By ACI Africa
Jan 5, 2026 / 12:34 pm
Catholic bishops in Ethiopia have issued a far-reaching synodality message that speaks to the fear, suffering, and fragmentation gripping the Horn of Africa nation, repeatedly urging the people of God to “not be afraid.”
Dated Dec. 10, 2025, and obtained on Jan. 4 by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, the message was released at the conclusion of the 59th Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) members, held in Emdibir Dec. 8–10. The gathering marked both the close of the jubilee year and the formal beginning of the implementation of the final document of the Synod on Synodality in Ethiopia.
A Catholic missionary source familiar with the Church in Ethiopia told ACI Africa that the CBCE members’ decision to circulate the message widely — and to request that it be read out at parish Masses — represents a significant shift.
“The fact that the Catholic bishops are circulating the statement and asking to have it read at parish Masses is something new,” the source said, adding that Catholic bishops in Ethiopia “were very fearful in the past. Maybe this ‘don’t be afraid’ is a new start for a marginal Church.”
A message rooted in Advent hope
The bishops’ message was addressed to clergy, women and men religious, and the laity — including Catholics in the diaspora and “all people of goodwill, ”and was inspired by the words of the angel to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid; I bring you good news of great joy for all people” (Lk 2:10).
Written during Advent to culminate in Christmas, which is celebrated on Jan. 7 in Ethiopia, the Catholic bishops situated their pastoral exhortation firmly within the concrete realities of Ethiopian life.
“In a nation burdened by many hardships — poverty, conflict, climate change, cultural confusion, and division — these words remind us that even amid darkness, the divine light of Christ shines forth, guiding us toward renewed hope and unity,” CBCE members said.
The bishops said their call to courage is not denial of suffering but rather a proclamation of faith. “We proclaim it not as a denial of the profound suffering and fear that grips our nation but as a faith-filled affirmation that God is with us,” they wrote.
Naming the wounds of the nation
The bishops described the “heavy burdens” afflicting the nation, beginning with the crushing cost of living.
“For so many families, daily life has become unbearable,” they said, adding that “soaring prices render basic provisions a luxury. Parents watch helplessly as children go to bed hungry.”
The Church leaders framed this reality as a violation of Catholic social teaching, emphasizing the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable and insisting that economic structures must serve human dignity.
They also drew attention to the devastating impact of climate change, particularly drought and environmental degradation.
“Imagine those who are dying of hunger in a country of plenty,” they wrote, calling for “ecological conversion” and quoting the May 2015 encyclical letter on care for our common home, Laudato Si’, on the need for “an overall personal conversion… which leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change.”
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Cultural fragmentation and the loss of the common good
The bishops warned that Ethiopia’s social fabric is fraying under the weight of tribal conflicts, ethnic hatred, and ideologies of division, compounded by uncritical adoption of modern digital culture.
“The new culture shaped by digitization is doing away with our long-standing values,” they observed, warning that an “us vs. them mentality” amplified by social media is eroding the sense of the common good.
“We risk losing the sense of common good — that the well-being of each is bound to the well-being of all,” they caution.
‘Our land is soaked in pain’
The CBCE members also addressed war and insecurity. “Our land is soaked in pain,” they said, pointing to civil war, ongoing local violence, and conflicts rooted in religion, ethnicity, and politics.
They insisted that peace is not simply the absence of war. “The Catholic Church teaches us that peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice and the flourishing of human dignity.”
In their message, the bishops ask: “When will we have enough? When will we turn away from the cycle of violence and work towards healing and rebuilding?”
They described the social consequences of conflict — economic collapse, cultural erosion, and widespread displacement — highlighting the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Ethiopians forced into precarious lives abroad.
“As a Church, we cannot remain silent in the face of such suffering,” they declared. “We are called to be instruments of peace, to advocate for the voiceless, and to work tirelessly for reconciliation.”
The failure to dialogue
Another wound CBCE members identified in their statement was the breakdown of communication at every level of society. “Our greatest failure may be our inability to dialogue,” they said, lamenting a “Babylon of confusion” where people no longer listen to one another.”
They cited Pope Francis’ encyclical on human fraternity and social friendship, Fratelli Tutti, stressing that authentic dialogue requires “the ability to respect the other’s point of view and to admit that it may include legitimate convictions and concerns.”
Synodality as an act of resistance
Against this backdrop of fear, division, and violence, the bishops presented synodality not as an abstract ecclesial process but as a prophetic response. “Walking together is an act of resistance against every force that divides and destroys,” they asserted.
Quoting the Synod Vademecum, they reminded the people of God that synodality is “the path along which the Church is called to walk … making everyone participate in a journey of common listening and discernment.”
They emphasized that this is “not merely a Church exercise; it is a prophetic witness and a concrete answer to the deep crises we face as a nation.”
‘Do not be afraid’
In one of the most pastorally detailed sections of the CBCE members’ message, the Catholic bishops repeatedly exhort the people of God: “Do not be afraid.”
They urged Catholics to walk as “companions in the journey,” to listen deeply — especially to those on the peripheries — and to speak the truth “with courage and prudence.”
They insisted that liturgical life and prayer remain central, encouraging Catholics not to fear “to keep intact your identity as Catholics as expressed in your liturgical life.”
CBCE members also call for co-responsibility in mission, urging the baptized to participate actively in evangelization and integral human development “to benefit all humanity regardless of their creed, tribe, religion, or any background.”
Dialogue, ecumenism, renewed forms of authority as service, communal discernment, and formation in synodality are all framed by the same refrain: Do not be afraid.
Mary as the model of a synodal Church
The message culminates in a Marian vision of the Church.
“We see the features of a synodal, missionary, and merciful Church shining in full light in the Virgin Mary,” they write, describing her as the one who “listens, prays, meditates, dialogues, accompanies, discerns, decides, and acts.”
Invoking St. Paul VI, they recall that “the action of the Church in the world can be likened to an extension of Mary’s concern.”
A new public voice for a marginal Church
By asking that their message be read aloud at Catholic Masses across the country, the bishops’ message of courage can reach even the smallest communities.
As the missionary source told ACI Africa: “Maybe this ‘don’t be afraid’ is a new start for a marginal Church.”
This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.
