POST-SYNODAL

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
ECCLESIA IN AFRICA
OF THE HOLY FATHER
JOHN PAUL II
TO THE BISHOPS
PRIESTS AND DEACONS
MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS
AND ALL THE LAY FAITHFUL
ON THE CHURCH IN AFRICA
AND ITS EVANGELIZING MISSION
TOWARDS THE YEAR 2000

INTRODUCTION

1. The Church which is in Africa celebrated with joy and hope its faith in the Risen
Christ during the four weeks of the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of
Bishops. Memories of this event are still fresh in the minds of the whole Ecclesial
Community.

Faithful to the tradition of the first centuries of Christianity in Africa, the Pastors of
this Continent, in communion with the Successor of the Apostle Peter and members of
the Episcopal College from other parts of the world, held a Synod which was intended
to be an occasion of hope and resurrection, at the very moment when human events
seemed to be tempting Africa to discouragement and despair.

The Synod Fathers, assisted by qualifed representatives of the clergy, religious and
laity, subjected to a detailed and realistic study the lights and shadows, the challenges
and future prospects of evangelization in Africa on the threshold of the Third
Millennium of the Christian faith.

The members of the Synodal Assembly asked me to bring to the attention of the
whole Church the results of their reflections and prayers, discussions and exchanges.1
With joy and gratitude to the Lord I accepted this request and today, at the very
moment when, in communion with the Pastors and faithful of the Catholic Church in
Africa, I begin the celebration phase of the Special Assembly for Africa, I am
promulgating the text of this Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, the result of an
intense and prolonged collegial endeavour.

But before describing what developed in the course of the Synod, I consider it helpful
to go back, if only briefly, over the various stages of an event of such decisive
importance for the Church in Africa.
The Council

2. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council can certainly be considered, from the
point of view of the history of salvation, as the cornerstone of the present century
which is now rapidly approaching the Third Millennium. In the context of that great
event, the Church of God in Africa experienced true moments of grace. Indeed, the
idea of some form of meeting of the African Bishops to discuss the evangelization of
the Continent dates back to the time of the Council. That historic event was truly the
crucible of collegiality and a specific expression of
the affectiveand effective communion of the worldwide Episcopate. At the Council,
the Bishops sought to identify appropriate means of better sharing and making more
effective their care for all the Churches (cf. 2 Cor 11:28), and for this purpose they
began to plan suitable structures at the national, regional and continental level.

The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar

3. It is in such a climate that the Bishops of Africa and Madagascar present at the
Council decided to establish their own General Secretariat with the task of
coordinating their interventions, in order to present to the Council Fathers, as far as
possible, a common point of view. This initial cooperation among the Bishops of
Africa later became permanent in the creation in Kampala of the Symposium of
Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). This took place in July-
August 1969, during the visit of Pope Paul VI to Uganda — the first of a Pope to
Africa in modern times.

The convocation of the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops

4. The General Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops, held regularly from 1967
onwards, offered valuable opportunities for the Church in Africa to make its voice
heard in the Church throughout the world. Thus, at the Second Ordinary General
Assembly (1971), the Synod Fathers from Africa happily took the occasion offered
them to appeal for greater justice in the world. The Third Ordinary General Assembly
(1974), on evangelization in the modern world, made possible a special study of the
problems of evangelization in Africa. It was then that the Bishops of the Continent
present at the Synod issued an important message entitled Promoting Evangelization
in Co-Responsibility.2 Shortly afterwards, during the Holy Year of 1975, SECAM
convoked its own plenary meeting in Rome, in order to examine the subject of
evangelization.

5. Subsequently, from 1977 to 1983, some Bishops, priests, consecrated persons,

theologians and lay people expressed a desire for an African Council or African
Synod, which would have the task of evaluating evangelization in Africa vis-à-vis the
great choices to be made regarding the Continent's future. I gladly welcomed and
encouraged the idea of the "working together, in one form or another", of the whole
African Episcopate in order "to study the religious problems that concern the whole
Continent".3 SECAM thus studied ways and means of planning a continental meeting
of this kind. A consultation of the Episcopal Conferences and of each Bishop of
Africa and Madagascar was organized, after which I was able to convoke a Special
Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. On 6 January 1989, the Solemnity of
the Epiphany — the liturgical commemoration on which the Church renews her
awareness of the universality of her mission and her consequent duty to bring the light
of Christ to all peoples — I announced this "initiative of great importance for the
Church", welcoming, as I said, the petitions often expressed for some time by the
Bishops of Africa, priests, theologians and rep- resentatives of the laity, "in order to
promote an organic pastoral solidaritywithin the entire African territory and nearby
Islands".4

An event of grace

6. The Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops was an historic moment
of grace: the Lord visited his people in Africa. Indeed, this Continent is today
experiencing what we can call a sign of the times, an acceptable time, a day of
salvation. It seems that the "hour of Africa" has come, a favourable time which
urgently invites Christ's messengers to launch out into the deep and to cast their nets
for the catch (cf. Lk 5:4). Just as at Christianity's beginning the minister of Candace,
Queen of Ethiopia, rejoiced at having received the faith through Baptism and went on
his way bearing witness to Christ (cf. Acts 8:27-39), so today the Church in Africa,
joyful and grateful for having received the faith, must pursue its evangelizing mission,
in order to bring the peoples of the Continent to the Lord, teaching them to observe all
that he has commanded (cf. Mt 28:20).

From the opening Solemn Eucharistic Liturgy which on 10 April 1994 I celebrated in
Saint Peter's Basilica with thirty-five Cardinals, one Patriarch, thirty-nine
Archbishops, one hundred forty-six Bishops and ninety priests, the Church, which is
the Family of God 5 and the community of believers, gathered about the Tomb of
Peter. Africa was present there, in its various rites, with the entire People of God: it
rejoiced, expressing its faith in life to the sound of drums and other African musical
instruments. On that occasion Africa felt that it was, in the words of Pope Paul VI, "a
new homeland for Christ",6 a land loved by the Eternal Father.7 That is why I myself
greeted that moment of grace in the words of the Psalmist: "This is the day which the
Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Ps 118:24).

Recipients of the Exhortation

7. In communion with the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, I
wish to address this Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation in the first place to Pastors
and lay Catholics, and then to our brothers and sisters of other Christian Confessions,
to those who profess the great monotheistic religions, in particular the followers of
African traditional religion, and to all people of good will who in one way or another
have at heart Africa's spiritual and material development or who hold in their hands
the destiny of this great Continent.

First of all my thoughts naturally turn to the Africans themselves and to all who live
on the Continent; I think especially of the sons and daughters of the Catholic Church:
Bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians, members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and
Societies of Apostolic Life, catechists and all those who make service of their brothers
and sisters the ideal of their life. I wish to confirm them in their faith (cf. Lk 22:32)
and to urge them to persevere in the hope which the Risen Christ gives, overcoming
every temptation to discouragement.

Outline of the Exhortation

8. The Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops examined thoroughly the
topic which had been placed before it: "The Church in Africa and her evangelizing
mission towards the Year 2000: ?You shall be my witnesses' (Acts1:8)". This
Exhortation will therefore endeavour to follow closely the same thematic framework.
It will begin from the historic moment, a true kairos, in which the Synod was held,
examining its objectives, preparation and celebration. It will consider the current
situation of the Church in Africa, recalling the different phases of missionary
commitment. It will then examine the various aspects of theevangelizing mission
which the Church must take into account at the present time: evangelization,
inculturation, dialogue, justice and peace, and the means of social communication. A
mention of the urgent tasks and challenges facing the Church in Africa on the eve of
the Year 2000 will enable us to sketch out the tasks of Christ's witnesses in Africa, so
that they will make a more effective contribution to the building up of God's
Kingdom. It will thus be possible at the end to de scribe the responsibilities of the
Church in Africa as a missionary Church: a Church of mission which itself becomes
missionary: "You shall be my witnesses to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

CHAPTER I

AN HISTORIC MOMENT OF GRACE

9. "This Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops is a providential event
of grace, for which we must give praise and thanks to the Almighty and Merciful
Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit".8 It is with these words that the Fathers
solemnly opened the discussion of the Synod's theme during the first General
Congregation. On an earlier occasion, I had expressed a similar conviction,
recognizing that "the Special Assembly is an ecclesial event of fundamental
importance for Africa, a kairos, a moment of grace, in which God manifests his
salvation. The whole Church is invited to live fully this time of grace, to accept and
spread the Good News. The effort expended in preparation for the Synod will not only
benefit the celebration of the Synod itself, but from this time on will work in favour of
the local Churches which make their pilgrim way in Africa, whose faith and witness
are being strengthened and are becoming increasingly mature".9

Profession of faith

10. This moment of grace was in the first place manifested in a solemn profession of
faith. Gathered about the Tomb of Peter for the opening of the Special Assembly, the
Synod Fathers proclaimed their faith, the faith of Peter who, in answer to Christ's
question, "Do you also wish to go away?", replied: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You
have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you
are the Holy One of God" (Jn 6:67-69). The Bishops of Africa, in whom the Catholic
Church during those days found herself expressed in a special way at the Tomb of the
Apostle, confirmed their steadfast belief that the greatness and mercy of the one God
were manifested above all in the Redemptive Incarnation of the Son of God, the Son
who is consubstantial with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit and who, in this
Trinitarian unity, receives the fullness of honour and glory. This — the Fathers
affirmed — is our faith; this is the faith of the Church; this is the faith of all the local
Churches which everywhere in Africa are on pilgrimage towards the House of God.

This faith in Jesus Christ was manifested unceasingly, forcefully and unanimously in
the interventions of the Synod Fathers throughout the meeting of the Special
Assembly. In the strength of this faith, the Bishops of Africa entrusted their Continent
to Christ the Lord, convinced that he alone, through his Gospel and his Church, can
save Africa from its present difficulties and heal its many ills.10

11. At the same time, at the solemn opening of the Special Assembly, the Bishops of
Africa publicly proclaimed their faith in the "unique Church of Christ, which in the
Creed we avow as one, holy, catholic and apostolic".11 These characteristics indicate
essential features of the Church and her mission. She "does not possess them of
herself; it is Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, makes his Church one, holy, catholic
and apostolic, and it is he who calls her to realize each of these qualities".12

All those privileged to be present at the celebration of the Special Assembly for Africa
rejoiced to see how African Catholics are assuming ever greater responsibility in their
local Churches and are seeking a deeper understanding of what it means to be both
Catholic and African. The celebration of the Special Assembly showed to the whole
world that the local Churches of Africa hold a rightful place in the communion of the
Church, that they are entitled to preserve and to develop "their own traditions, without
in any way lessening the primacy of the Chair of Peter. This Chair presides over the
whole assembly of charity and protects legitimate differences, while at the same time
it sees that such differences do not hinder unity but rather contribute towards it".13

Synod of Resurrection, Synod of Hope

12. By a singular design of Providence, the solemn inauguration of the Special

Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops took place on the Second Sunday of
Easter, at the end of the Easter Octave. The Synod Fathers, assembled in Saint Peter's
Basilica on that day, were well aware that the joy of their Church flowed from the
same event which had gladdened the Apostles' hearts on Easter Day (cf.Lk 24:40-41):
the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. They were deeply aware of the presence in their
midst of the Risen Lord, who said to them as he had to his Apostles: "Peace be with
you" (Jn 20:21,26). They were also aware of his promise to remain with his Church
for ever (cf. Mt 28:20), and therefore also throughout the duration of the Synodal
Assembly. The Easter spirit in which the Special Assembly began its work, with its
members united in celebrating their faith in the Risen Lord, spontaneously brought to
mind the words which Jesus addressed to the Apostle Thomas: "Blessed are those who
have not seen and yet believe" (Jn20:29).

13. This was indeed a Synod of Resurrection and Hope, as the Synod Fathers joyfully
and enthusiastically declared in the opening words of their Message to the People of
God. They are words which I willingly make my own: "Like Mary Magdalene on the
morning of the Resurrection, like the disciples at Emmaus with burning hearts and
enlightened minds, the Special Synod for Africa, Madagascar and the Islands
proclaims: Christ, our Hope, is risen. He has met us, has walked along with us. He
has explained the Scriptures to us. Here is what he said to us: ?I am the First and the
Last, I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever and I
hold the keys of death and of the abode of the dead' (Rev1:17-18) ... And as Saint John
at Patmos during particularly difficult times received prophecies of hope for the
People of God, we also announce a message of hope. At this time when so much
fratricidal hate inspired by political interests is tearing our peoples apart, when the
burden of the international debt and currency devaluation is crushing them, we, the
Bishops of Africa, together with all the participants in this holy Synod, united with the
Holy Father and with all our Brothers in the Episcopate who elected us, we want to
say a word of hope and encouragement to you, Family of God in Africa, to you, the
Family of God all over the world: Christ our Hope is alive; we shall live!" 14
14. I exhort all God?s People in Africa to accept with open hearts the message of hope
addressed to them by the Synodal Assembly. During their discussions the Synod
Fathers, fully aware that they were expressing the expectations not only of African
Catholics but also those of all the men and women of the Continent, squarely faced
the many evils which oppress Africa today. The Fathers explored at length and in all
its complexity what the Church is called to do in order to bring about the desired
changes, but they did so with an attitude free from pessimism or despair. Despite the
mainly negative picture which today characterizes numerous parts of Africa, and
despite the sad situations being experienced in many countries, the Church has the
duty to affirm vigorously that these difficulties can be overcome. She must strengthen
in all Africans hope of genuine liberation. In the final analysis, this confidence is
based on the Church's awareness of God's promise, which assures us that history is not
closed in upon itself but is open to God's Kingdom. This is why there is no
justification for despair or pessimism when we think about the future of both Africa
and any other part of the world.

Affective and effective collegiality

15. Before dealing with the different themes, I would like to state that the Synod of
Bishops is an extremely beneficial instrument for fostering ecclesial communion.
When towards the end of the Second Vatican Council Pope Paul VI established the
Synod, he clearly indicated that one of its essential tasks would be to express and
foster, under the guidance of the Successor of Peter, mutual communion between
Bishops throughout the world.15 The principle underlying the setting up of the Synod
of Bishops is straightforward: the more the communion of the Bishops among
themselves is strengthened, the more the communion of the Church as a whole is
enriched. The Church in Africa testifies to the truth of these words, for it has
experienced the enthusiasm and practical results which accompanied the preparations
for the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops devoted to it.

16. At my first meeting with the Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of
Bishops, gathered to discuss the Special Assembly for Africa, I indicated the reason
why it seemed appropriate to convoke this Assembly: the promotion of "an organic
pastoral solidarity throughout Africa and the adjacent Islands".16 With these words I
wished to include the main goals and objectives which that Assembly would have to
pursue. In order to clarify my expectations further, I added that the reflections in
preparation for the Assembly "should cover all the important aspects of the life of the
Church in Africa, and in particular should include evangelization, inculturation,
dialogue, pastoral care in social areas and the means of social communication".17

17. During my Pastoral Visits in Africa, I frequently referred to the Special Assembly
for Africa and to the principal aims for which it had been convoked. When I took part
for the first time on African soil at a meeting of the Council of the Synod, I did not
fail to emphasize my conviction that a Synodal Assembly cannot be reduced to a
consultation on practical matters. Its true raison d'être is the fact that the Church can
move forward only by strengthening communion among her members, beginning with
her Pastors.18

Every Synodal Assembly manifests and develops solidarity between the heads of
particular Churches in carrying out their mission beyond the boundaries of their
respective Dioceses. The Second Vatican Council taught: "As lawful Successors of
the Apostles and as members of the Episcopal College, Bishops should always realize
that they are linked one to the other, and should show concern for all the Churches.
For by divine institution and the requirement of their apostolic office, each one in
concert with his fellow Bishops is responsible for the Church".19

18. The theme assigned to the Special Assembly — "The Church in Africa and her
evangelizing mission towards the Year 2000. ?You shall be my witnesses' (Acts1:8)"
— expresses my desire that this Church should live the time leading up to the Great
Jubilee as "a new Advent", a time of expectation and preparation. In fact I consider
preparations for the Year 2000 as one of the keys for interpreting my Pontificate.20

The series of Synodal Assemblies which have taken place in the course of nearly
thirty years — General Assemblies and Special Assemblies on a continental, regional
or national level — are all part of preparing for the Great Jubilee. The fact that
evangelization is the theme of all these Synodal Assemblies is meant to indicate how
alive today is the Church's awareness of the salvific mission which she has received
from Christ. This awareness is especially evident in the Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortations devoted to evangelization, catechesis, the family, reconciliation and
penance in the life of the Church and of all humanity, the vocation and mission of the
lay faithful and the formation of priests.

In full communion with the universal Church

19. Right from the beginning of the preparations for the Special Assembly, it was my
heartfelt desire, fully shared by the Council of the General Secretariat, to ensure that
this Synod would be authentically and unequivocally African. At the same time, it
was of fundamental importance that the Special Assembly should be celebrated in full
communion with the universal Church. Indeed, the Assembly always kept in mind the
needs of the universal Church. Likewise, when the time came to publish
the Lineamenta, I invited my Brothers in the Episcopate and the whole People of God
throughout the world to pray for the Special Assembly for Africa, and to feel that they
were part of the activities being promoted in preparation for that event.
This Assembly, as I have often had occasion to say, was of profound significance for
the universal Church, not only because of the great interest raised everywhere by its
convocation, but also because of the very nature of ecclesial communion which
transcends all boundaries of time and space. In fact the Special Assembly inspired
many prayers and good works through which individuals and communities of the
Church in the other continents accompanied the Synodal process. And how can we
doubt that through the mystery of ecclesial communion the Synod was also supported
by the prayers of the Saints in heaven?

When I directed that the first working session of the Special Assembly should take
place in Rome, I did so in order to express even more clearly the communion which
links the Church in Africa with the universal Church, and in order to emphasize the
commitment of all the faithful to Africa.

20. The solemn Eucharistic concelebration for the opening of the Synod at which I
presided in Saint Peter's Basilica highlighted the universality of the Church in a
striking and deeply moving way. This universality, "which is not uniformity but rather
communion in a diversity compatible with the Gospel",21 was experienced by all the
Bishops. They were aware of having been consecrated as members of the Body of
Bishops which succeeds the College of the Apostles, not only for one Diocese but for
the salvation of the whole world.22

I give thanks to Almighty God for the opportunity which he gave us to experience,
through the Special Assembly, what genuine catholicity implies. "In virtue of this
catholicity each individual part of the Church contributes through its special gifts to
the good of the other parts and of the whole Church".23

A relevant and credible message

21. According to the Synod Fathers, the main question facing the Church in Africa
consists in delineating as clearly as possible what it is and what it must fully carry out,
in order that its message may be relevant and credible.24 All the discussions at the
Assembly referred to this truly essential and fundamental need, which is a real
challenge for the Church in Africa.

It is of course true "that the Holy Spirit is the principal agent of evangelization: it is he
who impels each individual to proclaim the Gospel, and it is he who in the depths of
consciences causes the word of salvation to be accepted and understood".25 After
reaffirming this truth, the Special Assembly rightly went on to add that evangelization
is also a mission which the Lord Jesus entrusted to his Church under the guidance and
in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our cooperation is necessary through fervent prayer,
serious reflection, suitable planning and the mobilization of resources.26
The Synod's debate on the relevance and credibility of the Church's message in Africa
inescapably entailed consideration of the very credibility of the proclaimers of this
message. The Synod Fathers faced the question directly, with genuine frankness and
devoid of any complacency. Pope Paul VI had already addressed this question in
memorable words when he stated: "It is often said nowadays that the present century
thirsts for authen- ticity. Especially in regard to young people, it is said that they have
a horror of the artificial or false and that they are searching above all for truth and
honesty. These signs of the times should find us vigilant. Either tacitly or aloud — but
always forcefully — we are being asked: Do you really believe what you are
proclaiming? Do you live what you believe? Do you really preach what you live? The
witness of life has become more than ever an essential condition for real effectiveness
in preaching. Precisely because of this we are, to a certain extent, responsible for the
progress of the Gospel that we proclaim".27

That is why, with reference to the Church's evangelizing mission in the field of justice
and peace, I have said: "Today more than ever, the Church is aware that her social
doctrine will gain credibility more immediately from witness of action than as a result
of its internal logic and consistency".28

22. How can I fail to recall here that the Eighth Plenary Assembly of SECAM held in
Lagos, Nigeria, in 1987, had already considered with remarkable clarity the question
of the credibility and relevance of the Church's message in Africa? That same
Assembly had declared that the credibility of the Church in Africa depended upon
Bishops and priests who followed Christ's example and could give witness of an
exemplary life; upon truly faithful men and women religious, authentic witnesses by
their way of living the evangelical counsels; upon a dynamic laity, with deeply
believing parents, educators conscious of their responsibilities and political leaders
animated by a profound sense of morality.29

The Family of God in the Synodal process

23. Speaking to the members of the Council of the General Secretariat on 23 June
1989, I laid special emphasis on the involvement of the whole People of God, at all
levels and especially in Africa, in the preparations for the Special Assembly. "If this
Synod is prepared well," I said, "it will be able to involve all levels of the Christian
Community: individuals, small communities, parishes, Dioceses, and local, national
and international bodies".30

Between the beginning of my Pontificate and the solemn inauguration of the Special
Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, I paid a total of ten Pastoral Visits to
Africa and Madagascar, going to thirty-six countries. On my Apostolic Visits after the
convocation of the Special Assembly, the theme of the Synod and the need for all the
faithful to prepare for the Synodal Assembly always figured prominently in my
meetings with the People of God in Africa. I also took advantage of the ad
Limina Visits of the Continent's Bishops in order to ask for the cooperation of
everyone in the preparation of the Special Synod for Africa. In addition, on three
separate occasions I held working sessions with the Council of the General Secretariat
of the Synod on African soil: at Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast (1990); at Luanda,
Angola (1992); and at Kampala, Uganda (1993). All this was done in order to
mobilize an active and harmonious participation by Africans in the preparation of the
Synodal Assembly.

24. The presentation of the Lineamenta at the Ninth Plenary Assembly of SECAM in
Lomé, Togo, on 25 July 1990, was undoubtedly a new and significant stage in the
preparation of the Special Assembly. It can be said that with the publication of
the Lineamenta preparations for the Synod began in earnest in all the particular
Churches of Africa. The Assembly of SECAM in Lomé approved a Prayer for the
Special Assembly and requested that it be recited both publicly and privately in every
African parish until the actual celebration of the Synod. This initiative of SECAM was
truly felicitous and did not pass unnoticed by the universal Church.

In order to make the Lineamenta more available, many Episcopal Conferences and
Dioceses translated the document into their own languages, for example into Swahili,
Arabic, Malagasy, etc. "Publications, conferences and symposia on the themes of the
Synod were organized by various Episcopal Conferences, Institutes of Theology and
Seminaries, Associations of Institutes of Consecrated Life, Dioceses, some important
journals and periodicals, individual Bishops and theologians".31

25. I fervently thank Almighty God for the meticulous care with which the
Synod'sLineamenta and the Instrumentum Laboris 32 were drawn up. It was a task
accepted and carried out by Africans — Bishops and experts — beginning with the
Ante-Preparatory Commission of the Synod which met in January and March 1989.
This Commission was then replaced by the Council of the General Secretariat of the
Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, established on 20 June 1989.

I am also deeply grateful to the working group which so carefully prepared the
Eucharistic Liturgies for the opening and closing of the Synod. The group, which
included theologians, liturgists and experts in African chants and musical instruments,
ensured, in keeping with my wishes, that these celebrations would have a distinctly
African character.

26. I must now add that the response of the African peoples to my appeal to them to
share in the preparation of the Synod was truly admirable. The replies given to
the Lineamenta, both within and beyond the African Ecclesial Communities, far
exceeded every expectation. Many local Churches used the Lineamenta in order to
mobilize the faithful and, from that time onwards, we can say that the results of the
Synod were beginning to appear in a fresh commitment and renewed awareness
among African Christians.33

Throughout the various phases of the preparation for the Special Assembly, many
members of the Church in Africa — clergy, religious and laity — entered with
exemplary dedication into the Synodal process, "walking together", placing their
individual talents at the service of the Church, and fervently praying together for the
Synod's success. More than once the Synod Fathers themselves noted, during the
actual Synodal Assembly, that their work was made easier precisely by the "careful
and meticulous preparation of the Synod, and the active involvement of the entire
Church in Africa at all levels".34

God wills to save Africa

27. The Apostle of the Gentiles tells us that God "desires all men to be saved and to
come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all" (1
Tim 2:4-6). Since God, in fact, calls all people to one and the same divine destiny, "we
ought to believe that the Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to
everyone the possibility of being associated with this Paschal Mystery".35 God's
redeeming love embraces the whole of humanity, every race, tribe and nation: thus it
also embraces all the peoples of Africa. Divine Providence willed that Africa should
be present during the Passion of Christ in the person of Simon of Cyrene, forced by
the Roman soldiers to help the Lord to carry the Cross (cf. Mk 15:21).

28. The Liturgy of the Sixth Sunday of Easter in 1994, at the Solemn Eucharistic
Celebration for the closing of the working session of the Special Assembly, provided
me with the occasion to develop a meditation upon God's salvific plan for Africa. One
of the Scriptural readings, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, recalled an event
which can be understood as the first step in the Church's mission "ad gentes": it is the
account of the visit made by Peter, at the bidding of the Holy Spirit, to the home of a
Gentile, the centurion Cornelius. Until that time the Gospel had been proclaimed
mainly to the Jews. After considerable hesitation, Peter, enlightened by the Spirit,
decided to go to the house of a Gentile. When he arrived, he discovered to his joyful
surprise that the centurion was awaiting Christ and Baptism. The Acts of the Apostles
says: "the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed,
because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they
heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God" (10:45-46).
In the house of Cornelius the miracle of Pentecost was in a sense repeated. Peter then
said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who
fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him ... Can anyone forbid water for
baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"
(Acts 10:34-35,47).

Thus began the Church's mission ad gentes, of which Paul of Tarsus would become
the principal herald. The first missionaries who reached the heart of Africa
undoubtedly felt an astonishment similar to that experienced by the Christians of the
Apostolic age at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

29. God's salvific plan for Africa is at the origin of the growth of the Church on the
African Continent. But since by Christ's will the Church is by her nature missionary, it
follows that the Church in Africa is itself called to play an active role in God's plan of
salvation. For this reason I have often said that "the Church in Africa is a missionary
Church and a mission Church".36

The Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops had the task of examining
appropriate ways and means whereby Africans would be better able to implement the
mandate which the Risen Lord gave to his disciples: "Go therefore and make disciples
of all nations" (Mt 28:19).

CHAPTER II

THE CHURCH IN AFRICA

I. Brief history of the continent's evangelization

30. On the opening day of the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops,
the first meeting of this kind in history, the Synod Fathers recalled some of the
marvels wrought by God in the course of Africa's evangelization. It is a history which
goes back to the period of the Church's very birth. The spread of the Gospel has taken
place in different phases. The first centuries of Christianity saw the evangelization of
Egypt and North Africa. A second phase, involving the parts of the Continent south of
the Sahara, took place in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A third phase, marked
by an extraordinary missionary effort, began in the nineteenth century.

First phase

31. In a message to the Bishops and to all the peoples of Africa concerning the
promotion of the religious, civil and social well-being of the Continent, my venerable
Predecessor Paul VI recalled in memorable words the glorious splendour of Africa's
Christian past: "We think of the Christian Churches of Africa whose origins go back
to the times of the Apostles and are traditionally associated with the name and
teaching of Mark the Evangelist. We think of their countless Saints, Martyrs,
Confessors, and Virgins, and recall the fact that from the second to the fourth
centuries Christian life in the North of Africa was most vigorous and had a leading
place in theological study and literary production. The names of the great doctors and
writers come to mind, men like Origen, Saint Athanasius, and Saint Cyril, leaders of
the Alexandrian school, and at the other end of the North African coastline, Tertullian,
Saint Cyprian and above all Saint Augustine, one of the most brilliant lights of the
Christian world. We shall mention the great Saints of the desert, Paul, Anthony, and
Pachomius, the first founders of the monastic life, which later spread through their
example in both the East and the West. And among many others we want also to
mention Saint Frumentius, known by the name of Abba Salama, who was consecrated
Bishop by Saint Athanasius and became the first Apostle of Ethiopia".37 During these
first centuries of the Church in Africa, certain women also bore their own witness to
Christ. Among them Saints Perpetua and Felicitas, Saint Monica and Saint Thecla are
particularly deserving of mention.

"These noble examples, as also the saintly African Popes, Victor I, Melchiades and
Gelasius I, belong to the common heritage of the Church, and the Christian writers of
Africa remain today a basic source for deepening our knowledge of the history of
salvation in the light of the Word of God. In recalling the ancient glories of Christian
Africa, we wish to express our profound respect for the Churches with which we are
not in full communion: the Greek Church of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Coptic
Church of Egypt and the Church of Ethiopia, which share with the Catholic Church a
common origin and the doctrinal and spiritual heritage of the great Fathers and Saints,
not only of their own land, but of all the early Church. They have laboured much and
suffered much to keep the Christian name alive in Africa through all the vicissitudes
of history".38 These Churches continue to give evidence down to our own times of
the Christian vitality which flows from their Apostolic origins. This is especially true
in Egypt, in Ethiopia and, until the seventeenth century, in Nubia. At that time a new
phase of evangelization was beginning on the rest of the Continent.

Second phase

32. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the exploration of the African coast by the
Portuguese was soon accompanied by the evangelization of the regions of Sub-
Saharan Africa. That endeavour included the regions of present-day Benin, São Tomé,
Angola, Mozambique and Madagascar.

On Pentecost Sunday, 7 June 1992, for the commemoration of the five hundred years
of the evangelization of Angola, I said in Luanda: "The Acts of the Apostles indicate
by name the inhabitants of the places who participated directly in the birth of the
Church and the work of the breath of the Holy Spirit. They all said: ?We hear them
telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God' (Acts 2:11). Five hundred years
ago the people of Angola were added to this chorus of languages. In that moment, in
your African homeland the Pentecost of Jerusalem was renewed. Your ancestors heard
the message of the Good News which is the language of the Spirit. Their hearts
accepted this message for the first time, and they bowed their heads to the waters of
the baptismal font in which, by the power of the Holy Spirit, a person dies with Christ
and is born again to new life in his Resurrection ... It was certainly the same Spirit
who moved those men of faith, the first missionaries, who in 1491 sailed into the
mouth of the Zaire River, at Pinda, beginning a genuine missionary saga. It was the
Holy Spirit, who works as he wills in people's hearts, who moved the great King of
the Congo, Nzinga-a-Nkuwu, to ask for missionaries to proclaim the Gospel. It was
the Holy Spirit who sustained the life of those four first Angolan Christians who,
returning from Europe, testified to the Christian faith. After the first missionaries,
many others came from Portugal and other European countries to continue, expand
and strengthen the work that had been begun".39

A certain number of Episcopal Sees were erected during this period, and one of the
first fruits of that missionary endeavour was the consecration in Rome, by Pope Leo X
in 1518, of Don Henrique, the son of Don Alfonso I, King of the Congo, as Titular
Bishop of Utica. Don Henrique thus became the first native Bishop of Black Africa.

It was during this period, in 1622, that my Predecessor Pope Gregory XV permanently
erected the Congregation de Propaganda Fide for the purpose of better organizing
and expanding the missions.

Because of various difficulties, the second phase of the evangelization of Africa came
to an end in the eighteenth century, with the disappearance of practically all the
missions south of the Sahara.

Third phase

33. The third phase of Africa's systematic evangelization began in the nineteenth
century, a period marked by an extraordinary effort organized by the great apostles
and promoters of the African mission. It was a period of rapid growth, as the statistics
presented to the Synodal Assembly by the Congregation for the Evangelization of

Peoples clearly demonstrate.40 Africa has responded with great generosity to Christ's
call. In recent decades many African countries have celebrated the first centenary of
the beginning of their evangelization. Indeed, the growth of the Church in Africa over
the last hundred years is a marvellous work of divine grace.
The glory and splendour of the present period of Africa's evangelization are illustrated
in a truly admirable way by the Saints whom modern Africa has given to the Church.
Pope Paul VI eloquently expressed this when he canonized the Ugandan Martyrs in
Saint Peter's Basilica on World Mission Day, 1964: "These African Martyrs add a
new page to that list of victorious men and women that we call the martyrology, in
which we find the most magnificent as well as the most tragic stories. The page that
they add is worthy to take its place alongside those wonderful stories of ancient Africa
... For from the Africa that was sprinkled with the blood of these Martyrs, the first of
this new age (and, God willing, the last, so sublime, so precious was their sacrifice),
there is emerging a free and redeemed Africa".41

34. The list of Saints that Africa gives to the Church, the list that is its greatest title of
honour, continues to grow. How could we fail to mention, among the most recent,
Blessed Clementine Anwarite, Virgin and Martyr of Zaire, whom I beatified on
African soil in 1985, Blessed Victoria Rasoamanarivo of Madagascar, and Blessed
Josephine Bakhita of the Sudan, also beatified during my Pontificate? And how can
we not recall Blessed Isidore Bakanja, Martyr of Zaire, whom I had the privilege of
raising to the honours of the altar in the course of the Special Assembly for Africa?
"Other causes are reaching their final stages. The Church in Africa must furnish and
write her own Martyrology, adding to the outstanding figures of the first centuries ...
the Martyrs and Saints of our own day".42

Faced with the tremendous growth of the Church in Africa over the last hundred years
and the fruits of holiness that it has borne, there is only one possible explanation: all
this is a gift of God, for no human effort alone could have performed this work in the
course of such a relatively short period of time. There is however no reason for
worldly triumphalism. In recalling the glorious splendour of the Church in Africa, the
Synod Fathers only wished to celebrate God's marvellous deeds for Africa's liberation
and salvation.

