THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE POST SYNODAL COUNCIL FOR AFRICA:

The Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops archbishop Nicola Eterovic announced the remaining three names to complete the list the 15-member post-synodal council for Africa at the start of the 18^th general congregation on Friday morning. Twelve members were elected to the council during the second round voting on Tuesday. Two are to represent each of the 6^th regional groupings of bishops’ conferences.

Those elected are Cardinal John Njue of Nairobi and Archbishop Nobert Mtega of Songea, Tanzania for the AMACEA region, Cardinal Peter Appiah Tuckson of Cape Coast, Ghana and Archbishop John Onaiyekan for the English and French speaking bishops of West Africa AECAWA/CERAO. Others are Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier of Durban, South Africa and Bishop Francisco Silota of Chimoio, Mozambique for IMBISA and archbishop Laurent Mosengwo Passinya, of Kinshasa and Archbishop Simon Ntamwana, of Gitega, Burundi for the bishops’ conference of central Africa ACEAC. Meanwhile, the bishops of west central Africa known by the acronym ACERAC will be represented by Archbishop Cornelius Fontem Esua of Bamenda, Cameroon and Bishop Edmond Djitangar of Sarh, Chad.

The bishops of North Africa CERNA and those of the Indian Ocean islands, CEDOI will be represented by Bishop Youssef Sarraf of the Chaldean church of Egypt and Bishop Elias Lahham of Tunis.

The three nominated by Pope Benedict XVI to serve in the council are: the prefect emeritus of the congregation for divine worship and the discipline of the sacraments, cardinal Francis Arinze, the archbishop of Dakar, Senegal and second vice president of SECAM, Cardinal Theodore-Adrien Saar, and the archbishop of Antananarivo, Madagascar, Odon Marie Arsène Razanakolona.
The council has the responsibility of making a follow-up on the synod in close collaboration with the Holy Father and the secretariat of the synod of bishops.