NAIROBI SEPTEMBER 1, 2015(CISA)- Fr Leonard Santedi, Secretary General of Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) has called upon women in the church to be more involved in church activities to ensure that the church remains strong.
He urged the women to be more active especially in their small Christian communities in their respective parishes through promotion of ethical leadership.
“You are the ones that keep the parishes moving. You must keep on doing all you can to make this effort count through promotion of ethical leadership where you are. If you relent the church will shatter,” said Fr Santedi.
Speaking during a Pan-African meeting of Catholic women at St Joseph Retreat centre in Nairobi September 1 on the theme, “The African woman moving towards the African year of Reconciliation,” Fr Santedi urged the women to promote family as a sanctuary of life first in order to acquire a culture of peace and harmony.
The meeting organized by Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) in collaboration with Association of Member of Episcopal Conferences (AMECEA) begun on August 31 and will end on Thursday September 3.
“Africa needs forgiveness, reconciliation and peace. We need to build truth, justice and social order in our society. This can be achieved through empowering of the African woman,” he said.
In her presentation during the same event, Ms Filomena Jose Elias, a Mozambican lawyer urged the women to step in to promote reconciliation process in Africa and bring change in leadership.
“Women are the nuclear cell of the family and the home of our society and are responsible for shaping the reconciliation process. That is why we need more women to take up roles traditionally set aside for men,” she said.
“Most African countries still do not have women in all spheres of governance. Women too just like men should be fully involved in crucial aspects of decision-making process in the society,” she concluded.