"This is the Lord's doing;

it is marvellous in our eyes" (Ps 118:23).
"He who is mighty has done great things for
me, and holy is his name" (Lk 1:49).

Homage to missionaries

35. The splendid growth and achievements of the Church in Africa are due largely to
the heroic and selfless dedication of generations of missionaries. This fact is
acknowledged by everyone. The hallowed soil of Africa is truly sown with the tombs
of courageous heralds of the Gospel.
When the Bishops of Africa met in Rome for the Special Assembly, they were well
aware of the debt of gratitude which their Continent owes to its ancestors in the faith.

In his Address to the inaugural Assembly of SECAM at Kampala, on 31 July 1969,

Pope Paul VI spoke about this debt of gratitude: "By now, you Africans are
missionaries to yourselves. The Church of Christ is well and truly planted in this
blessed soil (cf. Ad Gentes, 6). One duty, however, remains to be fulfilled: we must
remember those who, before you, and even today with you, have preached the Gospel
in Africa; for Sacred Scripture admonishes us to ?Remember your leaders, those who
spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life; and imitate their
faith' (Heb 13:7). That is a history which we must not forget; it confers on the local
Church the mark of its authenticity and nobility, its mark as ?apostolic'. That history is
a drama of charity, heroism and sacrifice which makes the African Church great and
holy from its very origins".43

36. The Special Assembly worthily fulfilled this debt of gratitude at its first General
Congregation when it declared: "It is appropriate at this point to pay profound homage
to the missionaries, men and women of all the Religious and Secular Institutes, as
well as to all the countries which, during the almost two thousand years of the
evangelization of the African Continent, devoted themselves, without counting the
cost, to the task of transmitting the torch of the Christian faith ... That is why we, the
happy inheritors of this marvellous adventure, joyfully pay our debt of thanks to God
on this solemn occasion".44

The Synod Fathers strongly reiterated their homage to the missionaries in

theirMessage to the People of God, but they did not forget to pay tribute to the sons
and daughters of Africa who served as co-workers of the missionaries, especially
catechists and translators.45

37. It is thanks to the great missionary epic which took place on the African
Continent, especially during the last two centuries, that we were able to meet in Rome
in order to celebrate the Special Assembly for Africa. The seed sown at that time has
borne much fruit. My Brothers in the Episcopate, who are sons of the peoples of
Africa, are eloquent witnesses to this. Together with their priests, they now carry on
their shoulders the major part of the work of evangelization. Signs of this fruitfulness
are also the many sons and daughters of Africa who enter the older missionary
Congregations or the new Institutes founded on African soil, taking into their own
hands the torch of total consecration to the service of God and the Gospel.

Deeper roots and growth of the Church

38. The fact that in the course of almost two centuries the number of African
Catholics has grown quickly is an outstanding achievement by any standard. In
particular, the building up of the Church on the Continent is confirmed by facts such
as the noteworthy and rapid increase in the number of ecclesiastical circumscriptions,
the growth of a native clergy, of seminarians and candidates for Institutes of
Consecrated Life, and the steady increase in the network of catechists, whose
contribution to the spread of the Gospel among the African peoples is well known.
Finally, of fundamental importance is the high percentage of indigenous Bishops who
now make up the Hierarchy on the Continent.

The Synod Fathers identified many very significant accomplishments of the Church in
Africa in the areas of inculturation and ecumenical dialogue.46 The outstanding and
meritorious achievements in the field of education are univer- sally acknowledged.

Although Catholics constitute only fourteen per cent of the population of Africa,
Catholic health facilities make up seventeen per cent of the health-care institutions of
the entire Continent.

The initiatives boldly undertaken by the young Churches of Africa in order to bring
the Gospel "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8) are certainly worthy of note. The
missionary Institutes founded in Africa have grown in number, and have begun to
supply missionaries not only for the countries of the Continent but also for other areas
of the world. A slowly increasing number of African diocesan priests are beginning to
make themselves available, for limited periods, as fidei donum priests in other needy
Dioceses — in their own countries or abroad. The African provinces of Religious
Institutes of pontifical right, both of men and of women, have also recorded a growth
in membership. In this way the Church offers her ministry to the peoples of Africa;
but she also accepts involvement in the "exchange of gifts" with other particular
Churches which make up the People of God. All this manifests, in a tangible way, the
maturity which the Church in Africa has attained: this is what made possible the
celebration of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

What has become of Africa?

39. A little less than thirty years ago many African countries gained their
independence from the colonial powers. This gave rise to great hopes with regard to
the political, economic, social and cultural development of the African peoples.
However, "in some countries the internal situation has unfortunately not yet been
consolidated, and violence has had, or in some cases still has, the upper hand. But this
does not justify a general condemnation involving a whole people or a whole nation
or, even worse, a whole continent".47
40. But what is the true overall situation of the African Continent today, especially
from the point of view of the Church's evangelizing mission? In this regard the Synod
Fathers first of all asked: "In a Continent full of bad news, how is the Christian
message ?Good News' for our people? In the midst of an all-pervading despair, where
lie the hope and optimism which the Gospel brings? Evangelization stands for many
of those essential values which our Continent very much lacks: hope, peace, joy,
harmony, love and unity".48

After correctly noting that Africa is a huge Continent where very diverse situations
are found, and that it is necessary to avoid generalizations both in evaluating problems
and suggesting solutions, the Synodal Assembly sadly had to say: "One common
situation, without any doubt, is that Africa is full of problems. In almost all our
nations, there is abject poverty, tragic mismanagement of available scarce resources,
political instability and social disorientation. The results stare us in the face: misery,
wars, despair. In a world controlled by rich and powerful nations, Africa has
practically become an irrelevant appendix, often forgotten and neglected".49

41. For many Synod Fathers contemporary Africa can be compared to the man who
went down from Jerusalem to Jericho; he fell among robbers who stripped him, beat
him and departed, leaving him half dead (cf. Lk 10:30-37). Africa is a Continent
where countless human beings — men and women, children and young people — are
lying, as it were, on the edge of the road, sick, injured, disabled, marginalized and
abandoned. They are in dire need of Good Samaritans who will come to their aid.

For my part, I express the hope that the Church will continue patiently and tirelessly
its work as a Good Samaritan. Indeed, for a long period certain regimes, which have
now come to an end, were a great trial for Africans and weakened their ability to
respond to situations: an injured person has to rediscover all the resources of his own
humanity. The sons and daughters of Africa need an understanding presence and
pastoral concern. They need to be helped to recoup their energies so as to put them at
the service of the common good.

Positive values of African culture

42. Although Africa is very rich in natural resources, it remains economically poor. At
the same time, it is endowed with a wealth of cultural values and priceless human
qualities which it can offer to the Churches and to humanity as a whole. The Synod
Fathers highlighted some of these cultural values, which are truly a providential
preparation for the transmission of the Gospel. They are values which can contribute
to an effective reversal of the Continent's dramatic situation and facilitate that
worldwide revival on which the desired development of individual nations depends.
Africans have a profound religious sense, a sense of the sacred, of the existence of
God the Creator and of a spiritual world. The reality of sin in its individual and social
forms is very much present in the consciousness of these peoples, as is also the need
for rites of purification and expiation.

43. In African culture and tradition the role of the family is everywhere held to be
fundamental. Open to this sense of the family, of love and respect for life, the African
loves children, who are joyfully welcomed as gifts of God. "The sons and daughters
of Africa love life. It is precisely this love for life that leads them to give such great
importance to the veneration of their ancestors. They believe intuitively that the dead
continue to live and remain in communion with them. Is this not in some way a
preparation for belief in the Communion of the Saints? The peoples of Africa respect
the life which is conceived and born. They rejoice in this life. They reject the idea that
it can be destroyed, even when the so-called ?progressive civilizations' would like to
lead them in this direction. And practices hostile to life are imposed on them by means
of economic systems which serve the selfishness of the rich".50 Africans show their
respect for human life until its natural end, and keep elderly parents and relatives
within the family.

African cultures have an acute sense of solidarity and community life. In Africa it is
unthinkable to celebrate a feast without the participation of the whole village. Indeed,
community life in African societies expresses the extended family. It is my ardent
hope and prayer that Africa will always preserve this priceless cultural heritage and
never succumb to the temptation to individualism, which is so alien to its best
traditions.

Some choices of the African peoples

44. While the shadows and the dark side of the African situation described above can
in no way be minimized, it is worth recalling here a number of positive achievements
of the peoples of the Continent which deserve to be praised and encouraged. For
example, the Synod Fathers in their Message to the People of God were pleased to
mention the beginning of the democratic process in many African countries,
expressing the hope that this process would be consolidated, and that all obstacles and
resistance to the establishment of the rule of law would be promptly removed through
the concerted action of all those involved and through their sense of the common
good.51

The "winds of change" are blowing strongly in many parts of Africa, and people are
demanding ever more insistently the recognition and promotion of human rights and
freedoms. In this regard I note with satisfaction that the Church in Africa, faithful to
its vocation, stands resolutely on the side of the oppressed and of voiceless and
marginalized peoples. I strongly encourage it to continue to bear this witness. The
preferential option for the poor is "a special form of primacy in the exercise of
Christian charity, to which the whole Tradition of the Church bears witness ... The
motivating concern for the poor — who are in the very meaning of the term ?the
Lord's poor' — must be translated at all levels into concrete actions, until it decisively
attains a series of necessary reforms".52

45. In spite of its poverty and the meagre means at its disposal, the Church in Africa
plays a leading role in what touches upon integral human development. Its remarkable
achievements in this regard are often recognized by governments and international
experts.

The Special Assembly for Africa expressed deep gratitude "to all Christians and to all
men and women of good will who are working in the fields of assistance and health-
care with Caritas and other development organizations".53 The assistance which they,
as Good Samaritans, give to the African victims of wars and disasters, to refugees and
displaced persons, deserves the admiration, gratitude and support of all.

I feel it my duty to express heartfelt thanks to the Church in Africa for the role which
it has played over the years as a promoter of peace and reconciliation in many
situations of conflict, political turmoil and civil war.

II. Present-day problems of the Church in Africa

46. The Bishops of Africa are faced with two fundamental questions. How must the
Church carry out her evangelizing mission as the Year 2000 approaches? How can
African Christians become ever more faithful witnesses to the Lord Jesus? In order to
provide adequate responses to these questions the Bishops, both before and during the
Special Assembly, examined the major challenges that the Ecclesial Community in
Africa must face today.

More profound evangelization

47. The primary and most fundamental fact noted by the Synod Fathers is the thirst for
God felt by the peoples of Africa. In order not to disappoint this expectation, the
members of the Church must first of all deepen their faith.54 Indeed, precisely
because she evangelizes, the Church must "begin by being evangelized herself".55
She needs to meet the challenge raised by "this theme of the Church which is
evangelized by constant conversion and renewal, in order to evangelize the world with
credibility".56
The Synod recognized the urgency of proclaiming the Good News to the millions of
people in Africa who are not yet evangelized. The Church certainly respects and
esteems the non-Christian religions professed by very many Africans, for these
religions are the living expression of the soul of vast groups of people. However,
"neither respect and esteem for these religions nor the complexity of the questions
raised is an invitation to the Church to withhold from these non-Christians the
proclamation of Jesus Christ. On the contrary the Church holds that these multitudes
have the right to know the riches of the mystery of Christ (cf. Eph 3:8) — riches in
which we believe that the whole of humanity can find, in unsuspected fullness,
everything that it is gropingly searching for concerning God, man and his destiny, life
and death, and truth".57

48. The Synod Fathers rightly affirmed that "a serious concern for a true and balanced
inculturation is necessary in order to avoid cultural confusion and alienation in our
fast evolving society".58 During my visit to Malawi I made the same point: "I put
before you today a challenge — a challenge to reject a way of living which does not
correspond to the best of your traditions, and your Christian faith. Many people in
Africa look beyond Africa for the so-called ?freedom of the modern way of life'.
Today I urge you to look inside yourselves. Look to the riches of your own traditions,
look to the faith which we are celebrating in this assembly. Here you will find genuine
freedom — here you will find Christ who will lead you to the truth".59

Overcoming divisions

49. Another challenge identified by the Synod Fathers concerns the various forms of
division which need to be healed through honest dialogue.60 It has been rightly noted
that, within the borders left behind by the colonial powers, the co-existence of ethnic
groups with different traditions, languages, and even religions often meets obstacles
arising from serious mutual hostility. "Tribal oppositions at times endanger if not
peace, at least the pursuit of the common good of the society. They also create
difficulties for the life of the Churches and the acceptance of Pastors from other ethnic
groups".61 This is why the Church in Africa feels challenged by the specific
responsibility of healing these divisions. For the same reason the Special Assembly
emphasized the importance of ecumenical dialogue with other Churches and Ecclesial
Communities, and of dialogue with African traditional religion and Islam. The Fathers
also considered the means to be used to achieve this goal.

Marriage and vocations

50. A major challenge emphasized almost unanimously by the Episcopal Conferences

of Africa in their replies to the Lineamenta concerned Christian marriage and family
life.62 What is at stake is extremely serious: truly "the future of the world and of the
Church passes through the family".63

Another fundamental responsibility which the Special Assembly highlighted is

concern for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. It is necessary to discern
them wisely, to provide competent directors and to oversee the quality of the
formation offered. The fulfilment of the hope for a flowering of African missionary
vocations depends on the attention given to the solution of this problem, a flowering
that is required if the Gospel is to be proclaimed in every part of the Continent and
beyond.

Social and political difficulties

51. "In Africa, the need to apply the Gospel to concrete life is felt strongly. How could
one proclaim Christ on that immense Continent while forgetting that it is one of the
world's poorest regions? How could one fail to take into account the anguished history
of a land where many nations are still in the grip of famine, war, racial and tribal
tensions, political instability and the violation of human rights? This is all a challenge
to evangelization".64

All the preparatory documents of the Synod, as well as the discussions in the
Assembly, clearly showed that issues in Africa such as increasing poverty,
urbanization, the international debt, the arms trade, the problem of refugees and
displaced persons, demographic concerns and threats to the family, the liberation of
women, the spread of AIDS, the survival of the practice of slavery in some places,
ethnocentricity and tribal opposition figure among the fundamental challenges
addressed by the Synod.

Intrusiveness of the mass media

52. Finally, the Special Assembly addressed the means of social communication, an
issue which is of the greatest importance because it concerns both the instruments of
evangelization and the means of spreading a new culture which needs to be
evangelized.65 The Synod Fathers were thus faced with the sad fact that "the
developing nations, instead of becoming autonomous nations concerned with their
own progress towards a just sharing in the goods and services meant for all, become
parts of a machine, cogs on a gigantic wheel. This is often true also in the field of
social communications which, being run by centres mostly in the northern
hemisphere, do not always give due consideration to the priorities and problems of
such countries or respect their cultural make-up. They frequently impose a distorted
vision of life and of man, and thus fail to respond to the demands of true
development".66
III. Formation of the agents of evangelization

53. With what resources will the Church in Africa succeed in meeting the challenges
just mentioned? "The most important [resource], after the grace of Christ, is the
people. The whole People of God in the theological understanding ofLumen
Gentium — this People, which comprises the members of the Body of Christ in its
entirety — has received the mandate, which is both an honour and a duty, to proclaim
the Gospel ... The whole community needs to be trained, motivated and empowered
for evangelization, each according to his or her specific role within the Church".67
For this reason the Synod strongly emphasized the training of the agents of
evangelization in Africa. I have already referred to the necessity of formation for
candidates to the priesthood and those called to the consecrated life. The Assembly
also paid due attention to the formation of the lay faithful, appropriately recognizing
their indispensable role in the evangelization of Africa. In particular, the training of
lay catechists received the emphasis which it rightly deserves.

54. A last question must be asked: Has the Church in Africa sufficiently formed the
lay faithful, enabling them to assume competently their civic responsibilities and to
consider socio-political problems in the light of the Gospel and of faith in God? This
is certainly a task belonging to Christians: to bring to bear upon the social fabric an
influence aimed at changing not only ways of thinking but also the very structures of
society, so that they will better reflect God's plan for the human family. Consequently
I have called for the thorough formation of the lay faithful, a formation which will
help them to lead a fully integrated life. Faith, hope and charity must influence the
actions of the true follower of Christ in every activity, situation and responsibility.
Since "evangelizing means bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity,
and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new",68
Christians must be formed to live the social implications of the Gospel in such a way
that their witness will become a prophetic challenge to whatever hinders the true good
of the men and women of Africa and of every other continent.

CHAPTER III

EVANGELIZATION AND INCULTURATION

The Church's mission

55. "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation" (Mk16:15).
Such is the mandate that the Risen Christ, before returning to his Father, gave to his
Apostles: "And they went forth and preached everywhere" (Mk 16:20).
"The task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church ...
Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest
identity. She exists in order to evangelize".69 Born of the evangelizing mission of
Jesus and the Twelve, she is in turn sent forth. "Depositary of the Good News to be
proclaimed ... having been sent and evangelized, the Church herself sends out
evangelizers. She puts on their lips the saving Word".70 Like the Apostle to the
Gentiles, the Church can say: "I preach the Gospel ... For necessity is laid upon me.
Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!" (1 Cor 9:16).

The Church proclaims the Good News of Christ not only by the proclamation of the
Word which she has received from the Lord, but also by the witness of life,thanks to
which Christ's disciples bear witness to the faith, hope and love which dwell in them
(cf. 1 Pet 2:15).

This testimony which the Christian bears to Christ and the Gospel can lead even to the
supreme sacrifice: martyrdom (cf. Mk 8:35). For the Church and the Christian
proclaim the One who is "a sign of contradiction" (cf. Lk 2:34). They preach "Christ
crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles" (1 Cor 1:23). As I said
earlier, besides honouring the illustrious Martyrs of the first centuries, Africa can
glory in its Martyrs and Saints of the modern age.

The purpose of evangelization is "transforming humanity from within and making it

new".71 In and through the Only Son the relations of people with God, one another
and all creation will be renewed. For this reason the proclamation of the Gospel can
contribute to the interior transformation of all people of good will whose hearts are
open to the Holy Spirit's action.

56. To bear witness to the Gospel in word and deed: this is the task which the Special
Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops received and which it now passes on to
the Church of the Continent. "You shall be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8): this is the
challenge. In Africa these should be the fruits of the Synod in every area of people's
lives.

Born of the preaching of valiant missionary Bishops and priests, effectively assisted
by "the ranks of men and women catechists, to whom missionary work among the
nations owes so very much",72 the Church in Africa, having become "a new
homeland for Christ",73 is now responsible for the evangelization of the Continent
and the world. As my Predecessor Pope Paul VI said in Kampala: "Africans, you are
now your own missionaries".74 Because the vast majority of Africans have not yet
heard the Good News of salvation, the Synod recommends that missionary vocations
should be encouraged and asks that prayer, sacrifice and effective solidarity for the
Church's missionary work be favoured and actively supported.75
Proclamation

57. "The Synod recalls that to evangelize is to proclaim by word and witness of life
the Good News of Jesus Christ, crucified, died and risen, the Way, the Truth and the
Life".76 To Africa, which is menaced on all sides by outbreaks of hatred and
violence, by conflicts and wars, evangelizers must proclaim the hope of life rooted in
the Paschal Mystery. It was precisely when, humanly speaking, Jesus' life seemed
doomed to failure that he instituted the Eucharist, "the pledge of eternal glory",77 in
order to perpetuate in time and space his victory over death. That is why at a time
when the African Continent is in some ways in a critical situation the Special
Assembly for Africa wished to be "the Synod of Resurrection, the Synod of Hope ...
Christ our Hope is alive; we shall live!"78 Africa is not destined for death, but for
life!

It is therefore essential that "the new evangelization should be centred on a

transforming encounter with the living person of Christ".79 "The first proclamation
ought to bring about this overwhelming and exhilarating experience of Jesus Christ
who calls each one to follow him in an adventure of faith".80 This task is made all the
easier because "the African believes in God the Creator from his traditional life and
religion and thus is also open to the full and definitive revelation of God in Jesus
Christ, God with us, Word made flesh. Jesus, the Good News, is God who saves the
African ... from oppression and slavery".81

Evangelization must reach "individual human beings and society in every aspect of
their existence. It is therefore expressed in various activities, and particularly in those
which the Synod examined: proclamation, inculturation, dialogue, justice and peace
and the means of social communication".82

For the full success of this mission, it must be ensured that "in evangelization prayer
to the Holy Spirit will be stressed for a continuing Pentecost, where Mary, as at the
first Pentecost, will have her place".83 The power of the Holy Spirit guides the
Church into all truth (cf. Jn 16:13), enabling her to go into the world in order to bear
witness to Christ with confident resolve.

58. The Word that comes from the mouth of God is living and active, and never
returns to him in vain (cf. Is 55:11; Heb 4:12-13). We must therefore proclaim that
Word tirelessly, exhorting "in season and out of season ... unfailing in patience and in
teaching" (2 Tim 4:2). Entrusted first of all to the Church, the written Word of God is
not "a matter of one's own interpretation" (2 Pet 1:20), but is to be authentically
interpreted by the Church.84
In order that the Word of God may be known, loved, pondered and preserved in the
hearts of the faithful (cf. Lk 2:19,51), greater efforts must be made to provide access
to the Sacred Scriptures, especially through full or partial translations of the Bible,
prepared as far as possible in cooperation with other Churches and Ecclesial
Communities and accompanied by studyguides for use in prayer and for study in the
family and community. Also to be encouraged is the scriptural formation of clergy,
religious, catechists and the laity in general; careful preparation of celebrations of the
Word; promotion of the biblical apostolate with the help of the Biblical Centre for
Africa and Madagascar and the encouragement of other similar structures at all levels.
In brief, efforts must be made to try to put the Sacred Scriptures into the hands of all
the faithful right from their earliest years.85

Urgent need for inculturation

59. On several occasions the Synod Fathers stressed the particular importance for
evangelization of inculturation, the process by which "catechesis ?takes flesh' in the
various cultures".86 Inculturation includes two dimensions: on the one hand, "the
intimate transformation of authentic cultural values through their integration in
Christianity" and, on the other, "the insertion of Christianity in the various human
cultures".87 The Synod considers inculturation an urgent priority in the life of the
particular Churches, for a firm rooting of the Gospel in Africa.88 It is "a requirement
for evangelization",89 "a path towards full evangelization",90 and one of the greatest
challenges for the Church on the Continent on the eve of the Third Millennium.91

Theological foundations

60. "But when the time had fully come" (Gal 4:4), the Word, the Second Person of the
Blessed Trinity, the Only Son of God, "by the power of the Holy Spirit he became
incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man".92 This is the sublime mystery
of the Incarnation of the Word, a mystery which took place in history: in clearly
defined circumstances of time and space, amidst a people with its own culture, a
people that God had chosen and accompanied throughout the entire history of
salvation, in order to show through what he did for them what he intended to do for
the whole human race.

Jesus Christ is the unmistakable proof of God's love for humanity (cf. Rom 5:8). By
his life, his preaching of the Good News to the poor, his Passion, Death and glorious
Resurrection, he brought about the remission of our sins and our reconciliation with
God, his Father and, thanks to him, our Father too. The Word that the Church
proclaims is precisely the Word of God made man, who is himself the subject and
object of this Word. The Good News is Jesus Christ.
Just as "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14), so too the Good
News, the Word of Jesus Christ proclaimed to the nations, must take root in the life-
situation of the hearers of the Word. Inculturation is precisely this insertion of the
Gospel message into cultures.93 For the Incarnation of the Son of God, precisely
because it was complete and concrete,94 was also an incarnation in a particular
culture.

61. Given the close and organic relationship that exists between Jesus Christ and the
Word that the Church proclaims, the inculturation of the revealed message cannot but
follow the "logic" proper to the Mystery of the Redemption. Indeed, the Incarnation of
the Word is not an isolated moment but tends towards Jesus' "Hour" and the Paschal
Mystery: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if
it dies, it bears much fruit" (Jn 12:24). Jesus says: "And I, when I am lifted up from
the earth, will draw all men to myself" (Jn 12:32). This emptying of self,
this kenosis necessary for exaltation, which is the way of Christ and of each of his
disciples (cf. Phil 2:6-9), sheds light on the encounter of cultures with Christ and
his Gospel. "Every culture needs to be transformed by Gospel values in the light of
the Paschal Mystery".95

It is by looking at the Mystery of the Incarnation and of the Redemption that the
values and counter-values of cultures are to be discerned. Just as the Word of God
became like us in everything but sin, so too the inculturation of the Good News takes
on all authentic human values, purifying them from sin and restoring to them their full
meaning.

Inculturation also has profound links with the Mystery of Pentecost. Thanks to the
outpouring and action of the Spirit, who draws gifts and talents into unity, all the
peoples of the earth when they enter the Church live a new Pentecost, profess in their
own tongue the one faith in Jesus, and proclaim the marvels that the Lord has done for
them. The Spirit, who on the natural level is the true source of the wisdom of peoples,
leads the Church with a supernatural light into knowl- edge of the whole truth. In her
turn the Church takes on the values of different cultures, becoming the "sponsa ornata
monilibus suis", "the bride who adorns herself with her jewels" (cf. Is 61:10).

Criteria and areas of inculturation

62. Inculturation is a difficult and delicate task, since it raises the question of the
Church's fidelity to the Gospel and the Apostolic Tradition amidst the constant
evolution of cultures. Rightly therefore the Synod Fathers observed: "Considering the
rapid changes in the cultural, social, economic and political domains, our local
Churches must be involved in the process of inculturation in an ongoing manner,
respecting the two following criteria: compatibility with the Christian message and
communion with the universal Church ... In all cases, care must be taken to avoid
syncretism".96

"Inculturation is a movement towards full evangelization. It seeks to dispose people to

receive Jesus Christ in an integral manner. It touches them on the personal, cultural,
economic and political levels so that they can live a holy life in total union with God
the Father, through the action of the Holy Spirit".97

Thanking God for the fruits which the efforts at inculturation have already brought
forth in the life of the Churches of the Continent, notably in the ancient Eastern
Churches of Africa, the Synod recommended "to the Bishops and to the Episcopal
Conferences to take note that inculturation includes the whole life of the Church and
the whole process of evangelization. It includes theology, liturgy, the Church's life
and structures. All this underlines the need for research in the field of African cultures
in all their complexity". Precisely for this reason the Synod invited Pastors "to exploit
to the maximum the numerous possibilities which the Church's present discipline
provides in this matter".98

The Church as God's Family

63. Not only did the Synod speak of inculturation, but it also made use of it, taking
the Church as God's Family as its guiding idea for the evangelization of Africa.99 The
Synod Fathers acknowledged it as an expression of the Church's nature particularly
appropriate for Africa. For this image emphasizes care for others, solidarity, warmth
in human relationships, acceptance, dialogue and trust.100 The new evangelization
will thus aim at building up the Church as Family, avoiding all ethnocentrism and
excessive particularism, trying instead to encourage reconciliation and true
communion between different ethnic groups, favouring solidarity and the sharing of
personnel and resources among the particular Churches, without undue ethnic
considerations.101 "It is earnestly to be hoped that theologians in Africa will work out
the theology of the Church as Family with all the riches contained in this concept,
showing its complementarity with other images of the Church".102

All this presupposes a profound study of the heritage of Scripture and Tradition which
the Second Vatican Council presented in the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen
Gentium. This admirable text expounds the doctrine on the Church using images
drawn from Sacred Scripture such as the Mystical Body, People of God, Temple of
the Holy Spirit, Flock and Sheepfold, the House in which God dwells with man.
According to the Council, the Church is the Bride of Christ, our Mother, the Holy City
and the first fruits of the coming Kingdom. These images will have to be taken into
account when developing, according to the Synod's recommendation, an ecclesiology
focused on the idea of the Church as the Family of God.103 It will then be possible to
appreciate in all its richness and depth the statement which is the Dogmatic
Constitution's point of departure: "By her relationship with Christ, the Church is a
kind of sacrament or sign of intimate union with God, and of the unity of all
mankind".104

Areas of application

64. In practice, and without any prejudice to the traditions proper to either the Latin or
Eastern Church, "inculturation of the liturgy, provided it does not change the essential
elements, should be carried out so that the faithful can better understand and live
liturgical celebrations".105

The Synod also reaffirmed that, when doctrine is hard to assimilate even after a long
period of evangelization, or when its practice poses serious pastoral problems,
especially in the sacramental life, fidelity to the Church's teaching must be
maintained. At the same time, people must be treated with justice and true pastoral
charity. Bearing this in mind, the Synod expressed the hope that the Episcopal
Conferences, in cooperation with Universities and Catholic Institutes, would set up
study commissions, especially for matters concerning marriage, the veneration of
ancestors, and the spirit world, in order to examine in depth all the cultural aspects of
problems from the theological, sacramental, liturgical and canonical points of
view.106

Dialogue

65. "Openness to dialogue is the Christian's attitude inside the community as well as
with other believers and with men and women of good will".107 Dialogue is to be
practised first of all within the family of the Church at all levels: between Bishops,
Episcopal Conferences or Hierarchical Assemblies and the Apostolic See, between
Conferences or Episcopal Assemblies of the different nations of the same continent
and those of other continents, and within each particular Church between the Bishop,
the presbyterate, consecrated persons, pastoral workers and the lay faithful; and also
between different rites within the same Church. SECAM is to establish "structures and
means which will ensure the exercise of this dialogue",108 especially in order to
foster an organic pastoral solidarity.

"United to Jesus Christ by their witness in Africa, Catholics are invited to develop
an ecumenical dialogue with all their baptized brothers and sisters of other Christian
denominations, in order that the unity for which Christ prayed may be achieved, and
in order that their service to the peoples of the Continent may make the Gospel more
credible in the eyes of those who are searching for God".109 Such dialogue can be
conducted through initiatives such as ecumenical translations of the Bible, theological
study of various dimensions of the Christian faith or by bearing common evangelical
witness to justice, peace and respect for human dignity. For this purpose care will be
taken to set up national and diocesan commissions for ecumenism.110 Together
Christians are responsible for the witness to be borne to the Gospel on the Continent.
Advances in ecumenism are also aimed at making this witness more effective.

66. "Commitment to dialogue must also embrace all Muslims of good will. Christians
cannot forget that many Muslims try to imitate the faith of Abraham and to live the
demands of the Decalogue".111 In this regard the Message of the Synodemphasizes
that the Living God, Creator of heaven and earth and the Lord of history, is the Father
of the one great human family to which we all belong. As such, he wants us to bear
witness to him through our respect for the values and religious traditions of each
person, working together for human progress and development at all levels. Far from
wishing to be the one in whose name a person would kill other people, he requires
believers to join together in the service of life in justice and peace.112 Particular care
will therefore be taken so that Islamic-Christian dialogue respects on both sides the
principle of religious freedom with all that this involves, also including external and
public manifestations of faith.113 Christians and Muslims are called to commit
themselves to promoting a dialogue free from the risks of false irenicism or militant
fundamentalism, and to raising their voices against unfair policies and practices, as
well as against the lack of reciprocity in matters of religious freedom.114

67. With regard to African traditional religion, a serene and prudent dialogue will be
able, on the one hand, to protect Catholics from negative influences which condition
the way of life of many of them and, on the other hand, to foster the assimilation of
positive values such as belief in a Supreme Being who is Eternal, Creator, Provident
and Just Judge, values which are readily harmonized with the content of the faith.
They can even be seen as a preparation for the Gospel,because they contain
precious semina Verbi which can lead, as already happened in the past, a great number
of people "to be open to the fullness of Revelation in Jesus Christ through the
proclamation of the Gospel".115

The adherents of African traditional religion should therefore be treated with great
respect and esteem, and all inaccurate and disrespectful language should be avoided.
For this purpose, suitable courses in African traditional religion should be given in
houses of formation for priests and religious.116

Integral human development

68. Integral human development — the development of every person and of the whole
person, especially of the poorest and most neglected in the community — is at the
very heart of evangelization. "Between evangelization and human advancement —
development and liberation — there are in fact profound links. These include links of
an anthropological order, because the man who is to be evangelized is not an abstract
being but is subject to social and economic questions. They also include links in the
theological order, since one cannot dissociate the plan of creation from the plan of
Redemption. The latter plan touches the very concrete situations of injustice to be
combatted and of justice to be restored. They include links of the eminently
evangelical order, which is that of charity: how in fact can one proclaim the new
commandment of love without promoting in justice and peace the true, authentic
advancement of man?"117

When the Lord Jesus began his public ministry in the synagogue at Nazareth, he chose
the Messianic text of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah in order to shed light on his
mission: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because he has anointed me to
preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and
recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim
the acceptable year of the Lord" (Lk 4:18-19; cf. Is 61:1-2).

