On Saturday, August 2, 2025, the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, held discussions with Catholic Church leaders who are attending the plenary assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), taking place in Kigali from July 31, 2025.

Although not much has been disclosed about the specific topics discussed between President Kagame and the Catholic Church leaders from Africa, the Head of State welcomed them by saying “there have been defeats, but good people refused to be overcome by them. We must learn from our history and work together to build trust, reconciliation, and peace in Rwanda and across the entire continent.”

President Kagame made this statement in alignment with this year’s SECAM (Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar) theme, which reads: “Christ, the source of hope, reconciliation, and peace: The vision of the Church—the family of God in Africa—for the next 25 years (2025–2050).”

The Archbishop of Kigali, Antoine Cardinal Kambanda, said it is a great blessing for Rwanda, as it is the first time the country has hosted this gathering, which brought together around 250 participants, including 13 Cardinals and over 100 Bishops at once.