Church News

Sunday, December 29, 2025, as announced by his invitation to the people of God who are in Kinshasa, His Eminence Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa, opened the Holy Door at the Notre Dame du Congo Cathedral. This festivity began with a pilgrimage from Bosembo College along the Avenue des Sciences towards Avenue 24 to land in front of the esplanade of the Cathedral, where the opening ceremonies of the Holy Door took place.

Sunday, December 29, 2024, Sunday of the Holy Family, was a fateful date in the Catholic Church in general and in the Diocese of Kalemie -Kirungu, in particular. His Excellency Monsignor Jean - Christophe Amade Aloma, opened the Holy Door for the 2025 jubilee under the theme "Pilgrims of hope", a theme inspired by the papal Bull "Spes non confondit" which translates to: "Hope does not disappoint". Everything took place at the pro-cathedral of Christ the King of Kalemie.

It is part of his pastoral habits to celebrate a Mass the day after Christmas in the chapel of the Pediatrics of Bangui for sick children by giving them toys. A practice that not only rejoices the parents but rekindles hope in the hearts of these sick children forced to welcome Christ in the hospital. For this Jubilee Year, the Holy Father has once again shown himself very close to the Central African people by bending over these sick children. Thus he decided to decree the chapel of the Pediatrics of Bangui as a place of Plenary Indulgence during the Jubilee Year 2025.

The Diocese of Boma in the ecclesiastical province of Kinshasa had experienced a dark moment on February 1, 2023, when the ceiling of the Cathedral of the Assumption collapsed. Since then, the diocesan bishop, Monsignor Claude-José Mbimbi Mbamba had ordered its closure for the renovation. Since then, the faithful of the Cathedral were content to participate in the mass in a muffled manner at the Sanctuary due to overcrowding. After this work, it was on December 24, Christmas Eve, that Monsignor the Bishop reopened the Cathedral, a date coinciding with the opening of the Holy Door at the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican.

For quite some time now, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Bangui has been rekindling joy in the hearts of children in difficult situations to celebrate Christmas. As soon as the Advent High Point begins, the parish, through the parish youth office (CPPJ), shares envelopes with the faithful to collect the funds needed to celebrate more than two hundred children on Christmas Day by offering them food, juice, water and gifts.

His Eminence Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo invites all the faithful of the Archdiocese of Kinshasa to the Eucharist of the opening of the Holy Door which he will preside over this Sunday, December 29, 2024 at the Notre Dame du Congo Cathedral at 11:00 a.m., which Eucharist will be preceded by a pilgrimage starting from the avenue at 10:00 a.m. It should be noted that "people who participate in this jubilee and those who pass through the holy door during the year will receive the jubilee indulgence if they respect the conditions," wrote Cardinal AMBONGO.

In the tradition of the Church, there is the possibility of singing the Calendas (Kalenda) at the beginning of the celebration (like the Exultet on Easter night). You will find here the Latin and French text with a score in French.

With inexpressible joy, Reverend Sister Odile of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Augustine of Benin celebrated a double event on December 14, 2024 in the chapel of the Welcome Center located behind the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Bangui. These are her 25 years of religious life and her 50 years of age.

After his pilgrimage to the Ngoukomba sanctuary in the Archdiocese of Bangui, His Excellency Monsignor Libère Pwongo, Bishop of Basankusu, quickly returned to his diocese to take communion with his faithful on December 16, the day of his first anniversary of episcopal ordination and taking canonical possession.

The third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete (be joyful). The Church recommends the liturgical color pink. It is a kind of pause in the wait to celebrate already the joy of the one coming.

A year after his departure from Bangui, Monsignor Libère Pwongo, taking advantage of the diocesan pilgrimage of Ngoukomba, returns to the traces of his history to give thanks to God. It is since yesterday Tuesday December 3, 2024 that he has been staying in Bangui. On this day, December 4, 2024, he was welcomed at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Bangui, with other pilgrims, during the sending mass on pilgrimage that His Eminence Dieudonné Cardinal Nzapalainga celebrated.

At 6:00 a.m., Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, Archbishop of Bangui, left the city of Bangui in his pastoral car for a pastoral visit to the city of Ndjoh, more than 200 km from the city of Bangui. Accompanied by the secretariat, media and protocol teams, the cars drove along the Boali road, making the first stop at around 8:00 a.m. at the Saint François de Sales parish in Bossembele.