AMECEA: Pastoral Departments Across AMECEA Region to Integrate Laudato SI in all Pastoral Programs.

The Pastoral Departments of the Episcopal Conferences of AMECEA Countries are planning to integrate the message in the encyclical Laudato Si in all the pastoral programs of the individual Bishops Conferences.

According to the Coordinator of AMECEA Pastoral Department Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Chimombo, the decision was made during the recent Annual National Pastoral Coordinators’ meeting held at AMECEA Secretariat in Nairobi, Kenya.

“Being part of the agenda for our meeting we deliberated in depth on the encyclical Laudato Si and decided that in order to implement it fully, we need to integrate it in all the programs we are currently working on be it for the youth, women, catechist etc.,” Fr. Chimombo said. He also said that they intend to make it part of the catechesis for the Catechumenate lessons, encourage all church groups like women, men, youth and choir to make commitments to care for the environment

The coordinators further proposed that for the implementation of the encyclical to be successful it would be critical to bring awareness to all priests, religious, catechists, houses of formation such as seminaries and novitiates on the encyclical; as well as encouraging practical actions that motivate groups to be sensitive and proactive towards care for the environment.

The coordinators resolved that AMECEA Pastoral department should initiate a process aimed at coming up with a simplified version of the ‘Laudato Si for catechesis. Pastoral Coordinators were tasked with sourcing for relevant documents on civic education on environment and other relevant church documents that would help them in the implementation of the encyclical.

This year’s Annual Pastoral Coordinators meeting, which was held between November 21-24, also focused on encouraging participation in the Pan African Small Christian Communities Networking which is being coordinated by the AMECEA Pastoral Office. Participation is encouraged through the website dialogue/discussions page and the address is: www.africansccsnetworking.org.

Solidarity among the pastoral coordinators was also a major issue discussed at the meeting owing to the various pastoral challenges in some AMECEA Countries especially those that are experiencing internal conflicts. The Coordinators also deliberated on the AMECEA Plenary Resolutions to see what has been implemented and what is yet to be done.

∽End∽