Comboni Superiors in Francophone Africa at a Time of Reconfiguration

From August 27 to September 1, 2026, the provincial house in Cacaveli, Lomé (Togo), hosted the superiors and delegates of the Comboni circumscriptions in Francophone Africa — two from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two from Chad, two from the Central African Republic, and three from the host province of Togo-Ghana-Benin — to reflect together on the process of unification and reconfiguration of the provinces in this African region.

The presence of Father Luigi Codianni, Superior General, and Father Elias Sindjalim, General Assistant, underlined the importance of this event in the life of the Institute.

“Born Again in the Spirit”

The meeting opened with a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Father Fidèle Katsan, Provincial Superior of the host province. In his welcoming address, he invited participants to contemplate the Gospel image of the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus, calling on them to allow themselves to be “born again in the Spirit”.

For Father Fidèle, the time for sterile hesitation or debates about whether or not the reconfiguration project is appropriate has passed. Instead, the moment has come to have the courage to move forward and to walk more closely together.

During these days of exchange, the missionaries focused on the fundamental pillars of the Institute’s life: mission, formation, finances, and community and provincial life.

The key questions were: What must be left behind? What must be safeguarded? And what must be recreated so that the Comboni charism may continue to be a fruitful gift to the Church?

Crossing Boundaries to Rediscover What Is Essential

At the heart of Father Luigi Codianni’s address was the strong conviction that there is an urgent need within the Institute to overcome territorial boundaries and rediscover instead what can strengthen or unify the Comboni missionaries’ activities in that region of Africa.

Reflecting on the relevance of existing structures, the Superior General invited everyone to discern what should be preserved before deciding what needs to be transformed or abandoned.

Speaking about governance, Father Codianni called for leadership capable of making decisions and looking ahead, free from an exclusive concern with control. From this perspective, reunification must make it possible to place structures at the service of mission, and not the other way around. The cultural diversity of the confreres, far from being an obstacle, must be seen as a precious gift from God.

He also recalled an essential truth: we are not the owners of the charism, but merely its custodians, called to pass it on, alive, to future generations. Understood in this way, this process of unification should be seen as a grace and an opportunity to return to the essentials of our Comboni mission.

For this reason, provincial revitalisation also requires rigorous ongoing formation and a demanding pastoral approach, centred on the maturity of vocations and on greater involvement of lay people in the mission.

Placing fraternity at the heart of this renewal process, he stressed the need for fair and well-structured healthcare provision for all the confreres.

Finally, he recalled that the circumscription is called to become a welcoming “common home”, centred on prayer and communal discernment. Far from closing in on itself, the community must find the strength needed to reinvent itself and set out once again with boldness on the roads of the world.

The Outlines of a Common Journey Gradually Take Shape

The various reports presented by the participants testify to a genuine openness and willingness to commit on the part of the majority of the confreres, although some uncertainty remains in the face of the challenges ahead.

Before concluding their work, participants discussed the strategic priorities of the possible new Francophone Comboni province.

It was in this atmosphere of trust, transparency and mutual listening that the meeting in Lomé came to an end. Little by little, the outlines of a common journey are taking shape, bringing renewed missionary and prophetic momentum to the Comboni Missionaries in Francophone Africa.

Father Romain Tollet, mccj