Pope meets diplomats and political leaders in Angola

(March 21, 2009) Pope Benedict on Friday expressed satisfaction that after a devastating twenty-seven-year old civil war Angola was on the road to recovery. Peace has begun to take root, bringing with it the fruits of stability and freedom thanks to the sincere efforts of many, such as the government and multilateral agencies. He particularly commended the contribution of honest teachers, medical workers, and civil servants who, on meagre wages, serve their communities with integrity and compassion. There are countless others who selflessly undertake voluntary work at the service of the neediest. Pope Benedict was addressing diplomats and government leaders at the presidential palace in the Angolan capital, Luanda. The meeting was part of the programme of the Pope’s March 17-23 pastoral visit to Cameroon and Angola.
Pope Benedict told government authorities and diplomats that the time has also come for Africa to be the Continent of Hope! He told them that armed with integrity, magnanimity and compassion, they can transform the continent, freeing their people from the scourges of greed, violence and unrest and leading them along the path marked with the principles indispensable to every modern civic democracy, namely, respect and promotion of human rights, transparent governance, an independent judiciary, a free press, a civil service of integrity, a properly functioning network of schools and hospitals, and, most importantly, a determination born from the conversion of hearts to eradicate corruption once and for all.
The Pope drew attention to the need for an ethical approach to development saying what the people of the continent are calling out for is a deep-seated, lasting conversion of hearts to sincere solidarity. For a genuine social and economic development in Africa, African men and women themselves should be the primary agents of their own development, working together for the good of their communities.
The Pope reminded richer nations not to forget their aid commitments to Africa, including the Millennium Development Goals adopted in 2000, which foresaw the commitment of 0.7 percent of the gross national product for development assistance. That goal should not become one of the casualties of the current global financial crisis, he said.
Pope Benedict also took up the issue of the family which is under strain in Africa because of anxiety and ignominy caused by poverty, unemployment, disease and displacement. Particularly disturbing, he said, is the crushing yoke of discrimination that women and girls so often endure, not to mention the unspeakable practice of sexual violence and exploitation which causes such humiliation and trauma. Pope Benedict hit out at those who while claiming to improve the “social edifice”, threaten its very foundations by promoting abortion as a form of “maternal” healthcare! “How disconcerting the claim that the termination of life is a matter of reproductive health,” he said. Pope Benedict pledged the Church’s closeness with the poorest of Africa. Through the variety of her works, he said, she will continue to do all she can to support families, including those suffering the harrowing effects of HIV/AIDS, and uphold the equal dignity of women and men.