U.S. and African Bishops Call for Continuing Solidarity and Lifesaving Assistance to Africa in Joint Statement
The USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace and SECAM's Justice, Peace and Development Commission released a joint statement titled Brothers and Sisters in Hope. The statement calls for renewed commitment to integral development and mutual solidarity between the peoples of the U.S. and Africa. Bishops advocate for robust, life-affirming U.S. assistance to Africa, based on thoughtful partnership and Catholic social teaching. A Mass for Solidarity with the Bishops and Faithful of Africa is scheduled for February 4 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
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U.S. and African bishops issued a joint statement titled "Brothers and Sisters in Hope" on February 2, 2026.1 2
Signed by Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace and Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza of SECAM's Justice, Peace and Development Commission, it calls for renewed solidarity amid U.S. foreign aid cuts.1 2
The statement emphasizes integral human development, quoting Pope St. John Paul II's Ecclesia in Africa, and urges lifesaving assistance respecting local communities.1
A Mass for Solidarity with African Bishops and Faithful occurred on February 4, 2026, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.1 2 4
Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford was principal celebrant, with Bishops Zaidan and Mamza concelebrating; Mamza delivered the homily.1 4
Mamza described U.S. and African Churches as "two lungs of the same body," stressing mutual enrichment despite cultural differences.4 5
He linked the Gospel reading to avoiding "lack of faith" through shared witness on poverty, persecution, and dignity.4
The statement addresses severe reductions in U.S. aid under the Trump administration, impacting disease prevention and mental health in Africa.1
Bishops advocate Church-led aid as a trusted, efficient partner to build local capacity and self-reliance.1
They highlight Africa's growing Christian population, now surpassing Europe's, and its "young, vibrant" Catholic Church as a gift to the U.S.1
Principles include human dignity, solidarity, subsidiarity, common good, and care for the vulnerable.1
Bishops call for support of families, climate justice against environmental damage, and equitable trade over exploitation of critical minerals like cobalt and lithium.1
Conflicts over resources fuel violence, child labor, and instability, often exacerbated externally.1
African clergy serve over 90% of U.S. dioceses, while U.S. resources aid African peacebuilding.1 4
The statement rejects one-sided views, noting African diaspora and martyrs' inspiration for Americans.1
Amid events like the International Religious Freedom Summit, focus sharpened on Nigeria as "deadliest place for Christians," with calls for reinstated aid and sanctions.4 5
Bishops urge "robust lifesaving" U.S. assistance through thoughtful collaboration.1 2
They pray for deeper fraternity, positioning the Church as a universal model for stewardship and justice.1 4
Examine Catholic teaching on solidarity amid U.S. aid cuts to Africa
Catholic teaching on solidarity presents it as a fundamental social virtue, rooted in the Gospel and the Church's social doctrine, which demands a firm commitment to the common good, especially toward the vulnerable and poorer nations like those in Africa. In the face of U.S. aid cuts, this principle challenges wealthy nations not merely to provide material assistance but to foster fraternity, openness to gratuitousness, and structures that promote integral human development, transcending the binary logic of market and state alone. Drawing from key magisterial texts, solidarity emerges as both a personal disposition and a structural imperative, urging a "globalization of solidarity" that counters underdevelopment and builds the human family as God's family.
Solidarity is far more than philanthropy; it is "a virtue par excellence to the common good," highlighting the intrinsic social nature of the human person, equality in dignity, and a shared path toward unity. As Pope Benedict XVI explains in Caritas in Veritate, it arises from a sense of responsibility "on the part of everyone with regard to everyone," refusing to delegate this duty solely to the state. This echoes Vatican II's Gaudium et Spes, which portrays humanity as called to form "a single people" under God, sanctified not in isolation but in community, mirroring Christ's own solidarity with sinners and the marginalized. Christ Himself modeled this by sharing in human fellowship—eating with publicans, sanctifying family ties, and laying down His life for friends—commanding His followers to treat one another as brothers in a new "brotherly community."
The Trinitarian mystery deepens this vision: God incorporates us into divine communion, where "true openness does not mean loss of individual identity but profound interpenetration," as seen in spousal love becoming "one flesh." Thus, solidarity counters individualism, inviting nations and individuals into reciprocal relationships that civilize the economy and society. Pope Francis reinforces this in his World Day of Peace message, describing solidarity as a "firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good," viewing others not as statistics but as neighbors invited to life's banquet.
Amid globalization, Catholic teaching insists that economic life must integrate "fraternal reciprocity" at every level—market, state, and civil society—to avoid the corrosion of purely transactional logics. Pope Benedict XVI critiques models where market and state monopolize influence, eroding solidarity, participation, and gratuitousness. Instead, Paul VI's call in Populorum Progressio for a market inclusive of all peoples demands "forms of economic activity marked by quotas of gratuitousness and communion," especially to defeat underdevelopment. This is vital for Africa, where aid cuts exacerbate poverty, mirroring the "logic of exchange" that prioritizes profit over the poor.
Gaudium et Spes urges pursuit of universal brotherhood through love in "ordinary circumstances," shouldering the cross for peace and justice, with Christ's Spirit animating efforts to make earth submissive to humanizing goals. Solidarity here means more influential sharing goods with the weaker, as in health crises or development: "Those who are more influential... should feel responsible for the weaker and be ready to share with them all they possess." Pope Francis extends this to vaccines and beyond, decrying "pharmaceutical marginality" and calling for industries aiding "the inclusion of the excluded" and "promotion of the least." U.S. aid reductions risk violating this, fostering desperation rather than the "culture of care" linking peace, justice, and creation's protection.
The Church views Africa through the lens of "the Church as God’s Family," an image emphasizing "care for others, solidarity, warmth in human relationships, acceptance, dialogue and trust." Pope Benedict XVI in Africae Munus adopts this from Ecclesia in Africa, warning that banishing God from Africa would cause a "slow death" by stripping its soul, while families as "domestic churches" build communal belonging. This counters ethnic divisions, promoting reconciliation and resource-sharing among Churches without "undue ethnic considerations."
Pope John Paul II stressed this for Kenya and beyond: the new evangelization builds the Church-Family, helping laity see themselves as active members sharing responsibility, resisting sects and materialism. In this family, every person is a child of God, transmitted through proclamation, sacraments, and "fraternal solidarity." Aid cuts undermine this, as the Holy See has pledged support to vulnerable groups globally, urging states to contribute amid deficits that breed violence. Though addressed to Palestinian refugees, the principle applies: education and aid protect dignity, with solidarity as "service... caring for vulnerability."
Catholic teaching avoids over-reliance on state aid, advocating hybrid economic forms where mutualist enterprises pursue social ends alongside profit. Lay faithful must evangelize social life, discerning structures for the common good via formation in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine. Pope Benedict XVI called for dialogue redefining labor and development, with trade unions guarding against "collectivist individualism" to embrace all marginalized.
In Laudato Si', solidarity flows from Trinitarian relationality imprinted on creation: humans fulfill themselves entering communion with God, others, and creatures, countering anthropocentric exploitation. U.S. cuts highlight the need for individuals, businesses, and NGOs to fill gaps—through gratuitousness, not law-imposed duty—building society via civil society.
In summary, Catholic teaching on solidarity amid U.S. aid cuts to Africa demands transcending aid dependency toward a relational economy of gift, rooted in Trinitarian communion and Christ's brotherhood. Nations must prioritize the vulnerable, but all—states, markets, civil society—are called to gratuitousness for justice. This fosters Africa's integral development as God's family, urging renewed commitment to dialogue, sharing, and care.