Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) – The
implementation of catechetical methods for inculturation, the defence
of the family and the role of women, and the need for dialogue with
other religions in a country where Catholics are a minority are the
main themes of the discourse Pope Francis handed to the bishops of
Chad this morning, at the end of their “ad Limina” visit. The
Holy Father writes that the Catholic communities in this country “are
growing, not only numerically, but also in terms of quality and the
strength of their efforts”, and expressed his satisfaction for the
work carried out in the spheres of education, health and development.
“The civil authorities are very
grateful to the Catholic Church for her contribution to society as a
whole in Chad. I encourage you to persevere along this path, as there
is a strong bond between evangelisation and human development, a bond
that must be expressed and developed in all the work of
evangelisation. Service to the poor and the most disadvantaged
constitutes a true testimony of Christ, Who made Himself poor in
order to be close to us and to save us. Both the religious
congregations and lay associations who work with them play an
important role in this respect, and they are to be thanked for this”.
“However”, he observes, “it is
certain that this commitment to social service does not constitute
the entirety of evangelizing activity; the deepening and
strengthening of faith in the hearts of the faithful, that translates
into an authentic spiritual and sacramental life, are essential to
enable them to withstand the many trials of contemporary life, and to
ensure that the behaviour of the faithful is more coherent with the
requirements of the Gospel. … This is especially necessary in a
country where certain cultural traditions bear considerable weight,
where less morally demanding religious possibilities are present
everywhere, and where secularism begins to make headway”.
Therefore, “it is necessary for the
faithful to receive a solid doctrinal and spiritual formation. And
the first locus of formation is certainly catechesis. I invite you,
with a renewed missionary spirit, to implement the catechetical
methods used in your dioceses. First, the good aspects of their
traditions must be considered and accorded their due value –
because Christ did not come to destroy cultures, but rather to lead
them to fulfilment – while that which is not Christian must be
clearly denounced. At the same time, it is essential to ensure the
accuracy and integrity of doctrinal content”.
The Pope goes on to refer to families,
who are “the vital cell of society and the Church, and who are
currently very vulnerable. … And within the family, it is important
that the role and the dignity of the woman are recognised, to bear
eloquent witness to the Gospel. Therefore, in this respect,
“behaviour within the Church must be a model for the whole of
society”.
After reiterating the need for the
permanent formation of the clergy and the closeness of bishops and
priests, Pope Francis observes that the Church in Chad, “despite
her vitality and development, is a minority in a population in which
there is a Muslim majority and which is still partly bound to its
traditional religions”, and encouraged the prelates to ensure “that
the Church, which is respected and listened to, occupies the space
justly accorded to her in society in Chad, in which a significant
element has converted, even though this remains a minority”. He
continues, “in this context, I must urge you to foster
interreligious dialogue, which was fortunately initiated by the late
Archbishop of N'Djamena, Mathias M'Garteri Mayadi, who did much to
promote the co-existence of different religious communities. I
believe that it is necessary to continue with this type of initiative
to prevent the violence to which Christians have fallen victim in
neighbouring countries”.
The Holy Father concluded by
reiterating the importance of maintaining the good relations
established with the civil authorities, and highlighted the recent
signing of a Framework Agreement between the Holy See and the
Republic of Chad that, once ratified, will greatly help the mission
of the Church.
No comments:
Post a Comment