(ANS – Rome) – The summer session of the General Council of the Salesian Congregation began on Monday, July 6, 2026. During this period, as is customary, the councilors are invited to deliver a goodnight reflection to the members of the Generalate community following Vespers.

The first “goodnight” was given by Fr. Alphonse Owoudou, Regional Councilor for Central and West Africa, who shared a reflection inspired by a series of experiences he had during recent months in various parts of Central and West Africa. Although these experiences spanned diverse geographic and cultural settings, they all centered on a single fundamental question: how to accompany, today, with fidelity and creativity, the formative and prophetic journey of the Church and the Congregation.

Formation Is Not a Straight Line

Fr. Owoudou began by recalling the curatorium in Yaoundé, within his province, a strategic center for formation in the region. It is home to the center for Salesian Brothers—the only one of its kind in Africa—and the French-speaking theological college, which is currently undergoing renovation. This year, a group of 15 first-year theology students are attending the Catholic University, while those who had already begun their studies are continuing at St. Cyprian’s School of Theology. The councilor emphasized that this new development requires further reflection to harmonize the two formation paths and adapt the house’s program accordingly.

He then spoke about the curatorium in Lomé, which was enriched by the presence of numerous Provincials and the collaboration of Fr. Silvio. The work on the statutes, in light of the recent General Chapter and the fifth edition of the Ratio, underscored that structures cannot be merely organizational frameworks but must embody a theological and pedagogical vision that responds to today’s challenges.

Fr. Owoudou also recalled his visit to the novitiate in Ghana, describing it as a valuable opportunity to listen through meetings with formators, novices, and Salesians in practical training. These encounters revealed both the vitality and the fragility of formation experienced on the ground.

“As in a living laboratory,” he explained, “formation is not a straight line, but a dynamic process made up of tensions, expectations, and discoveries.”

The Situation in Haiti

Special attention was given to the situation in Haiti, where severe instability has required a different approach to accompaniment through online meetings with confreres, those in formation, and formators. Despite the challenges, these conversations revealed a remarkable resilience as participants reflected on trust, fear, aspirations, and discernment.

Fr. Owoudou praised the courage of the Haitian confreres, who continue to be supported by Fr. Morachel, the Provincial, and his council. He also shared his joy that the Rector Major had recently joined one of the meetings by video conference, along with the Regional Councilor for Africa on three separate occasions—a concrete sign of the Congregation’s closeness despite the physical distance imposed by current circumstances.

In this context, the lectio divina based on the story of Emmaus (Lk 24), entitled Do Not Be Afraid of the Truth, emerged from the need to address an issue that had surfaced in several formation communities: fear—fear of judgment, fear of rejection, and fear that often resurfaces during critical moments such as examinations and admissions.

Fr. Owoudou warned of the risk of slipping into two conflicting educational approaches: one rooted in the Preventive System, founded on reason, religion, and loving-kindness, and another that is more repressive, creating distance rather than trust.

The Emmaus story, he explained, offers a different model. Jesus accompanies the disciples on the road, listens before speaking, and then offers a word that neither threatens nor humiliates.

“The formator, like Christ,” Fr. Owoudou explained, “is called to become a traveling companion, capable of listening, enlightening, and sending others forth.”

He described this as a model for every formator and superior—a true companion on the journey in the spirit of synodality.

A New Province and a New Bishop

Fr. Owoudou also highlighted the establishment of the new Province of Equatorial Tropical Africa on June 24, 2026, describing it as more than an administrative change. Rather, it marks a significant step toward greater ecclesial maturity. At the same time, he acknowledged that the province’s complexity—spanning five nations, three languages, vast distances, and socio-political challenges—requires careful and ongoing accompaniment.

The councilor then reflected on the journey of Bishop Miguel Ángel Nguema Bee Etete, a Salesian who, although he has served as a bishop since 2017, recently experienced an important transition—not through episcopal ordination, but through his transfer from the Diocese of Ebebiyín to the Diocese of Bata in Equatorial Guinea. He had served as Apostolic Administrator of Bata since December 2024, before being appointed its residential bishop by the Holy Father on May 14, 2026.

Born in Bata on July 13, 1969, and ordained a priest in 2000, Bishop Nguema served as Provincial of ATE from 2015 to 2017, following two three-year terms as Vice Provincial alongside Fr. Manolo Jiménez. He became Bishop of Ebebiyín on April 1, 2017, and received episcopal ordination on May 20, 2017. Before becoming Bishop of Bata, he served the diocese as Apostolic Administrator and played a leading role in Pope Leo XIV’s meeting with young people at Bata Stadium in April 2026.

His transfer to Bata holds particular significance because it is both his birthplace and the city where he was ordained a priest. In his homily during the installation celebration, Bishop Nguema expressed his joy at “returning home,” warmly welcomed by the faithful. He also reaffirmed his identity as a son of Don Bosco, noting the unwavering support of his Salesian family throughout his nine years of episcopal ministry.

Fr. Owoudou observed that two central themes of the bishop’s homily stood out. The first focused on the communal life of priests, emphasizing that sharing the same residence is not enough; authentic relationships that bear witness to ecclesial communion must also be cultivated. The second, with strong prophetic significance, stressed the need for freedom from political affiliations.

“Being a bishop for everyone,” the councilor emphasized, “is not a slogan but a demanding choice,” requiring the courage to renounce privileges and personal protection in order to preserve the freedom of the Gospel.

Like Christ and Like the Prophets

Concluding his goodnight reflection, Fr. Owoudou said that all of these experiences point to the same conviction: the prophetic dimension is not an optional aspect of Christian and religious life but one of its essential characteristics.

Like Christ and the prophets, he said, believers are called to bear witness without fearing the cost of the truth. Even when such witness requires sacrificing security or recognition, it is precisely in that freedom that the Gospel reveals its transforming power.