Bishops of Africa Congratulate Pope Francis on his 80th Birthday

Nigerian Bishop, Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo of Oyo Diocese and President of the Social Communications Committee at SECAM has issued the following Press Release, on behalf of the Bishops of Africa, to mark the 80th birthday of Pope Francis which falls on 17 December 2016.

SECAM stands for Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar and has its headquarters in Accra, Ghana. The Social Communications Committee of the continental association of Catholic Bishops is known as CEPACS, it French acronym which stands for the Pan-African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications (Comité Episcopal Panafricain Pour Les Communications).

 

PRESS RELEASE FROM SECAM ON THE OCCASION OF POPE FRANCIS’ 80TH BIRTHDAY

 

16 DECEMBER 2016

BISHOPS OF AFRICA CONGRATULATE POPE FRANCIS ON HIS BIRTHDAY

On behalf of the President of SECAM, Most Reverend Gabriel Mbilingi; the Standing Committee of SECAM and on behalf of all the Bishops and Conferences of SECAM in Africa, I send the Holy Father Pope Francis filial greetings on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

The African church deeply appreciates the Holy Father's apostolate on marriage and love in the family and pledges to stand firm for the integrity of Christian marriage and the family at all times. May God grant the Holy Father Pope Francis abundant grace and wisdom still to continue to fulfil his Petrine mandate faithfully.

To the Holy Father, congratulations and ad multos annos.

Most Reverend Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo

President of CEPACS

SECAM

Bishop of Oyo Diocese