(7/10/26) The annual International Symposium of the Vatican Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Foundation will take place from 19 to 21 November at Tangaza University in Nairobi, Kenya, organised in collaboration with Tangaza University and Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota. The theme of the Symposium will be: “Constellations of Hope: Africa and the Renewal of the Church in the Vision of Benedict XVI”.
The sessions will be devoted to various themes, including: “Theology of Hope and African Realities”, “Faith and Reason in African Higher Education”, “Liturgy, Inculturation and Sacred Beauty”, ‘Ecclesiology and synodality’, ‘Truth, charity and social transformation’, ‘Leadership and formation for the 21st century’, ‘Africa and the global Church’, and ‘Education as a constellation of hope’.
Speakers, alongside academic authorities from Tangaza University, include Cardinal Peter Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences; the Archbishop of Nairobi, Monsignor Philip Anyolo; Professor Patrick Mwania, Vice-Chancellor of Tangaza University; Father Roberto Regoli, President of the Ratzinger Foundation; and Father James P. Burns, President of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
«This conference seeks to explore how Benedict XVI’s theological vision can illuminate the future of the Church in Africa - explain the organisers -. The metaphor “Constellations of Hope” captures Benedict XVI’s conviction that Christian hope is neither abstract nor ideological. Rather, it is grounded in the person of Christ and becomes visible in history through communities, institutions, saints, scholars, and cultures that reflect divine light. In Spe Salvi, Benedict XVI presents hope as transformative – capable of shaping culture, reason, politics, education, and social life.
Africa today stands at a critical crossroads. While it is home to one of the fastest-growing Catholic populations in the world, it continues to face profound social, economic, political, and ecological challenges. At the same time, African Christianity manifests remarkable vitality, youthful dynamism, and deep spiritual resilience.
This Pan-African Conference invites scholars, theologians, educators, clergy, religious, and lay leaders to engage critically and constructively with Benedict XVI’s theological legacy – particularly his reflections on faith and reason, liturgical renewal, ecclesial communion, truth and charity, and moral responsibility – in order to contribute meaningfully to the renewal of the Church in Africa in the 21st century.
The conference forms part of the broader reflection series: “Building a Culture of Hope: Education, Community, and Leadership in 21st Century Africa.” It seeks to identify the “constellations” institutions, movements, intellectual traditions, pastoral models, educational frameworks, and spiritual practices – that can serve as luminous signs of hope for Africa and the universal Church».