AFRICA/CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC – Archbishop of Berbérati, newly appointed: “Every honor in the Church exists for the sake of service”
Thursday, 2 July 2026
Rome (Fides News Agency) – Among the 35 Metropolitan Archbishops appointed over the past year who received the pallium from Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Basilica on June 29 was the newly appointed Archbishop of Berbérati in the Central African Republic, Dennis Kofi Agbenyadzi, of the Society of African Missions (SMA). The following day, June 30, the Archbishop, of Ghanaian origins, celebrated Mass with the SMA Community, in Rome, together with members of his missionary family.
In his homily, Archbishop Agbenyadzi reflected on the journey he has made since becoming a bishop, recalling moments when all he could do was say, “Yes, Lord, You know,” even without understanding why he had been led to a particular place or called to face a particular trial. He described such experiences not as abandonment but as “a divine surprise” revealing God’s constant presence, even – and perhaps especially – in God’s silence. “Sometimes God’s silence is the answer to our prayers,” he said, inviting the community to pray for the grace to allow that silence to speak.
The Archbishop then turned his thoughts to the suffering Church in his beloved Central African Republic. He asked for prayers for Father Crépin Martial Monga, the young priest who was killed outside his parish house on the evening of June 29, 2026 (see Fides, 1/7/2026), as well as for the local Bishop, the faithful and the priest’s family. “This is a time of sorrow for the whole Church,” he said, “as we seek to place our lives at the service of others.”
He urged those gathered not to dwell on whatever causes panic or fear, but to receive each day as a blessing and a sign of the Lord’s constant presence. He concluded by asking the community to help him remain steadfast “amid all the storms of life” and entrusted everyone present, together with all those who had requested prayers, to the Lord’s loving care.
Asked about the significance of receiving the pallium, Archbishop Agbenyadzi replied: “Every honor in the Church exists for the sake of service,” reaffirming his attitude of trust, humility and solidarity with a suffering Church.
The pallium is a liturgical vestment made of wool that symbolizes a Metropolitan Archbishop’s communion with the Holy See and his mission to care for the flock entrusted to him, following the example of Christ, the Good Shepherd. (AP) (Fides News Agency, 2/7/2026)
SMA
Share:
