Universal Church

This Sunday, January 4, 2025, under the "Blessed Albert Joubert" straw hut of the Archbishopric of Lubumbashi, the pastoral agents (priests and religious as well as their provincial leaders of different congregations) of the Archdiocese of Lubumbashi presented their wishes of happiness and blessings to the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lubumbashi and President of the National Episcopal Conference of Bishops of Congo CENCO, Mgr Fulgence Muteba.

The day after the celebration of Saint Mary Mother of God, on Thursday, January 2, 2025, His Eminence Dieudonné Cardinal Nzapalainga met with all the pastoral agents working in the Archdiocese of Bangui at the Paproisse Saint Paul des Rapides, one of the historical jewels of the Central African Church.

After its closure due to its dilapidated state, the Saint Hyppolyte Cathedral of Kikwit has just opened its doors this December 29, 202 after a year and five months. It was also the occasion for Monsignor Timothée Bodika to open the Holy Door according to the recommendation of the Universal Church for the Jubilee Year.

In his sermon, the local ordinary returned to the value of a family and at the same time, he called on parents and children to found a family similar to that of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, especially by cultivating values such as forgiveness, dialogue, cohesion... and to learn to reject the practices of division, hatred, conflict,... He ended his homily by inviting all the faithful to have a pious thought for all the families who are separated by the horrors of repeated war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

His Excellency Monsignor Dieudonné Uringi, Ucci, Bishop of Bunia celebrated a Mass to open the Holy Door which at the same time launched the Jubilee Year as planned in the Universal Church.

This Monday, December 30, at the twilight of the calendar year 2024, His Excellency Monsignor José-Bernard LIKOLO, Bishop of Lisala and Apostolic Administrator of Molegbe, while staying in Europe for health reasons, presided over the Eucharist of this day in memory of HE Mgr Dominique

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.