train.

There are three of our priests in this diocese: Junior, Ludovic and Fabrice. I meet up with Abbé Ludovic in Retiers, where I celebrate Mass with the lovely parish community on Sunday morning. We have lunch with a family from the village, and then I continue on to Rennes, where I meet the bishop (who came to Bangassou in August).

I spend the night in Gevezè, where Abbé Junior works, and the next day I continue on to Fougères, further north, where I meet Abbé Fabrice, who arrived a few months ago. 

On Tuesday, I am in Paris to take the train to Strasbourg. Here I am to meet a priest, and the next day the vicar general of the diocese. It is a magnificent city with a beautiful cathedral.

I return to Paris on Wednesday evening, and on Thursday morning I go to Saint Louis d'Antin, where Abbé Jean Noel works.

It is a very special parish, because seven Masses are celebrated every day, and every day there are two priests hearing confessions from 7.30am to 9pm! It is an area of offices and thoroughfares, and they offer a very special and generous ministry.

In the afternoon, I stop by the bookshop to buy some books for seminarians and priests, and then I head to the airport.

Yesterday morning, 23 January, I left Paris for Ndjamena (Chad), where the ACERAC (Conference of Bishops of Central Africa) meeting will be held in the coming days. We will meet with all the bishops of Chad, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Central Africa, Congo and Gabon.

 

 

 

Lourdes

 

 

 

Notre Dame du Travail - Paris

 

Strasbourg