Vatican City, 29 November 2015 (VIS) –
This morning, at 9.15 local time (7.15 in Rome), the Holy Father left
Uganda to embark on the final phase of his eleventh apostolic trip,
in the Central African Republic, reaching the capital Bangui at 10 am
local time, the same as in Rome. The Pope was received by the Head of
State of the Transition of the Central African Republic, Catherine
Samba-Panza, who is also the deputy president of the Association of
African Women Jurists. The Head of State, mayor of the capital during
the 2012- 2013 armed conflict, was elected as interim president to
govern the country during the phase of transition between civil war
and the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, scheduled
to take place in December.
From the airport the Pope proceeded to
the Palais de la Renaissance, where after meeting with the family of
the president in private, he encountered the ruling class and
diplomatic corps accredited to the country, to whom he expressed his
sympathy and spiritual closeness to all Central Africans. The bishop
of Rome also greeted the representatives of international
organisations whose work evokes “the ideal of solidarity and
cooperation which needs to be cultivated between peoples and
nations”.
“As the Central African Republic
progressively moves, in spite of difficulties, towards the
normalisation of its social and political life, I come to this land
for the first time, following my predecessor St. John Paul II. I come
as a pilgrim of peace and an apostle of hope. For this reason, I
express my appreciation of the efforts made by the different national
and international authorities, beginning with Madam Interim Head of
State, to guide the country to this point. It is my fervent wish that
the various national consultations to be held in coming weeks will
enable the country to embark serenely on new chapter of its history”.
“To brighten the horizon, there is
the motto of the Central African Republic, which translates the hope
of pioneers and the dream of the founding fathers:
'Unity-Dignity-Labour'. Today, more than ever, this trilogy expresses
the aspirations of each Central African. Consequently, it is a sure
compass for the authorities called to guide the destiny of the
country. Unity, dignity, labour! Three very significant words, each
of which represents as much a building project as a unending
programme, something to be ceaselessly crafted”.
“First, unity. This, we know, is a
cardinal value for the harmony of peoples. It is to be lived and
built up on the basis of the marvellous diversity of our environment,
avoiding the temptation of fear of others, of the unfamiliar, of what
is not part of our ethnic group, our political views or our religious
confession. Unity, on the contrary, calls for creating and promoting
a synthesis of the richness which each person has to offer. Unity in
diversity is a constant challenge, one which demands creativity,
generosity, self-sacrifice and respect for others”.
Then, dignity. This moral value is
rightly synonymous with the honesty, loyalty, graciousness and honour
which characterise men and women conscious of their rights and
duties, and which lead them to mutual respect. Each person has
dignity. I was interested to learn that Central Africa is the country
of the 'Zo kwe zo', the country where everybody is somebody.
Everything must be done to protect the status and dignity of the
human person. Those who have the means to enjoy a decent life, rather
than being concerned with privileges, must seek to help those poorer
than themselves to attain dignified living conditions, particularly
through the development of their human, cultural, economic and social
potential. Consequently, access to education and to health care, the
fight against malnutrition and efforts to ensure decent housing for
everyone must be at the forefront of a development concerned for
human dignity. In effect, our human dignity is expressed by our
working for the dignity of our fellow man”.
“Finally, labour. It is by working
that you are able to improve the lives of your families. St. Paul
tells us that 'children ought not to lay up for their parents, but
parents for their children'. The work of parents expresses their love
for their children. And you again, Central Africans, can improve this
marvellous land by wisely exploiting its many resources. Your
country is located in a region considered to be one of the two lungs
of mankind on account of its exceptionally rich biodiversity. In this
regard, echoing my cncyclical 'Laudato Si’', I would like
particularly to draw the attention of everyone, citizens and national
leaders, international partners and multinational societies, to their
grave responsibility in making use of environmental resources, in
development decisions and projects which in any way affect the entire
planet. The work of building a prosperous society must be a
cooperative effort. The wisdom of your people has long understood
this truth, as seen in the proverb: 'The ants are little, but since
they are so many, they can bring their hoard home'”.
“It is no doubt superfluous to
underline the capital importance of upright conduct and
administration on the part of public authorities. They must be the
first to embody consistently the values of unity, dignity and labour,
serving as models for their compatriots”.
“The history of the evangelisation of
this land and the socio-political history of this country attest to
the commitment of the Church in promoting the values of unity,
dignity and labour. In recalling the pioneers of evangelisation in
the Central African Republic, I greet my brother bishops, who now
carry on this work. With them, I express once more the readiness of
the local Church to contribute even more to the promotion of the
common good, particularly by working for peace and reconciliation. I
do not doubt that the Central African authorities, present and
future, will work tirelessly to ensure that the Church enjoys
favourable conditions for the fulfilment of her spiritual mission. In
this way she will be able to contribute increasingly to 'promoting
the good of every man and of the whole man', to use the felicitous
expression of my predecessor, Blessed Paul VI, who fifty years ago
was the first Pope of modern times to come to Africa, to encourage
and confirm the continent in goodness at the dawn of a new age”.
“For my part, I express my
appreciation for the efforts made by the international community,
represented here by the Diplomatic Corps and the members of the
various Missions of the International Organisations. I heartily
encourage them to continue along the path of solidarity, in the hope
that their commitment, together with the activity of the Central
African authorities, will help the country to advance, especially in
the areas of reconciliation, disarmament, peacekeeping, health care
and the cultivation of a sound administration at all levels”.
“To conclude, I would like to express
once more my joy to visit this marvellous country, located in the
heart of Africa, home to a people profoundly religious and blessed
with so such natural and cultural richness. Here I see a country
filled with God’s gifts! May the Central African people, its
leaders and its partners, always appreciate the value of these gifts
by working ceaselessly for unity, human dignity and a peace based on
justice. May God bless you all! Thank you”.
After his meeting with the country's
leaders, the Holy Father travelled by popemobile to the refugee camp
in the parish of St. Sauveur, where he was welcomed by the children
who live there and greeted by a woman residing there. The Pope
greeted all present and addressed the following words to them: “We
must work and pray to do everything possible for peace, but peace
without love, without friendship, without tolerance and without
forgiveness, is not possible. Each one of us must do something. I
wish peace upon all of you and for all Central Africans, a great
peace among you; that you may live in peace regardless of ethnic
group, culture, religion or social status. Peace to all, as we are
all brothers and sisters. I would like us all to say together that we
are all brothers and sisters, and therefore we want peace. I bring
you the Lord's blessing”.
This afternoon, after lunching with the
bishops of the Central African Republic at the apostolic nunciature,
he will visit the faculty of theology in Bangui, where he will
pronounce a discourse before the country's evangelical communities.
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