By Paschal Norbert
JOHANNESBURG, MAY 20, 2025 (CISA) – South Africa will host a historic gathering of the Church’s religious leadership across Africa as it welcomes the Confederation of Conferences of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COMSAM) for its 2025 Symposium and 6th Annual General Meeting (AGM). Scheduled to take place from May 23 to 30, 2025, in Johannesburg and Pretoria, this landmark event marks the first time South Africa is hosting COMSAM, a milestone moment that reflects the deepening unity and collaboration among Catholic religious congregations in the region. The timing of the event, during Africa Month, also underscores its significance in affirming African identity and ecclesial solidarity.
COMSAM, established in 2005 by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), is a Vatican-endorsed confederation that unites the Conferences of Major Superiors from across the continent. It operates in close partnership with the Vatican Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. The confederation exists to support, strengthen, and empower consecrated life in Africa through fostering collaboration, providing formation, and encouraging mission engagement across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Its members represent more than 108,000 Catholic religious men and women from over 500 international and local congregations operating in 55 African countries.
According to Fr Emmanuel Mvomo, COMSAM Secretary General, the decision to bring the 2025 meeting to Southern Africa is both symbolic and strategic. In an interview with the Communication Office of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) on May 16, Fr Mvomo described the event as a “moment of joy and hope,” especially in light of the creation of the Regional Conference of Major Superiors of Southern Africa (RCMSSA) in 2022. The new regional body brings together religious from Angola, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini. Fr Mvomo emphasized that COMSAM is not a distant or mysterious organization, but a dynamic and accessible network dedicated to mutual support and communion among African religious.
The week-long COMSAM gathering will unfold in two major phases. The first is the Symposium, which will run from May 23 to 25 at St. Dominic’s Girls School in Boksburg, Johannesburg, under the theme: “Hope, Synodality and the Empowerment of Consecrated Life in Africa.” This public event will be attended by representatives from all six African ecclesiastical regions. Discussions will focus on the future of consecrated life in Africa and will explore major pastoral concerns such as synodality in the Church, safeguarding in the context of abuse prevention, and the empowerment of local religious congregations to take up leadership roles within Church and society.
One of the most anticipated participants at the symposium is Sr Simona Brambilla MC, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Consecrated Life and the first woman ever appointed to lead a dicastery at the Vatican. A former Consolata missionary in Mozambique, Sr Brambilla has chosen not to deliver a keynote speech, but instead to accompany participants throughout the event, engaging in dialogue and spiritual accompaniment. Her presence signals the Vatican’s strong support for African religious life and its commitment to a more synodal, inclusive Church.
Also present will be Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa and President of SECAM, whose leadership has been instrumental in promoting the Church’s continental vision. His participation is expected to reaffirm the role of Africa in shaping the global Church and encourage stronger collaboration between bishops and religious superiors.
Following the symposium, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held from May 26 to 30 at St. John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria. This closed-door meeting will gather approximately 100 leaders, including presidents and representatives of the six African regional federations of religious. The AGM will be chaired by Sr Marie Diouf, FSCM, the President of COMSAM from Senegal, in the presence of the Vatican delegation led by Sr Brambilla. The meeting will focus on reviewing COMSAM’s activities, evaluating progress made over the past years, setting new priorities, and adopting strategic directions for the future of religious life in Africa.
Throughout the week, COMSAM 2025 will highlight the vital role of consecrated life in the Church’s mission across Africa. Religious men and women are actively involved in education, serving more than 30 million learners in Catholic schools, as well as in 6,800 hospitals and dispensaries, 2,400 orphanages and homes for the elderly, and numerous initiatives supporting migrants, refugees, and victims of human trafficking, such as those under the Talitha Kum network. Their work is driven by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and by a profound commitment to Gospel values.
According to Fr Václav Klement, Provincial of the Salesians in Southern Africa and Communications Coordinator for LCCL-SA, “It’s more than a meeting, it’s a moment of grace to bear witness to the joy, courage, and deep commitment to the Gospel.”
Fr Mvomo concluded by expressing his hope that the newly elected Pope Leo XIV will continue the legacy of Pope Francis, particularly in promoting peace, synodality, and a deeper commitment to the Word of God. He sees COMSAM 2025 as a powerful sign that the Church in Africa is not only alive and vibrant, but also ready to lead, serve, and shape the future of global Catholicism.
