His Grace Paul Ssemogerere, the Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese, has urged leaders across Africa to prioritise youth empowerment as a critical strategy in addressing the climate crisis.
Speaking during the closing ceremony of the three-day Laudato Si’ Africa Conference held at Bethany Land Institute (BLI) in Nandere Catholic Parish, Kasana-Luwero Diocese, Archbishop Ssemogerere underscored the central role that young people must play in safeguarding the planet from the adverse effects of climate change.
He observed that Africa is a youthful continent, which is both a challenge and an opportunity, noting that leaders must empower these young people to take the lead in renewing the earth and driving sustainable change.
The archbishop noted that this youthful majority must not be left on the margins of climate action but rather placed at the centre of environmental stewardship. He said that the youth are the future, and they are also the present. Their role, he says, in caring for our common home is not only important, but indispensable.
The conference, held under the theme “Ten Years After Laudato Si’: Where is Africa?”, attracted participants from across the continent and was graced by His Eminence Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences, Vatican City.
Archbishop Ssemogerere praised Cardinal Turkson for his presence, humility, and consistency throughout the conference. Ssemogerere honoured him as a proud son of Africa and a tireless champion of integral human development.
Cardinal Turkson is widely recognised as one of the architects and global promoters of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical on the environment and human ecology. Archbishop Ssemogerere said his presence served as a powerful reminder to take the document’s message seriously and act on it urgently.
He challenged all participants and church leaders to return to their communities and translate the spirit of Laudato Si’ into action. The Prelate said this is not just about theory, but it is about doing the real work of planting trees, protecting wetlands, shifting to clean energy, and above all, empowering the youth to lead in protecting the environment.
Reflecting on the environmental realities in Uganda and Africa at large, Archbishop Ssemogerere lamented the rapid pace of degradation: rampant deforestation, plastic and air pollution, destruction of wetlands, biodiversity loss, and increasing dependence on chemical inputs. He linked these environmental threats to broader issues such as climate change, poverty, food insecurity, and mass youth unemployment, warning that Africa’s ecological crisis could become catastrophic without urgent and coordinated responses.
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Katongole, Professor of Theology and International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame and co-founder of Bethany Land Institute, noted that the conference sought to evaluate Africa’s progress since the release of Laudato Si’ ten years ago and foster future action.
The event served as a platform for diverse stakeholders, including academics, policymakers, religious leaders, and activists, to present interdisciplinary approaches, empirical research, and practical solutions to ecological and social concerns, with a particular emphasis on the African context.
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