African Bishops and Laudato Si’ Movement Africa Call for Urgent Climate Action and Ecological Conversion at Africa Climate Summit
Press release
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 7 September 2025
On the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, during the Season of Creation, the Church in Africa gathered in Addis Ababa for a historic Holy Mass for the Care of Creation held alongside the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2). Organised by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), the liturgy was a thanksgiving for the gift of creation and a renewal of the Church’s shared commitment to protect our common home.
In its statement at the Summit, SECAM reaffirmed that the climate crisis is both a moral and ecological emergency, disproportionately impacting Africa despite the continent’s minimal contribution to global emissions. The bishops called for Africa to be an architect of its own ecological future, stressing that solutions must be rooted in justice, indigenous wisdom, and community resilience. They urged decisive action to phase out fossil fuels, scale up renewable energy, and operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund as a matter of justice and solidarity.
This call resonates deeply with the Season of Creation, which began on 1 September and extends through the Feast of St. Francis on 4 October. Reflecting on this year’s theme, Peace with Creation, Laudato Si’ Movement Africa highlighted that humanity’s relationship with creation is one of interdependence, grounded in God’s love. As Sr Ann Concannon, St Louis Sister, reminded in her homily: “Everything we need for life comes from creation – energy from the sun, food from the earth – yet we often take it for granted. Pope Francis, in Laudato Si’, calls us to ecological conversion: to recognise that we are not only dependent on creation, but creation also depends on us.”
The Gospel reading for the day (Luke 14:25–33) challenges the faithful to count the cost of discipleship. Applied to the climate crisis, it reminds us that while we desire a healthy and peaceful future, our current way of life is undermining that very future. Choices around transport, consumption, and waste are not neutral; they shape whether we live in harmony with creation or contribute to its destruction. “There is always a cost to truly following Jesus,” Sr Ann noted, “and one way is to live more simply and responsibly in relation to the whole of creation.” For Laudato Si’ Movement Africa, this Mass and SECAM’s statement stand as a united call for ecological conversion, climate justice, and solidarity. The Church commits to fostering ecological awareness in every parish, school, and diocese, advocating at COP30 for a just energy transition, and partnering with ethical actors to build a green and resilient Africa.
“Africa must rise as a moral voice and agent of its own transformation. Justice, solidarity, and care for creation demand nothing less,” the bishops affirmed. The Mass, the statement, and the Season of Creation together underline the urgency of protecting our common home through faith, courage, and collective action.
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Media Contact:
Mwenya Chitambala
Communications Officer – Africa Region
+27 60 644 2426
mwenya@laudatosimovement.org
