Maria Nassiwa
Kampala: The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) Executive Board will meet in Kampala, Uganda this week to flag off it’s Golden Jubilee celebrations that will climax a year later on July 29, 2019.
His Holiness Pope Paul VI was welcomed to Kampala (Uganda), the first-ever visit of a Pope to Africa which was used to officially launch SECAM in July 1969.
According to Msgr. John Baptist Kauta, Secetary General of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, the SECAM Executive Board will meet in Kampala, Uganda on July 27-28, 2018 and their official inauguration Mass for Golden Jubilee celebrations will take place at Rubaga Cathedral at 10am on July 29, 2018.
“All are invited for the inaugural Mass. The preparations for the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee will begin in Uganda headed by the Uganda Episcopal Conference after July 30, 2018. Other details of the preparations will be communicated,” Msgr. J.B Kauta said.
SECAM was born out of the will of young African Bishops during the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). They wanted to speak with one voice. The establishment of SECAM is therefore the result of the Bishops resolution to build a continental structure in order to bring forth the African vision to the whole Church.
Seeing the importance of such an Association for Africa, the Congregation for the Evangelisation of the Peoples at the Holy See invited the Presidents of the Regional Episcopal Conferences for consultation in 1968.
A year later, the first-ever visit of a Pope to Africa was seen as very opportune to launch the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar. As a matter of fact, His Holiness Pope Paul VI was welcomed to Kampala (Uganda) for the official launching of SECAM in July 1969.
So, it is now 50 years since that historic moment in Kampala in 1969.
The Secretary General of SECAM, Fr. Joseph Koma-Koma says theme chosen for the Golden Jubilee celebrations is: “Church, Family of God in Africa, Celebrate your Jubilee! Proclaim, Meet and Welcome Christ your Savior.”
Fr. Koma-Koma says that, “the objective of the Jubilee is to celebrate in thanking God for His wonders and marvelous deeds, the gift of Baptism and of the Church, to ponder on the progress made so far, with the aim of deepening our roots in Christ and to engage ourselves resolutely in faith in proclamation of the mission of the Gospel in words and actions.”