Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service)- “It is an imperative of moral and political solidarity for the entire international community to provide a future of hope to Africa, which means giving a future of hope and civilisation to the whole world”. This appeal was made to the international community by Cardinal Renato R. Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace during a Meeting: “Africa: the hopes of the fragile continent ”, organised in Rome by Communion e Liberation International Centre, yesterday 27 November.
Referring to the figure of the Good Samaritan, highlighted also by Pope John Paul II in the post synodal exhortation Ecclesia in Africa, Cardinal Martino said: “Like the man in the Gospel who falls into the hands of brigands on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho and is robbed and beaten and left for dead on the road, so too Africans – sick, wounded, excluded, abandoned – have need of the good Samaritan”.
This need must be met with policies to bring about radical changes in Africa. In this regard the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace offered some guidelines: support for national government programmes to help Africans take part in their development; programmes of education and health care; fight pandemics such as AIDS which threaten the future of the continent; programmes to reduce, where possible cancel international debts of poor countries; more equity in international trade through the lifting of protection barriers; control of weapons particularly light weapons which feed Africa’s wars.
Cardinal Martino announced that in the coming months the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace intends to promote opportune sensitisation initiatives in view of helping the people of Africa take a major role in their development and cultural, social and economic future.
Among those present, Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini, who said that in 2004 the Italian parliament would discuss a proposed bill for the reform of collaboration in development, which introduces the principle of subsidiarity and an aid plan based on project-nation. “In this way” the minister said “it will be easier to obtain public funds and the participation of the civil society”. (L.M.) ( Fides Service 28/11/2003, lines 32 words 382 )