The Lord thus considers himself as sent to relieve human misery and combat every
kind of neglect. He came to liberate humanity; he came to take upon himself our
infirmities and diseases. "The entire ministry of Jesus is marked by the concern he
showed to all those around him who were affected by suffering: persons in mourning,
paralytics, lepers, the blind, the deaf, the mute (cf. Mt 8:17)".118 "It is impossible to
accept that in evangelization one could or should ignore the importance of the
problems so much discussed today, concerning justice, liberation, development and
peace in the world".119 The liberation that evangelization proclaims "cannot be
contained in the simple and restricted dimension of economics, politics, social or
cultural life; it must envisage the whole man, in all his aspects, right up to and
including his openness to the absolute, even the Divine Absolute".120

The Second Vatican Council says so well: "Pursuing the saving purpose which is
proper to her, the Church does not only communicate divine life to men but in some
way casts the reflected light of that life over the entire earth, most of all by its healing
and elevating impact on the dignity of the person, by the way in which it strengthens
the seams of human society and imbues the everyday activity of men with a deeper
meaning and importance. Thus through her individual members and her whole
community, the Church believes she can contribute greatly towards making the family
of man and its history more human".121 The Church proclaims and begins to bring
about the Kingdom of God after the example of Jesus, because "the Kingdom's
nature ... is one of communion among all human beings — with one another and with
God".122 Thus "the Kingdom is the source of full liberation and total salvation for all
people: with this in mind then, the Church walks and lives intimately bound in a real
sense to their history".123

69. Human history finds its true meaning in the Incarnation of the Word of God, who
is the foundation of restored human dignity. It is through Christ, the "image of the
invisible God, the first-born of all creation" (Col 1:15), that man is redeemed. "For by
his Incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every
man".124 How can we fail to exclaim with Saint Leo the Great: "Christian, recognize
your dignity"?125

To proclaim Jesus Christ is therefore to reveal to people their inalienable

dignity,received from God through the Incarnation of his Only Son. "Since it has been
entrusted to the Church to reveal the mystery of God, who is the ultimate goal of
man", continues the Second Vatican Council, "she opens up to man at the same time
the meaning of his own existence, that is, the innermost truth about himself ".126

Endowed with this extraordinary dignity, people should not live in sub-human social,
eco- nomic, cultural and political conditions. This is the theological foundation of the
struggle for the defence of personal dignity, for justice and social peace, for the
promotion, liberation and integral human development of all people and of every
individual. It is also for this reason that the development of peoples — within each
nation and among nations — must be achieved in solidarity, as my Predecessor Pope
Paul VI so well observed.127 Precisely for this reason he could affirm: "The new
name for peace is development".128 It can thus rightly be stated that "integral
development implies respect for human dignity and this can only be achieved in
justice and peace".129

Becoming the voice of the voiceless

70. Strengthened by faith and hope in the saving power of Jesus, the Synod Fathers
concluded their work by renewing their commitment to accept the challenge of being
instruments of salvation in every area of the life of the peoples of Africa. "The
Church", they declared, "must continue to exercise her prophetic role and be the voice
of the voiceless",130 so that everywhere the human dignity of every individual will be
acknowledged, and that people will always be at the centre of all government
programmes. The Synod "challenges the consciences of Heads of State and those
responsible for the public domain to guarantee ever more the liberation and
development of their peoples".131 Only at this price is peace established between
nations.

Evangelization must promote initiatives which contribute to the development

andennoblement of individuals in their spiritual and material existence. This involves
the development of every person and of the whole person, considered not only
individually but also and especially in the context of the common and harmonious
development of all the members of a nation and of all the peoples of the world.132

Finally, evangelization must denounce and combat all that degrades and destroys the
person. "The condemnation of evils and injustices is also part of that ministry of
evangelization in the social field which is an aspect of the Church's prophetic
role. But it should be made clear that proclamation is always more important than
condemnation, and the latter cannot ignore the former, which gives it true solidity and
the force of higher motivation".133

Means of social communication

71. "From the beginning it has been a characteristic of God to want to communicate.
This he does by various means. He has bestowed being upon every created thing,
animate or inanimate. He enters into relationships with human beings in a very special
way. "In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but
in these last days he as spoken to us by a Son" (Heb1:1-2)".134 The Word of God is
by nature word, dialogue and communication. He came to restore on the one hand
communication and relations between God and humanity, and on the other hand those
of people with one another.

The Synod paid great attention to the mass media under two important and
complementary aspects: as a new and emerging cultural world and as a series of
means serving communication. First of all, they constitute a new culture that has its
own language and above all its own specific values and counter-values. For this
reason, like any culture, the mass media need to be evangelized.135

Today in fact the mass media constitute not only a world but also a culture and
civilization. And it is also to this world that the Church is sent to bring the Good News
of salvation. The heralds of the Gospel must therefore enter this world in order
to allow themselves to be permeated by this new civilization and culture for the
purpose of learning how to make good use of them. "The first Areopagus of the
modern age is the world of communications, which is unifying humanity and turning
it into what is known as a ?global village'. The means of social communication have
become so important as to be for many the chief means of information and education,
of guidance and inspiration in their behaviour as individuals, families and within
society at large".136

Training in the use of the mass media is therefore a necessity not only for the
preacher of the Gospel, who must master, among other things, the media style of
communication but also for the reader, the listener and the viewer. Trained to
understand this kind of communication, they must be able to make use of its
contributions with discernment and a critical mind.

In Africa, where oral transmission is one of the characteristics of culture, such

training is of capital importance. This same kind of communication must remind
pastors, especially Bishops and priests, that the Church is sent to speak, to preach the
Gospel in words and deeds. Thus she cannot remain silent, at the risk of failing in her
mission, except in cases where silence itself would be a way of speaking and bearing
witness. We must therefore always preach in season and out of season (cf.2 Tim 4:2),
in order to build up, in charity and truth.

CHAPTER IV

IN THE LIGHT OF THE THIRD CHRISTIAN MILLENNIUM

I. Present-Day Challenges

72. The Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops was convoked so that
the whole Church of God on the Continent might reflect on its evangelizing mission in
the light of the Third Millennium and prepare, as I have said, "an or- ganic pastoral
solidarity within the entire African territory and nearby Islands".137 Such a mission
includes, as already mentioned, urgent tasks and challenges, due to the profound and
rapid changes in African societies and to the effects of the emergence of a global
civilization.

Need for Baptism

73. The first urgent task is of course evangelization itself. On the one hand, the
Church must assimilate and live ever more fully the message which the Lord has
entrusted to her. On the other hand, she must bear witness to this message and
proclaim it to all who do not yet know Jesus Christ. It is indeed for them that the Lord
said to the Apostles: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Mt28:19).

Just as at Pentecost, the goal of preaching the kerygma is to bring the hearer
tometanoia and Baptism: "The proclamation of the word of God has Christian
conversion as its aim: a complete and sincere adherence to Christ and his Gospel
through faith".138 Conversion to Christ moreover "is joined to Baptism not only
because of the Church's practice, but also by the will of Christ himself, who sent the
Apostles to make disciples of all nations and to baptize them (cf. Mt 28:19).
Conversion is also joined to Baptism because of the intrinsic need to receive the
fullness of new life in Christ. As Jesus says to Nicodemus: ?Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God ?
(Jn 3:5). In Baptism, in fact, we are born anew to the life of God's children, united to
Jesus Christ and anointed in the Holy Spirit. Baptism is not simply a seal of
conversion, a kind of external sign indicat- ing conversion and attesting to it. Rather,
it is a Sacrament which signifies and effects rebirth from the Spirit, establishes real
and unbreakable bonds with the Blessed Trinity, and makes us members of the Body
of Christ, which is the Church".139 Therefore a journey of conversion that did not
culminate in Baptism would stop half-way.

It is true that people of upright heart who, through no fault of their own have not been
reached by the proclamation of the Gospel but who live in harmony with their
conscience according to God's law, will be saved by Christ and in Christ. For every
human being there is always an actual call from God, which is waiting to be
acknowledged and received (cf. 1 Tim 2:4). It is precisely in order to facilitate this
recognition and acceptance that Christ's disciples are required not to rest until the
Good News of salvation has been brought to all.

Urgency of evangelization

74. The Name of Jesus Christ is the only one by which it has been decreed that we can
be saved (cf. Acts 4:12). Because in Africa there are millions who are not yet
evangelized, the Church is faced with the necessary and urgent task of proclaiming
the Good News to all, and leading those who hear it to Baptism and the Christian
life. "The urgency of missionary activity derives from the radical newness of
lifebrought by Christ and lived by his followers. This new life is a gift from God, and
people are asked to accept and develop it, if they wish to realize the fullness of their
vocation in conformity to Christ".140 This new life in the radical newness of the
Gospel also involves certain breaks from the customs and culture of whatever people
in the world, because the Gospel is never an internal product of a particular country
but always comes "from outside", from on high. For the baptized the great challenge
will always be that of leading a Christian life in conformity with the commitments of
Baptism, the Sacrament which signifies death to sin and daily resurrection to new life
(cf. Rom 6:4-5). Without this conformity, it will be difficult for Christ's disciples to be
the "salt of the earth" and "light of the world" (Mt 5:13, 14). If the Church in Africa
makes a vigorous and unhesitating commitment to this path, the Cross can be planted
in every part of the Continent for the salvation of peoples not afraid to open their
doors to the Redeemer.

Importance of formation

75. In all areas of Church life formation is of primary importance. People who have
never had the chance to learn cannot really know the truths of faith, nor can they
perform actions which they have never been taught. For this reason "the whole
community needs to be trained, motivated and empowered for evangelization, each
according to his or her specific role within the Church".141 This includes Bishops,
priests, members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apos- tolic Life,
members of Secular Institutes and all the lay faithful.

Missionary training has to have a special place. It is "the task of the local Church,
assisted by missionaries and their Institutes, and by the personnel from the young
Churches. This work must be seen not as peripheral but as central to the Christian
life".142

The formation programme will especially include the training of the lay faithful, so
that they will fully exercise their role of inspiring the temporal order — political,
cultural, economic and social — with Christian principles, which is the specific task
of the laity's vocation in the world. For this purpose competent and well motivated lay
people need to be encouraged to enter politics.143 By worthily carrying out the duties
of public office they will be able to "advance the common good and prepare the way
for the Gospel".144

Deepening the faith

76. The Church in Africa, in order to evangelize, must begin "by being evangelized
herself ... She needs to listen unceasingly to what she must believe, to her reasons for
hoping, to the new commandment of love. She is the People of God immersed in the
world, and often tempted by idols, and she always needs to hear the proclamation of
the ?mighty works of God' ".145

In Africa today "formation in the faith ... too often stops at the elementary stage, and
the sects easily profit from this ignorance".146 A serious deepening of the faith is thus
urgently needed, because the rapid evolution of society has given rise to new
challenges linked to the phenomena notably of family uprooting, urbanization,
unemployment, materialistic seductions of all kinds, a certain secularization and an
intellectual upheaval caused by the avalanche of insufficiently critical ideas spread by
the media.147

The power of witness

77. Formation must aim to provide Christians not only with technical expertise in
passing on more clearly the content of the faith but also with a profound personal
conviction enabling them to bear effective witness to it in daily life. All those called to
proclaim the Gospel will therefore seek to act with total docility to the Spirit, who
"today, just as at the beginning of the Church, acts in every evangelizer who allows
himself to be possessed and led by him".148 "Techniques of evangelization are good,
but even the most advanced ones could not replace the gentle action of the Spirit.
Even the most thorough preparation of the evangelizer has no effect without the Holy
Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit the most convincing dialectic has no power over the
human heart. Without him the most highly developed schemes on a sociological or
psychological basis are quickly seen to be quite valueless".149

Genuine witness by believers is essential to the authentic proclamation of the faith in

Africa today. In particular they should show the witness of sincere mutual love. " ?
This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you
have sent' (Jn 17:3). The ultimate purpose of mission is to enable people to share in
the communion which exists between the Father and the Son. The disciples are to live
in unity with one another, remaining in the Father and the Son, so that the world may
know and believe (cf. Jn 17:21-23). This is a very important missionary text. It makes
us understand that we are missionaries above all because of what we are, a Church
whose innermost life is unity in love, even before we become missionaries in word
and deed".150

Inculturating the faith

78. By reason of its deep conviction that "the synthesis between culture and faith is
not only a demand of culture but also of faith", because "a faith that does not become
culture is not fully accepted, not entirely thought out, not faithfully lived",151 the
Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops considered inculturation a
priority and an urgent task in the life of Africa's particular Churches. Only in this way
can the Gospel be firmly implanted in the Continent's Christian communities.
Following in the footsteps of the Second Vatican Council,152 the Synod Fathers
interpreted inculturation as a process that includes the whole of Christian existence —
theology, liturgy, customs, structures — without of course compromising what is of
divine right and the great discipline of the Church, confirmed in the course of
centuries by remarkable fruits of virtue and heroism.153

The challenge of inculturation in Africa consists in ensuring that the followers of

Christ will ever more fully assimilate the Gospel message, while remaining faithful to
all authentic African values. Inculturation of the faith in every area of Christian and
human life is an arduous task which can only be carried out with the help of the Spirit
of the Lord who leads the Church to the whole truth (cf. Jn 16:13).

A reconciled community

79. The challenge of dialogue is fundamentally the challenge of transforming

relationships between individuals, nations and peoples in religious, political,
economic, social and cultural life. It is the challenge of Christ's love for all people, a
love that the disciple must reproduce in his own life: "By this all men will know that
you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (Jn 13:35).

"Evangelization continues the dialogue of God with humanity and reaches its apex in
the person of Jesus Christ".154 Through the Cross he brought an end in himself to the
hostility which divides people and keeps them apart (cf. Eph 2:16).

Despite the modern civilization of the "global village", in Africa as elsewhere in the
world the spirit of dialogue, peace and reconciliation is far from dwelling in the hearts
of everyone. Wars, conflicts and racist and xenophobic attitudes still play too large a
role in the world of human relations.

The Church in Africa is aware that it has to become for all, through the witness borne
by its own sons and daughters, a place of true reconciliation. Forgiven and mutually
reconciled, these sons and daughters will thus be able to bring to the world the
forgiveness and reconciliation which Christ our Peace (cf. Eph 2:14) offers to
humanity through his Church. Otherwise the world will look more and more like a
battlefield, where only selfish interests count and the law of forceprevails, the law
which fatally distances humanity from the hoped-for civilization of love.

II. The Family

Evangelizing the family

80. "The future of the world and of the Church passes through the family".155 Not
only is the Christian family the first cell of the living ecclesial community, it is also
the fundamental cell of society. In Africa in particular, the family is the foundation on
which the social edifice is built. This is why the Synod considered the evangelization
of the African family a major priority, if the family is to assume in its turn the role
of active subject in view of the evangelization of families through families.

From the pastoral point of view, this is a real challenge, given the political, economic,
social and cultural difficulties which African families must face as a result of the great
changes which characterize contemporary society. While adopting the positive values
of modernity, the African family must preserve its own essential values.

The Holy Family as a model

81. In this regard the Holy Family, which according to the Gospel (cf. Mt 2:14-15)
lived for a time in Africa, is the "prototype and example for all Christian families"
156 and the model and spiritual source for every Christian family.157
To repeat the words of Pope Paul VI, pilgrim to the Holy Land: "The home of
Nazareth is the school where we begin to understand the life of Jesus — the school of
the Gospel ... Here, in this school, one learns why it is necessary to have a spiritual
rule of life, if one wishes to follow the teaching of the Gospel and become a disciple
of Christ".158 In his profound meditation on the mystery of Nazareth, Pope Paul VI
invites us to learn a threefold lesson: of silence, of family life and ofwork. In the home
of Nazareth each one lives his or her own mission in perfect harmony with the other
members of the Holy Family.

Dignity and role of man and woman

82. The dignity of man and woman derives from the fact that when God created man,
"in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them" (Gen1:27).
Both man and woman are created "in the image of God", that is, endowed with
intelligence and will and therefore with freedom. The account of our first parents' sin
confirms this (cf. Gen 3). The Psalmist sings of man's incomparable dignity: "Yet you
have made him little less than a god; with glory and honour you crowned him, gave
him power over the works of your hand, put all things under his feet" (Ps 8:6-7).

Having both been created in the image of God, man and woman, although different,
are essentially equal from the point of view of their humanity. "From the very
beginning, both are persons, unlike the other living beings in the world about them.
The woman is another ?I' in a common humanity",159 and each is a help for the other
(cf. Gen 2:18-25).

"In creating the human race ?male and female', God gives man and woman an equal
personal dignity, endowing them with inalienable rights and responsibilities proper to
the human person".160 The Synod deplored those African customs and practices
"which deprive women of their rights and the respect due to them" 161 and asked the
Church on the Continent to make every effort to foster the safeguarding of these
rights.

Dignity and role of Marriage

83. God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — is love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8). "The communion
between God and his people finds its definitive fulfilment in Jesus Christ, the
Bridegroom who loves and gives himself as the Saviour of humanity, uniting it to
himself as his Body. He reveals the original truth of marriage, the truth of the ?
beginning', and, freeing man from his hardness of heart, he makes man capable of
realizing this truth in its entirety. This revelation reaches its definitive fullness in the
gift of love which the Word of God makes to humanity in assuming a human nature,
and in the sacrifice which Jesus Christ makes of himself on the Cross for his Bride,
the Church. In this sacrifice there is entirely revealed that plan which God has
imprinted on the humanity of man and woman since their creation (cf.Eph 5:32-33);
the Marriage of baptized persons thus becomes a real symbol of that new and eternal
Covenant sanctioned in the Blood of Christ".162

The mutual love of baptized spouses makes present the love of Christ for his Church.
As a sign of this love of Christ, Marriage is a Sacrament of the New Covenant:
"Spouses are therefore the permanent reminder to the Church of what happened on
the Cross; they are for one another and for the children witnesses to the salvation in
which the Sacrament makes them sharers. Of this salvation event Marriage, like every
sacrament, is a memorial, actuation and prophecy".163

Marriage is therefore a state of life, a way of Christian holiness, a vocation which is

meant to lead to the glorious resurrection and to the Kingdom, where "they neither
marry nor are given in marriage" (Mt 22:30). Marriage thus demands an indissoluble
love; thanks to this stability it can contribute effectively to the complete fulfilment of
the spouses' baptismal vocation.

Saving the African family

84. Many interventions in the Synod Hall highlighted present-day threats to the
African family. The concerns of the Synod Fathers were all the more justified in that
the preparatory document of a United Nations Conference held in September 1994 in
Cairo — on African soil — clearly seemed to wish to adopt resolutions contradicting
many values of the African family. The Synod Fathers, accepting my concerns
previously expressed to the Conference and to all the world's Heads of State,164
launched an urgent appeal to safeguard the family. They pleaded: "Do not allow the
African family to be ridiculed on its own soil! Do not allow the International Year of
the Family to become the year of the destruction of the family!"165

The family as open to society

85. By its nature marriage, which has the special mission of perpetuating humanity,
transcends the couple. In the same way, by its nature, the family extends beyond the
individual household: it is oriented towards society. "The family has vital and organic
links with society, since it is its foundation and nourishes it continually through its
role of service to life: it is from the family that citizens come to birth and it is within
the family that they find the first school of the social virtues that are the animating
principle of the existence and development of society itself. Thus, far from being
closed in on itself, the family is by nature and vocation open to other families and to
society, and undertakes its social role".166
Along these lines, the Special Assembly for Africa affirmed that the goal of
evangelization is to build up the Church as the Family of God, an anticipation on
earth, though imperfect, of the Kingdom. The Christian families of Africa will thus
become true "domestic churches", contribut- ing to society's progress towards a more
fraternal life. This is how African societies will be transformed through the Gospel!

CHAPTER V

"YOU SHALL BE MY WITNESSES" IN AFRICA

Witness and holiness

86. The challenges mentioned show how opportune the Special Assembly for Africa
of the Synod of Bishops was: the Church's task in Africa is immense; in order to face
it everyone's cooperation is necessary. Witness is an essential element of this
cooperation. Christ challenges his disciples in Africa and gives them the mandate
which he gave to the Apostles on the day of his Ascension: "You shall be my
witnesses" (Acts 1:8) in Africa.

87. The proclamation of the Good News by word and deed opens people's hearts to
the desire for holiness, for being configured to Christ. In his First Letter to the
Corinthians, Saint Paul addresses "those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints,
together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"
(1:2). Preaching the Gospel also aims to build up the Church of God, in the light of
the coming of the Kingdom, which Christ will hand over to the Father at the end of
time (cf. 1 Cor 15:24).

"Entrance into the Kingdom of God demands a change of mentality (metanoia) and
behaviour and a life of witness in word and deed, a life nourished in the Church by the
reception of the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, the Sacrament of
salvation".167

Inculturation, through which the faith penetrates the life of individuals and their
primary communities, is also a path to holiness. Just as in the Incarnation Christ
assumed human nature in everything but sin, analogously through inculturation the
Christian message assimilates the values of the society to which it is proclaimed,
rejecting whatever is marked by sin. To the extent that an ecclesial community can
integrate the positive values of a specific culture, inculturation becomes an instrument
by which the community opens itself to the riches of Christian holiness. An
inculturation wisely carried out purifies and elevates the cultures of the various
peoples.
From this point of view the liturgy is called to play an important role. As an effective
way of proclaiming and living the mysteries of salvation, the liturgy can make a valid
contribution towards the elevation and enrichment of specific manifestations of the
culture of a people. It will therefore be the task of competent authority to see to the
inculturation of those liturgical elements which, following artistically worthy models,
can be changed in the light of current norms.168

I. Agents of evangelization

88. Evangelization needs agents. For "how are men to call upon him [the Lord] in
whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have
never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach
unless they are sent?" (Rom 10:14-15). The proclamation of the Gospel can be fully
carried out only through the contribution of all believers at every level of the universal
and local Church.

It is especially the concern of the local Church, entrusted to the responsibility of the
Bishop, to coordinate the commitment to evangelization by gathering the faithful
together, confirming them in the faith through the work of the priests and catechists,
and supporting them in the fulfilment of their respective tasks. In order to accomplish
this, the Diocese is to establish the necessary structures for getting together, dialogue
and planning. By making use of these structures the Bishop will be able to guide in a
suitable manner the work of priests, religious and laity, welcoming the gifts and
charisms of each one, in order to put them at the service of an updated and
clearsighted plan of pastoral action. The different Councils provided for by the current
norms of Canon Law are to be considered a great help in contributing to this end.

Vital Christian communities

89. Right from the beginning, the Synod Fathers recognized that the Church as Family
cannot reach her full potential as Church unless she is divided into communities small
enough to foster close human relationships. The Assembly described the
characteristics of such communities as follows: primarily they should be places
engaged in evangelizing themselves, so that subsequently they can bring the Good
News to others; they should moreover be communities which pray and listen to God's
Word, encourage the members themselves to take on responsibility, learn to live an
ecclesial life, and reflect on different human problems in the light of the Gospel.
Above all, these communities are to be committed to living Christ's love for
everybody, a love which transcends the limits of the natural solidarity of clans, tribes
or other interest groups.169

Laity
90. The laity are to be helped to become increasingly aware of their role in the
Church, thereby fulfilling their particular mission as baptized and confirmed persons,
according to the teaching of the Post-Synodal Apostolic ExhortationChristifideles
Laici 170 and the Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio.171 Lay people are to be
trained for their mission through suitable centres and schools of biblical and pastoral
formation. Similarly, Christians who occupy positions of responsibility are to be
carefully prepared for political, economic and social tasks by means of a solid
formation in the Church's social doctrine, so that in their places of work they will be
faithful witnesses to the Gospel.172

Catechists

91. "The role of the catechist has been and remains a determinative force in the
implantation and expansion of the Church in Africa. The Synod recommends that
catechists not only receive a sound initial formation ... but that they continue to
receive doctrinal formation as well as moral and spiritual support".173 Both Bishops
and priests are to have their catechists at heart, seeing to it that they are guaranteed
suitable living and working conditions so that they carry out their mission properly. In
the midst of the Christian community the catechists' responsibility is to be
acknowledged and held in respect.

The family

92. The Synod launched an explicit appeal for each African Christian family to
become "a privileged place for evangelical witness",174 a true "domestic church",175
a community which believes and evangelizes,176 a community in dialogue with God
177 and generously open to the service of humanity.178 "It is in the heart of the
family that parents are by word and example ... the first heralds of the faith with
regard to their children".179 "It is here that the father of the family, the mother,
children, and all members of the family exercise the priesthood of the baptized in a
privileged way ?by the reception of the sacraments, prayer and thanksgiving, the
witness of a holy life and self- denial and active charity'. Thus the home is the first
school of Christian life and ?a school for human enrichment' ".180

Parents are to see to the Christian education of their children. With the practical help
offered by strong, serene and committed Christian families, Dioceses will develop a
programme for the family apostolate as part of their overall pastoral plan. The
Christian family, as a "domestic Church" built on the solid cultural pillars and noble
values of the African tradition of the family, is called upon to be a powerful nucleus
of Christian witness in a society undergoing rapid and profound changes. The Synod
felt this challenge with a particular urgency because the Church was then celebrating
the Year of the Family with the rest of the international community.
Young people

93. The Church in Africa knows well that youth are not only the present but above all
the future of humanity. It is thus necessary to help young people to overcome the
obstacles thwarting their development: illiteracy, idleness, hunger, drugs.181 In order
to meet these challenges, young people themselves should be called upon to become
the evangelizers of their peers. No one can do this better than they. Thepastoral care
of youth must clearly be a part of the overall pastoral plan of Dioceses and parishes, so
that young people will be enabled to discover very early on the value of the gift of
self, an essential means for the person to reach maturity.182 In this regard, the
celebration of World Youth Day is a privileged instrument for the pastoral care of
youth, which favours their formation through prayer, study and reflection.

Consecrated men and women

94. "In the Church understood as the Family of God, consecrated life has the
particular function not only of indicating to all the call to holiness but also of
witnessing to fraternal life in community. Therefore, all who live the consecrated life
are called to respond to their vocation in a spirit of communion and cooperation with
the respective Bishops, clergy and laity".183

In the present-day circumstances of the mission in Africa, it is necessary to foster

religious vocations to the contemplative and active life, above all choosing them with
great discernment, and then seeing that they receive an integral human formation, as
well as one which is solid in its spiritual and doctrinal, apostolic and missionary,
biblical and theological dimensions. This formation is to be faithfully and regularly
updated down through the years. With regard to the foundation of new Religious
Institutes, great prudence and enlightened discernment are needed, and the criteria laid
down by the Second Vatican Council and the canonical norms now in force are to be
followed.184 Once established, these Institutes are to be helped in acquiring juridical
status and becoming autonomous in the management both of their own works and of
their respective sources of income.

The Synodal Assembly, having stated that "Religious Institutes that do not have
houses in Africa" are not authorized "to come seeking new vocations without prior
dialogue with the local Ordinary",185 then urged the leaders of the local Churches
and of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life to foster
dialogue among themselves, in order to create, in the spirit of the Church as Family,
mixed groups for consultation which would serve as a witness to fraternity and as a
sign of unity in the service of a common mission.186 In this light, I have also
accepted the request of the Synod Fathers to revise, if necessary, some points in the
document Mutuae Relationes,187 in order to define better the role of religious life in
the local Church.188

Future priests

95. The Synod Fathers affirmed that "today more than ever there is need to formfuture
priests in the true cultural values of their country, in a sense of honesty, responsibility
and integrity. They shall be formed in such a manner that they will have the qualities
of the representatives of Christ, of true servants and animators of the Christian
community ... solidly spiritual, ready to serve, dedicated to evangelization, capable of
administering the goods of the Church efficiently and openly, and of living a simple
life as befits their milieu".189 While respecting the traditions proper to the Eastern
Churches, seminarians "should acquire affective maturity and should be both clear in
their minds and deeply convinced that for the priest celibacy is inseparable from
chastity".190 Moreover "they should receive adequate formation on the meaning and
place of consecration to Christ in the priesthood".191

Deacons

96. Where pastoral conditions lend themselves to respect and understanding of this
ancient ministry in the Church, Episcopal Conferences and Assemblies are to study
the most suitable ways of promoting and encouraging the permanent diaconate "as an
ordained ministry and also as an instrument of evangelization".192 Where deacons
already exist they should be provided with an integrated and thorough programme of
permanent formation.

Priests

97. Deeply grateful to all the priests — diocesan and members of Institutes — for the
apostolic work they are doing and aware of the demands made by the evangelization
of the peoples of Africa and Madagascar, the Synodal Assembly urged priests to live
their "faithfulness to their vocation in the total gift of self to their mission and in full
communion with their Bishop".193 As for the Bishops, they are to see to the ongoing
formation of priests, especially in the first years of their ministry,194 helping them
especially to deepen their understanding of sacred celibacy and to persevere in living
it faithfully, rec- ognizing "this surpassing gift which the Father has given them, and
which the Lord praised so openly. Let them keep in mind the great mysteries which
are signified and fulfilled in it."195 This formation programme is also to give
particular attention to the wholesome values present in the priests' surroundings. It is
appropriate moreover to mention that the Second Vatican Council encouraged among
priests "a certain common life", that is some kind of community life in the different
forms suggested by real personal and pastoral needs. This will contribute towards the
growth of the spiritual and intellectual life, of apostolic and pastoral ministry, of
charity and mutual support, especially with regard to priests who are elderly, sick or in
difficulty.196

Bishops

98. The Bishops themselves will carefully pastor the Church which God obtained with
the Blood of his own Son, fulfilling the responsibility entrusted to them by the Holy
Spirit (cf. Acts 20:28). According to the recommendation of the Second Vatican
Council, Bishops dedicated to carrying out "their Apostolic office as witnesses of
Christ before all people" 197 are to exercise personally, in a spirit of trusting
cooperation with the presbyterate and other pastoral workers, an irreplaceable service
of unity in charity, carefully fulfilling their responsibilities of teaching, sanctifying
and governing. Moreover they are regularly to update themselves theologically and to
foster their spiritual life, taking part as much as possible in the sessions of renewal and
formation organized by the Episcopal Conferences or the Apostolic See.198 In
particular, they should never forget the admonition of Pope Saint Gregory the Great,
according to whom the Pastor is the light of his faithful above all through an
exemplary moral conduct marked by holiness.199

II. Structures of Evangelization

99. It is a source of joy and comfort to note that "the laity are more and more engaged
in the mission of the Church in Africa and Madagascar", thanks especially "to the
dynamism of Catholic Action movements, apostolic associations and new spiritual
movements".200 The Synod Fathers requested that this thrust be pursued and
developed among all the laity: adults, youth and children.

Parishes

100. By its nature the parish is the ordinary place where the faithful worship and live
their Christian life. In it they can express and practise the initiatives which faith and
Christian charity bring to the attention of the community of believers. The parish is
the place which manifests the communion of various groups and movements, which
find in it spiritual sustenance and material support. Priests and lay people will see to it
that parish life is harmonious, expressing the Church as Family, where all devote
"themselves to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the
prayers" (Acts 2:42).

Movements and associations

101. A fraternal harmony which bears living witness to the Gospel will also be the
goal of apostolic movements and religious associations. In them the lay faithful truly
find a privileged opportunity to be the "leaven in the dough" (cf. Mt 13:33), especially
in areas concerned with the administration of temporal goods according to God's plan
and the struggle for the promotion of human dignity, justice and peace.

Schools

102. "Catholic schools are at one and the same time places of evangelization, well-
rounded education, inculturation and initiation to the dialogue of life among young
people of different religions and social backgrounds".201 The Church in Africa and
Madagascar should therefore make its own contribution to the fostering of "education
for all" 202 in Catholic schools, without neglecting "the Christian education of pupils
in non-Catholic schools. For university students there will be a programme of
religious formation which corresponds to the level of studies".203 These contributions
presuppose the human, cultural and religious formation of the educators themselves.

Universities and Higher Institutes

103. "The Catholic Universities and Higher Institutes in Africa have a prominent role
to play in the proclamation of the salvific Word of God. They are a sign of the growth
of the Church insofar as their research integrates the truths and experiences of the
faith and helps to internalize them. They serve the Church by providing trained
personnel, by studying important theological and social questions for the benefit of
the Church, by developing an African theology, by promoting the work of
inculturation especially in liturgical celebration, by publishing books and publicizing
Catholic truth, by undertaking assignments given by the Bishops and by contributing
to a scientific study of cultures".204

In this time of generalized social upheaval on the Continent, the Christian faith can
shed helpful light on African society. "Catholic cultural centres offer to the Church
the possibility of presence and action in the field of cultural change. They constitute in
effect public forums which allow the Church to make widely known, in creative
dialogue, Christian convictions about man, woman, family, work, economy, society,
politics, international life, the environment".205 Thus they are places of listening,
respect and tolerance.

Material means

104. Precisely in this context the Synod Fathers emphasized how necessary it is for
each Christian community to be organized so that as far as possible it can provide for
its own needs.206 Besides qualified personnel, evangelization requires material and
financial means, and Dioceses are often far from possessing them in sufficient
measure. It is therefore urgent that the particular Churches in Africa have the
objective of providing for their own needs as soon as possible, thereby assuring their
self-sufficiency. Consequently, I earnestly invite the Episcopal Conferences, Dioceses
and all the Christian communities of the Continent's Churches, insofar as it is within
their competence, to see to it that this self-sufficiency becomes increasingly evident.
At the same time, I call on sister Churches all over the world to be more generous to
the Pontifical Mission Aid Societies so that, through their structures of assistance,
they will be able to offer to poorer Dioceses economic assistance dedicated to projects
that will generate resources, with a view to increasing the financial self-reliance of the
Churches.207 Lastly, we cannot forget that a Church is able to reach material and
financial independence only if the people entrusted to it do not live in conditions of
extreme poverty.

