In a video message to the participants of the third congress of the Pan-African Catholic Network for Theology and Pastoral Care, Pope Leo XIV recalled the fundamental role of the family, “the first place where we receive the love and support we need.”

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

The event, titled “Walking Together in Hope as the Church-Family of God in Africa,” is taking place Aug. 5–10 at the Catholic University of West Africa in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

The main objective of the meeting is to promote communication within the global south by bringing together theologians, pastoral, lay, and religious leaders to reflect, share experiences, and develop pastoral ministry from an African perspective.

At the beginning of his message, released Aug. 6, the Holy Father particularly expressed his gratitude for the work of the meeting’s organizers and assured them of his prayers for the participants, who during these days are reflecting on the future of the Church in Africa.

In the context of the Jubilee of Hope, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the vital role that hope plays in our earthly pilgrimage. “Faith and theology provide the basis for knowing God, while charity is the life of love we enjoy with him,” he noted.

However, he explained that “it is by the virtue of hope that we desire to attain the fullness of this happiness in heaven. Thus, it inspires and sustains us to grow closer to God even when confronted by the hardships of life,” he added.

The Holy Father urged the Church to be “a beacon of hope for the nations” facing various difficulties in Africa, while calling for fraternity and appealing to the responsibility to “look after each other.”

“A family is usually the first place where we receive the love and support we need to move forward and overcome the trials we face in life,” he pointed out.

In this context, he encouraged the continued building of “the family of the local Churches” in African countries “so that there are networks of support available to all our brothers and sisters in Christ, and also to the wider society, especially those on the peripheries.”

At the end of his message, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of “recognizing the unity between theology and pastoral work.”

He pointed out that “we have to live what we believe. Christ told us that he came not simply to give us life but to give it to the full. Hence, it is your task to work together to implement pastoral programs that demonstrate how the teachings of the Church help to open people’s hearts and minds to the truth and love of God.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.