What is Recowa-Cerao?
RECOWA is the acronym for Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa. CERAO is the French and Portuguese acronym for Conference Episcopale Regionale de l’Afrique de l’Ouest / Conferencia Episcopal Regional da …
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INAUGURATION OF THE RECOWA PEACE COMMITTEE Address of the President of RECOWA at the Resource Centre of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Durumi, Abuja, 12th April 2018 Your Excellency, Jean …
INAUGURATION OF THE RECOWA PEACE COMMITTEE
Address of the President of RECOWA at the
Resource Centre of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Durumi, Abuja, 12th April 2018
Your Excellency, Jean Claude Brou, The President of the ECOWAS Commission,
Your Excellency, Geoffrey Onyema, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Your Excellences, the Ambassadors of the ECOWAS countries to the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Your Eminence, Arlindo Cardinal Futardo Gomes, Bishop of Praia Santiago,
Your Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja,
Your Excellency Antonio Filipazzi, Apostolic Nuncio in Nigeria and Holy See Observer to ECOWAS,
Your Excellency, Lucius Ugorji, The RECOWA Chairman of Justice and Peace Commission,
Distinguished invited guests,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
GREETINGS AND COMMENDATION
I bring you warm greetings of peace and love on behalf of the leadership and the entire lay faithful of the Association of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of West Africa. We are very honoured to have you here, at the Resource Centre of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria.
The Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and indeed our entire communities across West Africa express our deep and heartfelt gratitude to you our dear invited dignitaries for gracing this inauguration ceremony of the RECOWA Peace Committee (REPCO) with your presence. Your presence here is, indeed, a sign of the good collaboration between the political and the religious orders in our common pursuit for justice, peace, stability and the development of our people.
BRIEF HISTORY OF RECOWA
Until 2007, the Catholic Bishops of West Africa had two separate bodies based on two linguistic groups: English and French. They were the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Anglophone West Africa (AECAWA 1977) and Conférence Episcopale Régionale de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (CERAO 1963). Convinced of the necessity of a greater regional integration and organic pastoral solidarity transcending the linguistic and historical differences, the Bishops of the Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone West Africa met in Abuja, Nigeria in December 2007, where it was decided that, we would create an overarching body, that would enable us work together in supporting the development and progress of our nations. After all, the people are the same and the problems facing the region are also the same. Following sustained discussions, it was finally decided that these bodies relinquish their identities and merge into one. So, the Anglophone Episcopal Conference of West Africa, (AECAWA), the Francophone and Lusophone Conférence Episcopale de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (CERAO) merged and formed the Association of Episcopal Conferences of West Africa, AECOWA. This was ratified at the final plenary of both bodies in Banjul, The Gambia in September 2009 and implemented at the feet of Our Lady Queen of Peace in the Basilica of that name in Yamoussoukro, (Côte d’Ivoire), in January 23rd – 29th 2012. This body meets once in three years and rotates the meetings around the region. It has eight Episcopal Commissions with different Committees which address different topics and themes of pastoral and social relevance to the Catholic Church in the region.
During our sixth Standing Committee meeting in 
January 2018, held in Praia (Cape Verde) and following one of our resolutions in Yamoussoukro, the Bishops created the RECOWA Peace Committee (REPCO) which functions under the umbrella of the Episcopal Commission for Justice, Peace and Development. It pursues among other goals the following objectives:
SOME CHALLENGES OF OUR REGION
We are not unaware of some significant challenges within our region which need to be addressed. In fac
t, the Presidential Council of RECOWA presented to the former President of Liberia, Mrs. Ellen Sirleaf JOHNSON, the then President of the Assembly of ECOWAS Heads of State some of these challenges during an audience with her in Liberia on April 2017. These include:
➢ Political transition in West Africa often with a great degree of instability;
➢ Danger of youth unemployment resulting in migration that has transformed the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean into cemeteries;
➢ Religious intolerance that has turned into extremism and terrorism;
➢ Nomadic herdsmen often associated with acts of rape, murder, destruction of farms, abductions and conflicts.
➢ Land grabbing and its consequences of unemployment, migration and rise of poverty among our populations.
A cursory glance at the political context of our region reveals that there are cases of poor democratic transitions due to many factors such as non-respect for the rule of law, weak institutions, shrinking space for political participation/engagement with constant human rights violations and tortures; the arrest of persons and the abuse of their rights especially those in the opposition parties, Civil Society Organizations and Faith Leaders and also the violation of treaties and laws which all countries have registered acceptance and commitment.
