President Paul Kagame, on August 2, urged African Catholic leaders to draw lessons from Rwanda’s painful past to foster unity and peace across the continent.
Speaking in Kigali during a meeting with a delegation from the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Kagame said Rwanda’s history reflects “both the worst and the best of humanity,” noting that it reminds leaders in both state and church “to harness the best of humanity.”
He acknowledged that failures have happened before but stressed that “good people don’t accept to be held hostage by it,” calling for collective efforts to “prepare the ground for hope, reconciliation, and peace, not just in Rwanda, but across our continent.”
Over 250 Catholic leaders from across Africa are in Kigali for the 20th Plenary Assembly of SECAM, which runs from July 30 to August 4.
The assembly, held every three years, brings together cardinals, bishops, priests, religious sisters, lay leaders, and youth representatives to reflect on the Church’s mission in Africa and its role in promoting healing, unity, and social transformation.
Prince Ruzigana / The Kaminuza Star