{"id":9315,"date":"2015-05-22T12:07:28","date_gmt":"2015-05-22T12:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.acnmalta.org\/?p=9315"},"modified":"2015-05-22T12:07:28","modified_gmt":"2015-05-22T12:07:28","slug":"justice-and-truth-are-the-keys-to-peace-in-central-african-republic-pope-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acnmalta.org\/_oldsite\/2015\/05\/22\/justice-and-truth-are-the-keys-to-peace-in-central-african-republic-pope-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Justice and truth are the keys to peace in Central African Republic, Pope says"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\"><\/style><p>Friday, 15 May 2015\u00a0(1 week ago)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-9318 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.acnmalta.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Untitled-11-e1432296369746.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled-1\" width=\"202\" height=\"48\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Vatican City, May 15, 2015 \/ 11:47 am (CNA\/EWTN News).-\u00a0Pope Francis&#8217; address to the bishops of the Central African Republic on Friday focused on the Church&#8217;s role in fostering reconciliation in the war-torn country, urging a deeper adhesion to the Gospel and the importance of honesty and justice in the process.<br \/>\nArmed conflict broke out in CAR in December 2012, and it has has since been gripped by violence between the mostly Muslim and foreign Seleka, and the largely Christian anti-balaka. The conflict has died down since the presence of international peacekeepers was enlarged in late 2014, but the nation remains unstable.<\/p>\n<p>The Pope told the CAR bishops May 15 at the Vatican: \u201cYou, brothers in the episcopate, must play an indispensable prophetic role during the current institutional transition, recalling and reflecting the witness of the fundamental values of justice, truth and honesty, which are the foundation of any renewal, promoting dialogue and peaceful coexistence between members of different societies and ethnicities, thus encouraging reconciliation and social cohesion, which is the key to the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The country&#8217;s conflict began when Seleka rebels, loosely organized groups that drew primarily Muslim fighters from other countries, ousted the president and installed their own leader in a March 2013 coup.<\/p>\n<p>In September 2013, after 10 months of terrorism at the hands of the Seleka, anti-balaka self-defense groups began to form. The conflict in the nation took on a sectarian character, as some anti-balaka, many of whom are Christian, began attacking\u00a0Muslims\u00a0out of revenge for the Seleka\u2019s acts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour task is difficult,\u201d Pope Francis reflected with the bishops, \u201cbut it touches the very mystery of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again. It is when evil and death seem to triumph that the hope of renewal in Christ emerges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is when hatred and violence are unleashed that we are called upon \u2013 and find the strength through the power of the Cross and the grace of Baptism \u2013 to respond with forgiveness and love. If, sadly, this has not always been the case in the recent events that you have experienced, it is a sign that the Gospel has not yet deeply penetrated the heart of the People of God, to the point of changing their reflexes and their behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since the Churches of the CAR are the result of recent evangelization \u2013 the first was founded in 1909 \u2013 \u201cyour primary mission is to continue the work recently begun,\u201d Pope Francis told the bishops. \u201cYou must not be discouraged by the storm you are passing through, but on the contrary must find, in faith and hope, a source of renewed enthusiasm and dynamism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Pope also referred to \u201cthe countless testimonies of faith and fidelity Christians have rendered to the risen Christ on numerous occasions. I am particularly aware of all that your communities have done to for victims of violence and for\u00a0refugees,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The fighting between the Seleka and anti-balaka killed thousands and displaced some 1 million from their homes. Since December 2013, Catholic churches have been sheltering the displaced \u2013 both Christians and Muslims \u2013 and protecting them from attack by both forces. These include St. Peter&#8217;s parish in Boali, a parish in Carnot, and Bangui&#8217;s Carmelite monastery. Catholic Relief Services has also fostered reconciliation workshops in the country, led by Rwandans who lived through their own country&#8217;s 1994 genocide.<\/p>\n<p>In the face of the violence, Pope Francis told the bishops their priority must be \u201cChristian formation and a deepening of the faith \u2026 so that the Gospel permeates the life of the baptised, for the good not only of the Christian communities, but also the whole of Central African society.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He welcomed the contribution to Christian formation made by catechists and by \u201cfidei donum\u201d priests, who are on loan to Central African dioceses from their local Churches in other countries: \u201cthey are to be warmly thanked for coming to share the ministry in such difficult conditions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The Central African bishops \u201care called upon to form the conscience of the faithful, and indeed that of all the people, as your voice is heard and respected by all,\u201d he told them. \u201cIt is in this way that you should take your rightful place in current developments, avoiding direct involvement in political quarrels.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHowever, by forming and encouraging the laity so they are steadfast in their faith and solidly trained in the social doctrine of the Church, able to engage in political debate and to take responsibility \u2013 and it is their role \u2013 you are able to gradually transform society according to the Gospel and to prepare a happy future for your people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To be able to do this, Pope Francis said, the bishops must be attentive fathers to their priests. He also reflected on seminary formation, stressing the importance of \u201chuman and affective formation\u201d in seminaries \u201cso that future priests may be capable of living their commitment to celibacy; on this no compromise can be accepted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Pope also devoted time to speaking about families, saying they are \u201cthe first victims of violence and who are too often destabilised or destroyed\u201d in the armed conflict which CAR has experienced. He added that families are \u201cthe privileged location for the proclamation of the faith and the practice of Christian virtues, the cradle of many priestly and religious vocations,\u201d and the ideal setting for learning the culture of forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation, \u201cwhich your country so needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pope Francis remind the bishops \u201cit is essential that the family be protected and defended &#8216;so that it may offer society the service expected of it, that of providing men and women capable of building a social fabric of peace and harmony,&#8217;\u201d quoting Africae Munus, Benedict XVI&#8217;s 2011 apostolic exhortation on the Church in Africa in service to reconciliation, justice and peace.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can therefore only encourage you to accord to the pastoral care of\u00a0marriage\u00a0the attention that it deserves, and not to be discouraged by resistance due to cultural traditions, human weakness, or the new forms of ideological colonisation that are spreading everywhere,\u201d Pope Francis stated, thanking them for their participation at the upcoming Synod on the Family, and asking their\u00a0prayers\u00a0for the synod.<\/p>\n<p>Since the Central African bishops were in Rome for their five-yearly visit ad limina apostolorum \u2013 to the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul \u2013 and to St. Peter&#8217;s successor, Pope Francis told them, \u201cI sincerely hope that this pilgrimage to the sources of the faith gives you comfort and encouragement for the continuation of your pastoral ministry. May the intercession of St. Peter and St. Paul obtain for you the graces necessary to gather and to lead the flock that the Lord has entrusted to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pope Francis has also considered himself visiting CAR. He expressed desire to do so during his January flight back to Rome from the\u00a0Philippines, and Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga of Bangui told Aid to the Church in Need in March that Pope Francis will visit CAR this November, saying, \u201cThe papal visit is a sign of the goodness of God and a consolation. He is coming to us as a father \u2013 and precisely at a moment when we have just been through a long crisis that has left deep scars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Pope concluded his address to the Central African bishops saying, \u201cI entrust all of you, as well as the priests, consecrated persons, catechists, and lay faithful of your dioceses, to the protection of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Friday, 15 May 2015\u00a0(1 week ago) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Vatican City, May 15, 2015 \/ 11:47 am (CNA\/EWTN News).-\u00a0Pope Francis&#8217; address to the bishops of the Central African Republic on Friday focused on the Church&#8217;s role in fostering reconciliation in the war-torn country, urging a deeper adhesion to the Gospel and the importance of honesty&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9335,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-e-newsletters"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - 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