The political tensions caused by the manipulation of constitutions and the electoral processes weaken the people’s participation in governance while politicians take advantage of ethnic and religious divisions to achieve their personal desires. Elections cost unnecessarily so much due to bribery of voters and post-election legal tussles.
When, as shepherds of our people, we draw the attention of our leaders to these issues, we are not doing politics, but because as Pope Benedict XVI pointed out in his Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, “the just ordering of society and the State is a central responsibility of politics [1], and as Pope Paul VI once said, “development is the new name of peace”[2]. This shows that social questions tie all men and women, irrespective of religion, together in every part of the world [3]. All that we want is peace, not war, the type of global peace that His Holiness, Pope Francis, continues to advocate today, namely, peace without borders. As religious leaders we cannot but act and react against everything that dehumanizes, impoverishes, alienates and maims man. We are concerned whenever and wherever a human being suffers, struggles and dies; wherever injustice crystallizes into violence; wherever man is less man and aspires to be more man. We do not want to live behind a curtain of silence. For this reason we need to meet the political leaders from time to time for joint reflections and actions. This is the raison d’être of the RECOWA Peace Committee.
PROACTIVE MEASURES
At the RECOWA level we have therefore considered the need for a regional structure for the prevention, mediation, resolution and transformation of conflict; a regional liaison office to collaborate with the ECOWAS Commission and relevant institutions and also a body to participate in election observation.
These structures will work under the umbrella of the Justice and Peace Commission; and we shall count on the various National/Inter-Territorial Justice Development and Peace Commissions to start the work at each country level. We have a well organised network that runs through the region i.e. the National episcopal Conferences, the Dioceses, the parishes and outstations. We are putting all these at the disposal of all people of goodwill so that we can build a region where the unwelcome sounds of bombs and Kalashnikovs will be something of the past. Peace, not war!
THE RECOWA PEACE COMMITTEE
The RECOWA Peace Committee (REPCO) is composed of three Cardinals representing the three linguistic zones: Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone as well as Bishops, Priests and Lay persons with the necessary expertise. With this body, the Church in West Africa offers a helping hand and engages the political, social and economic leaders of our region to address the above-mentioned challenges and to bring about justice and peace, stability and development.
We are determined to work with all religious communities and other bodies to bring about lasting peace in our respective countries, for, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God” ( Matthew 5:9). The presence of the President of ECOWAS Commission and the Ambassadors of the various countries within the West African Region who are here to grace this occasion bode well and assure all of us in RECOWA of their help and togetherness in carrying out this mission of peace which is a sine qua non for any meaningful progress in the region.
On this note I wish to thank you all for taking time out of your very busy schedules to be present here for this official inauguration of the RECOWA Peace Committee. I reiterate my sentiments of gratitude to Your Eminencies the Cardinals, the Archbishops, the priests and religious and the Lay Faithful of our Region here present. We appreciate the Staff of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria ably led by Very Reverend Ralph Madu, Secretary General of the CSN; the representative of CAFOD in Nigeria, Mr. Kelechi Emeh,
for their collaboration and support; Fr. Joseph Aka the Secretary General of RECOWA, and indeed all those who collaborated to put this event together.
Finally, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to you, Your Excellency, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Your Excellency, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Your Excellences – Ambassadors of the ECOWAS countries to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Your Eminences, Your Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio in Nigeria/Holy See Observer to ECOWAS, Your Excellency, the RECOWA Chairman of Justice and Peace. Permit me please to greet also the Director of Research and Documentation of the Plateau State Government, the Director of the Plateau State Peace Agency and the Director of the Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace Centre in Jos, who came with me as a support to this peace initiative.
I humbly invoke God’s blessings on us all, our families and institutions and the countries we represent. Thank you for your very kind attention.
