{"id":4321,"date":"2026-01-05T06:01:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T06:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/4321\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T06:01:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T06:01:10","slug":"ethiopias-catholic-bishops-speak-with-new-courage-in-synodality-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/4321\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethiopia\u2019s Catholic Bishops Speak with New Courage in Synodality Message"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Catholic Church leaders frame this reality as a violation of Catholic Social Teaching<\/a>, emphasizing the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable and insisting that economic structures must serve human dignity.<\/p>\n

They also draw attention to the devastating impact of climate change, particularly drought and environmental degradation.<\/p>\n

\"\"Members of the Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE). Credit: CBCE<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine those who are dying of hunger in a country of plenty,\u201d they write, calling for \u201cecological conversion\u201d and quoting the May 2015 Encyclical Letter on care for our common home, Laudato Si\u2019<\/a>, on the need for \u201can overall personal conversion\u2026 which leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cultural fragmentation and the loss of the common good<\/p>\n

(Story continues below)<\/p>\n

The Catholic Bishops warn that Ethiopia\u2019s social fabric is fraying under the weight of tribal conflicts, ethnic hatred, and ideologies of division, compounded by uncritical adoption of modern digital culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new culture shaped by digitization is doing away with our longstanding values,\u201d they observe, warning that an \u201cus vs. them mentality\u201d amplified by social media is eroding the sense of the common good.<\/p>\n

\"\"Members of the Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE). Credit: CBCE<\/p>\n

\u201cWe risk losing the sense of common good \u2013 that the well-being of each is bound to the well-being of all,\u201d they caution.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur land is soaked in pain\u201d: Confronting conflict and displacement<\/p>\n

Perhaps striking is the CBCE members\u2019 forthright treatment of war and insecurity. \u201cOur land is soaked in pain,\u201d they write, pointing to civil war, ongoing local violence, and conflicts rooted in religion, ethnicity, and politics.<\/p>\n

They insist that peace is not simply the absence of war. \u201cThe Catholic Church teaches us that peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice and the flourishing of human dignity,\u201d they say.<\/p>\n

\"\"Members of the Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE). Credit: CBCE<\/p>\n

They probe, \u201cWhen will we have enough? When will we turn away from the cycle of violence and work towards healing and rebuilding?\u201d<\/p>\n

They describe the social consequences of conflict \u2013 economic collapse, cultural erosion, and widespread displacement \u2013 highlighting the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Ethiopians forced into precarious lives abroad.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Church, we cannot remain silent in the face of such suffering,\u201d they declare, and continue, \u201cWe are called to be instruments of peace, to advocate for the voiceless, and to work tirelessly for reconciliation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The failure to dialogue<\/p>\n

Another wound CBCE members identified is the breakdown of communication at every level of society. \u201cOur greatest failure may be our inability to dialogue,\u201d they state, lamenting a \u201cBabylon of confusion\u201d where people no longer listen to one another.<\/p>\n

They cite Pope Francis\u2019 Encyclical Letter on human fraternity and social friendship, Fratelli Tutti<\/a>, stressing that authentic dialogue requires \u201cthe ability to respect the other\u2019s point of view and to admit that it may include legitimate convictions and concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: CBCE<\/p>\n

Synodality as an act of resistance<\/p>\n

Against this backdrop of fear, division, and violence, Ethiopia\u2019s Catholic Bishops present synodality not as an abstract ecclesial process but as a prophetic response. \u201cWalking together is an act of resistance against every force that divides and destroys,\u201d they assert.<\/p>\n

Quoting the Synod Vademecum<\/a>, they remind the people of God that synodality is \u201cthe path along which the Church is called to walk\u2026 making everyone participate in a journey of common listening and discernment.\u201d<\/p>\n

CBCE members emphasize that this is \u201cnot merely a Church exercise; it is a prophetic witness and a concrete answer to the deep crises we face as a nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: CBCE<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not be afraid\u201d: A framework for courage<\/p>\n

In one of the most pastorally detailed sections of the CBCE members\u2019 message, the Catholic Bishops repeatedly exhort the people of God: \u201cDo not be afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n

They urge Catholics to walk as \u201ccompanions in the journey,\u201d to listen deeply \u2013 especially to those on the peripheries \u2013 and to speak the truth \u201cwith courage and prudence.\u201d<\/p>\n

They insist that liturgical life and prayer remain central, encouraging Catholics not to fear \u201cto keep intact your identity as Catholics as expressed in your liturgical life.\u201d<\/p>\n

CBCE members also call for co-responsibility in mission, urging the baptized to participate actively in evangelization and integral human development \u201cto benefit all humanity regardless of their creed, tribe, religion or any background.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: CBCE<\/p>\n

Dialogue, ecumenism, renewed forms of authority as service, communal discernment, and formation in synodality are all framed by the same refrain: Do not be afraid.<\/p>\n

Mary as the model of a Synodal Church<\/p>\n

The message culminates in a Marian vision of the Church.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see the features of a synodal, missionary and merciful Church shining in full light in the Virgin Mary,\u201d they write, describing her as the one who \u201clistens, prays, meditates, dialogues, accompanies, discerns, decides and acts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Invoking Saint Paul VI, they recall that \u201cthe action of the Church in the world can be likened to an extension of Mary\u2019s concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new public voice for a marginal Church<\/p>\n

\"\"Members of the Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE). Credit: CBCE<\/p>\n

By asking that their message be read aloud at parish Masses, Ethiopia\u2019s Catholic Bishops are ensuring that its call to courage reaches even the smallest communities.<\/p>\n

As the missionary source told ACI Africa, \u201cMaybe this \u2018don\u2019t be afraid\u2019 is a new start for a marginal church.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a nation wounded by fear, CBCE members are choosing to speak \u2013 with clarity, faith, and synodal conviction \u2013 proclaiming once more the angel\u2019s words: \u201cDo not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n \"ACI
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

ACI Africa was founded in 2019. We provide free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Catholic Church in Africa, giving particular emphasis to the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See, to any person with access to the internet. ACI Africa is proud to offer free access to its news items to Catholic dioceses, parishes, and websites, in order to increase awareness of the activities of the universal Church and to foster a sense of Catholic thought and culture in the life of every Catholic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Catholic Church leaders frame this reality as a violation of Catholic Social Teaching, emphasizing the preferential option…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4322,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[645,647,65,646],"class_list":{"0":"post-4321","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ethiopia","8":"tag-article","9":"tag-cna","10":"tag-ethiopia","11":"tag-keyword"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4321"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4321\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}