Following the recent killings of priests in the Central African Republic, Catholic officials worry that clergy are being targeted by armed groups for their peacemaking efforts.

"It can no longer be regarded as mere coincidence that the suspected perpetrators of these heinous crimes are of the same religion as all those who control the security apparatus of our country, including the president himself," the bishops said.

Despite the Catholic Church’s failure during the Rwandan genocide, other attempts before and even now in East Africa by various faith-based organizations to intervene in civil strife and lead mediation processes have resulted in peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Speaking at a recent Nairobi conference of religious leaders from Africa, Europe and Asia, Cardinal John Onaiyekan insisted interfaith dialogue is key to ending the deadly conflicts — even if it means sitting down with ruthless killers.

An Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo last month has led Roman Catholics to stop administering several sacraments temporarily in an attempt to keep the deadly disease from spreading.

In Kenya, while leprosy has significantly declined, many elderly are still need of care.