12 Feb
General

Communiqué of the II ordinary assembly of the RCMSSA

To all the National Conferences of Major Superiors of Southern Africa

Gathered in an Ordinary Assembly from January 28 to February 2, 2026, in the city of Luanda (Angola), under the motto “Consecrated Life United for Mission”, the Delegates and Invited Members of the Regional Conference of Major Superiors of Southern Africa (RCMSSA), in an atmosphere of fraternity, prayer and discernment, sought to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit who continues to lead Consecrated Life on the path of creative fidelity. Under the presidency of Fr. José Joaquim Luís Pedro, MCCJ, outgoing President, and in the presence of Msgr. Leopoldo Ndakalako, Bishop of Menongue who is responsible for Consecrated Life in the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST), the 28 participants dedicated themselves to intense work of reflection, sharing and spiritual reading of the challenges and hopes that mark the mission in the region. From this synodal experience came insights, questions and decisions that we now wish to share.

  1. FINDINGS

1.1. From the social reality

With our eyes illuminated by the Gospel, we recognize that the peoples of Southern Africa continue to face deep social and human wounds:

  • The proliferation of sects and religious pluralism that challenge the proclamation of the faith
  • The persistent poverty that cries out for justice
  • Corruption that erodes trust and dignity
  • The social inequalities that hurt fraternity
  • The tribal tensions that threaten peace
  • The ecological crises that call for conversion and care
  • The fragility of institutions
  • Forced migration and trafficking in human beings, which threaten life
  • The digital divide, which creates new forms of marginalization

These realities demand from Consecrated Life a prophetic, compassionate and committed presence.

1.2. From the reality of consecrated life in our region

We also recognize, with humility and truth, internal challenges that require renewal and conversion:

  • Weaknesses in initial, ongoing and specialized formation
  • Shortage of trained formators
  • Difficulties in the self-sustainability of communities
  • The need for greater care and accompaniment of consecrated persons of the third age
  • Risk of relativizing the importance of the physical, mental and spiritual health of consecrated men and women.

These challenges call us to maturity, responsibility and communion.

  1. RECOMMENDATIONS

Inspired by the Gospel and the legacy of our founders, the Assembly recommends:

  • To promote an integral formation that unites faith, life and mission
  • To continue to implement the guidelines of Laudato si’, taking integral ecology as part of our spirituality
  • To adopt, at the National Conferences, the protocol for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, and encourage adherence to the Talitha Kum network, as a concrete expression of care for the most fragile
  • To invest in the formation of formators, recognizing that the mission is born from well-accompanied hearts
  • To cultivate a culture of care, responsibility and prevention with regard to the health of members, as an expression of fraternal charity.
  1. APPROVALS

In a spirit of communion and co-responsibility, the Assembly approved:

a) The Statutes of the Regional Conference of Major Superiors of Southern Africa

b) The Financial Policy of the Regional Conference of Major Superiors of Southern Africa

  1. ELECTIONS

Trusting in the action of the Holy Spirit, the following were elected for the 2026–2028 triennium:

4.1. Presidency

  • President: Fr. José Joaquim Luís Pedro, MCCJ (re-elected)
  • Vice-President: Sr. Natalia Miguel, FMA

4.2. Members of the Executive

  • Ademário Delgado (São Tomé & Principe)
  • Kenneth Macharagha (Zimbabwe)
  • Immaculate Mary Pooka (Lesotho)
  • Ottilie Endyala (Namibia)
  • Zelna Oosthuizen (South Africa)
  1. PRIORITIES FOR THE 2026–2028 TRIENNIUM

With hope and missionary sense, we have defined as priorities:

  • To strengthen networking, collaboration and sharing of experiences
  • To promote comprehensive and continuous training, including the training of formators, support for the Sabbatical, jubilees, accompaniment of consecrated seniors and the ethical and healthy use of new technologies and artificial intelligence
  • To advance the self-sustainability of communities and works
  • To revitalize vocation animation, with special attention to discernment and academic formation
  • To establish the Conference headquarters, where the bank account and the Secretariat will be domiciled
  1. NEXT GENERAL ASSEMBLY
  • Host country: Lesotho

 

Luanda, February 02, 2026

 

 

Fr. José Joaquim Luís Pedro, MCCJ

President of the Regional Assembly of Major Superiors of Southern Africa