Being Witnesses of Jesus Christ in Africa Today: “Salt of the Earth and Light of the World” is the theme of the upcoming Pan-African Congress for the Catholic Laity, which will be held in Yaounde, Cameroon, from 4-9 September 2012. The Congress, which is being organized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, is part of the Council’s tradition to hold continental and/or regional gatherings for Catholic lay people in various parts of the world.
The decision to hold the Congress in Africa is related to the Holy Father’s visit to Cameroon and Angola (17-23 March 2009) and his more recent visit to Benin (18-20 November 2011) to sign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Africae Munus.
It is hoped that the Congress will encourage the laity take an active and co-responsible role in the Church’s mission and witness to their faith in Jesus Christ in Africa today.