AFRICA/KENYA- 50 years of AMECEA celebrated in Nairobi

Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - The Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), is celebrating its Golden Jubilee this year, founded in 1961. The anniversary coincides with the 17th Plenary Assembly of AMECEA, which opened on June 29 at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) in Nairobi, Kenya.
The AMECEA brings together the Bishops of Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. 350 delegates are participating at the Plenary Assembly. At the beginning of the Assembly a conference entitled "Family of God AMECEA celebrating Golden Jubilee of Evangelization in Solidarity was held". President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki was present at the opening of the work, who stressed the importance of collaboration between the State and the Church to improve the condition of the population.
Fr. Piergiorgio Gamba, a Monfort missionary who has been working in Malawi for over 30 years is participating in the work. "While the Western Church is confronted with demographic challenges at times full of nostalgia and suffering, in these Countries there is growth, even only quantitative, impressive", writes Fr. Piergiorgio to Fides. "In the eight countries belonging to AMECEA, from 1961 to 2011 the number of inhabitants has gone from 30 million to 261 million, of which 47 million are Catholics, with 116 bishops, 8,696 priests, 7,146 religious brothers and 20,773 nuns".
These local Churches want to get out of its regional boundaries and, according to the first theme handled in 1961 "The Future of the Church in Africa", is to find in unity both growth in the faith and effective cooperation, recalls the missionary.
There are several topics for discussion in the Plenary: the Church and the media: television, radio and Catholic press; the formation of priests and the preparation of pastoral training centers; the opening of a new Catholic university; the future of Catholic schools; Justice and Peace in the east region of Africa; the promotion of the apostolate among young people; the prosperity of the Gospel preached by the Pentecostal churches founded on miracles and healing; Evangelization and education, the Word of God, inculturation; witchcraft, which is still very present. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 07/02/2011)