Bishops in Meeting

 

 

 

Bishops in Meeting

January 11, 2026

Like every year, the first week of January is dedicated to the Assembly of Bishops of Central Africa.

On Saturday, January 3rd, we were all in Bangui, because it was the day dedicated to Caritas.

On Sunday the 4th, the bishops celebrated Mass in the various parishes of the city.

I was in St. François Yapele, a parish in the center. It's a beautiful church, with many people, and beautiful songs welcome you in Eastern languages, typical of Bangassou.

On Monday, the Assembly itself began. The Vicars General of all the dioceses were also present. Each day we began with prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist at 8:00 a.m., and from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. we worked (with some breaks!).

The first day was dedicated to presenting the situation of each diocese.

We are all deeply concerned about what is happening in Zemio, 300 km from Bangassou, where clashes have flared up again, and where people have returned to take refuge in the Catholic Mission.

Elections were held on December 28th, with an almost foregone conclusion: the reelection of the current president. We met with him on Thursday afternoon. During the lengthy meeting, each bishop presented the situation of their diocese, highlighting the many problems that require intervention and solutions.

January is a time to take stock of the various realities of the Church in Central Africa, with the annual reports of the Commissions and Movements.

On Sunday, January 11th, we all celebrated in the Cathedral.

At the end of Mass, the traditional Message from the Bishops is read. This year, the theme is Peace, in a very tense election context, and with areas of the country falling back into war…

 

Niakary

 

 

 

St François Yapele