AFRICA - The Catholic Church present among Muslims: African bishops in Rome for the Seminar organised by the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples share experience

Thursday, 14 September 2006

Rome (Agenzia Fides)- “Our local Catholic community still depends on the solidarity of the universal Church. In the Sahara region and all over Algeria, most Catholics are foreigners. This is why the universal Church takes care of the little Church in Algeria, nourishing it in order to maintain this Christian witness in a mainly Muslim country”. This was said by Bishop Claude Rault, of the diocese of Laghouat, in Algeria, at present in Rome to take part in the Study Seminar organised by the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples 10-23 September.
“In this context” the Bishop of Laghouat continued, “our small community is a bridge between the west and Islam. We see in our experience every day that it is possible to live in contact with Muslims in peace and with respect for one another’s religious beliefs and traditions. We see it is possible to work together to solve problems which concern the future of humanity. For example when we tackle questions about the future of humanity we always find common ground on which to collaborate. Also at the spiritual level, when we speak of the profundity of the human soul it is possible to dialogue and to experience reciprocal enrichment”.
“The face of our local Church is changing, it has become more universal. Since the tragic time of the civil strife 1990 to 2000, which we now refer to as the “black years”, the Church in Algeria has become universal with the presence of Catholics from Sub-Saharan, Asian and Latin American countries” Bishop Rault concludes.
Bishop Castor Paul Msemwa of the diocese of Tunduru-Masasi in Tanzania, a social reality with a predominant Islamic component: “In my diocese Catholics only account for 15% of the population, while the Muslims amount to 70%. In this situation direct evangelisation is not easy: as we witness to Christ through our social services, we earn the trust and esteem of the people gradually building an atmosphere in which it is possible to share the Word of Christ”.
“We find this is the best way to be true Christians among a Muslim majority. However one cannot generalise. The world of Islam is ver complex and diversified, and where there are fundamentalist currents it is necessary to be very prudent. Fortunately Islam in my diocese is mainly traditional African school which is very open and willing to dialogue” Bishop Msemwa told Fides.
Both Bishops said they were extremely happy and grateful for the opportunity to take part in the Seminar offered by the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples: “We find among bishops from many different countries that many share the same ecclesial realities and this encourages us to strive to find new solutions to common problems and it gives us an tangible experience of belonging to one family-of-God, the universal Church”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/9/2006 righe 40 parole 477)


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