(20 Mar 09 - RV) Pope Benedict XVI left Cameroon on Friday to begin his second leg
of his African tour, which is in Angola. Before leaving the country, Pope Benedict
reflected on his time in Cameroon. We have the story...
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Text of Pope Benedict's Remarks March 20, 2009 Nsimalen Airport Yaoundé,
Cameroon
Mr President, Distinguished Representatives of the Civil Authorities, Cardinal
Tumi, My Brother Bishops, Dear Brothers and Sisters, As I prepare to leave
Cameroon, having completed the first phase of my Apostolic Visit to Africa, I want
to thank all of you for the generous reception you have given me during these days.
The warmth of the African sun is reflected in the warmth of the hospitality that has
been extended to me. I thank the President and the members of the Government for
their courteous welcome. I thank my brother Bishops and all the Catholic faithful
who have offered such an inspiring example of joyful and exuberant worship during
the liturgies that we have experienced together. I am glad, too, that members of
other Christian ecclesial communities were able to be present at some of our gatherings,
and I renew my respectful greetings to them and their leaders. I would like to express
my great appreciation for all the work undertaken by the civil authorities in order
to ensure the smooth progress of my visit. But above all, I want to thank all those
who have been praying so hard that this pastoral visit will bear fruit for the life
of the Church in Africa. And I ask you to continue praying that the Second Special
Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops 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. Many of the scenes
I have witnessed here will remain deeply etched on my memory. At the Cardinal Léger
Centre, it was most moving to observe the care that is taken of the sick and the disabled,
some of the most vulnerable members of our society. That Christ-like compassion is
a sure sign of hope for the future of the Church and for the future of Africa. My
meeting with members of the Muslim community here in Cameroon was another highlight
that will remain with me. As we continue on our journey towards greater mutual understanding,
I pray that we will also grow in respect and esteem for one another, and strengthen
our resolve to work together to proclaim the God-given dignity of the human person,
a message that an increasingly secularized world needs to hear. My principal reason
for coming to Cameroon, of course, was to visit the Catholic community here. It gave
me great joy to spend some fraternal moments with the Bishops, and to celebrate the
Church’s liturgy with so many members of the faithful. I came here specifically in
order to share with you the historic moment of the promulgation of the Instrumentum
Laboris for the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. Truly
this is a moment of great hope for Africa and for the whole world. People of
Cameroon, I urge you to seize the moment the Lord has given you! Answer his call
to bring reconciliation, healing and peace to your communities and your 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. God bless you all!