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DR Congo’s Catholic Bishops Direct Nationwide Novena Prayer for “true, lasting peace” amid Security Challenges

Jude Atemanke

By Jude Atemanke

Kinshasa, 05 June, 2025 / 8:58 pm (ACI Africa).

Catholic Bishops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have directed that the people of God participate in a nationwide Novena, imploring God’s grace for “true and lasting peace” in the Central African nation.

In a letter that the Secretary General of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), Mons. Donatien Nshole, issued on Wednesday, June 4, the Catholic Bishops underscore the spiritual urgency of the moment with the Novena that is to kick off on Friday, June 6.

“In view of the increasingly concerning evolution of the security and socio-political situation, it is now more urgent than ever to invoke divine grace for the coming of true and lasting peace,” CENCO members say.

They remind pastoral agents in DRC of the importance of “effectively raising awareness among God’s people in promoting the Novena ... in order to reach as many people as possible.”

“It would be advisable for the launch of the said Novena to be presided over by the Bishop or his delegate, in a popular parish, so as to ensure significant visibility for the event,” CENCO members say.

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To help foster a countrywide spiritual solidarity and amplify the Novena’s outreach, the Catholic Church leaders ask to “send any images and audiovisual materials related to activities organized within the framework of this Novena to the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications (CECOS).”

The materials, CENCO members say, will allow for “nationwide dissemination and help strengthen the spirit of communion around this spiritual initiative.”

The planned Novena is one of several spiritual initiatives the Catholic Church is undertaking to address the ongoing challenges the people of God in DRC are facing.

On May 17, CENCO members appealed for national unity and reconciliation through the implementation of a Social Pact for Peace and Harmonious Coexistence, as the country grapples with political, security, and humanitarian crises.

The Social Pact for Peace and Harmonious Coexistence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes is an initiative of CENCO members in collaboration with their counterparts in the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC).

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In the pact, the church leaders in DRC seek to mobilize the various stakeholders in the Central African nation to chart a path out of the country’s protracted instability.

“The Social Pact aims to lead to a consensus-based national reconciliation, laying the groundwork for an international conference for peace in the Great Lakes Region, while safeguarding the country’s constitutional order and promoting a spirit of brotherhood and tolerance,” CENCO members said in a statement issued following their 62nd Plenary Assembly in Kinshasa.

They called on President Felix Tshisekedi to trust religious leaders in “facilitating the implementation of this initiative.”

The Catholic Bishops urged the Congolese to appropriate the Social Pact for Peace initiative, while remaining “vigilant, and not allowing ourselves to be manipulated by those who promote their own personal interests to the detriment of the Nation.”

Jude Atemanke

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.

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