Pope concludes Cameroon visit and heads for Angola

(March 20, 2009) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday concluded his visit to Cameroon and began the final part of his March 17-23 pastoral visit to Africa. The purpose of his current visit was to present the working document of the Second Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Africa, scheduled for October in Rome. That document was issued to the African Church on Thurrsday during an open-air Mass at the sports stadium of Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon.
Bidding farewell to Cameroon at Yaoundé’s airport Friday morning, the Pope thanked all its people for their hospitality, but especially expressed gratitude for prayers that this pastoral visit will bear fruit for the life of the Church in Africa. He urged them to continue praying that the upcoming Synod for Africa will prove to be a time of grace for the Church throughout the continent, a time of renewal and rededication to the mission to bring the healing message of the Gospel to a broken world.
The Pope said he was carrying away memories of his visit to Cameroon. He said he was particularly moved by the care that is taken of the sick and the disabled, who are some of the most vulnerable members of our society. He also recalled his meeting with members of the Islamic community, and hoped Christians and Muslims would grow in mutual respect and esteem for one another, and strengthen their resolve to work together to proclaim the God-given dignity of the human person, a message that an increasingly secularized world needs to hear.
The Pope said the historic moment of the promulgation of the African synod’s working document in Yaounde is truly a moment of great hope for Africa and for the whole world. He urged the people of Cameroon to bring reconciliation, healing and peace to their communities and society! Work to eliminate injustice, poverty and hunger wherever you encounter it! “And may God bless this beautiful country, “Africa in miniature”, a land of promise, a land of glory,” the Pope added.
Pope Benedict flew out of Yaounde’s airport for Luanda, the capital of Angola. Setting foot on Angolan soil, the pope said he intended to reach out to the whole African continent. Speaking in Portuguese, he warmly encouraged the people of Angola to continue along the path of peace-building and reconstruction of the country and its institutions. He wished they be able build together a freer and more peaceful society, marked by greater solidarity.
Angola was lacerated by a civil war that started with its 1975 independence and ended in 2002. Its history as a former Portuguese colony has given the country Christian roots and today about 8.6 million people, or more than 60 percent of the population, are Catholic.
Pope Benedict reminded Angolans of his own homeland where Nazi Germany’s inhuman and destructive ideologies under the false appearance of dreams and illusions caused the yoke of oppression to weigh down upon the people. The Pope said he is keenly aware that dialogue is a way of overcoming every form of conflict and tension and making every nation – including Angola – into a house of peace and fraternity.
He appealed to Angolans to build peace and understanding between peoples, without yielding to the law of the strongest! He urged them to use reason and faith that will help them recognize their neighbour as a brother or sister, born with the same fundamental human rights. Unfortunately, the Pope observed that within the borders of Angola, there are still many poor people demanding that their rights be respected. The multitude of Angolans who live below the threshold of absolute poverty must not be forgotten, he said and urged that their expectations are not disappointed. To build the common good requires the participation of all. But for that, common values have to be shared by all. The Pope wished that as in the past, modern Angola will be able to find such values in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.