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‘Together, we discern’ – West African Bishops call for co-responsibility in Church

Catholic Trends by Catholic Trends
May 16, 2025
in Africa, News
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File photo of West African Bishops at their May 2025 Plenary in Senegal

File photo of West African Bishops at their May 2025 Plenary in Senegal

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West Africa’s Catholic bishops have called for a renewed sense of shared responsibility in the Church, saying every baptized person has a role to play in shaping its mission and future.

In a statement issued at the end of their 5th Plenary Assembly held in Dakar, Senegal, from 5 to 12 May 2025, the Reunion of Episcopal Conferences of West Africa (RECOWA) said the Church must become a space of listening, dialogue and cooperation among all its members.

“Together, we discern, we listen, we dialogue, not to impose ideas, but to seek God’s will in a spirit of humility,” the bishops said in their 11 May message. “Every baptized person is called to participate actively in the life of the Church.”

The Bishops urged both clergy and laity to embrace a synodal way of being Church — one where decision-making and mission are shared rather than centralised.

“This is not a simple sharing of tasks,” the bishops said, “but a profound commitment to carrying out the mission of evangelisation together, in mutual trust, complementarity, respect, and acceptance of charisms.”

Describing the Church as “not a fixed structure, but as a people on the move,” the bishops encouraged West African Catholics to allow themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, particularly in regions affected by political instability, poverty and religious tension.

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“The Holy Spirit, guide of our path, invites us to leave our comforts, to overcome our divisions, and to build a fraternal, open and bold Church where justice and peace reign,” the statement said.

The bishops also stressed that each local Church, rich in its unique gifts, has a responsibility to others. They urged communities to reject the temptation of isolation or competition.

“In this dynamic, each community… is not an isolated entity, but a living member of a single body,” they wrote. “The sharing of gifts… becomes a prophetic act that reverses the logic of competition and self-sufficiency.”

That sharing — whether spiritual, material, or cultural — was described as key to building a more just and inclusive Church across the sub-region.

In a region where the Church has long depended on outside funding, RECOWA made a strong case for greater financial and pastoral independence.

“This Church… does not depend solely on external support or distant patrons to carry out its mission,” the bishops said. “It relies primarily on the concrete commitment of its members.”

They added that true autonomy must be rooted in transparency, accountability and solidarity: “This independence requires a strong culture of transparency, virtuous management, and sustainable solidarity.”

 

Tags: Plenary AssemblyRECOWASenegalSynodality
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Daily Reading

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - Solemnity

Book of Genesis 14,18-20.

In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought... out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with these words:
Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth;
And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Psalms 110(109),1.2.3.4.

The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right... hand
till I make your enemies your footstool.”
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
“Rule in the midst of your enemies.”

“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

First Letter to the Corinthians 11,23-26.

Brothers and sisters: I received from the... Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread,
and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9,11b-17.

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom... of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured.
As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, "Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here."
He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves." They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."
Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of (about) fifty."
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.


Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
To receive the Gospel every morning in your mailbox, subscribe here: dailygospel.org

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