Build Christianity on African culture, Pope asks bishops from Chad
October 02, 2014
The Catholic communities of Chad are “growing, not only numerically, but also in terms of quality and the strength of their efforts,” Pope Francis said in a message to visiting bishops from the African country.
In his address to the bishops from Chad, who were making their ad limina visits, the Pontiff focused on the challenge of establishing the Christian faith among the people of a traditional African culture. He said that “the good aspects of their traditions must be considered and accorded their due value– because Christ did not come to destroy cultures, but rather to lead them to fulfillment– while that which is not Christian must be clearly denounced.”
Pope Francis encouraged the bishops to undertake programs that would serve the poor. “However,” he cautioned, “it is certain that this commitment to social service does not constitute the entirety of evangelizing activity.” The main goal must be to establish “an authentic spiritual and sacramental life,” he said.
The Pope said that the Church in Chad should make special efforts to support healthy family life and to maintain a respectful dialogue with other faiths, particularly Islam and traditional African religions.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
