Cardinal Ambongo Urges Catholic University in DR Congo to Become “a real laboratory” of Synodality

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo urged the Catholic University of Congo to use dialogue and shared discernment as central parts of its educational mission. Speaking during a Mass to open the 2026–2027 academic year on October 15, the Archbishop of Kinshasa called for the university to act as a laboratory for synodality.

Ambongo said the institution should use teaching and research to help transform Congolese society. He explained that synodality is more than a method of Church governance, describing it as a way of living in communion through participation and shared mission. He encouraged the university to bring different disciplines together and welcome diverse voices to help discern the needs of the current era.

As President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, Ambongo linked synodality to the specific needs of the African continent. He noted that while the continent is young and creative, it also faces deep fragility. He stated that education must prepare students for responsibility and service to the common good.