Burkina Faso's Ouédraogo elected new SECAM president

His Eminence Philippe Nakellentuba Ouédraogo, the Archbishop of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso has been elected as the new Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) president.

Ouédraogo was announced as the new president on Sunday during the closing mass at the Uganda Martyrs Basilica in Namugongo.

He replaces the Most Rev Gabriel Mbilingi, the Archbishop of Lubango in Angola who served in the same position for six years.

Mbilingi who announced the new president also introduced other members of the committee. These include the first vice president Rt Rev Sithembele Sipuka, the Bishop of  Mthatha in South Africa.

Catholics thronged the Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo for the mass. Photo by Juliet Lukwago

The second vice president is Rt Rev. Lucio Andrice Muandula, the bishop of Xai Xai in Mozambique. Other leaders of the committee are from Madagascar, Nigeria, Central African Republic and Kenya among others.

Ouédraogo in his homily, asked Africans to remain united and to always do good, in spite of all the challenges we face in the world today.

"Keep doing what is right even if there are many people who are doing the opposite because there is hope for salvation," he said.

Speaking to Christians earlier on before the mass, Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga told the congregation that the weeklong SECAM meeting held at the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort was successful.