SERVICE AT HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL IN NAIROBI MARKING START OF CONFERENCE.




Initials PBS/V/JF/SGM


EDITORS: THIS FILM HAS NATURAL SOUND THROUGHOUT

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: MORE THAN SIXTY ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS FROM KENYA, UGANDA, TANZANIA, MALAWI AND ZAMBIA ARE HOLDING A TEN-DAY CONFERENCE IN NAIROBI TO IMPLEMENT THE IDEAS OF THE LATE POPE JOHN IN ADVANCING THE WORK OF THE CHURCH IN EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA.

THE MEETING IS BEING CHAIRED BY GARIDNAL LAURIAN RUGAMBWA, AND IS BEING HELD AT ST. MARY'S COLLEGE, NAIROBI.

YESTERDAY (SUNDAY) THE BISHOPS PARTICIPATING IN THE CONFERENCE ATTENDED HIGH MASS AT THE HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL IN NAIROBI. IT WAS THE LARGEST GATHERING OF HEADS OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH EVER HELD IN EAST AFRICA.

THE THEME OF THE SERMON AT THE MASS WAS THE SAME AS THE THEME FOR THE CONFERENCE - THE DUTY OF RICH NATIONS TO ASSIST THE LESSER DEVELOPED NATIONS, AN IDEA ELABORATED BY POPE JOHN, AND MORE RECENTLY BY POPE PAUL IN AN ENCYCLICAL ENTITLED 'THE PROGRESS OF PEOPLES'.

CARDINAL RUGAMBWA, ADDRESSING HIS FELLOW BISHOPS, EMPHASISED THE NEED FOR RICHER NATIONS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITH NO CONDITIONS, AND WITHOUT INTERFERENCE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF NATIONS CONCERNED.

HE ALSO SPOKE OF THE DISAPPOINTING RESPONSE TO THE EFFORTS OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH TO AFRICANISE ITS PERSONNEL. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NOW TWENTY AFRICAN BISHOPS IN EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA, A DISAPPOINTING NUMBER OF AFRICANS DESIRED TO JOIN THE PRIESTHOOD.

THE SPECIAL MASS WAS HELD TO ALLOW THE BISHOPS OF THE FIVE NATIONS TO PRAY IN UNITY FOR THE STABILITY AND PEACE OF THEIR COUNTRIES. THE MEETINGS OF THE CHURCH HIERARCHY ARE HELD EVERY THREE YEARS UNDER THE THE AUSPICES OF A SPECIAL ORGANISATION KNOWN AS THE ASSOCIATION OF MEMBERS OF THE EPISCOPAL CONFERENCES OF EASTERN AFRICA - AMECEA. A SPECIAL GUEST AT THE CONFERENCE HAS BEEN ARCHBISHOP AMISSAH OF GHANA, REPRESENTING WEST AFRICA.