CHAPTER VI

BUILDING THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Kingdom of justice and peace

105. The mandate that Jesus gave to his disciples at the moment of his Ascension into
heaven is addressed to the Church of God in all times and places. The Church as the
Family of God in Africa must bear witness to Christ also by promoting justice and
peace on the Continent and throughout the world. The Lord says: "Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are
persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven" (Mt 5:9-10).
The Church's witness must be accompanied by a firm commitment to justice and
solidarity by each member of God's People. This is especially important for the lay
faithful who hold public office, because such witness demands an abiding spiritual
attitude and a way of life consistent with the Christian faith.

Ecclesial dimension of witness

106. The Synod Fathers drew attention to the ecclesial dimension of this witness and
solemnly declared: "The Church must continue to play her prophetic role and be the
voice of the voiceless".208

But to achieve this effectively, the Church, as a community of faith, must be an

energetic witness to justice and peace in her structures and in the relationships among
her members. The Message of the Synod courageously states: "The Churches in Africa
are also aware that, insofar as their own internal affairs are concerned, justice is not
always respected with regard to those men and women who are at their service. If the
Church is to give witness to justice, she recognizes that whoever dares to speak to
others about justice should also strive to be just in their eyes. It is necessary therefore
to examine with care the procedures, the possessions and the life style of the
Church".209

In what concerns the promotion of justice and especially the defence of fundamental
human rights, the Church's apostolate cannot be improvised. Aware that in many
African countries gross violations of human dignity and rights are being perpetrated, I
ask the Episcopal Conferences to establish, where they do not yet exist, Justice and
Peace Commissions at various levels. These will awaken Christian communities to
their evangelical responsibilities in the defence of human rights.210

107. If the proclamation of justice and peace is an integral part of the task of
evangelization, it follows that the promotion of these values should also be a part of
the pastoral programme of each Christian community. That is why I urge that all
pastoral agents are to be adequately trained for this apostolate. "The formation of
clergy, religious and laity, imparted in the areas of their apostolate, should lay
emphasis on the social teaching of the Church. Each person, according to his state of
life, should be specially trained to know his rights and duties, the meaning and service
of the common good, honest management of public goods and the proper manner of
participating in political life, in order to be able to act in a credible manner in the face
of social injustices".211

As a body organized within the community and the nation, the Church has both the
right and the duty to participate fully in building a just and peaceful society with all
the means at her disposal. Here we must mention the Church's apostolate in the areas
of education, health care, social awareness and in other programmes of assistance. In
the measure that these activities help to reduce ignorance, improve public health and
promote a greater participation of all in solving the problems of society in a spirit of
freedom and co-responsibility, the Church creates conditions for the progress of
justice and peace.

The salt of the earth

108. In the pluralistic societies of our day, it is especially due to the commitment of
Catholics in public life that the Church can exercise a positive influence. Whether
they be professionals or teachers, businessmen or civil servants, law en- forcement
agents or politicians, Catholics are expected to bear witness to goodness, truth, justice
and love of God in their daily life. "The task of the faithful lay person ... is to be the
salt of the earth and light of the world, especially in those places where only a lay
person is able to render the Church present".212
Cooperation with other believers

109. The obligation to commit oneself to the development of peoples is not just
anindividual duty, and still less an individualistic one, as if it were possible to achieve
this development through the isolated efforts of each person. It is a responsibility
which obliges each and every man and woman, as well as societies and nations. In
particular, it obliges the Catholic Church and the other Churches and Ecclesial
Communities, with which Catholics are willing to cooperate in this field.213 In this
sense, just as Catholics invite their Christian brothers and sisters to share in their
initiatives, so, when they accept invitations offered to them, Catholics show that they
are ready to cooperate in projects undertaken by other Christians. In the promotion of
integral human development Catholics can also cooperate with the believers of other
religions, as in fact they are already doing in various places.214

Good administration of public affairs

110. The Synod Fathers were unanimous in acknowledging that the greatest challenge
for bringing about justice and peace in Africa consists in a good administration of
public affairs in the two interrelated areas of politics and the economy. Certain
problems have their roots outside the Continent and therefore are not entirely under
the control of those in power or of national leaders. But the Synodal Assembly
acknowledged that many of the Continent's problems are the result of a manner of
governing often stained by corruption. A serious reawakening of conscience linked to
a firm determination of will is necessary, in order to put into effect solutions which
can no longer be put off.

Building the nation

111. On the political front, the arduous process of building national unity encounters
particular problems in the Continent where most of the States are relatively young
political entities. To reconcile profound differences, overcome long- standing ethnic
animosities and become integrated into international life demands a high degree of
competence in the art of governing. That is why the Synod prayed fervently to the
Lord that there would arise in Africa holy politicians— both men and women — and
that there would be saintly Heads of State, who profoundly love their own people and
wish to serve rather than be served.215

The rule of law

112. The foundation of good government must be established on the sound basis of
laws which protect the rights and define the obligations of the citizens.216 I must note
with great sadness that many African nations still labour under authoritarian and
oppressive regimes which deny their subjects personal freedom and fundamental
human rights, especially the freedom of association and of political expression, as
well as the right to choose their governments by free and honest elections. Such
political injustices provoke tensions which often degenerate into armed conflicts and
internal wars, bringing with them serious consequences such as famine, epidemics and
destruction, not to mention massacres and the scandal and tragedy of refugees. That is
why the Synod rightly considered that an authentic democracy, which respects
pluralism, "is one of the principal routes along which the Church travels together with
the people ... The lay Christian, engaged in the democratic struggle according to the
spirit of the Gospel, is the sign of a Church which participates in the promotion of the
rule of law everywhere in Africa".217

Administering the common patrimony

113. The Synod also called on African governments to establish the appropriate
policies needed to increase economic growth and investment in order to create new
jobs.218 This involves the commitment to pursue sound economic policies, adopting
the right priorities for the exploitation and distribution of often scarce national
resources in such a way as to provide for people's basic needs, and to ensure an honest
and equitable sharing of benefits and burdens. In particular, governments have the
binding duty to protect the common patrimony against all forms of waste and
embezzlement by citizens lacking public spirit or by unscrupulous foreigners. It is
also the duty of governments to undertake suitable initiatives to improve the
conditions of international commerce.

Africa's economic problems are compounded by the dishonesty of corrupt government

leaders who, in connivance with domestic or foreign private interests, divert national
resources for their own profit and transfer public funds to private accounts in foreign
banks. This is plain theft, whatever the legal camouflage may be. I earnestly hope that
international bodies and people of integrity in Africa and elsewhere will be able to
investigate suitable legal ways of having these embezzled funds returned. In the
granting of loans, it is important to make sure of the responsibility and forthrightness
of the beneficiaries.219

The international dimension

114. As an Assembly of Bishops of the universal Church presided over by the

Successor of Peter, the Synod furnished a providential occasion to evaluate positively
the place and role of Africa in the universal Church and the world community. Since
we live in a world that is increasingly interdependent, the destinies and problems of
the different regions are linked together. As God's Family on earth, the Church should
be the living sign and efficacious instrument of universal solidarity for building a
world-wide community of justice and peace. A better world will come about only if it
is built on the solid foundation of sound ethical and spiritual principles.

In the present world order, the African nations are among the most disadvantaged.
Rich countries must become clearly aware of their duty to support the efforts of the
countries struggling to rise from their poverty and misery. In fact, it is in the interest
of the rich countries to choose the path of solidarity, for only in this way can lasting
peace and harmony for humanity be ensured. Moreover, the Church in the developed
countries cannot ignore the added responsibility arising from the Christian
commitment to justice and charity. Because all men and women bear God's image and
are called to belong to the same family redeemed by Christ's Blood, each individual
should be guaranteed just access to the world's resources which God has put at the
everyone's disposal.220

It is not hard to see the many practical implications of this. In the first place it
involves working for improved socio-political relations among nations, ensuring
greater justice and dignity for those countries which, after gaining independence, have
been members of the international community for less time. A compassionate ear
must also be lent to the anguished cries of the poor nations asking for help in areas of
particular importance: malnutrition, the widespread deterioration in the standard of
living, the insufficiency of means for educating the young, the lack of elementary
health and social services with the resulting persistence of endemic diseases, the
spread of the terrible scourge of AIDS, the heavy and often unbearable burden of
international debt, the horror of fratricidal wars fomented by unscrupulous arms
trafficking, the shameful and pitiable spectacle of refugees and displaced persons.
These are some of the areas where prompt interventions are necessary and expedient,
even if in the overall situation they seem to be inadequate.

I. Some worrisome problems

Restoring hope to youth

115. The economic situation of poverty has a particularly negative impact on the
young. They embark on adult life with very little enthusiasm for a present riddled with
frustrations and they look with still less hope to a future which to them seems sad and
sombre. That is why they tend to flee the neglected rural areas and gather in cities
which in fact do not have much more to offer them. Many of them go to foreign
countries where, as if in exile, they live a precarious existence as economic refugees.
With the Synod Fathers I feel the duty to plead their cause: it is urgently necessary to
find a solution for their impatience to take part in the life of the nation and of the
Church.221
But at the same time I also wish to appeal to the youth: Dear young people, the Synod
asks you to take in hand the development of your countries, to love the culture of your
people, and to work for its renewal with fidelity to your cultural heritage, through a
sharpening of your scientific and technical expertise, and above all through the
witness of your Christian faith.222

The scourge of AIDS

116. Against the background of widespread poverty and inadequate medical services
the Synod considered the tragic scourge of AIDS which is sowing suffering and death
in many parts of Africa. It noted the role played in the spread of this disease by
irresponsible sexual behaviour and drafted this strong recommendation: "The
companionship, joy, happiness and peace which Christian marriage and fidelity
provide, and the safeguard which chastity gives, must be continuously presented to the
faithful, particularly the young".223

The battle against AIDS ought to be everyone's battle. Echoing the voice of the Synod
Fathers, I too ask pastoral workers to bring to their brothers and sisters affected by
AIDS all possible material, moral and spiritual comfort. I urgently ask the world's
scientists and political leaders, moved by the love and respect due to every human
person, to use every means available in order to put an end to this scourge.

"Beat your swords into ploughshares" (Is 2:4): no more wars!

117. The Synod incisively described the tragedy of wars which are tearing Africa
apart: "For some decades now Africa has been the theatre of fratricidal wars which are
decimating peoples and destroying their natural and cultural resources".224 This very
sad situation, in addition to causes external to Africa, also has internal causes such as
"tribalism, nepotism, racism, religious intolerance and the thirst for power taken to the
extreme by totalitarian regimes which trample with impunity the rights and dignity of
the person. Peoples crushed and reduced to silence suffer as innocent and resigned
victims all these situations of injustice".225

I cannot fail to join my voice to that of the members of the Synodal Assembly in order
to deplore the situations of unspeakable suffering caused by so many conflicts now
taking place or about to break out, and to ask all those who can do so to make every
effort to put an end to such tragedies.

Together with the Synod Fathers, I likewise urge a serious commitment to foster on
the Continent conditions of greater social justice and good government, in order
thereby to prepare the ground for peace. "If you want peace, work for justice".226 It is
much better — and also easier — to prevent wars than to try to stop them after they
have broken out. It is time that peoples beat their swords into ploughshares, and their
spears into pruning hooks (cf. Is 2:4).

118. The Church in Africa — especially through some of its leaders — has been in the
front line of the search for negotiated solutions to the armed conflicts in many parts of
the Continent. This mission of pacification must continue, encouraged by the Lord's
promise in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called sons of
God" (Mt 5:9).

Those who foment wars in Africa by the arms trade are accomplices in abominable
crimes against humanity. I make my own the Synod's recommendations on this
subject. Having said that "the sale of arms is a scandal since it sows the seed of
death", the Synod appealed to all countries that sell arms to Africa to stop doing so,
and it asked African governments "to move away from huge military expenditures and
put the emphasis on the education, health and well-being of their people".227

Africa must continue to seek peaceful and effective means so that military regimes
will transfer authority to civilians. But it is also true that the military are called to play
a distinctive role in the nation. Thus, while the Synod praised the "brothers in the
military for the service that they assume in the name of our countries",228 it
immediately warned them forcefully that "they will have to answer before God for
every act of violence against the lives of innocent people".229

Refugees and displaced persons

119. One of the most bitter fruits of wars and economic hardships is the sad
phenomenon of refugees and displaced persons, a phenomenon which, as the Synod
mentioned, has reached tragic dimensions. The ideal solution is the re-establishment
of a just peace, reconciliation and economic development. It is therefore urgent that
national, regional and international organizations should find equitable and long-
lasting solutions to the problems of refugees and displaced persons.230 In the
meantime, since the Continent continues to suffer from the massive displacement of
refugees, I make a pressing appeal that these people be given material help and
offered pastoral support wherever they may be, whether in Africa or on other
Continents.

The burden of the international debt

120. The question of the indebtedness of poor nations towards rich ones is a matter of
great concern for the Church, as expressed in many official documents and
interventions of the Holy See.231
Taking up the words of the Synod Fathers, I particularly feel it is my duty to urge "the
Heads of State and their governments in Africa not to crush their peoples with internal
and external debts".232 I also make a pressing appeal to "the International Monetary
Fund and the World Bank and all foreign creditors to alleviate the crushing debts of
the African nations".233 Finally, I earnestly ask "the Episcopal Conferences of the
industrialized countries to present this issue consistently to their governments and to
the organizations concerned".234 The situation of many African countries is so
serious as to leave no room for attitudes of indifference and complacency.

Dignity of the African woman

121. One of the characteristic signs of our times is the growing awareness of women's
dignity and of their specific role in the Church and in society at large. "So God created
man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he
created them" (Gen 1:27).

I have repeatedly affirmed the fundamental equality and enriching complementarity

that exist between man and woman.235 The Synod applied these principles to the
condition of women in Africa. Their rights and duties in building up the family and in
taking full part in the development of the Church and society were strongly affirmed.
With specific regard to the Church, women should be properly trained so that they can
participate at appropriate levels in her apostolic activity.

The Church deplores and condemns, to the extent that they are still found in some
African societies, all "the customs and practices which deprive women of their rights
and the respect due to them".236 It is recommended that Episcopal Conferences
establish special commissions to study further women's problems in cooperation with
interested government agencies, wherever this is possible.237

II. Communicating the good news

Following Christ, the Communicator "par excellence"

122. The Synod had much to say about social communications in the context of the
evangelization of Africa, carefully taking into account present circumstances. The
theological point of departure is Christ, the Communicator par excellence who shares
with those who believe in him the truth, the life and the love which he shares with his
Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. That is why "the Church is aware of her duty of
fostering social communications ad intra and ad extra. The Church should promote
communication from within through a better diffusion of information among her
members".238 This will put her in a more advantageous position to communicate to
the world the Good News of the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Traditional forms of communication

123. The traditional forms of social communication must never be underestimated. In

many places in Africa they are still very useful and effective. Moreover, they are "less
costly and more accessible".239 These forms include songs and music, mimes and the
theatre, proverbs and fables. As vehicles of the wisdom and soul of the people, they
are a precious source of material and of inspiration for the modern media.

Evangelization of the world of the media

124. The modern mass media are not only instruments of communication, but also a
world to be evangelized. In terms of the message they transmit, it is necessary to
ensure that they propagate the good, the true and the beautiful. Echoing the
preoccupation of the Synod Fathers I express my deep concern about the moral
content of very many programmes with which the media flood the African Continent.
In particular I warn against the pornography and violence which are inundating poor
countries. In addition, the Synod rightly deplored "the very negative portrayal of the
African in the media and called for its immediate cessation".240

Every Christian should be concerned that the communications media are a vehicle of
evangelization. But Christians who are professionals in this sector have a special part
to play. It is their duty to ensure that Christian principles influence the practice of the
profession, including the technical and administrative sector. To enable them to
exercise this role properly, they need to be provided with a wholesome human,
religious and spiritual training.

Using the means of social communication

125. Today the Church has at her disposal a variety of means of social
communication, traditional as well as modern. It is her duty to make the best possible
use of them in order to spread the message of salvation. In the Church in Africa many
obstacles impede easy access to these means, not the least of which is their high cost.
Moreover, in many places government regulations impose undue control on them.
Every possible effort should be made to remove these obstacles. The media, whether
private or public, should serve all people without exception. Therefore I invite the
particular Churches of Africa to do everything in their power to meet this
objective.241

Cooperation and coordination in the mass media

126. The media, especially in their most modern forms, have a wide-ranging impact.
Consequently, closer cooperation is needed in this area, in order to ensure more
effective coordination at all levels: diocesan, national, continental and worldwide. In
Africa, the Church has a great need for solidarity with sister Churches in the richer
and technologically more advanced countries. Programmes of continental cooperation
which already exist in Africa, such as the Pan African Episcopal Committee for Social
Communications, should be encouraged and revitalized. As the Synod suggested, it is
necessary to establish closer cooperation in other areas, such as professional training,
structures of radio and television production, and stations that transmit to the whole
Continent.242

CHAPTER VII

"YOU SHALL BE MY WITNESSES TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH"

127. During the Special Assembly, the Synod Fathers thoroughly explored the overall
situation in Africa, in order to encourage an ever more effective and credible witness
to Christ in every local Church, every nation, every region, and in the entire African
Continent. In all the discussions and recommendations made by the Special Assembly
the overriding concern was to bear witness to Christ. I found in them the spirit of
what I had said in Africa to a group of Bishops: "By respecting, preserving and
fostering the particular values and riches of your people's cultural heritage, you will be
in a position to lead them to a better understanding of the mystery of Christ, which is
also to be lived in the noble, concrete and daily experiences of African life. There is
no question of adulterating the word of God, or of emptying the Cross of its power
(cf. 1 Cor 1:17), but rather of bringing Christ into the very centre of African life and
of lifting up all African life to Christ. Thus not only is Christianity relevant to Africa,
but Christ, in the members of his Body, is himself African".243

Open to mission

128. The Church in Africa is not called to bear witness to Christ only on the
Continent; for to it the Risen Lord also says: "You shall be my witnesses to the ends
of the earth" (Acts 1:8). For this very reason, during their discussions of the Synod's
theme, the Fathers carefully avoided every tendency to isolationism by the Church in
Africa. At all times the Special Assembly kept in view the missionary mandate which
the Church received from Christ: to bear witness to him in the whole world.244 The
Synod Fathers acknowledged God's call to Africa to play its full part, at the world
level, in his plan for the salvation of the human race (cf. 1 Tim 2:4).

129. It is on account of this commitment to the Church's catholicity that

theLineamenta of the Special Assembly for Africa declared: "No particular Church,
not even the poorest, can ever be dispensed from the obligation of sharing its
personnel as well as its spiritual and temporal resources with other particular
Churches and with the universal Church (cf. Acts 2:44-45)".245 For its part, the
Special Assembly strongly stressed Africa's responsibility for mission "to the ends of
the earth" in the following words: "The prophetic phrase of Paul VI, ?You Africans
are missionaries to yourselves', is to be understood as ?missionaries to the whole
world' ... An appeal is launched to the particular Churches of Africa for mission
outside the confines of their own Dioceses".246

130. In gladly and gratefully endorsing this dec- laration of the Special Assembly, I
wish to repeat to all my Brother Bishops in Africa what I said a few years ago: "The
Church in Africa's obligation to be missionary to itself and to evangelize the
Continent entails cooperation among the particular Churches in the context of each
African country, among the various nations of the Continent and also of other
continents. In this way Africa will be fully integrated in missionary activity".247 In an
earlier appeal addressed to all the particular Churches, both young and old, I already
said that "the world is steadily growing more united, and the Gospel spirit must lead
us to overcome cultural and nationalistic barriers, avoiding all isolationism".248

The bold determination manifested by the Special Assembly to engage the young
Churches of Africa in mission "to the ends of the earth" reflects the desire to
implement, as generously as possible, one of the important directives of the Second
Vatican Council: "In order that this missionary zeal may flourish among their native
members, it very fitting that the young Churches should participate as soon as possible
in the universal missionary work of the Church. Let them send their own missionaries
to proclaim the Gospel all over the world, even though they themselves are suffering
from a shortage of clergy. For their communion with the universal Church reaches a
certain measure of perfection when they themselves take an active part in missionary
zeal towards other nations".249

Organic pastoral solidarity

131. At the beginning of this Exhortation I pointed out that in announcing the
convocation of the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops I had in mind
the promotion of "an or- ganic pastoral solidarity within the entire African territory
and nearby Islands".250 I am pleased to say that the Assembly kept this objective
firmly in view. Discussions at the Synod revealed the Bishops' readiness and
generosity for this pastoral solidarity and for sharing their resources with others, even
when they themselves needed missionaries.

132. Specifically to my brother Bishops, who "are directly responsible, together with
me, for the evangelization of the world, both as members of the College of Bishops
and as Pastors of the particular Churches",251 I wish to address a special word in this
regard. In their daily ministry to the flock entrusted to them, they must never lose
sight of the needs of the Church as a whole. As Catholic Bishops, they must feel the
concern for all the Churches which burned in the Apostle's heart (cf.2 Cor 11:28). Nor
can they fail to express this concern, especially when they deliberate and
decide together as members of their respective Episcopal Conferences. Through
liaison bodies at the regional and continental levels, they are in a better position to
discern and evaluate the pastoral needs surfacing in other parts of the world. The
Bishops express their apostolic solidarity in a pre-eminent way through the Synod of
Bishops: "among its affairs of general concern, it should give special consideration to
missionary activity. For this is a supremely great and sacred task of the Church".252

133. The Special Assembly also rightly pointed out that, in order to achieve an overall
pastoral solidarity in Africa, it is necessary to promote the renewal of priestly
formation. The words of the Second Vatican Council can never be pondered enough:
"The spiritual gift which priests received at their Ordination prepares them not for any
limited and narrow mission but for the widest scope of the universal mission ?even to
the very ends of the earth' (Acts 1:8)".253

That is why I have urged priests "to make themselves readily available to the Holy
Spirit and the Bishop, to be sent to preach the Gospel beyond the borders of their own
country. This will demand of them not only maturity in their vocation, but also an
uncommon readiness to detach themselves from their own homeland, culture and
family, and a special ability to adapt to other cultures, with understanding and respect
for them".254

I am deeply grateful to God to learn that a growing number of African priests have
been responding to the call to bear witness "to the ends of the earth". It is my ardent
hope that this trend will be encouraged and strengthened in all the particular Churches
of Africa.

134. It is also a source of great comfort to know that the Missionary Institutes which
have been present in Africa for a long time are now "receiving more and more
candidates from the young Churches which they founded",255 thus enabling these
same Churches to take part in the missionary activity of the universal Church.
Similarly, I give thanks for the new Missionary Institutes which have been established
on the Continent and are now sending their members ad gentes. This is a providential
and marvellous development which shows the maturity and dynamism of the Church
in Africa.

135. In a special way I would like to endorse the specific recommendation of the
Synod Fathers that the four Pontifical Mission Aid Societies be established in every
particular Church and in every country as a means of achieving an organic pastoral
solidarity in favour of the mission "to the ends of the earth". These Societies, because
they are under the auspices of the Pope and the Episcopal College, rightly have the
first place, "since they are the means of imbuing Catholics from their very infancy
with a genuinely universal and missionary outlook. They are the means for
undertaking an effective collection of funds to subsidize all the missions, each
according to its needs".256 A significant result of their activity "is the fostering of
lifelong vocations ad gentes, in both the older and younger Churches. I earnestly
recommend that their promotional work be increasingly directed to this goal".257

Holiness and mission

136. The Synod reaffirmed that all the sons and daughters of Africa are called to
holiness and to be witnesses to Christ throughout the world. "The lesson of history
confirms that by the action of the Holy Spirit evangelization takes place above all
through the witness of charity, the witness of holiness".258 I therefore wish to repeat
to all Christians in Africa what I wrote some years ago: "A missionary is really such
only if he commits himself to the way of holiness ... Every member of the faithful is
called to holiness and to mission ... The renewed impulse to the mission ad
gentes demands holy missionaries. It is not enough to update pastoral techniques,
organize and coordinate ecclesial resources, or delve deeply into the biblical and
theological foundations of faith. What is needed is the encouragement of a new ?
ardour for holiness' among missionaries and throughout the Christian community".259

As I did then, so again I address myself to the Christians of the young Churches in
order to remind them of their responsibilities: "Today, you are the hope of this two-
thousand-year-old Church of ours: being young in faith, you must be like the first
Christians and radiate enthusiasm and courage. In a word, you must set yourselves on
the path of holiness. Only thus can you be a sign of God in the world and re-live in
your own countries the missionary epic of the early Church. You will also be a leaven
of missionary spirit for the older Churches".260

137. The Church in Africa shares with the universal Church "the sublime vocation of
realizing, first of all within herself, the unity of humankind over and above any ethnic,
cultural, national, social or other divisions in order to signify precisely that such
divisions are now obsolete, having been abolished by the Cross of Christ".261 By
responding to her vocation to be a redeemed and reconciled people in the midst of the
world, the Church contributes to promoting the fraternal coexistence of all peoples,
since she transcends the distinctions of race and nationality.

In view of the specific vocation entrusted to the Church by her Divine Founder, I
earnestly call upon the Catholic Community in Africa to bear authentic witness before
all humanity to the Christian universalism which has its source in the fatherhood of
God. "All persons created by God have the same origin. Whatever may, throughout
history, have been their dispersion or the accentuation of their differences, they
are destined to form one sole family according to God's plan established ?in the
beginning' ".262 The Church in Africa is called to reach out in love to every human
being, firmly believing that "by his Incarnation the Son of God has united himself in
some fashion with every man".263

In particular, Africa ought to make its own special contribution to the ecumenical
movement, an urgent task which, on the threshold of the Third Millennium, I have
emphasized once more in my Encyclical Letter Ut Unum Sint.264 Certainly the
Church on the Continent can also play an important role in interreligious dialogue,
above all by fostering close relations with Muslims and by promoting respect for the
values of African traditional religion.

Putting solidarity into practice

138. In bearing witness to Christ "to the ends of the earth", the Church in Africa will
no doubt be assisted by the conviction of the "positive and moral value of the growing
awareness of interdependence among individuals and nations. The fact that men and
women in various parts of the world feel personally affected by the injustices and
violations of human rights committed in distant countries, countries which perhaps
they will never visit, is a further sign of a reality transformed intoawareness, thus
acquiring a moral connotation".265

It is my desire that Christians in Africa will become ever more aware of this
interdependence among individuals and nations, and will be ready to respond to it by
practising the virtue of solidarity. The fruit of solidarity is peace, an inestimable good
for peoples and nations in every part of the world. For it is precisely by means of
fostering and strengthening solidarity that the Church can make a specific and
decisive contribution to a true culture of peace.

139. By entering into contact with all the peoples of the world through her dialogue
with the various cultures, the Church brings them closer to one another, enabling each
people to assume, in faith, the authentic values of others.

Ready to cooperate with all people of good will and with the international community,
the Church in Africa does not seek advantages for itself. The solidarity which it
expresses "seeks to go beyond itself, to take on the specifically Christian dimensions
of total gratuity, forgiveness and reconciliation".266 The Church seeks to contribute
to humanity's conversion, leading it to acceptance of God's salvific plan through her
witness to the Gospel, accompanied by charitable work on behalf of the poor and the
neediest. In so doing she never loses sight of the primacy of the transcendent and of
those spiritual realities which are the first fruits of man's eternal salvation.
In their discussion on the Church's solidarity with peoples and nations, the Synod
Fathers were at all times fully aware that "earthly progress must be carefully
distinguished from the growth of Christ's Kingdom. Nevertheless, to the extent that
the former can contribute to the better ordering of human society, it is of vital concern
to the Kingdom of God".267 Precisely for this reason the Church in Africa is
convinced — as the work of the Special Assembly clearly demonstrated — that
waiting for Christ's final return "can never be an excuse for lack of concern for people
in their concrete personal situations and in their social, national and international
life",268 since these earthly conditions have a bearing upon humanity's pilgrimage
towards eternity.

CONCLUSION

Towards the new Christian Millennium

140. Gathered around the Virgin Mary as at a new Pentecost, the members of the
Special Assembly examined in depth the evangelizing mission of the Church in
Africa on the threshold of the Third Millennium. At the conclusion of this
PostSynodal Apostolic Exhortation in which I present the fruits of this Assembly to
the Church in Africa, Madagascar and the adjacent Islands and to the whole Catholic
Church, I give thanks to God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — who granted us the
privilege of living the genuine "moment of grace" which the Synod was. I am deeply
grateful to the People of God in Africa for all that they did for the Special Assembly.
This Synod was prepared with zeal and enthusiasm, as can be seen from the answers
to the questionnaire attached to the outline document (Lineamenta) and from the
reflections gathered in the working document (Instrumentum Laboris). The Christian
communities of Africa ardently prayed for the success of the work of the Special
Synod, and it was abundantly blessed by the Lord.

141. Since the Synod was convoked in order to enable the Church in Africa to assume
its evangelizing mission as effectively as possible in preparation for the Third
Christian Millennium, with the present Exhortation I invite God's People in Africa —
Bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful — to set their faces resolutely
towards the Great Jubilee which we shall celebrate a few years hence. For all the
peoples of Africa the best preparation for the new Millennium must consist in a firm
commitment to implement with great fidelity the decisions and orientations which,
with the Apostolic authority of the Successor of Peter, I present in this Exhortation.
They are decisions and orientations which can be traced back to the genuine heritage
of the Church's teaching and discipline and in particular to the Second Vatican
Council, the main source of inspiration for the Special Assembly for Africa.
142. My invitation to God's People in Africa to prepare themselves for the Great
Jubilee of the Year 2000 is also meant to be a clarion call to Christian joy. "The great
joy announced by the angel on Christmas night is truly for all the people
(cf.Lk 2:10) ... The Blessed Virgin Mary was the first to have received its
announcement, from the Angel Gabriel, and her Magnificat was already the exultant
hymn of all the humble. Whenever we say the Rosary, the joyful mysteries thus place
us once more before the inexpressible event which is the centre and summit of history:
the coming on earth of Emmanuel, God with us".269

It is the two thousandth Anniversary of that event of great joy which we are preparing
to celebrate with the coming Great Jubilee. And so Africa, which "is also in a sense
the ?second homeland' of Jesus, since as a small child, it was there that he sought
refuge from Herod's cruelty",270 is called to joy. At the same time, "everything ought
to focus on the primary objective of the Jubilee: the strengthening of faith and of the
witness of Christians".271

143. On account of the many difficulties, crises and conflicts which bring about so
much suffering and misery on the Continent, some Africans are at times tempted to
think that the Lord has abandoned them, that he has forgotten them (cf. Is 49:14)!
"And God answers with the words of the great Prophet: ?Can a woman forget her own
baby and not love the child she bore? Even if a mother should forget a child, I will
never forget you. I have written your names on the palms of my hands' (Is49:15-16).
Yes, on the palms of Christ, pierced by the nails of the Crucifixion. The names of
each one of you [Africans] is written on those palms. Therefore with full confidence
we cry out: ?The Lord is our help and our shield. In him do our hearts find joy. We
trust in his holy name' (Ps 28:7)".272

Prayer to Mary, Mother of the Church

144. In thanksgiving for the grace of this Synod, I appeal to Mary, Star of
Evangelization and, as the Third Millennium draws near, to her I entrust Africa and its
evangelizing mission. I turn to her with the thoughts and sentiments expressed in the
prayer which my Brother Bishops composed at the close of the working session of the
Synod in Rome:

O Mary, Mother of God

and Mother of the Church,
thanks to you, on the day of the Annunciation,
at the dawn of the new era,
the whole human race with its cultures
rejoiced in recognizing itself
ready for the Gospel.
On the eve of a new Pentecost
for the Church in Africa, Madagascar
and the adjacent Islands,
the People of God with its Pastors
turns to you and with you fervently prays:
May the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
make of the cultures of Africa
places of communion in diversity,
fashioning the peoples
of this great Continent
into generous sons and daughters
of the Church
which is the Family of the Father,
the Brotherhood of the Son,
the Image of the Trinity,
the seed and beginning on earth
of the eternal Kingdom
which will come to its perfection
in the City that has God as its Builder:
the City of justice, love and peace.

Given at Yaoundé, in Cameroon, on 14 September, Feast of the Triumph of the Cross,

in the year 1995, the seventeenth of my Pontificate.

POST-SYNODAL
APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
AFRICAE MUNUS
OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT XVI
TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY,
CONSECRATED PERSONS
AND THE LAY FAITHFUL
ON THE CHURCH IN AFRICA
IN SERVICE TO RECONCILIATION, JUSTICE AND PEACE

« You are the salt of the earth ...

