Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Antananarivo (Agenzia Fides) – "The Cardinal was the moral authority of the Malagasy nation, recognized by all, even by non-Catholics," Fides learns from Fr. Cosimo Alvati, a Salesian with a long experience in Madagascar (where he founded Radio Don Bosco), in remembering His Eminence, Cardinal Armand Gaetan Razafindratandra, Archbishop Emeritus of Antananarivo, who died January 9 in the Hospital of Androva. "This authority derives from the fact that the Cardinal was born into a family of princes of the country, a 'noble' citizen, to which he had added the title of 'Prince of the Church,' with his appointment as Cardinal. In this sense, the cCardinal Razafindratandra was a real Ray-Aman-Dreny, terms that are given to parents, but also to the civil and religious. A Ray-Aman-Dreny exerts a moral leadership and at the same time takes care of the people entrusted to him, whether they are children or the population."
"Cardinal Razafindratandra always had a special care and sensitivity towards the poor. His moral authority also stemmed from his lifestyle and the example it offered. On several occasions I got to meet him when he was Archbishop of the capital, Antananarivo, and have always been impressed by his simple and sober lifestyle: a study with adjoining bedroom, a simple cassock, frugal meals. The Cardinal was a prince who lived like most of his compatriots, in simplicity and frugality," recalls Fr. Cosimo.
"The moral authority of the Cardinal that stemmed from his lifestyle, rather than by its noble origin, was recognized by everyone, including the Heads of State who ruled the island, which is why for years he was Chairman of the Board of Christian Churches, a body comprising all the main Christian denominations of Madagascar," recalls Fr. Cosimo.
"The Cardinal's great charity and pastoral sensitivity was already famous when he was Bishop of Mahajanga. He was famous for exploring the farthest and forgotten points of his diocese, often in long wanderings on foot and by canoe, a journey which lasted for days, because of the lack of roads. Even in the last years of life, after having left the leadership of the Archdiocese of Antananarivo, he showed his particular sensitivity to the most humble. The Cardinal decided to live in Besalampy, one of the poorest areas of Madagascar, where he continued his pastoral and human development until the end." At Besalampy, the Cardinal had created a holiday camp for poor children.
"Also thanks to the pastoral vision of the Cardinal, there exists the “ReseauSat Project,” to create a network of Catholic radio stations throughout Madagascar. The Cardinal, which had contributed to the birth of Radio Don Bosco in Antananarivo in 1994, played a decisive role in persuading the country's bishops to unite diocesan radios in Madagascar through a satellite connection, to air a series of shared programs of evangelization," says Fr. Alvati.
The funeral of Cardinal Razafindratandra will be held on January 15. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 11/1/2010)