Most Rev. Ignatius A. KAIGAMA,
Archbishop of Jos Nigeria President of RECOWA/CERAO
[1]De Civitate Dei, IV, 4: CCL 47, 102. In Benoît XVI, Deus Caritas Est,
[2]Paul VI, Populorum Progressio (March 27, 1967), 75
[3]Cf. Paul VI, Ibid,
SOCIAL IMPACT INVESTING – A WORKSHOP FACILITATED BY CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES (CRS) IN PRAIA, CAPE VERDE, 29.01.2018. OPENING REMARKS BY ARCHBISHOP IGNATIUS A. KAIGAMA, PRESIDENT OF RECOWA. Your Eminence, Peter …
SOCIAL IMPACT INVESTING – A WORKSHOP FACILITATED BY CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES (CRS) IN PRAIA, CAPE VERDE, 29.01.2018. OPENING REMARKS BY ARCHBISHOP IGNATIUS A. KAIGAMA, PRESIDENT OF RECOWA.
Your Eminence, Peter Cardinal TURKSON, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, Vatican City,
Your Eminence, Arlindo Cardinal FUTARDO, Bishop of Santiago, Cape Verde,
Your Excellencies, The Members of RECOWA Standing Committee,
Your Excellencies, The Presidents of the National / Inter-Territorial Conferences,
Officials of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS),
We have gathered at the end of RECOWA’s 6th Standing Committee meeting, and now we are begining the workshop on Social Investment.
On behalf of the Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops of our Conference, and in my own name I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to CRS for its continuous support to our Conference. Today’s workshop is another manifestation of the positive disposition of CRS towards RECOWA. In 2015, CRS assisted RECOWA in the organization of the 2nd Plenary Assembly and actively took part in it in Ghana. In 2016, CRS made a grant for the organisation of a workshop on Inter-religious Dialogue. Owing to understaffing of our Secretariat this work could not be carried out but it has been rescheduled for this year. We are here in 2018 at this social investment workshop because of the support of CRS. CRS covered the travel expenses of the Presidents of the National/Inter-territorial Conferences.
Please, Ms Morgan, extend our appreciation to the entire CRS team in Baltimore.
Dear brothers in the episcopate, today’s workshop is a follow-up to the one organised for the regional Conferences world-wide in June 2016 in Rome on the theme « Making the year of Mercy a year of Social Impact for the poor ». At that workshop our Conference was represented by RECOWA Secretary General and the Chairman of Justice and Peace.
Social investment is understood as the use of private capital often in connection with charitable capital and public capital to resolve large scale social problems. Investment in social enterprises under suitable conditions is so that social services could be further supported by an income stream which offers profitable social measures for the poor and the investors
This kind of investment is relevant to the Catholic Church for two reasons.
a) The broad network of high quality and sustainable social services that the Church has provided to the poor in the world for centuries.
b) The movement of donors and charity foundations, including the movement of private investors to this model of finance is to resolve large scale social problems.
During the openning ceremony on Saturday, I drew our attention to the fact that about sixty five percent (65%) of our population is made up of the youth. Unfortunately, the majority of them are unemployed and therefore highly exposed to human trafficking, drug abuse, violence and forced migrations, etc. I added that « as long as they remain without jobs after their graduation from school and move about in our sub-region, they are easy preys to warlords and political criminals, who may recruit them for violent crimes and terrorism. There is an urgent need to reverse this trend by putting in place appropriate measures and incentives to create gainful employment opportunities for our youth”. I also asked the question about what we should do as Church to address this problem and where to find the means to do it .
With today’s workshop we shall be presented with the opportunity to address some of the social problems our people are confronted with. This workshop will equip us to be not only agents of evangelisation but also agents of social and integral development. This is why we highly appreciate the presence of His Eminence Peter Cardinal TURKSON, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development who is also a founding member of our regional Conference and a fervent promoter of Social Investment.
My dear Brothers in the Episcopate, the time has come for us to initiate activities that can help us address social problems while evangelizing. We cannot continue to rely only on collections, bazaars, tithes or ocassional donations.
As we prepare to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar in Kampala in July next year, let us remember what Pope Paul VI said in Uganda in 1969: “You are your own missionaries”. If this has been realized at the spiritual and pastoral levels, we thank God ; but it must also become a reality at the level of our financial and material structures.
Your presence here, my dear brother Presidents of the National Conferences, is a clear manifestation of your desire to make this dream a reality : the dream to become agents of evangelization and of integral human development.
It is my prayer that, each one of us would go home more inspired and equipped to put ourselves at the material service of the Church and the poor.
In conclusion, I thank you all for taking time out of your very tight schedules to be present here at this workshop to acquaint ourselves better with social Investment principles, methodology and praxis.
Muito obrigado!