You are the light of the world »
(Mt. 5: 13-14)

Contents
INTRODUCTION [1-13]
Part one
“Behold, I make all things new”
(Rev 21:5) [14]
Chapter I
In service to reconciliation, justice and peace
I. Authentic servants of God’s word [15-16]
II. Christ at the heart of African life: The source of reconciliation, justice and peace. [17-18]

A. “Be reconciled with God” (2 Cor 5:20b) [19-21]

B. Becoming just and building a just social order [22-23]

1. Living in accordance with Christ’s justice [24-25]

2. Creating a just order in the spirit of the Beatitudes [26-27]

C. Love in truth: the source of peace [28]

1. Concrete fraternal service [29]

2. The Church as a sentinel [30]

Chapter II
Paths towards reconciliation, justice and peace [31]
I. Care for the human person

A. Metanoia: an authentic conversion [32]

B. Experiencing the truth of the sacrament of penance and reconciliation [33]
C. A spirituality of communion [34-35]
D. The inculturation of the gospel and the evangelization of culture [36-38]
E. The gift of Christ: the Eucharist and the word of God [39-41]
II. Living in harmony

A. The family [42-46]

B. The elderly [47-50]
C. Men [51-54]
D. Women [55-59]
E. Young people [60-64]
F. Children [65-68]

III. The African vision of life [69]

A. The protection of life [70-78]

B. Respect for creation and the ecosystem [79-80]
C. The good governance of states [81-83]
D. Migrants, displaced persons and refugees [84-85]
E. Globalization and international aid [86-87]

IV. Dialogue and communion among believers [88]

A. Ecumenical dialogue and the challenge of new religious movements [89-91]

B. Interreligious dialogue [92-93]

1. Traditional African religions [92-93]

2. Islam [94]

C. Becoming “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” [95-96]

Part two

“To each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good”
(1 Cor 12:7) [97-98]

Chapter II
The members of the Church

I. Bishops [100-107]
II. Priests [108-112]
III. Missionaries [113-114]
IV. Permanent deacons [115-116]
V. Consecrated persons [117-120]
VI. Seminarians [121-124]
VII. Catechists [125-127]
VIII. Lay people [128-131]
Chapter III
Major areas of the apostolate [132]

I. The Church as the presence of Christ [133]

II. The world of education [134-138]
III. The world of health care [139-141]
IV. The world of information technology and communications [142-146]

Chapter III
“Stand up, take your mat and walk!”
(Jn 5:8)

I. Jesus’ teaching at the pool of Bethzatha [147-149]

II. The word of God and the sacraments

A. The sacred Scriptures [150-151]

B. The Eucharist [152-154]
C. Reconciliation [155-158]

III. The new evangelization [159]

A. Bearers of Christ, “the light of the world” [160-162]

B. Witnesses of the risen Christ [163-166]
C. Missionaries in the footsteps of Christ [167-171]

CONCLUSION: “Take heart; rise, he is calling” (Mk 10:49) [172-177]

***

INTRODUCTION

1. Africa’s commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ is a precious treasure which I entrust at the
beginning of this third millennium to the bishops, priests, permanent deacons, consecrated
persons, catechists and lay faithful of that beloved continent and its neighbouring islands.
Through this mission, Africa is led to explore its Christian vocation more deeply; it is called, in
the name of Jesus, to live reconciliation between individuals and communities and to promote
peace and justice in truth for all.

2. It was my wish that the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, held
from 4 to 25 October 2009, should continue the work of the 1994 Assembly, “which was
intended to be an occasion of hope and resurrection, at the very moment when human events
seemed to be tempting Africa to discouragement and despair.”[1] The Post-Synodal Apostolic
ExhortationEcclesia in Africa of my predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, brought together the
pastoral insights and proposals of the Synod Fathers for a new evangelization of the African
continent. It was appropriate, ten years into this third millennium, to rekindle our faith and
hope, so as to help build a reconciled Africa by pursuing the paths of truth and justice, love and
peace (cf. Ps 85:11). In union with the Synod Fathers, I recall that “unless the Lord build the
house, in vain do its builders labour”
(Ps 127:1).

3. Exceptional ecclesial vitality and a theological understanding of the Church as God’s

Family[2] were the most visible results of the 1994 Synod. To give a new impulse, filled with
evangelical hope and charity, to the Church of God on the African continent and the
neighbouring islands, I thought it necessary to convoke a Second Synodal Assembly. Sustained
by the daily invocation of the Holy Spirit and the prayers of countless members of the faithful,
the Synod sessions bore fruit which I would like to transmit through this document to the
universal Church, and in a particular way to the Church in Africa,[3] that she may truly be the
“salt of the earth” and “light of the world” (cf. Mt 5:13-14).[4] Inspired by “faith working
through love” (Gal 5:6), the Church seeks to offer the fruits of love: reconciliation, peace and
justice (cf. 1 Cor 13:4-7). This is her specific mission.

4. I was impressed by the quality of the speeches given by the Synod Fathers and the others
who spoke at the sessions. Their realistic and far-sighted contributions demonstrated the
Christian maturity of the continent. They were not afraid to face the truth and they sought to
reflect sincerely on possible solutions to the problems facing their particular Churches and the
universal Church. They also recognized that the blessings of God, the Father of all, are beyond
counting. God never abandons his people. I see no need to dwell at length on the various
socio-political, ethnic, economic or ecological situations that Africans face daily and that cannot
be ignored. Africans know better than anyone else how difficult, disturbing and even tragic
these situations can very often be. I pay tribute to Africans and to all the Christians of that
continent who face these situations with courage and dignity. Rightly, they want this dignity to
be recognized and respected. I can assure them that the Church loves and respects Africa.

5. In the face of the many challenges that Africa seeks to address in order to become more and
more a land of promise, the Church, like Israel, could easily fall prey to discouragement; yet our
forebears in the faith have shown us the correct attitude to adopt. Moses, the Lord’s servant,
“by faith ... persevered as though he saw him who is invisible” (Heb 11:27). As the author of
theLetter to the Hebrews reminds us: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction
of things not seen” (11:1). For this reason I call upon the whole Church to look to Africa with
faith and hope. Jesus Christ, who invites us to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the
world” (Mt 5:13-14), offers us the power of the Spirit to help us come ever closer to attaining
this ideal.

6. It was my intention that Christ’s words: “You are the salt of the earth ... you are the light of
the world”, would be the unifying theme of the Synod and also of the post-synodal period.
When I spoke in Yaoundé to all the faithful of Africa, I said this: “In Jesus, some two thousand
years ago, God himself brought salt and light to Africa. From that time on, the seed of his
presence was buried deep within the hearts of the people of this dear continent, and it has
blossomed gradually, beyond and within the vicissitudes of its human history.”[5]
7. The Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa made its own the idea of “the Church as God’s Family”,
which the Synod Fathers “acknowledged … as an expression of the Church’s nature particularly
appropriate for Africa. For this image emphasizes care for others, solidarity, warmth in human
relationships, acceptance, dialogue and trust.”[6] The Exhortation invited Christian families in
Africa to become “domestic churches”[7] so as to help their respective communities to
recognize that they belong to one single Body. This image is important not only for the Church
in Africa, but also for the universal Church at a time when the family is under threat from those
who seek to banish God from our lives. To deprive the African continent of God would be to
make it die a slow death, by taking away its very soul.

8. Within the Church’s living tradition and following the desire expressed in the
Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa, [8] to see the Church as a family and a fraternity is to recover
one aspect of her heritage. In this community where Jesus Christ, “the first-born among many
brethren” (Rom 8:29), reconciled all people with God the Father (cf. Eph 2:14-18) and
bestowed the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn20:22), the Church for her part becomes the bearer of the Good
News that every human person is a child of God. She is called to transmit this message to all
humanity by proclaiming the salvation won for us by Christ, by celebrating our communion with
God and by living in fraternal solidarity.

9. Africa’s memory is painfully scarred as a result of fratricidal conflicts between ethnic groups,
the slave trade and colonization. Today too, the continent has to cope with rivalries and with
new forms of enslavement and colonization. The First Special Assembly likened it to the victim
of robbers, left to die by the roadside (cf. Lk 10:25-37). This is why it was possible to speak of
the “marginalization” of Africa. A tradition born on African soil identifies the Good Samaritan
with the Lord Jesus himself, and issues an invitation to hope. It was Clement of Alexandria who
wrote: “Who, more than he, took pity on us, when by the princes of darkness we were all but
mortally wounded by our fears, lusts, passions, pains, deceits and pleasures? Of these wounds,
the only physician is Jesus.”[9] There are thus many reasons for hope and gratitude. For
example, despite the great pandemics which decimate its population – such as malaria, AIDS,
tuberculosis and others – diseases which medical science is still struggling to eliminate once and
for all, Africa maintains its joie de vivre, celebrating God’s gift of life by welcoming children for
the increase of the family circle and the human community. I also see grounds for hope in
Africa’s rich intellectual, cultural and religious heritage. Africa wishes to preserve this, to deepen
it and to share it with the world. By doing so, it will make an important and positive
contribution.

10. The second synodal assembly for Africa dealt with the theme of reconciliation, justice and
peace. The wealth of documentation that was handed to me after the sessions –
the Lineamenta, the Instrumentum Laboris, the reports drawn up before and after the
discussions, the speeches and the summaries prepared by working groups – calls for
“transforming theology into pastoral care, namely into a very concrete pastoral ministry in
which the great perspectives found in sacred Scripture and Tradition find application in the
activity of bishops and priests in specific times and places.”[10]

11. Hence it is with paternal and pastoral concern that I address this document to the Africa of
today, which has lived through the traumas and conflicts that we know so well. Men and
women are shaped by their past, but they live and journey in the present and they look ahead
to the future. Like the rest of the world, Africa is experiencing a culture shock which strikes at
the age-old foundations of social life, and sometimes makes it hard to come to terms with
modernity. In this anthropological crisis which the African continent is facing, paths of hope will
be discovered by fostering dialogue among the members of its constituent religious, social,
political, economic, cultural and scientific communities. Africa will have to rediscover and
promote a concept of the person and his or her relationship with reality that is the fruit of a
profound spiritual renewal.

12. In the Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa, John Paul II observed that “despite the modern
civilization of the ‘global village’, in Africa as elsewhere in the world the spirit of dialogue, peace
and reconciliation is far from dwelling in the hearts of everyone. Wars, conflicts and racist and
xenophobic attitudes still play too large a role in the world of human relations.”[11] The hope
that marks authentic Christian living reminds us that the Holy Spirit is at work everywhere, in
Africa as much as anywhere else, and that the power of life, born of love, always prevails over
the power of death (cf. S of S 8:6-7). Hence the Synod Fathers could see that the difficulties
encountered by the countries and particular Churches in Africa are not so much insurmountable
obstacles, but challenges, prompting us to draw upon the best of ourselves: our imagination,
our intelligence, our vocation to follow without compromise in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, to
seek God, “Eternal Love and Absolute Truth”.[12] Together with all sectors of African society,
the Church therefore feels called to respond to these challenges. It is, in some sense, an
imperative born of the Gospel.

13. With this document I wish to make available the encouraging fruits proposed by the Synod,
and I invite all people of good will to look to Africa with faith and love, to help it become –
through Christ and through the Holy Spirit – the light of the world and the salt of the earth
(cf. Mt 5:13-14). A precious treasure is to be found in the soul of Africa, where I perceive a
“spiritual ‘lung’ for a humanity that appears to be in a crisis of faith and hope”,[13] on account
of the extraordinary human and spiritual riches of its children, its variegated cultures, its soil
and sub-soil of abundant resources. However, if it is to stand erect with dignity, Africa needs to
hear the voice of Christ who today proclaims love of neighbour, love even of one’s enemies, to
the point of laying down one’s life: the voice of Christ who prays today for the unity and
communion of all people in God
(cf. Jn 17:20-21).

Part one

“BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW”

(Rev 21:5)

14. The Synod made it possible to discern the principal parameters of mission for an Africa that
seeks reconciliation, justice and peace. It falls to the particular Churches to translate these
parameters into “resolutions and guidelines for action”.[14] For it is “in the local Churches that
the specific features of a detailed pastoral plan can be identified – goals and methods,
formation and enrichment of the people involved, the search for the necessary resources –
which will enable the proclamation of Christ to reach people, mould communities, and have a
deep and incisive influence in bringing Gospel values to bear in [African] society and
culture.”[15]
Chapter I

IN SERVICE TO RECONCILIATION,
JUSTICE AND PEACE

I. Authentic servants of God’s word

15. An Africa that moves forward, joyful and alive, makes manifest the praise of God, since, as
Saint Irenaeus observed: “the glory of God is man fully alive”. But he immediately added: “and
the life of man consists in beholding God”.[16] Today too, an essential task of the Church is to
bring the message of the Gospel to the heart of African societies, to lead people to the vision of
God. As salt gives flavour to food, so this message makes those who live by it into authentic
witnesses. All who grow in this way become capable of being reconciled in Jesus Christ. They
become sources of light for their brothers and sisters. Thus, in union with the Synod Fathers, I
invite “the Church ... in Africa to be a witness in the service of reconciliation, justice and peace,
as ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘light of the world’,”[17] so that her life may be a response to this
summons: “Arise, Church in Africa, Family of God, because you are being called by the heavenly
Father!”[18]

16. It is providential that the Second Synod for Africa took place soon after the one dedicated
to the word of God in the life and mission of the Church. That Synod recalled the pressing duty
of each disciple to understand Christ who calls us by his word. Through this word, we, the
faithful, learn to listen to Christ and to let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit, who reveals to
us the meaning of all things (cf. Jn 16:13). In fact, the “reading and meditation of the word of
God root us more deeply in Christ and guide our ministry as servants of reconciliation, justice
and peace”.[19] As that Synod reminded us, “to become his brothers and his sisters, one must
be like ‘those who hear the word of God and put it into practice’ ( Lk 8:21). Authentic hearing is
obeying and acting. It means making justice and love blossom in life. It is offering, in life and in
society, a witness like the call of the prophets, which continuously united the word of God and
life, faith and rectitude, worship and social commitment.”[20] Listening to and meditating upon
the word of God means letting it penetrate and shape our lives so as to reconcile us with God,
allowing God to lead us towards reconciliation with our neighbour: a necessary path for building
a community of individuals and peoples. On our faces and in our lives, may the word of God
truly take flesh!

II. Christ at the heart of African life:

the source of reconciliation,
justice and peace.

17. The three principal elements of the theme chosen for the Synod, namely reconciliation,
justice and peace, brought it face to face with its “theological and social responsibility”,[21] and
made it possible also to reflect on the Church’s public role and her place in Africa today.
[22] “One might say that reconciliation and justice are the two essential premises of peace and
that, therefore, to a certain extent, they also define its nature.”[23] The task we have to set for
ourselves is not an easy one, situated as it is somewhere between immediate engagement in
politics – which lies outside the Church’s direct competence – and the potential for withdrawal
or evasion present in a theological and spiritual speculation which could serve as an escape
from concrete historical responsibility.

18. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you”, says the Lord, and he adds “not as the
world gives do I give to you” (Jn14:27). Human peace obtained without justice is illusory and
ephemeral. Human justice which is not the fruit of reconciliation in the “truth of love”
(Eph 4:15) remains incomplete; it is not authentic justice. Love of truth – “the whole truth”, to
which the Spirit alone can lead us (cf. Jn 16:13) – is what marks out the path that all human
justice must follow if it is to succeed in restoring the bonds of fraternity within the “human
family, a community of peace”,[24] reconciled with God through Christ. Justice is never
disembodied. It needs to be anchored in consistent human decisions. A charity which fails to
respect justice and the rights of all is false. I therefore encourage Christians to become
exemplary in the area of justice and charity (Mt 5:19-20).

A. “Be reconciled with god”(2 Cor 5:20b)

19. “Reconciliation is a pre-political concept and a pre-political reality, and for this very reason it
is of the greatest importance for the task of politics itself. Unless the power of reconciliation is
created in people’s hearts, political commitment to peace lacks its inner premise. At the Synod,
the Pastors of the Church strove for that inner purification of man which is the essential prior
condition for building justice and peace. But this purification and inner development towards
true humanity cannot exist without God.”[25]

20. It is God’s grace that gives us a new heart and reconciles us with him and with one another.
[26] Christ re-established humanity in the Father’s love. Reconciliation thus springs from this
love; it is born of the Father’s initiative in restoring his relationship with humanity, a relationship
broken by human sin. In Jesus Christ, “in his life and ministry, but especially in his death and
resurrection, the Apostle Paul saw God the Father reconciling the world (all things in heaven
and on earth) to himself, discounting the sins of humanity (cf. 2 Cor 5:19; Rom 5:10; Col 1:21-
22). Paul saw God the Father reconciling Jews and Gentiles to himself, creating one new man
through the Cross (cf. Eph 2:15; 3:6). Thus, the experience of reconciliation establishes
communion on two levels: communion between God and humanity; and – since the experience
of reconciliation also makes us (as a reconciled humanity) ‘ambassadors of reconciliation’ –
communion among men.”[27] “Reconciliation, then, is not limited to God’s plan to draw
estranged and sinful humanity to himself in Christ through the forgiveness of sins and out of
love. It is also the restoration of relationships between people through the settlement of
differences and the removal of obstacles to their relationships in their experience of God’s
love.”[28] This is illustrated by the parable of the prodigal son; in the return of the younger son
(i.e. his conversion) the Evangelist shows us his need to be reconciled both to his father and,
through the father’s mediation, to his older brother (cf. Lk 15:11-32). Moving testimonies from
the faithful of Africa, “accounts of concrete suffering and reconciliation in the tragedies of the
continent’s recent history”,[29] have shown the power of the Spirit to transform the hearts of
victims and their persecutors and thus to re-establish fraternity.[30]

21. Indeed, only authentic reconciliation can achieve lasting peace in society. This is a task
incumbent on government authorities and traditional chiefs, but also on ordinary citizens. In the
wake of a conflict, reconciliation – often pursued and achieved quietly and without fanfare –
restores a union of hearts and serene coexistence. As a result, after long periods of war nations
are able to rediscover peace, and societies deeply rent by civil war or genocide are able to
rebuild their unity. It is by granting and receiving forgiveness[31] that the traumatized
memories of individuals and communities have found healing and families formerly divided have
rediscovered harmony. “Reconciliation overcomes crises, restores the dignity of individuals and
opens up the path to development and lasting peace between peoples at every level”,[32] as
the Synod Fathers were anxious to emphasize. If it is to be effective, this reconciliation has to
be accompanied by a courageous and honest act: the pursuit of those responsible for these
conflicts, those who commissioned crimes and who were involved in trafficking of all kinds, and
the determination of their responsibility. Victims have a right to truth and justice. It is important
for the present and for the future to purify memories, so as to build a better society where such
tragedies are no longer repeated.

B. Becoming just and building a just social order

22. There is no doubt that the building of a just social order is part of the competence of the
political sphere.[33] Yet one of the tasks of the Church in Africa consists in forming upright
consciences receptive to the demands of justice, so as to produce men and women willing and
able to build this just social order by their responsible conduct. The model par
excellence underlying the Church’s thinking and reasoning, which she proposes to all, is Christ.
[34] According to her social teaching, “the Church does not have technical solutions to offer
and does not claim ‘to interfere in any way in the politics of states.’ She does, however, have a
mission of truth to accomplish ... [one] that the Church can never renounce. Her social doctrine
is a particular dimension of this proclamation: it is a service to the truth which sets us free.”[35]

23. Through her Justice and Peace Commissions, the Church is engaged in the civic formation
of citizens and in assisting with the electoral process in a number of countries. In this way she
contributes to the education of peoples, awakening their consciences and their civic
responsibility. This particular educational role is appreciated by a great many countries which
recognize the Church as a peacemaker, an agent of reconciliation and a herald of justice. It is
worth repeating that, while a distinction must be made between the role of pastors and that of
the lay faithful, the Church’s mission is not political in nature.[36] Her task is to open the world
to the religious sense by proclaiming Christ. The Church wishes to be the sign and safeguard of
the human person’s transcendence. She must also enable people to seek the supreme truth
regarding their deepest identity and their questions, so that just solutions can be found to their
problems.[37]

1. Living in accordance with Christ’s justice

24. On the social plane, human consciences are challenged by the grave injustices existing in
our world as a whole and within Africa in particular. The plundering of the goods of the earth by
a minority to the detriment of entire peoples is unacceptable, because it is immoral. Justice
obliges us to “render to each his due”: ius suum unicuique tribuere.[38] It is an issue, then, of
rendering justice to whole peoples. Africa is capable of providing every individual and every
nation of the continent with the basic conditions which will enable them to share in
development.[39] Africans will thus be able to place their God-given talents and riches at the
service of their land and their brothers and sisters. If justice is to prevail in all areas of life,
private and public, economic and social, it needs to be sustained by subsidiarity and solidarity,
and still more, to be inspired by charity. “In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity,
neither the state nor any larger society should substitute itself for the initiative and
responsibility of individuals and intermediary bodies.”[40] Solidarity is the guarantee of justice
and peace, and hence of unity, so that “the abundance of some compensates for the want of
others”.[41] Charity, which ensures a bond with God, goes beyond distributive justice. For if
“justice is the virtue which assigns to each his due ... anything that takes man away from the
true God cannot be justice”.[42]

25. God himself shows us what true justice is, for example when we see Jesus entering the life
of Zacchaeus and offering the sinner the grace of his presence (cf. Lk 19:1-10). What, then, is
this justice of Christ? Those present at the encounter with Zacchaeus observe Jesus
(cf. Lk 19:7); their murmurs of disapproval purport to be an expression of their love of justice.
However, they do not know the justice of love which gives itself to the utmost, to taking upon
itself the “curse” laid upon men, that they may receive in exchange the “blessing” which is
God’s gift (cf. Gal 3:13-14). Divine justice indicates to human justice, limited and imperfect as it
is, the horizon to which it must tend if it is to become perfect. Moreover, it makes us aware of
our own poverty, our need for forgiveness and for God’s friendship. This is what we experience
in the sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist, which flow from the saving work of Christ.
That saving work brings us to a justice by which we receive far more than we were entitled to
expect, since in Christ, charity is the fullness of the law (cf. Rom 13:8-10).[43] Through Christ,
their one model, the just are invited to enter the order of love – agape.

2. Creating a just order in the spirit of the Beatitudes

26. The disciple of Christ, in union with his Master, must help to create a just society where all
will be able to participate actively, using their particular talents, in social and economic life.
They will thus be able to obtain what they need in order to live in accordance with their human
dignity in a society where justice is animated by love.[44] Christ does not propose a revolution
of a social or political kind, but a revolution of love, brought about by his complete self-giving
through his death on the Cross and his resurrection. The Beatitudes are built upon on this
revolution of love (cf. Mt 5:3-10). They provide a new horizon of justice, inaugurated in the
paschal mystery, through which we can become just and can build a better world. God’s justice,
revealed to us in the Beatitudes, raises the lowly and humbles those who exalt themselves. It
will be perfected, it is true, in the kingdom of God which is to be fully realized at the end of
time. But God’s justice is already manifest here and now, wherever the poor are consoled and
admitted to the banquet of life.

27. In the spirit of the Beatitudes, preferential attention is to be given to the poor, the hungry,
the sick – for example, those with AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria – to the stranger, the
disadvantaged, the prisoner, the immigrant who is looked down upon, the refugee or displaced
person (cf. Mt 25:31-46). The response to these people’s needs in justice and charity depends
on everyone. Africa expects this attention from the whole human family as from herself.
[45] However, it will have to begin by resolutely implementing political, social and
administrative justice at home; this is part of the political culture needed for development and
for peace. For her part, the Church will make her specific contribution on the basis of the
teaching of the Beatitudes.
C. Love in truth: the source of peace

28. The social horizon opened up by Christ’s work, based on love, surpasses the minimum
demands of human justice, that is to say, giving the other his due. The inner logic of love goes
beyond this justice, even to the point of giving away one’s possessions:[46] “Let us not love in
word or speech but in deed and in truth” (1 Jn 3:18). In the image of his Master, the disciple of
Christ will go further still, to the point of laying down his life for his brethren (cf. 1 Jn 3:16).
This is the price of true peace in God (cf. Eph2:14).

1. Concrete fraternal service

29. No society, however developed it may be, can do without fraternal service inspired by love.
“Whoever wants to eliminate love is preparing to eliminate man as such. There will always be
suffering which cries out for consolation and help. There will always be loneliness. There will
always be situations of material need where help in the form of concrete love of neighbour is
indispensable.”[47] It is love which soothes hearts that are hurt, forlorn or abandoned. It is love
which brings or restores peace to human hearts and establishes it in our midst.

2. The Church as a sentinel

30. In Africa’s present situation the Church is called to make the voice of Christ heard. She
wishes to follow Jesus’ counsel to Nicodemus, who asked him whether it was possible to be
born again: “You must be born from above” (Jn 3:7). It was the missionaries who offered
Africans this new birth “of water and the Spirit” (Jn 3:5), Good News that everyone has a right
to hear in order to realize his vocation fully.[48] The Church in Africa draws her life from this
heritage. For the sake of Christ and in fidelity to the lesson of life which he taught us, she feels
the duty to be present wherever human suffering exists and to make heard the silent cry of the
innocent who suffer persecution, or of peoples whose governments mortgage the present and
the future for personal interests.[49] Through her ability to see the face of Christ on the face of
children, the sick, the needy and those who suffer, the Church is helping slowly but surely to
forge a new Africa. In her prophetic role, whenever peoples cry out to her: “Watchman, what of
the night?” (Is 21:11), the Church wants to be ready to give a reason for the hope she bears
within her (cf. 1 Pet 3:15), because a new dawn is breaking on the horizon (cf. Rev 22:5). Only
by rejecting people’s dehumanization and every compromise prompted by fear of suffering or
martyrdom can the cause of the Gospel of truth be served. “In the world”, said Christ, “you will
have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” ( Jn 16:33). True peace
comes from Christ (cf.Jn 14:27). It cannot be compared with the peace that the world gives. It
is not the fruit of negotiations and diplomatic agreements based on particular interests. It is the
peace of a humanity reconciled with itself in God, a peace of which the Church is the
sacrament.[50]

Chapter II

PATHS TOWARDS RECONCILIATION,

JUSTICE AND PEACE
31. At this point, I would like to indicate some of the paths that the Synod Fathers identified for
the Church’s mission today in her concern to help Africa be freed from the forces that are
paralyzing her. Did not Christ say first of all to the paralytic: “Your sins are forgiven” and then
“Rise!” (Lk 5:20, 24)?

I. Care for the human person

A. Metanoia: an authentic conversion

32. The principal concern of the Synod members, as they looked to the situation of the
continent, was to seek ways of inspiring in Christ’s disciples in Africa the will to become
effectively committed to living out the Gospel in their daily lives and in society. Christ calls
constantly for metanoia, conversion.[51] Christians are affected by the spirit and customs of
their time and place. But by the grace of their Baptism they are called to reject harmful
prevailing currents and to swim against the tide. This kind of witness demands unswerving
commitment in “ongoing conversion to the Father, the source of true life, who alone is capable
of delivering us from evil and all temptations, and keeping us in his Spirit, in the very heart of
the struggle against the forces of evil.”[52] Such conversion is possible only if one is sustained
by the convictions of faith, supported by a genuine catechesis. It is right, then, to “maintain a
living connection between memorized catechism and lived catechesis, which leads to a profound
and permanent conversion of life.”[53] Conversion is experienced in a unique way through the
sacrament of Reconciliation, which calls for particular attention so that it can serve as a genuine
“school of the heart”. At this school, the disciple of Christ gradually forges an adult Christian life
marked by an attention to the spiritual and moral dimensions of his actions, and thus becomes
capable of “confronting the difficulties of social, political, economic and cultural
life”[54] through a life permeated with the spirit of the Gospel. The contribution of Christians in
Africa will only be decisive if their understanding of the faith shapes their understanding of the
world.[55] For that to happen, education in the faith is indispensable, lest Christ become just
one more name to adorn our theories. The word of God and the testimony of life go together.
[56] But testimony on its own is not enough either, for “even the finest witness will prove
ineffective in the long run if it is not explained and justified – what Peter called always having
‘your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have’ – and
made explicit by a clear and unequivocal proclamation of the Lord Jesus.”[57]

B. Experiencing the truth of the sacrament of penance and reconciliation

33. The Synod members also emphasized the fact that a great many Christians in Africa take an
ambivalent stance towards the sacrament of Reconciliation, whereas these same Christians are
often very scrupulous in the use of traditional rites of reconciliation. In order to assist the
Catholic faithful to walk an authentic path of metanoia in celebrating this sacrament, through
which the whole person is refocused upon the goal of encounter with Christ,[58] it would be
helpful if the bishops were to commission a serious study of traditional African reconciliation
ceremonies in order to evaluate their positive aspects and their limitations. These traditional
pedagogical forms of mediation[59] cannot in any way take the place of the sacrament. The
Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatio et Paenitentia of Blessed John Paul II clearly
restated the proper minister and forms of the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.
[60] The only way that traditional pedagogical forms of mediation can serve to reduce the
anguish experienced by certain members of the faithful is by helping them to open themselves
more deeply and more truly to Christ, the one great Mediator, and to receive the grace of the
sacrament of Penance. Celebrated in faith, this sacrament has the power to reconcile us with
God and with our neighbour.[61] It is God who, in his Son, definitively reconciles us with
himself and with one another.

C. A spirituality of communion

34. Reconciliation is not an isolated act but a lengthy process by which all parties are re-
established in love – a love that heals through the working of God’s word. Reconciliation then
becomes at once a way of life and a mission. In order to arrive at genuine reconciliation and to
live out the spirituality of communion that flows from it, the Church needs witnesses who are
profoundly rooted in Christ and find nourishment in his word and the sacraments. As they strive
to grow in holiness, these witnesses can become engaged in building communion among God’s
family, communicating to the world – if necessary even to the point of martyrdom – the spirit of
reconciliation, justice and peace, after the example of Christ.

35. Here I would like to mention the conditions for a spirituality of communion which Pope John
Paul II proposed to the whole Church: the ability to perceive the light of the mystery of the
Trinity shining on the faces of brothers and sisters around us,[62] to be attentive to “our
brothers and sisters in faith within the profound unity of the Mystical Body, and therefore as
‘those who are a part of me’, in order to share their joys and sufferings, to sense their desires
and attend to their needs, to offer them deep and genuine friendship”;[63] the ability as well to
recognize all that is positive in the other so as to welcome it and prize it as a gift that God gives
me through that person, in a way that transcends by far the individual concerned, who thus
becomes a channel of divine graces; and finally, the ability “to ‘make room’ for our brothers and
sisters, bearing ‘each other’s burdens’ (Gal 6:2) and resisting the selfish temptations which
constantly beset us and provoke competition, careerism, distrust and jealousy.”[64]

In this way, men and women mature in faith and communion, demonstrating courage in the
truth and in self-denial, enlightened by joy. Thus they bear prophetic witness to a life consistent
with their faith. They have a model in Mary, Mother of the Church, who welcomed the word of
God: by listening to that word, she was able to understand our needs and to intercede for us in
her compassion.[65]

D. The inculturation of the Gospel and the evangelization of culture

36. In order to bring about this communion, it would be helpful to recall that the First Synodal
Assembly for Africa spoke of the need for an in-depth study of African traditions and cultures.
The Synod members noted a dichotomy between certain traditional practices of African cultures
and the specific demands of Christ’s message. In her concern for relevance and credibility, the
Church needs to carry out a thorough discernment in order to identify those aspects of the
culture which represent an obstacle to the incarnation of Gospel values, as well as those
aspects which promote them.[66]

37. Nonetheless, we must always remember that the Holy Spirit is the true agent of
inculturation, “presiding in a fruitful way at the dialogue between the word of God, revealed in
Christ, and the deepest questions which arise among the multitude of human beings and
cultures. In this way, the Pentecost-event continues in history, in the unity of one and the same
faith, enriched by the diversity of languages and cultures.”[67] The Holy Spirit enables the
Gospel to permeate all cultures, without becoming subservient to any.[68] Bishops should be
vigilant over this need for inculturation, respecting the norms established by the Church. By
discerning which cultural elements and traditions are contrary to the Gospel, they will be able to
separate the good seed from the weeds (cf. Mt 13:26). While remaining true to itself, in total
fidelity to the Gospel message and the Church’s tradition, Christianity will thus adopt the face of
the countless cultures and peoples among whom it has found a welcome and taken root. The
Church will then become an icon of the future which the Spirit of God is preparing for us,
[69] an icon to which Africa has a contribution of her own to make. In this process of
inculturation, it is important not to forget the equally essential task of evangelizing the world of
contemporary African culture.

38. The Church’s initiatives for a positive appreciation and safeguarding of African cultures are
well known. It is very important that this continue, at a time when the intermingling of peoples,
while a source of enrichment, often weakens cultures and societies. The identity of African
communities is at stake in these intercultural encounters. It is imperative therefore to make a
commitment to transmit the values that the Creator has instilled in the hearts of Africans since
the dawn of time. These have served as a matrix for fashioning societies marked by a degree of
harmony, since they embody traditional formulae for peaceful coexistence. These positive
elements therefore need to be emphasized, lit up from within (cf. Jn 8:12), so that Christians
may truly receive the message of Christ, and in this way God’s light may shine before the eyes
of all. Then, seeing the good deeds of Christians, men and women will be able to give glory to
“the Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5:16).

E. The gift of Christ: the Eucharist and the word of God

39. Beyond differences of origin or culture, the great challenge facing us all is to discern in the
human person, loved by God, the basis of a communion that respects and integrates the
particular contributions of different cultures.[70] We “must really open these boundaries
between tribes, ethnic groups and religions to the universality of God’s love.”[71] Men and
women, in the variety of their origins, cultures, languages and religions, are capable of living
together in harmony.

