Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – "The Church in Guinea Bissau always has been and continues to be among its people and continues to be a sign of hope. In the difficult situations that the country has experienced and continues to experience, the population looks to the Church to have faith and hope to move forward. We continue to proclaim the message of reconciliation, peace, and justice," says Bishop Ca, Vicar General of Bissau and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies of Guinea Bissau, in Rome for the PMS General Assembly.
Guinea Bissau is having a difficult time, amidst coups attempts (the last in April, see Fides 04/08/2010), underdevelopment, and the growing influence of South American drug traffickers (see Fides 21/7/2008).
"The Church is very present in society, especially in area of health, education, and advancement of women. I would say that the Church is an asset for the country. If it were not for the Catholic Church, with her work in the social situation, Guinea Bissau would have more difficulties and perhaps the conflict would be more serious," said Bishop Ca.
"The Church of Guinea Bissau is both an old and new church at the same time: old because she was born from the first evangelization in the 16th century, new because for a short time it has appeared on the African stage. The sense of the missionary reality is present. We received the message from the conference on "Fidei Donum" in 2007 and, although we are a young Church, we are open to the mission. We help our sister Church of Mauritania, sending two priests and a catechist every year, as Christians living in that country are mostly from Guinea Bissau," concludes the National Director of the PMS in Guinea Bissau.
"People yearn for change, but change is slow in coming and this creates frustrations and tensions. The Church, therefore, has the task of sustaining the hope of the population in order to promote peaceful coexistence," Fr. Benoît Efoevi Penoukou, National Director of the PMS of Togo, told Fides.
"I am the Director of Radio Maria, which covers almost the entire country. Through the radio, we are able to relaunch messages from the bishops that call for national harmony and we carry out the work of informing the public and educating towards peace. Our listeners send us positive feedback, saying that what we do is important for the peace effort. They tell us they want peace, but a peace based on justice, truth, and freedom."
"The Catholic radio in Africa has a key role, as our culture is based on oral transmission of knowledge. Radio Maria is designed to meet the needs of all: every day, we air programs on the Word of God, the Mass, prayers, music, and programs to promote human development. One of the most popular programs is the "Lectio Divina" on Saturday afternoons. People call in live, expressing their concerns and hardships of everyday life, but also their joys. On Sundays, I host a show which is also fairly popular, in which I insist on the importance of loving our neighbors. We have positive feedback, as people happily accept any program that promotes a spirit of coexistence," concluded the National Director of the PMS of Togo. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 19/05/2010)
