1.  The 13th Congress of the Pan African Association of Catholic Exegetes (PACE) was held from September 2nd to 8th 2007 at Koinonia Centre (53 First Street, Judith’s Paarl), in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Congress had as its theme, Poverty and Riches in the Bible: Exegetical Readings in the Context of the Church as Family of God in Africa. There were a total of 30 participants at the Congress, drawn from 11 countries: Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Italy, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.

2. The opening Mass of the Congress took place in the Koinonia centre chapel on Sunday, September 2nd, 2007 at 9.30 am. The Mass was presided over by H. E. Mgr. L. Monsengwo Pasinya, the Archbishop of Kisangani and the co-founder of PACE.

3. The formal opening ceremonies of the Congress took place on the same Sunday, September 2nd, 2007 at 4.20pm, chaired by Rev. Sr. Prof. Teresa Okure, SHCJ. After the opening prayer led by His Eminence, Wilfrid Fox Cardinal Napier, OFM, the Archbishop of Durban, Rev. Fr. Prof. Paul B. Decock, the coordinator of the local committee, welcomed the participants, and introduced Cardinal Napier, OFM, and H. E. Mgr. Buti Joseph Tlhagale, OMI, the Archbishop of Johannesburg. Thereafter, the latter warmly welcomed all the participants, and wished that they would have a good and fruitful time in Johannesburg. He also invited the participants to a dinner. In his turn, Cardinal Napier, OFM, also warmly welcomed all the participants to South Africa and to Johannesburg. He assured the participants that Jesus was with them, accompanying them in their deliberations, and so they should find a variety of ways to explain the Scriptures, in a way that would be meaningful to the ordinary people who are searching for Jesus.