Pope calls Africa a "continent of hope "

(Sept. 05, 2012) “Africa is called to be a continent of hope ,” Pope Benedict XVI said on Wednesday in a message sent to the Pan-African Congress of the catholic laity in Yaounde, Camerun from 4-9 September. The Pope’s message was addressed to Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, President of Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Laity.The theme of the meeting organised by the Pontifical Council is “Witnesses of Jesus Christ in Africa today. Salt of the Earth and light of the world.” The Pope’s message says that during his travels on the African Continent he stated on several occasions that Africa is called to be a continent of hope. He said they were not mere words for the occasion but pointed to the bright horizon that opens the eyes of faith. The Holy Father said that at first sight, Africa’s problems appear serious and not easy to solve, not only for material difficulties but also obstacles to spiritual and moral challenges the Church faces. The Pope noted that the most valuable traditional values of African culture today are threatened by secularism, which causes disorientation, exasperation of tribalism, violence, corruption in public life, exploitation of women and children and growth of poverty and hunger. Added to this the Pope said is also the shadow of fundamentalist terrorism, which has recently targeted the Christian community of some African countries. But, the Pope notes that at a closer look, the heart of the African peoples is rich in great spiritual resources, valuable for our time.
Citing the example of Bakhita, the African slave canonised a saint, Pope Benedict invites young Africans, who form the great majority of the population to follow the path of the Lord. Making Africa a Continent of Hope must guide the mission of the lay faithful in Africa today, as well as the Congress that you are celebrating, says the Pope’s message.