Cérémonie d’ouverture Mons. Le Président de la CERAO/RECOWA, Mgr. Ignatius. A. KAIGAMA Excellence Très distingués Membres du Conseil de la Présidence de la CERAO/ RECOWA, Excellences Chers confrères Évêques et …
Cérémonie d’ouverture
Mons. Le Président de la CERAO/RECOWA, Mgr. Ignatius. A. KAIGAMA Excellence
Très distingués Membres du Conseil de la Présidence de la CERAO/ RECOWA, Excellences
Chers confrères Évêques et Représentants des Conférences Episcopales de notre Région
Mons. Ministre d’État, des Affaires Parlementaires, du Conseil des Ministres et du Sport – Docteur Elísio Freire, Excellence
Mons. Ministre Adjoint du Premier Ministre pour l’Intégration Régionale – Docteur Júlio Herbert, Excellence
Mons. le Maire de Praia, – Docteur Óscar Santos, Excellence
Distingués Membres du Staff de la CERAO/RECOWA
Cher Recteur du Séminaire de Saint Joseph, Abbé José Álvaro
Révérends Pères et Sœurs
Chère Commission d’accueille
Chers journalistes
Mesdames et Messieurs
Chers Amis, chers Invités
C’est un grand honneur et motif de joie, pour nous, en tant que Église établie au Cap Vert, pouvoir accueillir ces illustres hôtes, à l’occasion de la VI Réunion du Conseil Permanent de la CERAO/RECOWA. Cet organisme importante, a le rôle de tenir debout et en mouvement la coopération et le partage des Conférences Épiscopales des pays de notre sous-Région Ouest-Africaine, de langue anglaise, de langue française et de langue portugaise.
La valeur et la nécessité d’une telle organisation fondée en 2012, nous poussent à affronter et à surmonter le grand défi de la barrière linguistique ainsi que des spécificités de notre culture commune, pour la richesse de notre organisation.
Je saisis cette occasion pour vous souhaiter la bienvenue au Cap Vert, un petit pays avec des îles dispersées dans cette région de l’Océan Atlantique où, depuis 2004, nous avons deux diocèses. Notre territoire est petit, mais les gens sont d’un grand cœur. Plein d’amour et de “morabeza”, nous vous accueillons chaleureusement et avec beaucoup de joie, en vous souhaitant un bon séjour et un très bon travail pour le bien de nos conférences, de nos pays, de nos Églises.
Un bon nombre de nos Pays appartiennent au Sahel comme vous le savez, et la sécheresse n’est pas du tout une surprise. Cette année, la sécheresse a particulièrement affecté ces îles. Et nous voilà, vivant cette expérience ensemble lors de notre rencontre. Malgré la sécheresse, nous avons toujours le vert de l’espérance qui nous aide à atteindre des objectifs élevés. Cela fait toute différence dans la vie des gens d’ici et de notre sous -région
Pendant votre séjour parmi nous, et malgré l’intensité et le rythme du travail qui vous attend, vous aurez surement l’occasion de prendre contact avec la population du pays et donc vous pourrez apercevoir combien le peuple capverdien est chaleureux dans son accueil.
Pour la plupart de vous, c’est la première fois que vous visitez le Cap Vert, un jeune pays, devenu indépendant du Portugal en 1975.
Notre système démocratique pluriel et récent s’est amélioré depuis 1990 et il fait encore son chemin vers une meilleure affirmation des valeurs des droits, des libertés et des garanties pour le bien commun de toutes les communautés, en particulier les plus démunis.
Depuis longtemps, j’ai aperçu un grand désir de quelques-uns parmi vous, qu’une rencontre du genre puisse avoir lieu au Cap Vert. Nous voici! Le temps libre est assez limité et je ne suis pas sûr, cette fois – ci, que vous pourriez, au moins faire un tour à l’île de Santiago, où nous nous trouvons.
J’espère qu’à la prochaine fois cela sera possible.
Nous apprécions beaucoup la présence bienveillante de Mons. le Ministre d’État, Docteur Elísio Freire et de Mons. le Maire de Praia, Docteur Óscar Santos, à cette cérémonie d’ouverture: très reconnaissants, nous vous remercions de votre aimable disponibilité. Que Dieu vous bénisse.
À tous je souhaite un bon travail. Et merci du cœur!
†Arlindo Cardinal Gomes Furtado, Évêque
Praia, le 27 février 2018