40. Truly, the Son of God has pitched his tent among us; he has poured out his blood for us. In
accordance with his promise to remain with us until the end of time (cf. Mt 28:20), he gives
himself to us every day as nourishment in the Eucharist and in the Scriptures. In my Post-
Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini, I wrote that “word and Eucharist are so deeply
bound together that we cannot understand one without the other: the word of God takes flesh
sacramentally in the event of the Eucharist. The Eucharist opens us to an understanding of
Scripture, just as Scripture for its part illumines and explains the mystery of the Eucharist.”[72]

41. Sacred Scripture testifies that the blood which Christ shed for us becomes, through
Baptism, the principle and bond of a new fraternity. This is the very antithesis of division,
tribalism, racism and ethnocentrism (cf. Gal 3:26-28). The Eucharist is the force which brings
together the scattered children of God and maintains them in communion,[73] “since in our
veins there circulates the very Blood of Christ, who makes us children of God, members of
God’s Family.”[74] As we receive Jesus in the Eucharist and in the Scriptures, we are sent out
into the world to proclaim Christ by placing ourselves at the service of others (cf. Jn 13:15; 1
Jn3:16).[75]

II. Living in harmony

A. The family

42. The family is the “sanctuary of life” and a vital cell of society and of the Church. It is here
that “the features of a people take shape; it is here that its members acquire basic teachings.
They learn to love inasmuch as they are unconditionally loved, they learn respect for others
inasmuch as they are respected, they learn to know the face of God inasmuch as they receive a
first revelation of it from a father and a mother full of attention in their regard. Whenever these
fundamental experiences are lacking, society as a whole suffers violence and becomes in turn
the progenitor of more violence.”[76]

43. The family is the best setting for learning and applying the culture of forgiveness, peace
and reconciliation. “In a healthy family life we experience some of the fundamental elements of
peace: justice and love between brothers and sisters, the role of authority expressed by
parents, loving concern for the members who are weaker because of youth, sickness or old age,
mutual help in the necessities of life, readiness to accept others and, if necessary, to forgive
them. For this reason, the family is the first and indispensable teacher of peace.”[77] By virtue
of its central importance and the various threats looming over it – distortion of the very notion
of marriage and family, devaluation of maternity and trivialization of abortion, easy divorce and
the relativism of a “new ethics” – the family needs to be protected and defended,[78] so that it
may offer society the service expected of it, that of providing men and women capable of
building a social fabric of peace and harmony.

44. I therefore strongly encourage families to draw inspiration and strength from the sacrament
of the Eucharist, so as to live the radical newness brought by Christ into the heart of everyday
life, leading each person to be a radiant witness in his or her working environment and in the
whole of society. “The love between man and woman, openness to life, and the raising of
children are privileged spheres in which the Eucharist can reveal its power to transform life and
give it its full meaning.”[79] It is clear that participation in the Sunday Eucharist is both
demanded by the Christian conscience and at the same time serves to form it.[80]

45. Moreover, to give prayer – individual and communal – its rightful place within the family is
to respect an essential principle of the Christian vision of life: the primacy of grace. Prayer
constantly reminds us of Christ’s primacy and, linked to this, the primacy of the interior life and
holiness. Dialogue with God opens the heart to streams of grace and allows the word of Christ
to be channelled through us with all its strength. For this, assiduous listening and attentive
reading of sacred Scripture within families is necessary.[81]

46. In addition, “the educational mission of the Christian family” is “a true ministry through
which the Gospel is transmitted and radiated, so that family life itself becomes an itinerary of
faith and in some way a Christian initiation and a school of following Christ. In the family
conscious of this gift, as Pope Paul VI noted, ‘all the members evangelize and are evangelized’.
By virtue of their ministry of educating, parents are, through the witness of their lives, the first
heralds of the Gospel for their children... they become fully parents, in that they are begetters
not only of bodily life but also of the life that through the Spirit’s renewal flows from the Cross
and Resurrection of Christ.”[82]

B. The elderly

47. In Africa, the elderly are held in particular veneration. They are not banished from families
or marginalized as in other cultures. On the contrary, they are esteemed and perfectly
integrated within their families, of which they are indeed the pinnacle. This beautiful African
appreciation of old age should inspire Western societies to treat the elderly with greater dignity.
Sacred Scripture speaks frequently of the elderly. “Rich in experience is the crown of the aged,
and their boast is the fear of the Lord” (Sir 25:6). Old age, despite the frailty which seems to
accompany it, is a gift that should be lived each day in serene openness to God and neighbour.
It is also a time of wisdom, since length of years teaches one the grandeur and the fragility of
life. As a man of faith, the elderly Simeon with joy and wisdom offers not a sorrowful farewell to
life but rather a song of thanksgiving to the Saviour of the world (cf. Lk 2:25-32).

48. It is because of this wisdom, sometimes obtained at a high price, that the elderly can
influence the family in a variety of ways. Their experience naturally leads them not only to
bridge the generation gap, but also to affirm the need for mutual support. They are an
enrichment for all elements of the family, especially for young couples and for children who find
in them understanding and love. Not only have they given life, but they contribute by their
actions to building up their family (cf. Tit 2:2-5), and by their prayer and their life of faith, they
spiritually enrich every member of their family and community.

49. In Africa, stability and social order are still frequently entrusted to a council of elders or
traditional chiefs. Through this structure, the elderly can contribute effectively to the building of
a more just society which evolves, not on the basis of whatever experiences happen to come its
way, but gradually and with a prudent equilibrium. The elderly are thus able to participate in
the reconciliation of individuals and communities through their wisdom and experience.

50. The Church regards the elderly with great esteem. Echoing the words of Blessed John Paul
II, let me repeat that “the Church needs you! … But civil society also needs you! ... May you be
able to use generously the time you have at your disposal and the talents God has granted to
you ... Help proclaim the Gospel ... Devote time and energy to prayer.”[83]

C. Men

51. In the family, men have received a particular mission. In their role as husbands and fathers,
they exercise the noble responsibility of giving society the values it needs through marriage and
the raising of children.

52. In union with the Synod Fathers, I encourage Catholic men, within their families, to make a
real contribution to the human and Christian upbringing of their children, and to the welcoming
and protection of life from the moment of conception. [84] I invite them to adopt a Christian
style of life, rooted and grounded in love (cf. Eph 3:17). With Saint Paul, I exhort them once
more: “Love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her ... husbands
should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man
ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the Church” ( Eph 5:25,
28). Do not be afraid to demonstrate tangibly that there is no greater love than to lay down
one’s life for those one loves (cf. Jn 15:13), that is to say, first and foremost, for one’s wife and
children. Cultivate a serene atmosphere of joy in your home! Marriage is a “gift from the Lord”,
in the words of Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe.[85] Your witness to the inviolable dignity of every
human person will serve as an effective antidote to traditional practices which are contrary to
the Gospel and oppressive to women in particular.

53. In manifesting and in living on earth God’s own fatherhood (cf. Eph 3:15), you are called to
guarantee the personal development of all members of the family, which is the cradle and most
effective means for humanizing society, and the place of encounter for different generations.
[86] By the creative dynamic of the word of God itself,[87] may your sense of responsibility
grow to the point where you make concrete commitments in the Church. She needs convinced
and effective witnesses of the faith who will promote reconciliation, justice and peace,[88] and
will offer their enthusiastic and courageous contribution to the transformation of their own
milieu and of society as a whole. You are these witnesses through your work, which enables
you constantly to provide for yourselves and for your families. What is more, by offering this
work to God, you are associated with the redemptive work of Jesus Christ who gave an eminent
dignity to labour by the work of his own hands at Nazareth.[89]

54. The quality and impact of your Christian lives depend on a life of profound prayer,
nourished by the word of God and the sacraments. So be vigilant in keeping alive this essential
dimension of your Christian commitment; it is there that your witness of faith in everyday tasks
and your participation in ecclesial movements find their source! In the process, you also
become models whom the young will want to imitate, and so you will be able to help them
embark upon a responsible adult life. Do not be afraid to speak to them about God and to
introduce them, by your own example, to the life of faith and to commitment in social or
charitable activities, and in this way lead them to discover that they are truly created in the
image and likeness of God. “The signs of this divine image in man can be recognized, not in the
form of the body, which is subject to corruption, but in the prudence of intelligence, in justice,
moderation, courage, wisdom, education.”[90]

D. Women

55. Women in Africa make a great contribution to the family, to society and to the Church by
their many talents and unique gifts. As John Paul II said: “woman is the one in whom the order
of love in the created world of persons takes first root.”[91] The Church and society need
women to take their full place in the world “so that the human race can live in the world
without completely losing its humanity.”[92]

56. While it is undeniable that in certain African countries progress has been made towards the
advancement of women and their education, it remains the case that, overall, women’s dignity
and rights as well as their essential contribution to the family and to society have not been fully
acknowledged or appreciated. Thus women and girls are often afforded fewer opportunities
than men and boys. There are still too many practices that debase and degrade women in the
name of ancestral tradition. With the Synod Fathers, I urge all Christians to combat all acts of
violence against women, speaking out and condemning them.[93] In this area, the conduct of
the members of the Church ought to be a model for society as a whole.

57. When I visited Africa, I insisted that: “we must recognize, affirm and defend the equal
dignity of man and woman: they are both persons, utterly unique among all the living beings
found in the world.”[94] Unfortunately, the evolution of ways of thinking in this area is much
too slow. The Church has the duty to contribute to the recognition and liberation of women,
following the example of Christ’s own esteem for them (cf. Mt 15:21-28; Lk 7:36-50; 8:1-3;
10:38-42; Jn 4:7-42). Giving women opportunities to make their voice heard and to express
their talents through initiatives which reinforce their worth, their self-esteem and their
uniqueness would enable them to occupy a place in society equal to that of men – without
confusing or conflating the specific character of each – since both men and women are the
“image” of the Creator (cf. Gen 1:27). Bishops should encourage and promote the formation of
women so that they may assume “their proper share of responsibility and participation in the
community life of society and ... of the Church.”[95] Women will thus contribute to the
humanization of society.

58. You, Catholic women, carry on the Gospel tradition of those women who assisted Jesus and
the apostles (cf. Lk 8:3). In the local Churches, you are a kind of “backbone”,[96] because your
numbers, your active presence and your organizations are a great support for the Church’s
apostolate. When peace is under threat, when justice is flouted, when poverty increases, you
stand up to defend human dignity, the family and the values of religion. May the Holy Spirit
unceasingly call forth holy and courageous women in the Church, who can make their precious
spiritual contribution to the growth of our communities!

59. Dear daughters of the Church, sit constantly at the school of Christ, like Mary of Bethany,
and learn to recognize his word (cf.Lk 10:39). Grow in knowledge of the catechism and the
Church’s social teaching, so as to acquire for yourselves the principles that will assist you in
acting as true disciples. Thus you will be able to engage with discernment in the various
projects involving women. Continue to defend life, for God has made you channels of life. The
Church will always support you. Help young girls by your counsel and example, so that they
may approach adult life serenely. Support one another! Show respect to the elderly in your
midst. The Church counts on you to create a “human ecology”[97] through your sympathetic
love, your friendly and thoughtful demeanour, and finally through mercy, values that you know
how to instil in your children, values that the world so badly needs. In this way, by the wealth
of your specifically feminine gifts,[98] you will foster the reconciliation of individuals and
communities.

E. Young people

60. Young people make up the majority of Africa’s population. This youthfulness is a gift and a
treasure from God for which the whole Church is grateful to the Lord of life.[99] Young people
should be loved, esteemed and respected. “Whatever their possible ambiguities, [they] have a
profound longing for those genuine values which find their fullness in Christ. Is not Christ the
secret of true freedom and profound joy of heart? Is not Christ the supreme friend and the
teacher of all genuine friendship? If Christ is presented to young people as he really is, they
experience him as an answer that is convincing and they can accept his message, even when it
is demanding and bears the mark of the Cross.”[100]

61. As I said on the subject of young people in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum
Domini: “Youth is a time when genuine and irrepressible questions arise about the meaning of
life and the direction our own lives should take. Only God can give the true answer to these
questions. Concern for young people calls for courage and clarity in the message we proclaim;
we need to help young people to gain confidence and familiarity with sacred Scripture so it can
become a compass pointing out the path to follow. Young people need witnesses and teachers
who can walk with them, teaching them to love the Gospel and to share it, especially with their
peers, and thus to become authentic and credible messengers.”[101]

62. In his Rule, Saint Benedict asks the abbot of the monastery to listen to the youngest
monks. As he says: “It is often to a younger brother that the Lord reveals the best course”.
[102] So we should make every effort to involve young people directly in the life of society and
of the Church, so that they do not fall prey to feelings of frustration and rejection in the face of
their inability to shape their own future, especially in those situations where young people are
vulnerable due to lack of education, unemployment, political exploitation and various kinds of
addiction.[103]

63. Dear young people, enticements of all kinds may tempt you: ideologies, sects, money,
drugs, casual sex, violence... Be vigilant: those who propose these things to you want to
destroy your future! In spite of difficulties, do not be discouraged and do not give up your
ideals, your hard work and your commitment to your human, intellectual and spiritual
formation! In order to grow in discernment, along with the strength and the freedom needed to
resist these pressures, I encourage you to place Jesus Christ at the centre of your lives through
prayer, but also through the study of sacred Scripture, frequent recourse to the sacraments,
formation in the Church’s social teaching, and your active and enthusiastic participation in
ecclesial groups and movements. Cultivate a yearning for fraternity, justice and peace. The
future is in the hands of those who find powerful reasons to live and to hope. If you want it, the
future is in your hands, because the gifts that the Lord has bestowed upon each one of you,
strengthened by your encounter with Christ, can bring genuine hope to the world![104]

64. When it comes to making life choices, when you find yourselves considering the question of
a total consecration to Christ – in the ministerial priesthood or the consecrated life – turn to
him, take him as your model, and listen to his word by meditating regularly. During the homily
of the inaugural Mass of my pontificate, I spoke words to you that I want to repeat now, for
they remain timely: “If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing
of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life
opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed ...
Dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you
everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open,
open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life.”[105]

F. Children
65. Like young people, children are a gift of God to humanity, and they must be the object of
particular concern on the part of their families, the Church, society and governments, for they
are a source of hope and renewed life. God is particularly close to them and their lives are
precious in his eyes, even when circumstances seem difficult or impossible (cf. Gen 17:17-18;
18:12, Mt18:10).

66. Indeed, “as far as the right to life is concerned, every innocent human being is absolutely
equal to all others. This equality is the basis of all authentic social relationships which, to be
truly such, can only be founded on truth and justice, recognizing and protecting every man and
woman as a person and not as an object to be used.”[106]

67. This being the case, how can we fail to deplore and forcefully denounce the intolerable
treatment to which so many children in Africa are subjected?[107] The Church is Mother and
could never abandon a single one of them. It is our task to let Christ’s light shine in their lives
by offering them his love, so that they can hear him say to them: “You are precious in my eyes,
and honoured, and I love you” (Is 43:4). God wants every child to be happy and to smile, and
his favour rests upon them, “for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Mk 10:14).

68. Christ Jesus always manifested his preferential love for the little ones (cf. Mk 10:13-16).
The Gospel itself is deeply permeated by the truth about children. What, indeed, is meant by
these words: “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven” (Mt 18:3)? Does not Jesus make the child a model, even for adults? The child has
something which must never be lacking in those who would enter the kingdom of heaven.
Heaven is promised to all who are simple, like children, to all who, like them, are filled with a
spirit of trusting abandonment, pure and rich in goodness. They alone can find in God a Father
and become, through Jesus, children of God. Sons and daughters of our parents, God wants us
all to become his adopted children by grace![108]

III. The African vision of life

69. In the African worldview, life is perceived as something that embraces and includes
ancestors, the living and those yet to be born, the whole of creation and all beings: those that
speak and those that are mute, those that think and those lacking thought. The visible and
invisible universe is regarded as a living-space for human beings, but also as a space of
communion where past generations invisibly flank present generations, themselves the mothers
of future generations. This great openness of heart and spirit in the African tradition
predisposes you, dear brothers and sisters, to hear and to receive Christ’s message, to
appreciate the mystery of the Church, and thus to value human life to the full, along with the
conditions in which it is lived.

A. The protection of life

70. Among the initiatives aimed at protecting human life on the African continent, the Synod
members took into consideration the efforts expended by international institutions to promote
certain aspects of development.[109] Yet they noted with concern a lack of ethical clarity at
international meetings, and specifically the use of confusing language conveying values at odds
with Catholic moral teaching. The Church is perennially concerned for the integral development
of “every man and the whole man”, as Pope Paul VI put it.[110] That is why the Synod Fathers
took pains to emphasize the questionable elements found in certain international documents,
especially those concerned with women’s reproductive health. The Church’s position on the
matter of abortion is unambiguous. The child in his or her mother’s womb is a human life which
must be protected. Abortion, which is the destruction of an innocent unborn child, is contrary to
God’s will, for the value and dignity of human life must be protected from conception to natural
death. The Church in Africa and the neighbouring islands must be committed to offering help
and support to women and couples tempted to seek an abortion, while remaining close to those
who have had this tragic experience and helping them to grow in respect for life. She
acknowledges the courage of governments that have legislated against the culture of death – of
which abortion is a dramatic expression – in favour of the culture of life.[111]

71. The Church knows that many individuals, associations, specialized groups and states reject
sound teaching on this subject. “We must not fear hostility or unpopularity, and we must refuse
any compromise or ambiguity which might conform us to the thinking of this world
(cf. Rom 12:2). We must be in the world but not of the world (cf. Jn 15:19; 17:16), drawing our
strength from Christ, who by his death and resurrection has overcome the world
(cf. Jn 16:33).”[112]

72. Serious threats loom over human life in Africa. Here, as elsewhere, one can only deplore the
ravages of drug and alcohol abuse which destroy the continent’s human potential and afflict
young people in particular.[113] Malaria,[114] as well as tuberculosis and AIDS, decimate the
African peoples and gravely compromise their socio-economic life. The problem of AIDS, in
particular, clearly calls for a medical and pharmaceutical response. This is not enough,
however: the problem goes deeper. Above all, it is an ethical problem. The change of behaviour
that it requires – for example, sexual abstinence, rejection of sexual promiscuity, fidelity within
marriage – ultimately involves the question of integral development, which demands a global
approach and a global response from the Church. For if it is to be effective, the prevention of
AIDS must be based on a sex education that is itself grounded in an anthropology anchored in
the natural law and enlightened by the word of God and the Church’s teaching.

73. In the name of life – which it is the Church’s duty to defend and protect – and in union with
the Synod Fathers, I offer an expression of renewed encouragement and support to all the
Church’s institutions and movements that are working in the field of healthcare, especially with
regard to AIDS. You are doing wonderful and important work. I ask international agencies to
acknowledge you and to offer you assistance, respecting your specific character and acting in a
spirit of collaboration. Once again, I warmly encourage those institutes and programmes of
therapeutic and pharmaceutical research which seek to eradicate pandemics. Spare no effort to
arrive at results as swiftly as possible, out of love for the precious gift of life.[115] May you
discover solutions and provide everyone with access to treatments and medicines, taking
account of uncertain situations! The Church, indeed, has been pleading for a long time for high
quality medical treatment to be made available at minimum cost to all concerned.[116]

74. The defence of life also entails the elimination of ignorance through literacy programmes
and quality education that embraces the whole person. Throughout her history, the Catholic
Church has shown particular concern for education. She has always raised awareness among
parents, providing them with encouragement and assistance in carrying out their responsibility
as the first educators of their children in life and in faith. In Africa, the Church’s teaching
establishments – her schools, colleges, high schools, professional schools, universities and so
forth – place tools for learning at people’s disposal without discrimination on the basis of origin,
financial means or religion. The Church’s makes her own contribution by recognizing and
making fruitful the talents that God has placed in the heart of each person. Many religious
congregations were founded with this end in view. Countless holy men and women understood
that leading people to holiness first entailed promoting their dignity through education.

75. The Synod members noted that Africa, like the rest of the world, is experiencing a crisis of
education.[117] They stressed the need for educational programmes combining faith and
reason so as to prepare children and young people for adult life. These solid foundations will be
able to help them address the daily decisions arising in every adult life on the affective, social,
professional and political plane.

76. Illiteracy represents one of the principal obstacles to development. It is a scourge on a par
with that of the pandemics. True, it does not kill directly, but it contributes actively to the
marginalization of the person – which is a form of social death – and it blocks access to
knowledge. Teaching people to read and write makes them full members of the res publica and
enables them to play their part in building it up;[118] for Christians it provides access to the
inestimable treasure of the sacred Scriptures that nourish their life of faith.

77. I ask Catholic communities and institutions to respond generously to this great challenge,
which is a real testing ground for civilization, and in accordance with their means, I ask them to
multiply their efforts, independently or in collaboration with other organizations, to develop
effective programmes adapted to people’s needs. Catholic communities and institutions will only
be able to meet this challenge if they maintain their ecclesial identity and remain zealously
faithful to the Gospel message and the charism of their founder. This Christian identity is a
precious good which must be preserved and safeguarded, lest the salt lose its flavour and end
up being trampled underfoot (cf. Mt 5:13).

78. It is surely necessary to raise the awareness of governments so that they will increase their
support for schooling. The Church recognizes and respects the role of the state in the
educational domain. She nevertheless affirms her legitimate right to play her part, offering her
particular contribution. And it would be helpful to remind the state that the Church has a right
to educate according to her own rules and in her own buildings. This is a right which is part of
that freedom of action “which her responsibility for human salvation requires”.[119] Many
African states recognize the eminent and disinterested role played by the Church through her
educational structures in building up their nations. I therefore strongly encourage governments
in their efforts to support this educational work.

B. Respect for creation and the ecosystem

79. Together with the Synod Fathers, I ask all the members of the Church to work and speak
out in favour of an economy that cares for the poor and is resolutely opposed to an unjust
order which, under the pretext of reducing poverty, has often helped to aggravate it.[120] God
has given Africa important natural resources. Given the chronic poverty of its people, who suffer
the effects of exploitation and embezzlement of funds both locally and abroad, the opulence of
certain groups shocks the human conscience. Organized for the creation of wealth in their
homelands, and not infrequently with the complicity of those in power in Africa, these groups
too often ensure their own prosperity at the expense of the well-being of the local population.
[121] Acting in concert with all other components of civil society, the Church must speak out
against the unjust order that prevents the peoples of Africa from consolidating their
economies[122] and “from developing according to their cultural characteristics”.
[123] Moreover, it is incumbent upon the Church to strive that “every people may be the
principal agent of its own economic and social progress ... and may help to bring about the
universal common good as an active and responsible member of the human family, on an equal
footing with other peoples.”[124]

80. Some business men and women, governments and financial groups are involved in
programmes of exploitation which pollute the environment and cause unprecedented
desertification. Serious damage is done to nature, to the forests, to flora and fauna, and
countless species risk extinction. All of this threatens the entire ecosystem and consequently the
survival of humanity.[125] I call upon the Church in Africa to encourage political leaders to
protect such fundamental goods as land and water for the human life of present and future
generations[126] and for peace between peoples.

C. The good governance of states

81. The body politic, whose essential duty is the implementation and administration of a just
order, can be a major instrument at the service of reconciliation, justice and peace.[127] This
order, in its turn, is at the service of the “vocation to the communion of persons”.[128] In order
to put this ideal into practice, the Church in Africa must help to build up society in cooperation
with government authorities and public and private institutions that are engaged in building up
the common good.[129] Traditional chiefs have a very positive contribution to make to good
governance. The Church, for her part, is committed to promoting within her own ranks and
within society a culture that respects the rule of law.[130] By way of example, elections
represent a platform for the expression of a people’s political decisions, and they are a sign of
legitimacy for the exercise of power. They provide a privileged opportunity for healthy and
serene public political debate, marked by respect for different opinions and different political
groupings. If conducted well, elections call forth and encourage real and active participation by
citizens in political and social life. Failure to respect the national constitution, the law or the
outcome of the vote, when elections have been free, fair and transparent, would signal a grave
failure in governance and a lack of competence in the administration of public affairs.[131]

82. Today, many decision makers, both political and economic, assume that they owe nothing
to anyone other than themselves. “They are concerned only with their rights, and they often
have great difficulty in taking responsibility for their own and other people’s integral
development. Hence it is important to call for a renewed reflection on how rights presuppose
duties, if they are not to become mere licence.”[132]

83. Rising crime rates in increasingly urban societies are a cause of great concern for all leaders
and governments. Independent judiciary and prison systems are urgently needed, therefore, for
the restoration of justice and the rehabilitation of offenders. It is time to put a stop to
“miscarriages of justice and ill-treatment of prisoners”, and “the widespread non-enforcement
of the law ... which represents a violation of human rights,”[133] as well as imprisonment either
without trial or else with much-delayed trial. “The Church in Africa ... recognizes her prophetic
mission towards all those affected by crime and their need for reconciliation, justice and
peace.”[134] Prisoners are human persons who, despite their crime, deserve to be treated with
respect and dignity. They need our care. With this in mind, the Church must provide for
pastoral care in prisons, for the material and spiritual welfare of the prisoners. This pastoral
activity is a real service that the Church offers to society, and it is one that the state should
support for the sake of the common good. Together with the Synod members, I draw the
attention of society’s leaders to the need to make every effort to eliminate the death
penalty[135] and to reform the penal system in a way that ensures respect for the prisoners’
human dignity. Pastoral workers have the task of studying and recommending restorative
justice as a means and a process for promoting reconciliation, justice and peace, and the return
of victims and offenders to the community.[136]

D. Migrants, displaced persons and refugees

84. Millions of migrants, displaced persons and refugees are searching for a homeland and a
peaceful country in Africa or elsewhere. The scale of this movement, which affects every
country, reveals the hidden magnitude of the different types of poverty produced by
deficiencies in public administration. Thousands of people have tried and continue trying to
cross deserts and seas, searching for an oasis of peace and prosperity, better education and
greater freedom. Unfortunately, many refugees and displaced persons encounter all kinds of
violence and exploitation, even prison, and all too often, death. Some states have responded to
this dramatic situation with repressive legislation.[137] The precarious situation of these poor
people should awaken everyone’s compassion and generous solidarity; yet it often gives rise to
fear and anxiety. Many regard migrants as a burden and view them with suspicion, seeing them
only as a source of danger, insecurity and threat. This perception provokes reactions of
intolerance, xenophobia and racism. As a result, these migrants are forced, through the
precariousness of their situation, to do low-paid work that is often illegal, humiliating or
degrading. The human conscience can only respond with indignation to these situations.
Migration inside and outside the continent thus becomes a complex drama which seriously
affects Africa’s human capital, leading to the destabilization or destruction of families.

85. The Church remembers that Africa offered a place of refuge for the Holy Family when they
were fleeing the murderous political power of Herod,[138] in search of a land that could offer
them security and peace. The Church will continue to make her voice heard and to campaign
for the defence of all people.[139]

E. Globalization and international aid

86. The Synod Fathers expressed their misgivings and concern with regard to globalization. I
have already drawn attention to this phenomenon as a challenge that needs to be addressed.
“The truth of globalization as a process and its fundamental ethical criterion are given by the
unity of the human family and its development towards what is good. Hence a sustained
commitment is needed so as to promote a person-based and community-oriented cultural
process of world-wide integration that is open to transcendence.”[140] The Church is eager to
see the globalization of solidarity progress to the point where it inscribes “incommercial
relationships the principle of gratuitousness and the logic of gift as an expression of fraternity”,
[141] while avoiding the temptation to regard globalization as the only lens through which to
view life, culture, politics and the economy, and fostering an ongoing ethical respect for the
variety of human situations in the interests of effective solidarity.

87. This globalization of solidarity is already demonstrated to some extent in the area of
international aid. Today, news of a disaster spreads rapidly around the world and often leads to
an upsurge of compassion and concrete acts of generosity. The Church provides a service of
great charity by protecting the real needs of the beneficiary. Defending the rights of the needy
and those who have no voice, and in the name of the respect and solidarity that they deserve,
she asks that “international agencies and non-governmental organizations commit themselves
to complete transparency” in their work.[142]

IV. Dialogue and communion among believers

88. As many social movements indicate, peace in Africa, as elsewhere, is conditioned by

interreligious relations. Hence it is important for the Church to promote dialogue as a spiritual
disposition, so that believers may learn to work together, for example in associations for justice
and peace, in a spirit of trust and mutual help. Families must be educated in attentive listening,
fraternity and respect without fear of the other.[143] One thing only is necessary (cf. Lk 10:42)
and capable of quenching every human person’s thirst for eternity and all humanity’s desire for
unity: love and contemplation of him before whom Saint Augustine cried out: “Eternal Truth,
true Love, beloved Eternity!”[144]

A. Ecumenical dialogue and the challenge of new religious movements

89. By inviting to the Synodal Assembly our fellow Christians – Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox,
Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, and in particular His Holiness Abuna Paulos, Patriarch of the
Tewahedo Orthodox Church of Ethiopia, one of the most ancient Christian communities of the
African continent – I wanted to make clear that the path to reconciliation must first pass
through the communion of Christ’s disciples. A divided Christianity remains a scandal, since it de
facto contradicts the will of the Divine Master (cf. Jn 17:21). Ecumenical dialogue therefore
seeks to direct our common journey towards Christian unity, as we listen assiduously to the
word of God, faithful to fraternal communion, the breaking of bread and the prayers
(cf. Acts 2:42). I call upon the whole ecclesial family – particular Churches, institutes of
consecrated life as well as lay movements and associations – to pursue this path with ever
greater determination, in the spirit of, and on the basis of, the guidelines given in
the Ecumenical Directory and through the various existing ecumenical associations. I also ask
that new ones be set up wherever this could serve as an aid for mission. Together let us
undertake works of charity and protect our religious patrimonies, through which Christ’s
disciples find the spiritual strength that they need for building up the human family![145]

90. In recent decades, the Church in Africa has been asking itself a great many questions about
the emergence and growth of non-Catholic communities sometimes known as African
Independent Churches. Frequently an offshoot of traditional Christian Churches and ecclesial
communities, they adopt elements of traditional African cultures. These groups have recently
made an appearance in the ecumenical field. The Pastors of the Catholic Church will have to
take into account this new phenomenon affecting the promotion of Christian unity in Africa, and
they will consequently have to find a response suited to the context, for the sake of deeper
evangelization as a way of effectively communicating Christ’s truth to the people of Africa.

91. Various syncretistic movements and sects have sprung up in Africa in recent decades.
Sometimes it is hard to discern whether they are of authentically Christian inspiration or
whether they are simply the fruit of sudden infatuation with a leader claiming to have
exceptional gifts. Their nomenclature and vocabulary easily give rise to confusion, and they can
lead people in good faith astray. These many sects take advantage of an incomplete social
infrastructure, the erosion of traditional family solidarity and inadequate catechesis in order to
exploit people’s credulity, and they offer a religious veneer to a variety of heterodox, non-
Christian beliefs. They shatter the peace of couples and families through false prophecies and
visions. They even seduce political leaders. The Church’s theology and pastoral care must
determine the causes of this phenomenon, not only in order to stem the haemorrhage of the
faithful from the parishes to the sects, but also in order to lay the foundations of a suitable
pastoral response to the attraction that these movements and sects exert. Once again, this
points to the need for a profound evangelization of the African soul.

B. Interreligious dialogue

1. Traditional African religions

92. The Church lives daily alongside the followers of traditional African religions. With their
reference to ancestors and to a form of mediation between man and Immanence, these
religions are the cultural and spiritual soil from which most Christian converts spring and with
which they continue to have daily contact. It is worth singling out knowledgeable individual
converts, who could provide the Church with guidance in gaining a deeper and more accurate
knowledge of the traditions, the culture and the traditional religions. This would make it easier
to identify points of real divergence. It would also help to clarify the vital distinction between
culture and cult and to discard those magical elements which cause division and ruin for
families and societies. In this regard, the Second Vatican Council taught that the Church “urges
her sons and daughters to enter with prudence and charity into discussion and collaboration
with members of other religions. Let Christians, while witnessing to their own faith and way of
life, acknowledge, preserve and encourage the spiritual and moral truths found among non-
Christians, together with their life and culture.”[146] It would help to manifest the treasures of
the Church’s sacramental life and spirituality in all their depth and to pass them on more
effectively in catechesis, if the Church were to carry out a theological study of those elements
of the traditional African cultures in conformity with Christ’s teaching.

93. Witchcraft, which is based on the traditional religions, is currently experiencing a certain
revival. Old fears are re-surfacing and creating paralyzing bonds of subjection. Anxiety over
health, well-being, children, the climate, and protection from evil spirits at times lead people to
have recourse to practices of traditional African religions that are incompatible with Christian
teaching. The problem of “dual affiliation” – to Christianity and to the traditional African
religions – remains a challenge. Through profound catechesis and inculturation, the Church in
Africa needs to help people to discover the fullness of Gospel values. It is important to
determine the profound meaning of these practices of witchcraft by identifying the many
theological, social and pastoral implications of this scourge.

