On Friday, October 7, Pope Francis appointed the new president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) Richard Cardinal Kuuia Baawobr a member of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.
The Dicastery which aims that the Catholic Church engage in the contemporary ecumenical movement was established by Pope John XXIII on June 5th, 1960 as one of the preparatory commissions for the Second Vatican Council.
The purpose of the Dicastery where new SECAM president will now be a member promotes an authentic ecumenical spirit within the Catholic Church and also develops dialogue and collaboration with the other churches and world communions.
Cardinal Baawobr of Ghana’s Wa Diocese, was appointed the new SECAM President on July 30th 2022, at the end of the 19th assembly that was held in Accra, Ghana.
In his maiden speech after the appointment as the SECAM’s president, Cardinal Baawobr who is a member of the Missionaries of Africa and was once a Superior General of the congregation promised to work in collaboration with the leaders of the regional conferences for the realization of SECAM’s mission.
“You have seen the new team that was presented as the presidential council of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). We are three, but beyond us, there are other people who are working in the Episcopal and regional conferences who together with us form the Standing Committee,” the new chairman highlighted in his speech during the closing Eucharistic celebration of the plenary assembly in Ghana and continued, “Together we will try to make the Church of Africa present in our society and respond to the call that we have all received from God.”
After his appointment by the Holy Father on Friday 5th, as a member of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, the Cardinal is quoted by National Union of Ghana Catholic Diocesan Priests’ Associations to have said that, “The reward for hard work in the Catholic Church is more work.”
Cardinal Baawobr was appointed alongside Paulo Cardinal Cezar Costa of the Archdiocese of Brasília, Brazil, to serve in the same Dicastery.