A fresh rift has emerged between the Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the government this week, following a strong stance by the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) against a proposed constitutional revision that would allow President Félix Tshisekedi to run for a third term in 2028.
CENCO is urging Félix Tshisekedi to honour the oath he swore “before God and the Nation” and reserves the right to announce a schedule of actions on the ground. It calls on the population to resist and defeat this attempt “which risks balkanising the country and leading it to civil war.”
Risk of civil war
The Congolese constitution limits presidential terms to two, but President Tshisekedi has been in power since January 2019. He was re-elected in 2023 for a second and final term. However, in early May this year, during a press conference, he indicated he might consider running for a third term, suggesting the possibility of organising a referendum to change the constitution on this matter. His political supporters have been working towards that end ever since.
The Catholic Church previously opposed constitutional change
The Catholic Church, which in the past opposed former President Joseph Kabila’s attempt to unblock the constitution to claim a third term, has made its voice heard once more. Concerned by the prospect of constitutional revision, CENCO convened an “Extraordinary Plenary Assembly” in Kinshasa from 18 to 20 June 2026.
In their final 17-point declaration published on the CENCO website, the 37 members of the Episcopal Conference (cardinal, bishops and priests) declared that “the nation is in peril!” The country remains at war despite numerous peace agreements signed. For four years, North and South Kivu have been controlled by rebels of the Alliance of the Congo River / March 23 Movement (AFC/M23), who are increasingly consolidating their administration over occupied territories.
Bloody war in the east and risk of ebola spread
In Ituri and parts of North Kivu, other armed groups including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) are “massacring thousands” of Congolese. Adding to these already grave situations is the Ebola haemorrhagic fever outbreak in the east, with the risk of its spread.
“Meanwhile, we observe with great concern a growing tension arising from the campaign of the ruling majority in favour of changing the constitution of 18 February 2006,” the Congolese clergy lamented. “Unfortunately,” they continued, “this campaign, which mobilises state resources, is taking place in a climate of terror against dissenting voices within the majority itself, forced into silence for fear of reprisals. As for opposition demonstrations, they are violently suppressed by the police, in collaboration with the militia of a political party called ‘Force du Progrès’.”
For the Congolese bishops, there is “neither necessity, nor urgency, nor opportunity for changing the constitution.” The country’s priority “is peace, the social well-being of the people, unity and national cohesion.”
Bishops accused of subversion
In response to the bishops’ statement, the Union Sacrée pour la Nation (USN) platform, a coalition of 400 political parties and movements supporting President Tshisekedi, declared itself “indignant” and condemned “with the utmost energy” the CENCO bishops’ declaration. It described it as “nothing less than an act of subversion directed against legitimate and democratically established institutions.”
In a communiqué published on their site, the presidential supporters stated: “It is regrettable to note that the bishops use in their diatribe several statements that clearly incite popular uprising and the overthrow of the constitutional order.”