2. Islam

94. The Synod Fathers highlighted the complexity of the Muslim presence on the African
continent. In some countries, good relations exist between Christians and Muslims; in others,
the local Christians are merely second-class citizens, and Catholics from abroad, religious and
lay, have difficulty obtaining visas and residence permits; in some, there is insufficient
distinction between the religious and political spheres, while in others, finally, there is a climate
of hostility. I call upon the Church, in every situation, to persist in esteem for Muslims, who
“worship God who is one, living and subsistent; merciful and almighty, the creator of heaven
and earth, who has also spoken to humanity.”[147] If all of us who believe in God desire to
promote reconciliation, justice and peace, we must work together to banish every form of
discrimination, intolerance and religious fundamentalism. In her social apostolate, the Church
does not make religious distinctions. She comes to the help of those in need, be they Christian,
Muslim or animist. In this way she bears witness to the love of God, creator of all, and she
invites the followers of other religions to demonstrate respect and to practise reciprocity in a
spirit of esteem. I ask the whole Church, through patient dialogue with Muslims, to seek
juridical and practical recognition of religious freedom, so that every citizen in Africa may enjoy
not only the right to choose his religion freely[148] and to engage in worship, but also the right
to freedom of conscience.[149] Religious freedom is the road to peace.[150]

C. Becoming “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”

95. For her mission of evangelization, the Church in Africa draws upon several sources: sacred
Scripture, Tradition and the sacramental life. As a great many Synod Fathers remarked, the
Church’s ministry builds effectively upon the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Moreover,
the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church is a guide to the Church’s mission as
“Mother and Teacher” in the world and in society, and is therefore a pastoral tool of the first
rank.[151] Christians who draw nourishment from the authentic source, Christ, are transformed
by him into “the light of the world” (Mt 5:14), and they transmit the one who is himself “the
Light of the world” (Jn 8:12). Their knowledge must be shaped by charity. Knowledge, in fact,
“if it aspires to be wisdom capable of directing man in the light of his first beginnings and his
final ends ... must be ‘seasoned’ with the ‘salt’ of charity.”[152]

96. In order to accomplish the task that we are called to carry out, let us make our own the
exhortation of Saint Paul: “Stand, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put
on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the
Gospel of peace, besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the
flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication”
(Eph 6:14-18).

Part two
“TO EACH IS GIVEN
THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT FOR THE COMMON GOOD”
(1 Cor 12:7)

97. The guidelines for mission that I have just indicated will only become a reality if the Church
acts, on the one hand, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and on the other, as a single
body, to use the image of Saint Paul, who presents these two conditions in an integrated way.
In Africa, marked as it is by contrasts, the Church must clearly point out the path towards
Christ. She must show how to live, in total fidelity to Christ Jesus, the unity in diversity taught
by the Apostle: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of
service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who
inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common
good” (1 Cor 12:4-7). By exhorting each member of the Church family to be “the salt of the
earth” and “the light of the world” (Mt 5:13-14), I wish to stress that in “being so”, they should
act, through the Spirit, for the common good. One can never be a Christian alone. The gifts
given by the Lord to each – bishops, priests, deacons and religious, catechists and lay people –
must all contribute to harmony, communion and peace in the Church herself and in society.

98. We are all very familiar with the episode of the paralytic who was brought to Jesus to be
cured (cf. Mk 2:1-12). For us today, this man represents all our brothers and sisters in Africa
and elsewhere who are paralyzed in different ways and, sadly, often in great distress. In the
light of the challenges that I have described briefly, drawing on the comments of the Synod
Fathers, let us reflect on the attitude of those who carry the paralytic. He himself cannot come
close to Jesus without the assistance of those four people of faith who braved the physical
obstacle of the crowd as a sign of their solidarity and their complete trust in Jesus. Christ “saw
their faith”. He then removes the spiritual obstacle when he says to the paralysed man: “Your
sins are forgiven”. He removes what prevents the man from rising. This example invites us to
grow in faith and, in turn, to show solidarity and creativityin relieving those who bear heavy
burdens, thus opening them to the fullness of life in Christ (cf. Mt 11:28). Before the obstacles,
both physical and spiritual, that stand before us, let us mobilize the spiritual energies and the
material resources of the whole body which is the Church, convinced that Christ will act through
the Holy Spirit in each of her members.

Chapter I

THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH

99. Dear sons and daughters of the Church, especially you, the beloved faithful of Africa, the
love of God has blessed you in so many ways and has made you capable of acting as the salt of
the earth. All of you, as members of the Church, should be aware that peace and justice come
first from the reconciliation of each human being with himself and with God. Christ himself is
the one true “Prince of Peace”. His birth is the pledge of the messianic peace proclaimed by the
prophets (cf. Is 9:5-6; 57:19; Mic 5:4; Eph2:14-17). This peace does not come from ourselves
but from God. It is the messianic gift par excellence. This peace leads us to the justice of the
kingdom, which is to be sought in season and out of season, in all that we do (cf. Mt 6:33), so
that in everything glory may be given to God (cf. Mt 5:16). We know that the just person is
faithful to God’s law because he has been converted (cf.Lk 15:7; 18:14). This new faithfulness
has been brought by Christ so as to make us “blameless and innocent” (cf. Phil 2:15).

I. Bishops

100. Dear brother bishops, the holiness to which the bishop is called requires the exercise of
the virtues – in the first place, of the theological virtues – and the exercise of the evangelical
counsels.[153] Your own holiness must be outstanding, to the benefit of those entrusted to
your pastoral care, those whom you must serve. Your life of prayer will nourish your apostolate
from within. The bishop must be someone in love with Christ. The moral authority and the
prestige that uphold the exercise of your juridical power can only come from the holiness of
your life.

101. Saint Cyprian of Carthage, in the middle of the third century, stated: “The Church rests on
the bishops, and all her conduct follows the direction of those same rulers”.[154] Communion,
unity and cooperation with the presbyterate will be a safeguard against the seeds of division
and will assist you in listening together to the Holy Spirit. He will lead you on the right path
(cf. Ps22:3). Love and respect your priests! They are esteemed co-workers in your episcopal
ministry. Imitate Christ! He created around himself a circle of friendship, fraternal affection and
communion which he drew from the depths of the Trinitarian mystery. “I invite you to take
continuous care to help your priests to live in intimate communion with Christ. Their spiritual life
is the foundation of their apostolic life. Exhort them gently to daily prayer, to the worthy
celebration of the sacraments, especially those of the Eucharist and Reconciliation, as Saint
Francis de Sales did for his priests … Your priests need your affection, your encouragement and
your concern.”[155]

102. Be one with the Successor of Peter, together with your priests and all the faithful. Do not
waste your human and pastoral energies in the vain search for answers to questions which are
not of your direct competence, or in the twists and turns of a nationalism that can easily blind.
It is easier to follow this idol, or to absolutize African culture, than to follow the demands of
Christ. Such idols are illusions. Even more, they are a temptation, that believing that human
efforts alone can bring the kingdom of eternal happiness to earth.

103. Your first duty is to bring the good news of salvation to all, and to offer the faithful a
catechesis which leads them to a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ. See to it that laypeople
acquire a genuine awareness of their ecclesial mission and encourage them to engage in it with
responsibility, always seeking the common good. The permanent formation programmes
offered to lay people, and above all to political or economic leaders, must insist on conversion
as a necessary condition for the transformation of the world. It is fitting that they should begin
with prayer and continue with a catechesis that will lead to concrete action. The creation of
structures, if truly needed, will come later; since they can never replace the power of prayer!

104. Dear brother bishops, following in the footsteps of Christ the Good Shepherd, be good
pastors and servants of the flock entrusted to your care, exemplary in life and conduct. The
good administration of your dioceses requires your presence. To make your message credible,
see to it that your dioceses become models in the conduct of personnel, in transparency and
good financial management. Do not hesitate to seek help from experts in auditing, so as to give
example to the faithful and to society at large. Promote the good functioning of the ecclesial
bodies provided for by Church law on the diocesan and parochial level. To you in the first place
belongs the task of seeking unity, justice and peace since you have the responsibility for the
local Churches.

105. The Synod recalled that “the Church is a communion that gives rise to an organic pastoral
solidarity. The bishops, in communion with the Bishop of Rome, are the first promoters of
communion and cooperation in the Church’s apostolate.”[156] The national and regional
Bishops’ Conferences are charged with the mission of consolidating that ecclesial communion
and promoting this pastoral solidarity.

106. In order to ensure greater visibility, coherence and effectiveness to the Church’s pastoral
activity in society, the Synod felt the need for greater solidarity in action at all levels. It would
be good for regional and national Bishops’ Conferences, as well as the Assembly of the Catholic
Hierarchy of Egypt (ACHE), to renew their commitment to collegial solidarity.[157] Practically
speaking, this entails participation in the activities of these structures, with regard to both
personnel and finances. In this way the Church will bear witness to the unity for which Christ
prayed (cf. Jn 17:20-21).

107. I also consider it important for the bishops to help support, effectively and affectively, the
Symposium of Bishops’ Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) as a continental
structure of solidarity and ecclesial communion.[158] Likewise, good relations should be
maintained with the Confederation of Conferences of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar
(COMSAM), with the Associations of Catholic Universities and other continental ecclesial
structures.

II. Priests

108. As close and indispensable co-workers of the bishop, priests[159] are charged with
carrying out the work of evangelization. The Second Assembly of the Synod for Africa took
place during the year that I dedicated to the priesthood, appealing in a special way for growth
in holiness. Dear priests, remember that your witness to living together in peace, over ethnic
and racial lines, can touch hearts.[160] The call to holiness bids us become pastors according to
the heart of God,[161] feeding our flock with justice (cf. Ez 34:16). To yield to the temptation
of becoming political leaders[162] or social agents would be to betray your priestly mission and
to do a disservice to society, which expects of you prophetic words and deeds. As Saint Cyprian
put it in his own day: “Those who bear the honour of the divine priesthood… should lend their
ministry only to the service of the altar and give their time to prayer alone”.[163]

109. By devoting yourselves to those whom the Lord entrusts to you for their formation in
Christian virtues and their growth in holiness, you not only win them to the cause of Christ but
also make them protagonists of a renewed African society. Given the complex situations that
you encounter, I ask you to deepen your life of prayer and your ongoing intellectual and
spiritual formation. Become ever more familiar with sacred Scripture, the word of God which
you daily meditate upon and explain to the faithful. Grow in your knowledge of the Catechism,
the documents of the magisterium and the Church’s social doctrine. You will then be capable of
forming the members of the Christian community for whom you are immediately responsible, so
that they can become authentic disciples and witnesses of Christ.

110. Live obedience to your diocesan bishop in simplicity, humility and filial love. “Out of
respect for the One who has loved us, it is proper that we obey without hypocrisy, for it is not
the bishop whom we see that we are deceiving, but the One who is unseen. In this case, it is
not a matter of the flesh, but of God who knows what is hidden.”[164] In the context of the
ongoing formation of clergy, I consider it important to reread and meditate on such documents
as the conciliar Decree on the Ministry and Life of PriestsPresbyterorum Ordinis, the 1992 Post-
Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, the 1994 Directory on the Ministry and Life
of Priests and the 2002 Instruction The Priest, Pastor and Guide of the Parish Community.

111. Build up the Christian communities by your example, living in truth and joy your priestly
commitments, celibacy in chastity and detachment from material possessions. When lived in
maturity and peace, these signs, so consonant with the lifestyle of Jesus, express “total and
exclusive gift of self to Christ, to the Church and to the kingdom of God”.[165] Devote
yourselves intensely to putting into practice the diocesan pastoral plan for re-conciliation,
justice and peace, especially through the celebration of the sacraments of Penance and the
Eucharist, catechesis, the formation of lay people and ongoing dialogue with those holding
positions of responsibility in society. Every priest should feel happy to serve the Church.

112. Following Christ on the path of the priesthood entails making decisions. It is not always
easy to live up to these. The evangelical commitments codified through the centuries by the
teaching of the magisterium appear radical to the eyes of the world. It is sometimes difficult to
follow them, yet not impossible. Christ tells us that we cannot serve two masters (cf. Mt 6:24).
He is clearly speaking of money, the worldly treasure that can captivate our hearts
(cf. Lk 12:34), but he is also speaking of the countless other goods we possess, such as our life,
our family, our education, our personal relationships. These are all important and fine goods
which are constitutive of our persons. But Christ asks those whom he calls to abandon
themselves completely to divine Providence. He demands a radical decision (cf. Mt 7:13-14)
which we sometimes find difficult to understand and live out. Yet if God is our real treasure –
that pearl of great price which must be acquired at any cost, even that of great sacrifices
(cf. Mt13:45-46) – then we want our hearts and our bodies, our minds and our thoughts to be
for him alone. This act of faith enables us to see every-thing that appears important to us in a
different light, and to experience our relationship with our bodies, and our relationships in
family or among friends, in the light of God’s call and of what it demands in the service of the
Church. This calls for deep reflection. That reflection should begin in the seminary and continue
throughout our priestly lives. Christ tells us, by way of encouragement, for he knows the
strengths and weaknesses of our hearts: “Strive first for the kingdom of God and its
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt 6:33).

III. Missionaries

113. Non-African missionaries, responding generously to the Lord’s call with ardent apostolic
zeal, came to share the joy of revelation. Following in their footsteps, Africans are today
missionaries on other continents. How can we fail here to pay them special tribute? The
missionaries who came to Africa – priests, men and women religious and lay people – built
churches, schools and dispensaries, and did much to shape the face of today’s African culture,
but above all they built up the Body of Christ and enriched the Lord’s dwelling place. They knew
well how to share the salt of the word and spread the light of the sacraments. Most of all, they
gave to Africa their most precious treasure: Jesus Christ. Thanks to them numerous traditional
cultures were freed from ancestral fears and from unclean spirits (cf. Mt 10:1). From the good
seed that they sowed (cf. Mt 13:24) arose many African saints, who still serve as models and
ought to inspire us all the more. It would be profitable to renew and promote devotion to these
saints. Their commitment to the cause of the Gospel was at times shown in a heroic manner,
even at the cost of their lives. Once again the words of Tertullian proved true: “the blood of
martyrs is the seed of Christians”.[166] I give thanks to God for all these holy men and women,
signs of the vitality of the Church in Africa.

114. I encourage the Pastors of the local Churches to recognize among servants of the Gospel
in Africa those who could be canonized according to the norms of the Church, not only in order
to increase the number of African saints, but also to obtain new intercessors in heaven to
accompany the Church on her pilgrim journey and to plead before God for the African
continent. I entrust to Our Lady of Africa and to the saints of this beloved continent the Church
that dwells there.

IV. Permanent deacons

115. The grandeur of the call received by permanent deacons deserves to be emphasized. In
fidelity to their age-old mission, I invite them to work with humility and in close cooperation
with the bishops.[167] I ask them affectionately to continue offering what Christ teaches us in
the Gospel: rigour in work well done,[168] moral strength in respect for values, honesty,
truthfulness, the joy of adding one’s stone to the building of Church and society, the protection
of nature, a sense of the common good. Assist African society at every level to encourage
responsibility on the part of men who are husbands and fathers, respect for women who are
equal to men in dignity, and concern for children left to fend for themselves without education.

116. Do not fail to pay particular attention to those who are ill, mentally or physically,
[169] those who are frail and the poor of your communities. Let your charity be imaginative! In
the pastoral activity of parishes, remember that a healthy spirituality allows the Spirit of Christ
to free the human person to act effectively in society. Bishops will take care to ensure your
ongoing formation so that it can contribute to the exercise of your ministry.[170] Like Saint
Stephen, Saint Lawrence and Saint Vincent, deacons and martyrs, seek to recognize and
encounter Christ in the Eucharist and in the poor. This service of the altar and of charity will
make you look forward to encountering the Lord present on the altar and in the poor. You will
then be capable of giving your life for him even to death.

V. Consecrated persons

117. Through the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, the life of consecrated persons
becomes a prophetic witness. Hence they can be examples in the area of reconciliation, justice
and peace, even in circumstances marked by great tension.[171]Community life shows us that
it is possible to live as brothers and sisters, and to be united even when coming from different
ethnic or racial backgrounds (cf. Ps 133:1). It can and must enable people to see and believe
that today in Africa, those men and women who follow Christ Jesus find in him the secret of
living happily together: mutual love and fraternal communion, strengthened daily by the
Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours.

118. Dear consecrated persons, may you continue to live your charism with truly apostolic zeal
in the different fields indicated by your founders or foundresses! Thus you will be all the more
vigilant in keeping your lamps alight! Your founders and foundresses wanted to follow Christ
truly and respond to his call. The different good works that came about as a result are gems
that adorn the Church.[172] You must therefore carry them on by following as faithfully as
possible the charism of your founders, their ideas and their vision. Here I would like to
emphasize the important role of consecrated persons in the life of the Church and in her
missionary endeavour. They are a necessary and precious aid to the Church’s pastoral activity
but also a manifestation of the deepest nature of our Christian vocation.[173] For this reason I
invite you, dear consecrated persons, to continue in close communion with the local Church and
with its head, the bishop. I also invite you to strengthen your communion with the Bishop of
Rome.

119. Africa is the cradle of the Christian contemplative life. Present from earliest times in North
Africa, especially in Egypt and Ethiopia, it took root in sub-Saharan Africa during the last
century. May the Lord bless the men and women who have decided to follow him
unconditionally! Their hidden life is like leaven in the dough. Their constant prayer will sustain
the apostolic efforts of the bishops, priests, other consecrated persons, catechists and of the
entire Church.

120. The meetings of the different National Conferences of Major Superiors and those of
COMSAM help pool your reflections and resources, not only in order to pursue the goals of the
various Institutes, while preserving their autonomy, character and individual spirit, but also to
help deal with common concerns in a climate of fraternity and solidarity. It is fitting to foster an
ecclesial spirit based on a sound coordination and proper cooperation with the Bishops’
Conferences.

VI. Seminarians

121. The Synod Fathers gave particular attention to seminarians. Without neglecting theological
and spiritual formation, which are obviously primary, they emphasized the importance of the
psychological and human growth of each candidate. Future priests must develop a correct
understanding of their own culture while not being locked within their own ethnic and cultural
limits.[174] They must become ever more deeply rooted in Gospel values so as to strengthen
their commitment in faithfulness and devotion to Christ. The fruitfulness of their future mission
will greatly depend on their profound union with Christ, on the quality of their life of prayer and
their interior life, and on the human, spiritual and moral values assimilated during their time of
formation. May all seminarians become men of God who seek and practise “righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Tim6:11).

122. “Seminarians must learn to live in community in such a way that the common life may
later lead to an authentic experience of the priesthood as close priestly fraternity.”[175] The
seminary staff and formators will work together, following the bishops’ indications, to guarantee
an integral formation of the seminarians entrusted to them. In selecting candidates, careful
discernment and quality guidance must be ensured, so that those admitted to the priesthood
will be true disciples of Christ and authentic servants of the Church. Care should be taken to
initiate them in the unlimited richness of the Church’s biblical, theological, spiritual, liturgical,
moral and juridical patrimony.

123. At the conclusion of the Year for Priests, in June 2010, I wrote a letter to seminarians,
[176] in which I dealt with the identity, spirituality and apostolate of the priest. I heartily
recommend that each seminarian read and meditate on this brief document directed to him
personally; formators will make the text readily available. The seminary represents a time of
preparation for the priesthood, a time of study. It is a time of discernment, formation and
human and spiritual development. May seminarians use wisely this time which is provided for
them to build up the spiritual and human resources from which they will draw throughout their
priestly life.

124. Dear seminarians, be apostles of the young people of your own generation by inviting
them to follow Christ in the priestly life. Do not be afraid! The prayer of many people
accompanies and sustains you (cf. Mt 9:37-38).

VII. Catechists

125. Catechists are invaluable pastoral agents in the mission of evangelization. Their role was
very important during the first evangelization, the preparation of catechumens and the direction
and support of communities. “In a natural way they brought about a successful inculturation
that has produced marvellous fruits (cf. Mk 4:20). Catechists have allowed their ‘light to shine
before men’ (Mt 5:16), because seeing the good that they do, whole populations were able to
give glory to our Father in heaven. Indeed, Africans have evangelized Africans.”[177] This role,
so important in the past, remains essential for the present and the future of the Church. I thank
them for their love of the Church.

126. I urge bishops and priests to be concerned for the human, intellectual, doctrinal, moral,
spiritual and pastoral formation of catechists. They should pay great attention to the living
conditions of catechists,[178] in order to ensure their dignity. Nor should they overlook their
legitimate material needs, since the faithful worker in the Lord’s vineyard has a right to a just
recompense (cf.Mt 20:1-16), while awaiting their due from the Lord, for he alone is just and
knows our hearts.

127. Dear catechists, remember that for many communities you are the first embodiment of the
zealous disciple and a model of Christian life. I encourage you to proclaim, by your example,
that family life merits great esteem, that a Christian upbringing prepares young people to live in
society as persons who are honest and trustworthy in their dealings with others. Be welcoming
to all without discrimination: rich and poor, native and foreign, Catholic and non-Catholic
(cf. Jas 2:1). Do not show partiality (cf. Acts10:34; Rom 2:11; Gal 2:6; Eph 6:9). By your own
assimilation of sacred Scripture and the teachings of the magisterium you will be able to offer
solid catechesis, guide prayer groups and propose lectio divina to the communities in your care.
Your activity will then become consistent, persevering and a source of inspiration. As I
gratefully evoke the glorious memories of your predecessors, I salute all of you and I encourage
you to toil today with the same selflessness, the same apostolic courage and the same faith. By
striving to be faithful to your mission, you will contribute not only to your own holiness, but also
in an effective way, to building up the Body of Christ, the Church.

VIII. Lay people

128. Through her lay members, the Church is present and active in the world. Lay people have
an important role to play in the Church and in society. To enable them properly to take up this
role, it is fitting that centres of biblical, spiritual, liturgical and pastoral formation be organized
in the dioceses. It is my heartfelt desire that lay people with responsibility in the political,
economic and social fields be equipped with a solid knowledge of the Church’s social doctrine,
which can provide them with principles for acting in conformity with the Gospel. Lay men and
women, in fact, are “ambassadors of Christ” (2 Cor 5:20) in the public sphere, in the heart of
the world![179] Their Christian witness will be credible only if they are competent and honest
professional people.

129. Lay men and women are called, above all, to holiness, a holiness which is to be lived in the
world. Dear members of the faithful: cultivate your interior life and your relationship with God,
so that the Holy Spirit may enlighten you in all circumstances. In order to ensure that the
human person and the common good remain effectively at the centre of all human, political,
economic or social activity, deepen your union with Christ, so as to know and love him by
devoting time to God in prayer and in the reception of the sacraments. Allow yourselves to be
enlightened and instructed by God and by his word.

130. I would like to dwell again on the distinctive feature of a Christian’s professional life. In a
word, it means bearing witness to Christ in the world by showing, through your example, that
work can be a very positive setting for personal development and not primarily a means of
making profit. Your work enables you to participate in the work of creation and to serve your
brothers and sisters. Acting in this way, you will be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the
world”, as the Lord asks of us. In daily life, put into practice the preferential option for the poor,
whatever your position in society, in accordance with the spirit of the Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:3-
12), so as to see in them the face of Jesus who calls you to serve him (cf. Mt 25:31-46).

131. It can be helpful for you to form associations in order to continue shaping your Christian
conscience and supporting one another in the struggle for justice and peace. The Small
Christian Communities (SCCs) and the “new communities”[180] are fundamental structures for
fanning the flame of your Baptism. Bring your areas of competence to the life and activity of
the Catholic universities, which continue to grow following the recommendations of the
Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa.[181] I also encourage you to have an active and
courageous presence in the areas of political life, culture, the arts, the media and various
associations. Do not be hesitant or ashamed about this presence, but be proud of it and
conscious of the valuable contribution it can offer to the common good!

Chapter II

MAJOR AREAS OF THE APOSTOLATE

132. The Lord has entrusted us with a specific mission, and he has not left us without the
means of accomplishing it. Not only has he granted each of us personal gifts for the building up
of his Body which is the Church, but he has also granted the whole ecclesial community
particular gifts which enable it to carry out its mission. His supreme gift is the Holy Spirit.
Through the Spirit we form one Body and “only in the power of the Holy Spirit can we discover
what is right and then do it”.[182] Certain means are needed if we are to act, yet these remain
insufficient unless God himself disposes us to cooperate in his work of reconciliation through
“our ability to think, to speak, to listen and to act”.[183] Thanks to the Holy Spirit, we become
truly “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Mt 5:13-14).

I. The Church as the presence of Christ

133. The Church is “in Christ, a sacrament – a sign and instrument, that is, of communion with
God and of the unity of the entire human race”.[184] As the community of Christ’s disciples, we
are able to make visible and share the love of God. Love “is the light – and in the end, the only
light – that can always illuminate a world grown dim and grant us the courage needed to keep
living and working”.[185] This is clearly seen in the universal Church, in dioceses and parishes,
in the SCCs,[186] in movements and associations, and even in the Christian family itself, which
is “called to be a ‘domestic church’, a place of faith, of prayer and of loving concern for the true
and enduring good of each of its members”,[187] a community which lives the sign of peace.
[188]Together with the parish, the SCCs and the movements and associations can be helpful
places for accepting and living the gift of reconciliation offered by Christ our peace. Each
member of the community must become a “guardian and host” to the other: this is the
meaning of the sign of peace in the celebration of the Eucharist.[189]

II. The world of education

134. Catholic schools are a precious resource for learning from childhood how to create bonds
of peace and harmony in society, since they train children in the African values that are taken
up by those of the Gospel. I encourage bishops and institutes of consecrated persons to enable
children of the proper age to receive schooling: this is a matter of justice for each child and
indeed the future of Africa depends on it. Christians, and young people in particular, should
study the educational sciences with a view to passing down knowledge full of truth: not mere
know-how but genuine knowledge of life, inspired by a Christian consciousness shaped by the
Church’s social doctrine. It will also be fitting to ensure that personnel in the Church’s
educational institutions, and indeed all Church personnel, receive just remuneration, in order to
strengthen the Church’s credibility.

135. Given the great ferment of peoples, cultures and religions which marks our age, Catholic
universities and academic institutions play an essential role in the patient, rigorous and humble
search for the light which comes from Truth. Only a truth capable of transcending human
standards of measure, conditioned by their own limitations, brings peace to individuals and
reconciliation to societies. For this reason, it would help to establish new Catholic universities
wherever these do not yet exist. Dear brothers and sisters in Catholic universities and academic
institutions, it falls to you, on the one hand, to shape the minds and hearts of the younger
generation in the light of the Gospel and, on the other, to help African societies better to
understand the challenges confronting them today by providing Africa, through your research
and analyses, with the light she needs.

136. The mission which the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa entrusted to Catholic
institutions of higher education is as pertinent as ever. In it my blessed predecessor wrote:
“The Catholic Universities and Higher Institutes in Africa have a prominent role to play in the
proclamation of the salvific Word of God. They are a sign of the growth of the Church insofar as
their research integrates the truths and experiences of the faith and helps to internalize them.
They serve the Church by providing trained personnel, by studying important theological and
social questions for the benefit of the Church, by developing an African theology, by promoting
the work of inculturation, by publishing books and publicizing Catholic truth, by undertaking
assignments given by the bishops and by contributing to the scientific study of cultures.
Catholic cultural centres offer to the Church the possibility of presence and action in the field of
cultural exchange. They constitute in effect public forums which allow the Church to make
widely known, in creative dialogue, Christian convictions about man, woman, family, work,
economy, society, politics, international life, the environment. Thus they are places of listening,
respect and tolerance.”[190] Bishops will take care that these institutions of higher education
maintain their Catholic identity by always moving in directions faithful to the teaching of the
Church’s magisterium.

137. In order to make a solid and proper contribution to African society, it is indispensable that
students be taught the Church’s social doctrine. This will help the Church in Africa serenely to
prepare a pastoral plan which speaks to the heart of Africans and enables them to be reconciled
to themselves by following Christ. Once again, it is up to bishops to support a pastoral outreach
to the life of the intellect and reason so as to foster a habit of rational dialogue and critical
analysis within society and in the Church.As I said in Yaoundé: “Perhaps this century will
permit, by God’s grace, the rebirth on your continent, albeit surely in a new and different form,
of the prestigious School of Alexandria. Why should we not hope that it could furnish today’s
Africans and the universal Church with great theologians and spiritual masters who could
contribute to the sanctification of the inhabitants of this continent and of the whole
Church?”[191]

138. It is good that bishops support chaplaincies within the Church’s universities and schools,
and establish them in their public counterparts. The chapel will be, as it were, the heart of
those institutions. It will enable students to encounter God and to stand in his sight. It will also
allow the chaplain, who should be carefully selected for his priestly virtues, to exercise his
pastoral ministry of teaching and sanctification.

III. The world of health care

139. The Church has always been concerned with health. She follows the example of Christ
himself who proclaimed the word and healed the sick, and then gave his disciples the same
authority “to heal every disease and every infirmity” (Mt 10:1; cf. 14:35; Mk1:32, 34; 6:13, 55).
Through her health care institutions the Church continues to show this same concern for the
sick and for all who suffer. As the Synod Fathers stressed, the Church is resolutely engaged in
the fight against infirmities, disease and the great pandemics.[192]
140. The Church’s health care institutions and all their personnel should strive to see in each
sick person a suffering member of Christ’s Body. Difficulties of every kind rise up along the way:
the growing numbers of the sick, inadequate material and financial resources, the withdrawal of
support by organizations which had helped you for years and are now abandoning you; at times
all this can give you the impression that your work produces no tangible results. Dear
healthcare workers, bring Jesus’ compassionate love to those who suffer! Be patient, stand firm
and do not lose heart! As far as pandemics are concerned, while financial and material
resources remain indispensable, seek also constantly to form and inform people, especially the
young.[193]

141. Health care institutions need to be managed in compliance with the Church’s ethical
norms, providing services which conform to her teaching and are exclusively pro-life. They must
not become a source of enrichment for a few. The management of grant monies must aim at
transparency and primarily serve the good of the sick. Finally, each health care institution ought
to have a chapel, the presence of which will remind all who work there (management, staff,
physicians and nurses), as well as the sick themselves, that God alone is the Lord of life and
death. It would also be fitting to increase, to the extent possible, the number of smaller
dispensaries which provide local care and emergency aid.

IV. The world of information technology and communications

142. The Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa saw the modern media not only as means of
communication, but themselves a world to be evangelized.[194] The media should stand at the
service of an authentic communication, which is a priority in Africa, since they are a significant
force for the development of the continent[195] and for evangelization. “The media can make
an important contribution towards the growth in communion of the human family and
the ethos of society when they are used to promote universal participation in the common
search for what is just.”[196]

143. Everyone knows that the new information technologies are capable of being powerful
instruments for unity and peace, but also for destruction and division. From a moral standpoint
they can offer either a service or a disservice, propagate truth as well as falsehood, propose
what is base as well as what is beautiful. The flood of news or non-news, to say nothing of
images, can be informative but also powerfully manipulative. Information can readily become
disinformation, and formation deformation. The media can be a force for authentic
humanization, but just as easily prove dehumanizing.

144. The media can avoid this danger if “they are geared towards a vision of the person and
the common good that reflects truly universal values. Just because social communications
increase the possibilities of interconnection and the dissemination of ideas, it does not follow
that they promote freedom or internationalize development and democracy for all. To achieve
goals of this kind, they need to focus on promoting the dignity of persons and peoples; they
need to be clearly inspired by charity and placed at the service of truth, of the good, and of
natural and supernatural fraternity.”[197]

145. The Church needs to be increasingly present in the media so as to make them not only a
tool for the spread of the Gospel but also for educating the African peoples to reconciliation in
truth, and the promotion of justice and peace. A solid formation in ethics and truthfulness will
help journalists to avoid the attraction of the sensational, as well as the temptation to
manipulate information and to make easy money. Christian journalists should not be afraid to
show their faith! They should be proud of it! The presence and activity of competent lay faithful
in the world of public and private communications should also be encouraged. Like leaven in
the dough, they will continue to testify to the positive and constructive contribution which the
teaching of Christ and his Church makes to the world.

146. In this way, the decision of the First Special Assembly for Africa to consider
communications as a major axis of evangelization has proved fruitful for the development of
Catholic media. It would perhaps also be suitable to coordinate existing structures, as is already
being done in certain areas. Such an improvement in the use of media will contribute to a
greater promotion of the values upheld at the Synod: peace, justice and reconciliation in Africa,
[198] and will enable the continent to share in the present development of the world.

Chapter III

“STAND UP, TAKE YOUR MAT

AND WALK!”

(Jn 5:8)

I. Jesus’ teaching at the pool of Bethzatha

147. Dear brother bishops, dear sons and daughters of Africa, after having reviewed the
principal actions and some of the means which the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of
Bishops proposed for carrying out the Church’s mission, I would like to return to certain points
to which I have already alluded.

148. The fifth chapter of Saint John’s Gospel presents a striking scene: the pool of Bethzatha,
with its five porticoes in which “lay many invalids – blind, lame, and paralyzed” (v. 3). This is
the setting for the healing about to take place. “One man was there who had been ill for thirty-
eight years” (v. 5), but had no one to put him into the pool. Then Jesus walks into his life.
Everything changes as soon as Jesus says to him: “Stand up, take your mat and walk!” (v. 8).
“At once”, the evangelist tells us, “the man was healed” (v. 9). He no longer needed the water
of the pool.

149. By accepting Jesus, Africa can receive incomparably effective and deep healing. Echoing
the Apostle Peter in the Acts of the Apostles (3:6), I repeat: what Africa needs most is neither
gold nor silver; she wants to stand up, like the man at the pool of Bethzatha; she wants to have
confidence in herself and in her dignity as a people loved by her God. It is this encounter with
Jesus which the Church must offer to bruised and wounded hearts yearning for reconciliation
and peace, and thirsting for justice. We must provide and proclaim the word of Christ which
heals, sets free and reconciles.

II. The word of God and the sacraments

A. The sacred Scriptures

150. According to Saint Jerome, “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ”.

[199] Reading and meditating on the word of God not only gives us “the surpassing value of
knowing Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:8), but also roots us more deeply in Christ and guides our service
of reconciliation, justice and peace. The celebration of the Eucharist, whose first part is the
Liturgy of the Word, is its source and summit. For this reason, I recommend that the biblical
apostolate be promoted in each Christian community, in the family and in the ecclesial
movements.

