As 2024 comes to a close, faith leaders from different religious communities have reflected on the year, the festive season, and their hopes for 2025. In interviews with The New Times, they offered insights into the progress made and the challenges faced, along with plans for the year ahead. ALSO READ: Rwandan churches prepare for crossover services to welcome 2025 Cardinal Antoine Kambanda, Archbishop of Kigali We thank the Lord that we are ending the year well. We had many graces and blessings during the year. We have a new bishop for the diocese of Butare and more than 50 new priests, without counting many religious sisters and brothers,” Cardinal Antoine Kambanda, the Archbishop of Kigali, said. The Cardinal said it was “a great achievement” that young people dedicated their lives to the service of God in the Catholic Church. However, he noted that 2024 also came with challenges, particularly the closure of some churches, which fell short of standards. Some of them have been reopened after putting up the required structures, and there are still others working on it, Kambanda said. ALSO READ: City of Kigali announces New Year's Eve events, fireworks venues Looking ahead to 2025, the Cardinal noted that in 2025 the Church will celebrate 125 years since the Gospel came to Rwanda and the Catholic Church in Rwanda was founded. It is the year of the mercy of God in which people are called to repent and reconcile with God and with their history, given the tragic history of our country, whose worst period was the Genocide against the Tutsi. The Cardinal emphasised the importance of reconciling with one's history to heal and foster true reconciliation. We will receive a very important meeting of bishops from all over Africa and Madagascar in August 2025, as part of SECAM (Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar), ALSO READ: New Year: Musanze and Nyagatare to display fireworks Sheikh Musa Sindayigaya, Mufti of Rwanda and Head of Rwanda Muslim Community We thank Allah and our leadership under President Kagame, Sheikh Sindayigaya said, offering gratitude for the peaceful and prosperous year that has passed. He also reflected on his election as Mufti of Rwanda on May 26. Half a year has passed since then, and we have witnessed significant changes within the Rwandan Muslim Community. Leadership changes have occurred at all levels; from mosques to executive committees at the district level, provincial level, and nationwide. Overall, the year has progressed smoothly, he said. Despite the positive progress, Sheikh Sindayigaya noted some challenges, particularly incidents such as the killing of Genocide survivors in Rukumberi and Rwamagana. We strongly condemn these acts, he said. We, as the Rwandan Muslim community, stand in solidarity with the survivors and the families of the victims. We are firmly against such acts of violence and hatred. He urged Rwandans to continue promoting unity and the Ndi Umunyarwanda programme, which fosters national cohesion. We must avoid any actions that may lead to genocide ideology or discrimination. Together, we can overcome these challenges. While Muslims do not celebrate the New Year in the same way as other religious communities, Sindayigaya emphasized that it offers an opportunity for reflection and planning. We look forward to the new year with great anticipation. We have been preparing to implement several initiatives that we have planned for the upcoming year, and we are confident that it will be a productive and successful time for the Muslim community. He concluded by sending his New Year wishes: I would like to extend my heartfelt New Year wishes to President Kagame and his family, to all Rwandans, and to the Muslim community. May we all continue to work together for peace and prosperity. Laurent Mbanda, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda and Chairman of the Rwanda Inter-Religious Council We thank God for a wonderful festive season and for the growth of the Anglican Church this year. We are committed to continuing this development in the coming year,” said Laurent Mbanda, the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda. Mbanda acknowledged that there were challenges in 2024, but these have been addressed, with others still in progress. While some churches were temporarily closed due to non-compliance with standards, many have since reopened, and others are in the process of meeting the requirements. We thank God for the freedom to testify His actions, he added, highlighting the positive developments within the church. Archbishop Mbanda urged believers to come closer to God, live in harmony with one another, and build homes that honor God. He also encouraged people to avoid behaviors that could lead to crime, stressing the importance of upholding values that support peace and unity in the community.
