As Liberia, S/Leone, Gambia Approve Historic Merger
Monrovia, Liberia – In a significant step aimed at fostering unity, improving pastoral collaboration and enhancing priestly formation, the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia have resolved to merge into a single regional episcopal body.
Members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Liberia (CABICOL) and the Inter-Territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of The Gambia and Sierra Leone (ITCABIC) convened for a three-day solidarity visit and Plenary Assembly in Makeni, Sierra Leone, from January 23–25, 2026, according to a release.
In a joint communiqué issued at the close of the meeting, the bishops announced the formation of a new conference to be known as the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of The Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone (CBCGLS). After thoughtful discussions and a formal vote by the eight bishops in attendance, seven of them voted in favor and one against the motion.
Also, the bishops hailed the merger as a concrete expression of ecclesial solidarity inspired by Christ’s plea for unity, “Ut Unum Sint” (“that they may all be one,” John 17:21) and connected with the spirit of the ongoing Synod on Synodality.
The bishops stressed that the autonomy of each dioceses would be fully preserved in conformity with Church law, even as they committed to working as a single Episcopal Conference.
Beyond structural unity, the communiqué underlined the bishops’ united commitment to pastoral care that meets not only the spiritual needs of the faithful, but also their psychological, moral and economic well-being, with particular concern for the impoverished and marginalized.
In accordance with the Motu Proprio Vos Estis Lux Mundi issued by Pope Francis and the Church’s international standards, the bishops reaffirmed their commitment to protecting children and vulnerable individuals during the meeting.
Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, the assembly further promised unwavering support for the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, and invoked God’s graces upon his pontificate. To operationalize the merger, a six-member committee was constituted to evaluate and unify the statutes of the existing conferences and submit a revised structure for the new CBCGLS.
Priests from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia make up the committee, which is presided over by Most Rev. Henry Aruna, Bishop of Kenema, and reflects the new body’s regional nature.
In a significant move to strengthen priestly formation and foster regional integration, the bishops also resolved to decentralize seminary training across the three countries: philosophical studies will be based in Liberia, theological studies in Sierra Leone, and the Spiritual (Pastoral) Year in The Gambia.
But while the bishops bestowed their blessings on all the faithful in their respective regions, the communiqué ended by dedicating the newly established CBCGLS to the maternal care of Mary, Queen of The Gambia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
On Sunday, January 25, 2026, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, the resolutions were formally adopted and signed by Most Rev. Anthony F. Borwah, President of CABICOL, and Most Rev. Gabriel Mendy, C.S.Sp., President of ITCABIC. Church leaders describe this as a historic moment for Catholic witness and cooperation in the Senegambia and Mano River regions.
Reported by: Prince Saah