151. Each member of Christ’s faithful should grow accustomed to reading the Bible daily! An
attentive reading of the recent Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini can provide some useful
pastoral indications. Care should be taken to initiate the faithful into the ancient and fruitful
tradition of lectio divina. The word of God can lead to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and bring
about conversions which produce reconciliation, since it is able to sift “the thoughts and
intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12). The Synod Fathers encouraged Christian parish
communities, SCCs, families and associations and ecclesial movements to set aside times for
sharing the word of God.[200] In this way, they will increasingly become places where God’s
word, which builds up the community of Christ’s disciples, is read, meditated on and celebrated.
This word constantly enlivens fraternal communion (cf. 1 Pet 1:22-25).

B. The Eucharist

152. The most effective means for building a reconciled, just and peaceful society is a life of
profound communion with God and with others. The table of the Lord gathers together men
and women of different origins, cultures, races, languages and ethnic groups. Thanks to the
Body and Blood of Christ, they become truly one. In the eucharistic Christ, they become blood
relations and thus true brothers and sisters, thanks to the word and to the Body and Blood of
the same Jesus Christ. This bond of fraternity is stronger than that of human families, than that
of our tribes. “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image
of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom 8:29). The
example of Jesus enables them to love one another and to give their lives for one another,
since the love by which one is loved is meant to be shared in deed and in truth.
[201] Consequently, the community celebration of Sunday, the Lord’s Day, and holydays of
obligation is indispensable.

153. I do not intend to present here a theological treatise on the Eucharist. In the Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis I had traced some of its main lines. Here I exhort
the whole Church in Africa to show particular care for the celebration of the Eucharist, memorial
of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, sign of unity and bond of charity, paschal banquet and pledge of
eternal life. The Eucharist should be celebrated with dignity and beauty, in compliance with the
established norms. Eucharistic adoration, individually and in community, will lead to a deeper
appreciation of this great mystery. Along these lines, a continental Eucharistic Congress could
be celebrated. This would bolster the effort of Christians to testify to the fundamental values of
communion in every African society.[202]
154. To ensure respect for the eucharistic mystery, the Synod Fathers recalled that churches
and chapels are sacred places, to be used solely for liturgical celebrations, avoiding to the
extent possible that they become simply places for socializing or cultural spaces. There is a
need to stress their primary function, which is that of being a privileged place of encounter
between God and his people, between God and his faithful creature. There is also a need to
ensure that the architecture of these sacred edifices is worthy of the mystery they celebrate
and in conformity with ecclesiastical legislation and local style. They should be built under the
responsibility of the bishops, after the opinion of persons competent in liturgy and architecture
has been heard. May it be said upon entering them: “Surely the Lord is in this place… This is
none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” ( Gen 28:16-17)! They will
also fulfil their purpose if they help the community, reborn in the Eucharist and the other
sacraments, to prolong the celebration in the life of society by perpetuating the example of
Christ himself (cf. Jn 13:15).[203] This “eucharistic consistency”[204] challenges every Christian
conscience (cf. 1 Cor 11:17-22).

C. Reconciliation

155. To help African societies heal the wounds of division and hatred, the Synod Fathers urged
the Church to remember that she bears within herself the same wounds and pain. Hence, she
too needs the Lord’s healing, so that she can credibly bear witness that the sacrament of
Reconciliation binds up and heals wounded hearts. This sacrament mends the broken bonds
between individuals and God, and restores bonds within society. It also trains our hearts and
our spirits to live in “unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a
humble mind” (1 Pet 3:8).

156. Here I would recall the importance of individual confession, which no other act of
reconciliation or any paraliturgy can replace. I encourage all the Church’s faithful, clergy,
consecrated persons and laity, to restore to its true place the sacrament of Reconciliation in its
twofold dimension, personal and communitarian.[205] Communities lacking priests because of
great distances or for any other reason can experience the ecclesial character of Penance and
Reconciliation through non-sacramental forms. In this way, Christians in irregular situations can
also share in the Church’s penitential journey. As the Synod Fathers pointed out, the non-
sacramental form of Penance can be considered a means of preparing the faithful for a fruitful
reception of the sacrament,[206] but it can never become a regular norm, much less a
substitute for the sacrament itself. I warmly encourage priests to experience this sacrament in
their own lives and to make themselves readily available for its celebration.

157. In order to encourage reconciliation in communities, I heartily recommend, as did the

Synod Fathers, that each country celebrate yearly “a day or week of reconciliation, particularly
during Advent or Lent”.[207] SECAM will be able to help bring this about and, in accord with
the Holy See, promote a continent-wide Year of Reconciliation to beg of God special forgiveness
for all the evils and injuries mutually inflicted in Africa, and for the reconciliation of persons and
groups who have been hurt in the Church and in the whole of society.[208] This would be an
extraordinary Jubilee Year “during which the Church in Africa and in the neighbouring islands
gives thanks with the universal Church and implores the gifts of the Holy Spirit”,[209] especially
the gift of reconciliation, justice and peace.
158. For these celebrations, it would be helpful to follow the advice of the Synod Fathers: “May
the memory of the great witnesses who gave their lives in service of the Gospel and the
common good, or for the defence of truth and human rights, be kept alive and faithfully
recalled”.[210] For the saints are the true stars of our life, those “who have lived good lives.
They are lights of hope. Certainly, Jesus Christ is the true light, the sun that has risen above all
the shadows of history. But to reach him we also need lights close by – people who shine with
his light and so guide us along our way.”[211]

III. The new evangelization

159. Before concluding this document, I would like to return once more to the task facing the
Church in Africa: commitment to evangelization, to the missio ad gentes, and to the new
evangelization, so that the features of the African continent will increasingly be modelled on the
ever timely teaching of Christ, the true “light of the world” and the authentic “salt of the earth”.

A. Bearers of Christ, “the light of the world”

160. The urgent work of evangelization is carried out in different ways in accordance with the
diverse situations of each country. “In its precise sense, evangelization is the missio ad
gentes directed to those who do not know Christ. In a wider sense, it is used to describe
ordinary pastoral work, while the phrase ‘new evangelization’ designates pastoral outreach to
those who no longer practise the Christian faith.”[212] Only an evangelization inspired by the
power of the Holy Spirit can become “the new law of the Gospel” and bear spiritual fruit.
[213] The heart of all evangelizing activity is the proclamation of the person of Jesus, the
incarnate Word of God (cf. Jn 1:14) who died and rose again and is ever present in the
community of the faithful, his Church (cf. Mt 28:20). This is a pressing task not only for Africa,
but for the whole world, since the mission which Christ the Redeemer entrusted to his Church is
not yet fully accomplished.

161. “The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mk 1:1) is the sure path to an encounter
with the person of the Lord Jesus. Searching the Scriptures enables us increasingly to discover
the true face of Jesus, the revelation of God the Father (cf. Jn 12:45), and his saving work.
“Rediscovering the centrality of the divine word in the Christian life leads us to appreciate anew
the deepest meaning of the forceful appeal of Pope John Paul II: to pursue the missio ad
gentes and vigorously to embark upon the new evangelization.”[214]

162. Led by the Holy Spirit, the Church in Africa must proclaim the mystery of salvation – by
living it – to those who have not yet learned of it. The Holy Spirit whom Christians received in
Baptism is the fire of love impelling us to the work of evangelization. After Pentecost, the
disciples, “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4), went forth from the Upper Room, where they
had taken refuge out of fear, and proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Pentecost
event enables us better to understand the mission of Christians as “the light of the world” and
“the salt of the earth” on the African continent. It is the property of light to be diffused and to
shine on our many brothers and sisters who are still in darkness. The missio ad gentes calls for
commitment on the part of all Africa’s Christians. Impelled by the Spirit, they bring Jesus Christ,
“the light of the world”, to every place on the continent and to all the areas of personal, family
and social life. The Synod Fathers emphasized “the urgent need for evangelization, which is the
mission and the true identity of the Church”.[215]

B. Witnesses of the risen Christ

163. Today too, the Lord Jesus exhorts the Christians of Africa to proclaim in his name
“repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations” (Lk 24:47). For this reason, they are called
to be witnesses of the Risen Lord (cf. Lk 24:48). The Synod Fathers insisted that evangelization
“essentially consists in bearing witness to Christ in the power of the Spirit by one’s life, then by
one’s words, in a spirit of openness and respectful dialogue with others, while holding fast to
the values of the Gospel”.[216] In the case of the Church in Africa, this witness needs to be at
the service of reconciliation, justice and peace.

164. The proclamation of the Gospel must recover the ardour of the beginnings of the
evangelization of the African continent, attributed to the evangelist Mark and carried on by
“countless saints, martyrs, confessors and virgins”.[217] There is a need gratefully to remember
and imitate the enthusiasm of so many missionaries who, over the course of several centuries,
sacrificed their lives to bring the Good News to their brothers and sisters in Africa. In recent
years the Church in different countries has commemorated the hundredth anniversary of
evangelization. She has rightly renewed her commitment to bring the Gospel to those who do
not yet know the name of Jesus Christ.

165. If this effort is to be more effective, the missio ad gentes must keep pace with the new
evangelization. In Africa too, situations demanding a new presentation of the Gospel, “new in
its ardour, methods and expression”,[218] are not rare. In particular, the new evangelization
needs to integrate the intellectual dimension of the faith into the living experience of the
encounter with Jesus Christ present and at work in the ecclesial community. Being Christian is
born not of an ethical decision or a lofty ideal, but an encounter with an event, a person, which
gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. Catechesis must therefore integrate its
theoretical dimension, which deals with concepts to be learned by heart, and its practical
dimension, which is experienced at the liturgical, spiritual, ecclesial, cultural and charitable
levels, in order that the seed of God’s word, once fallen on fertile ground, can sink deep roots
and grow to maturity.

166. For this to happen, it is essential to employ new methods available to us today. With
regard to the means of social communication, of which I have already spoken, I would recall an
observation which I recently made in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini:
“Saint Thomas, citing Saint Augustine, insists that ‘the letter, even that of the Gospel, would kill,
were there not the grace of healing faith’.”[219] With this in mind, it should also be constantly
kept in mind that no medium can nor should replace personal contact, verbal proclamation and
the witness of an authentic Christian life. Such personal contact and verbal proclamation need
to express a living faith which engages and transforms one’s life, as well as the love of God
which reaches and touches everyone just as he or she is.

C. Missionaries in the footsteps of Christ

167. The pilgrim Church in Africa is also called to contribute to the new evangelization in
secularized countries which once provided numerous missionaries but are today sadly lacking in
vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life. In the meantime, great numbers of
African men and women have accepted the invitation of the Lord of the harvest (cf. Mt 9:37-38)
to work in his vineyard (cf. Mt 20:1-16). Without weakening the missionary impulse ad
gentes in the different countries, and indeed on the whole continent, the bishops of Africa
should respond generously to the requests of their confreres in countries lacking vocations and
assist the faithful deprived of priests. This form of cooperation, which should be governed by
accords between the sending and the receiving Churches, becomes a concrete sign of the
fruitfulness of the missio ad gentes. Blessed by the Lord, the Good Shepherd (cf. Jn 10:11-18),
it provides valuable support for the new evangelization in countries of ancient Christian
tradition.

168. The proclamation of the Good News gives birth within the Church to new expressions
fitted to the needs of our times, cultures and expectations. In Africa too, the Holy Spirit is
constantly raising up men and women who, gathered in various associations, movements and
communities, devote their lives to the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the light of Saint
Paul's admonition: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets; but test
everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Th 5:19-22), pastors
have the duty to ensure that these new expressions of the perennial fruitfulness of the Gospel
are integrated into the pastoral activity of parishes and dioceses.

169. Dear brothers and sisters, the theme of the Second Special Assembly for Africa reminds us
that the new evangelization is especially concerned with the Church’s service to reconciliation,
justice and peace. Thus, there is a need to welcome the grace of the Holy Spirit who bids us:
“be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20). All Christians are admonished to be reconciled to God. In
this way you will become agents of reconciliation within the ecclesial and social communities in
which you live and work. The new evangelization presumes that Christians are reconciled with
God and with one another. It demands that we be reconciled with our neighbours, and that we
overcome every kind of barrier, including those arising from language, culture and race. All of
us are children of one God and Father, who “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Mt 5:45).

170. God will bless a reconciled heart by granting it his peace. Christians will thus become
peacemakers (cf. Mt 5:9) to the extent that, grounded in divine grace, they cooperate with their
Maker in creating and fostering the gift of peace. As reconciled men and women, the faithful
will also promote justice everywhere, especially in African societies divided and threatened by
violence and war, yet hungering and thirsting for true justice. The Lord invites us: “Strive first
for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”
(Mt 6:33).

171. The new evangelization is an urgent task for Christians in Africa because they too need to
reawaken their enthusiasm for being members of the Church. Guided by the Spirit of the risen
Lord, they are called to live the Good News as individuals, in their families and in society, and to
proclaim it with fresh zeal to persons near and far, using the new methods that divine
Providence has placed at our disposal for its spread. In praising God the Father for the wonders
which he continues to work in his Church and in each of her members, the faithful are called to
fan into a flame their Christian vocation in fidelity to the living ecclesial Tradition. Open to the
prompting of the Holy Spirit who continues to awaken different charisms in the Church,
Christians must pursue or undertake with determination the path of holiness, and thus
increasingly become apostles of reconciliation, justice and peace.

CONCLUSION
“TAKE HEART; RISE, HE IS CALLING”
(Mk 10:49)

172. Dear brothers and sisters, the final word of the Synod was a summons to hope addressed
to Africa. This summons will be vain unless it is rooted in the love of the Blessed Trinity. From
God, the Father of all, we receive the mission of passing on to Africa the love with which Christ,
the firstborn Son has loved us, so that our activity, impelled by his Holy Spirit, may be guided
by hope and become a source of hope. While earnestly desiring to help implement the
directives of the Synod on such burning issues as reconciliation, justice and peace, I express my
trust that “theologians will continue to probe the depths of the trinitarian mystery and its
meaning for everyday African life”.[220] Since the vocation of all men and women is one, we
must not lose our zest for the reconciliation of humanity with God through the mystery of our
salvation in Christ. Our redemption is the reason for the confidence and the firmness of our
hope, “by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be
loved and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is
great enough to justify the effort of the journey”.[221]

173. Once more I say: “Get up, Church in Africa… because you are being called by the heavenly
Father, whom your ancestors invoked as Creator even before knowing his merciful closeness
revealed in his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Set out on the path of a new evangelization
with the courage that comes to you from the Holy Spirit.”[222]

174. Evangelization today takes the name of reconciliation, “an indispensable condition for
instilling in Africa justice among men and women, and building a fair and lasting peace that
respects each individual and all peoples; a peace that… is open to the contribution of all people
of good will irrespective of their religious, ethnic, linguistic, cultural and social
backgrounds.”[223] May the entire Catholic Church accompany with affection her brothers and
sisters of the African continent! May the saints of Africa sustain them by their prayer of
intercession![224]

175. May “Saint Joseph, the good master of his house, who personally knows what it means to
consider, attentively and hopefully, the future paths of the family, [and who] lovingly heard us
and ushered us into the Synod itself”,[225] protect and accompany the Church in her mission in
service of Africa, the land where he found refuge and protection for the Holy Family
(cf. Mt 2:13-15)! May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Word of God and Our Lady of
Africa, continue to accompany the whole Church by her intercession and her invitation to do
whatever her Son tells us (cf. Jn 2:5)! May the prayers of Mary, Queen of Peace, whose heart is
always inclined to God’s will, sustain every effort at conversion; may she consolidate every
initiative of reconciliation and strengthen every endeavour for peace in a world which hungers
and thirsts for justice (cf. Mt 5:6).[226]
176. Dear brothers and sisters, through the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of
Bishops, the Lord in his goodness and mercy urgently reminds you that “you are the salt of the
earth … the light of the world” (Mt 5:13-14). May these words remind you of the dignity of your
calling as children of God and members of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church! This
calling consists in radiating in a world often grown dark the clarity of the Gospel and the
splendour of Jesus Christ, the true light which “enlightens everyone” (Jn 1:9). Christians must
give all men and women a desire for God the Father, the joy of his creative presence in the
world. They are also called to cooperate with the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that the miracle of
Pentecost may spread throughout the continent of Africa, and everyone may become ever more
an apostle of reconciliation, justice and peace.

177. May the Catholic Church in Africa always be one of the spiritual lungs of humanity, and
become daily an ever greater blessing for the noble African continent and for the entire world.

Given at Ouidah, in Benin, on 19 November, in the year 2011, the seventh of my Pontificate.

BENEDICT XVI

[1] John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa (14 September 1995),
1: AAS 88 (1996), 5.

[2] Cf. First Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, Final Message (6 May 1994),
24-25; John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa (14 September 1995),
63: AAS 88 (1996), 39-40.

[3] Cf. Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, Propositio 1.

[4] Cf. Propositio 2.

[5] Benedict XVI, Address to Members of the Special Council for Africa of the Synod of
Bishops (Yaoundé, 19 March 2009): AAS101 (2009), 310.

[6] John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa (14 September 1995),
63: AAS 88 (1996), 39-40.

[7] Cf. No. 92: AAS 88 (1996), 57-58; cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, 11; Decree on the Apostolate of the
Laity Apostolicam Actuositatem, 11; John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic ExhortationFamiliaris
Consortio (22 November 1981), 21: AAS 74 (1982), 104-106.
[8] Cf. No. 63:AAS 88 (1996), 39-40.

[9] Quis dives salvetur 29; PG 9, 633.

[10] Benedict XVI, Address to the Roman Curia (21 December 2009): AAS 102 (2010), 35.

[11] No. 79: AAS 88 (1996), 51.

[12] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 1: AAS 101 (2009), 641.

[13] Id., Homily at the Opening Mass of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of
Bishops (4 October 2009): AAS101 (2009), 907.

[14] John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte (6 January 2001), 3: AAS 93 (2001),
267.

[15] Ibid., 29: AAS 93 (2001), 286.

[16] Adversus Haereses IV, 20, 7: PG 7, 1037.

[17] Propositio 34.

[18] Benedict XVI, Homily at the Closing Mass of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the
Synod of Bishops (25 October 2009): AAS 101 (2009), 918.

[19] Propositio 46.

[20] Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Final Message (24 October
2008), 10.

[21] Benedict XVI, Address to the Roman Curia (21 December 2009): AAS 102 (2010), 35.

[22] Cf. Id., Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 5-9: AAS 101 (2009), 643-647.

[23] Id., Address to the Roman Curia (21 December 2009): AAS 102 (2010), 35.

[24] Id., Message for the 2008 World Day of Peace: AAS 100 (2008), 38-45.

[25] Id., Address to the Roman Curia (21 December 2009): AAS 102 (2010), 37.

[26] Cf. Propositio 5.

[27] Relatio ante disceptationem, II, a.

[28] Ibid.

[29] Benedict XVI, Address to the Roman Curia (21 December 2009): AAS 102 (2010), 35.
[30] Cf. Id., Homily at the Closing Mass of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod
of Bishops (25 October 2009): AAS101 (2009), 916.

[31] Cf. John Paul II, Message for the 1997 World Day of Peace, 1: AAS 89 (1997), 1.

[32] Propositio 5.

[33] Cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est (25 December 2005), 28: AAS 98
(2006), 238-240.

[34] Cf. Propositio 14.

[35] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 9: AAS 101 (2009), 646-
647.

[36] Cf. Id., Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est (25 December 2005), 28-29: AAS 98 (2006), 238-
240; International Theological Commission, Select Questions on the Theology of God the
Redeemer (29 November 1994), 14-20: Enchiridion Vaticanum 14, Nos. 1844-1850.

[37] Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern
World Gaudium et Spes, 40; Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social
Doctrine of the Church, 49-51.

[38] Cf. Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theol., IIa-IIae, q. 58, a. 1.

[39] Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus (1 May 1991), 35: AAS 83 (1991),
837.

[40] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1894.

[41] Lineamenta, 44.

[42] Saint Augustine, De Civitate Dei, XIX, 21,1: PL 41, 649.

[43] Cf. Benedict XVI, Message for Lent 2010 (30 October 2009): Insegnamenti V/2 (2009),
454.

[44] Cf. ibid.

[45] Cf. Propositio 17.

[46] Cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 6: AAS 101 (2009),
644.

[47] Id., Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est (25 December 2005), 28: AAS 98 (2006), 240.
[48] Cf. Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 53, 80: AAS 68
(1976), 41-42, 73-74; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio (7 December 1990),
46: AAS 83 (1991), 293.

[49] Cf. Final Message, 36.

[50] Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen
Gentium, 1.

[51] Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Doctrinal Note on some Aspects of
Evangelization (3 December 2007), 9: AAS100 (2008), 497-498.

[52] Lineamenta, 48.

[53] Propositio 43.

[54] Ibid.

[55] Cf. Benedict XVI, Address to the Pontifical Council for the Laity (21 May
2010): Insegnamenti VI/1 (2010), 758.

[56] Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad
Gentes, 15.

[57] Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 22: AAS 68 (1976),
20.

[58] Cf. Propositio 9.

[59] Cf. Propositio 8.

[60] Cf. Nos. 28-34: AAS 77 (1985), 250-273. This teaching was confirmed by the Apostolic
Letter issued Motu proprio Misericordia Dei (2 May 2002): AAS 94 (2002), 452-459.

[61] Cf. Propositio 7.

[62] Cf. Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte (6 January 2001), 43: AAS 93 (2001), 297.

[63] Ibid.

[64] Ibid.

[65] Cf. Propositio 9.

[66] Cf. Propositio 33.

[67] Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Doctrinal Note on some Aspects of
Evangelization (3 December 2007), 6: AAS 100 (2008), 494.

[68] Cf. Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 19-20: AAS 68
(1976), 18-19.

[69] Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte (6 January 2001), 40: AAS 93
(2001), 295.

[70] Cf. Propositio 32.

[71] Benedict XVI, Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops: Meditation after
the Hour of Terce (5 October 2009): AAS 101 (2009), 924.

[72] No. 55: AAS 102 (2010), 734-735.

[73] Cf. Propositio 45.

[74] Benedict XVI, Address to Members of the Special Council for Africa of the Synod of
Bishops (Yaoundé, 19 March 2009): AAS101 (2009), 313.

[75] Cf. Id., Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (22 February 2007),
51: AAS 99 (2007), 144.

[76] Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on
the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World (31 May 2004),
13: AAS 96 (2004), 682.

[77] Benedict XVI, Message for the 2008 World Day of Peace, 3: AAS 100 (2008), 38-39.

[78] Cf. Propositio 38.

[79] Benedict XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (22 February
2007), 79: AAS 99 (2007), 165-166.

[80] Cf. ibid., 73.

[81] Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte (6 January 2001), 38 and
39: AAS 93 (2001), 293-294.

[82] John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio, 39: AAS 74 (1982), 130-131; cf.
Paul VI, Apostolic ExhortationEvangelii Nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 71: AAS 68 (1976), 60-
61.

[83] John Paul II, Homily for the Jubilee of the Elderly (17 September 2000), 5: AAS 92 (2000),
876; cf. Id., Letter to the Elderly (1 October 1999): AAS 92 (2000), 186-204.
[84] Cf. Final Message, 26.

[85] Epistula 1, 11: PL 65, 306C.

[86] Cf. John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio, 25, 43: AAS 74
(1982), 110-111; 134-135.

[87] Cf. Propositio 45.

[88] Cf. Final Message, 26.

[89] Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern
World Gaudium et Spes, 67.

[90] Origen, De Principiis, IV, 4, 10, SC 268, 427.

[91] John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem (15 August 1988), 29: AAS 80 (1988),
1722; cf. Benedict XVI, Meeting with Catholic Movements for the Promotion of Women (Luanda,
22 March 2009): Insegnamenti V/1 (2009), 484.

[92] Benedict XVI, Meeting with Catholic Movements for the Promotion of Women (Luanda, 22
March 2009): Insegnamenti V/1 (2009), 484.

[93] Cf. Propositio 47.

[94] Benedict XVI, Meeting with Catholic Movements for the Promotion of Women (Luanda, 22
March 2009): Insegnamenti V/1 (2009), 484.

[95] Second Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Document Justitia in
Mundo (30 November 1971), 45: AAS 63 (1971), 933; cf. John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa, 121: AAS 88 (1996), 71-72.

[96] Final Message, 25.

[97] Benedict XVI, Message for the 2010 World Day of Peace, 11: AAS 102 (2010), 49; cf. Id.,
Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate(29 June 2009), 51: AAS 101 (2009), 687.

[98] Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem (15 August 1988), 31: AAS 80 (1988),
1727-1729; ID., Letter to Women(29 June 1995), 12: AAS 87 (1995), 812.

[99] Cf. Final Message, 27-28.

[100] John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte (6 January 2001), 9: AAS 93 (2001),
271-272.

[101] No. 104: AAS 102 (2010), 772.

[102] Rule III, 3; cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte (6 January 2001),
45: AAS 93 (2001), 298-299.

[103] Cf. Propositio 48.

[104] Cf. Benedict XVI, Message for the XXV World Youth Day (22 February 2010), 7: AAS 102
(2010), 253-254; Id., Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini (30 September 2010),
104: AAS 102 (2010), 772-773.

[105] AAS 97 (2005), 712.

[106] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae (25 March 1995), 57: AAS 87 (1995),
466.

[107] The Synod Fathers referred to different situations, including those involving: children
killed before birth, unwanted children, orphans, albinos, street children, abandoned children,
child soldiers, child prisoners, children forced into labour, children ill-treated on account of
physical or mental handicap, children said to be witches or warlocks, children said to be
serpents, children sold as sex slaves, traumatized children without any future prospects, etc.
Cf. Propositio 49.

[108] Cf. John Paul II, Letter to Children (13 December 1994): Insegnamenti XVII/2 (1994),
1077.

[109] Cf. Final Message, 30.

[110] Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio (26 March 1967), 14: AAS 59 (1967), 264; cf.
Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 18: AAS 101 (2009), 653-654.

[111] Cf. Propositio 20.

[112] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae (25 March 1995), 82: AAS 87 (1995),
495.

[113] Cf. Propositio 53.

[114] Cf. Propositio 52.

[115] Cf. Propositio 51.

[116] Cf. Final Message, 31.

[117] Cf. Propositio 19.

[118] Cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 21: AAS 101 (2009),
655-656.
[119] Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis
Humanae, 13.

[120] Cf. Propositiones 17 and 29.

[121] Cf. Final Message, 32.

[122] Cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 42: AAS 101 (2009),
677-678; cf. Propositio 15.

[123] Second Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Document Justitia in
Mundo (30 November 1971), Proposition8a: AAS 63 (1971), 941.

[124] Ibid., Propositions 8b and 8c: AAS 63 (1971), 941.

[125] Cf. Propositio 22.

[126] Cf. Propositio 30.

[127] Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Doctrinal Note on Some Questions
Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life (24 November 2002): AAS 96 (2004),
359-370.

[128] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2419.

[129] Cf. Propositio 24; Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 58,
60, 67: AAS 101 (2009), 693-694, 695, 700-701; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1883, 1885.

[130] Cf. Propositio 25.

[131] Cf. Propositio 26.

[132] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 43: AAS 101 (2009),
679.

[133] Cf. Propositio 54.

[134] Ibid.

[135] Cf. Propositio 55.

[136] Cf. Propositio 54.

[137] Cf. Propositio 28.

[138] Cf. Benedict XVI, Address to Members of the Special Council for Africa of the Synod of
Bishops (Yaoundé, 19 March 2009):AAS 101 (2009), 310.
[139] Cf. Id., Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 62: AAS 101 (2009), 696-697.

[140] Ibid., 42: AAS 101 (2009), 677.

[141] Ibid., 36: AAS 101 (2009), 672.

[142] Ibid., 47: AAS 101 (2009), 684; cf. Propositio 31.

[143] Cf. Propositiones 10, 11, 12, 13.

[144] Confessions, VII, 10, 16: PL 32, 742.

[145] Cf. Propositio 10.

[146] Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions Nostra Aetate, 2;
cf. Propositiones 3 and 13.

[147] Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-
Christian Religions Nostra Aetate, 3.

[148] Cf. Final Message, 41.

[149] Cf. Propositio 12.

[150] Cf. Benedict XVI, Message for the 2011 World Day of Peace, AAS 103 (2011), 46-58.

[151] Cf. Propositio 18.

[152] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 30: AAS 101 (2009),
665.

[153] Congregation for Bishops, Directory for the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops Apostolorum
Successores (22 February 2004), 33-48;Enchiridion Vaticanum 22, Nos. 1650-1676.

[154] Ep. 33, 1: PL 4, 297.

[155] Benedict XVI, Address to the Bishops of France, Lourdes (14 September
2008): Insegnamenti IV/2 (2008), 321.

[156] Propositio 3.

[157] Cf. Propositio 4.

[158] Cf. ibid.

[159] Cf. Propositio 39.

[160] Cf. Final Message, 20.

[161] Cf. Propositio 39.

[162] Cf. Benedict XVI, Address to the Roman Curia (21 December 2009): AAS 102 (2010), 35.

[163] Ep. 66,1: PL 4, 398.

[164] Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Magnesios, III, 2; ed. F.X. FUNK, 233.

[165] Benedict XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (22 February
2007), 24: AAS 99 (2007), 125.

[166] Apologeticum, 50,13: PL 1, 603.

[167] Cf. Congregation for Catholic Education, Fundamental Norms for the Formation of
Permanent Deacons (22 February 1998), 8: Enchiridion Vaticanum 17, No. 167; Congregation
for the Clergy, Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons (22 February 1998), 6,
8 and 48: Enchiridion Vaticanum 17, Nos. 291, 294-297, 376-378.

[168] Cf. Lineamenta, 89.

[169] Cf. Propositio 50.

[170] Cf. Propositio 41.

[171] Cf. Propositio 42.

[172] Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen
Gentium, 46.

[173] Cf. Id., Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes, 18.

[174] Cf. Propositio 40.

[175] Ibid.

[176] Cf. Letter to Seminarians (18 October 2010): L’Osservatore Romano (18-19 October
2010), p. 12.

[177] Benedict XVI, Address to Members of the Special Council for Africa of the Synod of
Bishops (Yaoundé, 19 March 2009): AAS101 (2009), 311-312.

[178] Cf. Propositio 44; John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa (14
September 1995), 91, AAS 88 (1996), 57.
[179] Cf. John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici (30 December
1988), 15 and 17: AAS 81 (1989), 413-416 and 418-421.

[180] Propositio 37.

[181] No. 103: AAS 88 (1996), 62-63.

[182] Benedict XVI, Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. Meditation
during Terce (5 October 2009): AAS101 (2009), 920.

[183] Ibid.

[184] Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen
Gentium, 1.

[185] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est (25 December 2005), 39: AAS 98 (2006),
250.

[186] Cf. Propositio 35.

[187] Benedict XVI, Homily in Nazareth (14 May 2009): AAS 101 (2009), 480.

[188] Cf. Id., Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (22 February 2007),
49: AAS 99 (2007), 143.

[189] Cf. Propositio 36.

[190] No. 103: AAS 88 (1996), 62-63.

[191] Benedict XVI, Address to Members of the Special Council for Africa of the Synod of
Bishops (Yaoundé, 19 March 2009): AAS101 (2009), 312.

[192] Cf. Final Message, 31.

[193] Ibid.

[194] Cf. John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa (14 September
1995), 124: AAS 88 (1996), 72-73.

[195] Cf. Propositio 56.

[196] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 73: AAS 101 (2009),
705.

[197] Ibid., 73: AAS 101 (2009), 704-705.

[198] Cf. Propositio 56.

[199] Commentarium in Isaiam prophetam, Prologus: PL 24, 17.

[200] Cf. Propositio 46.

[201] Benedict XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (22 February
2007), 82: AAS 99 (2007), 168-169; Id., Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est (25 December 2005),
14: AAS 98 (2006), 228-229.

[202] Cf. Propositio 8.

[203] Cf. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (22 February 2007),
51: AAS 99 (2007), 144.

[204] Ibid., 83: AAS 99 (2007), 169.

[205] Cf. Propositio 5.

[206] Cf. Propositio 6; John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatio et
Poenitentia (2 December 1984), 23: AAS 77 (1985), 233-235.

[207] Propositio 8.

[208] Cf. ibid.

[209] Ibid.

[210] Propositio 9.

[211] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Spe Salvi (30 November 2007), 49: AAS 99 (2007), 1025.

[212] Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Doctrinal Note on some Aspects of
Evangelization (3 December 2007), 12: AAS100 (2008), 501.

[213] Cf. Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Ia-IIae, q. 106, a. 1.

[214] Benedict XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini (30 September 2010),
122: AAS 102 (2010), 785.

[215] Propositio 34.

[216] Ibid; cf. Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (8 December 1975),
21: AAS 68 (1976), 19-20.

[217] John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa (14 September 1995),
31: AAS 88 (1996), 21.
[218] Id., Address to the Members of the Latin American Episcopal Council (9 March
1983): AAS 75 (1983), 778.

[219] Cf. No. 29: AAS 102 (2010), 708.

[220] Benedict XVI, Address to the Members of the Special Council of the Synod for Africa of
the Synod of Bishops (Yaoundé, 19 March 2009): AAS 101 (2009), 312.

[221] Id., Encyclical Letter Spe Salvi (30 November 2007), 1: AAS 99 (2007), 985.

[222] Id., Homily at the Final Mass of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of
Bishops (25 October 2009): AAS 101 (2009), 918.

[223] Ibid.

[224] Cf. ibid.

[225] Benedict XVI, Address to the Roman Curia (21 December 2009): AAS 102 (2010), 34.

[226] Cf. Propositio 57.

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