Cardinal Turkson outlines major issues of African synod

(October 5, 2009) Fierce competition from religious movements and evangelical sects, a heartless capitalist mentality and infidelity of priests and religious to their vocation and were some of the challenges of the Church in Africa that Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson, Archbishop of Cape Coast, highlighted while addressing the first working session of the African Synod in the Vatican on Monday morning. Cardinal Turkson, the Relator General of the African synod, pointed to numerous ecclesial and social issues that will be the basis of discussions during the 3-week gathering of bishops. Among them was the challenge of the fidelity and commitment of priests and religious to their vocation as also the need for evangelization and re-evangelization for a more profound and permanent conversion of heart. The cardinal spoke of those who have left the Church to join new religious movements and sects, young Africans who return less-Catholic from Europe and America because they don’t feel at home there. Cardinal Turkson also pointed out that a capitalist mentality has contributed to cancelling every idea of social justice and ethics in economics, thus making profit the prime motive that disregards the need for solidarity. “The fruit of reconciliation between God and man, and between man and man, he said, calls for the re-establishment of justice and right relationships. Consequently, he said, the entire notion of social justice has been eliminated and in its place a justice based on the laws of demand and supply according to individual needs without restrictions has been placed. On the other hand the justice of Christian service calls for a just order of things and of respect for correct relationships, Cardinal Turkson added.