Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome ( Fides Service)- “We wish to be leaven to make the dough rise, a little light to illuminate civil society and institutions, living and spreading the Good News with good example and concrete works” said Bishop Jean-Gabriel Diarra of San and President of the Bishops' Conference of Mali at present in Rome for the five yearly ad limina visit.
In a conversation with Fides the Bishop said “we are small Catholic community in a mainly Muslim country. Official statistics are not always precise, Mali has a population of about 10 to 12 million of whom 3% are Catholics”.
“In this context the Church wishes to be leaven which makes the dough rise, and light to illuminate civil society and institutions, and all men and women of goodwill. The Catholic community is structured like a Church-family where people know each other and help one another to live the Gospel. The ecclesial community is served by 100 local priests, there are also some orders of women religious. The work of missionaries, especially the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers), is most important. There are catechists and as everywhere in Africa they too are extremely important”.
“Lay Catholics are called to bear witness to the Gospel at work, with honesty, sincere and disinterested promotion of the common good. I am happy to say that I have heard non Catholics say:
A Church in a mission territory is said to face the problem of whether to focus on announcing the Gospel or promoting works for human and social development. "This is a false problem” said Bishop Diarra. “The Gospel promotes integral development of the person and development makes it easier to proclaim the Gospel. I remember visiting a forest dispensary run by a religious order, an indispensable structure for several thousand people. I asked the people working there: “Why are you here? Do you tell your patients why you care for them?” The replies were somewhat reticent, almost as if not to hurt the feelings of non Catholics. I reminded them that we must explain that we are animated by the Spirit of the Gospel: we do not want to impose our faith but we do want to announce it. The Church is not a non governmental organisation it is at the service of the Proclamation of the Word.”
As part of their activity to illuminate civil society of Mali with the light of the Gospel the Catholic Bishops published a Pastoral Letter on the occasion of the recent Presidential elections (see Fides 2 May 2007). “We published a book “The Word of the Bishops” containing documents issued by the Bishops' Conference in the past 20 years ” Bishop Diarra said. “This was a sign of the local Church's concern for the common good. As bishops we take an active part in an association of the country's religious leaders Muslim and Christian (Catholics and other Christians). We often express our opinion as religious leaders on matters concerning the life of the country for example the question of AIDS. This too is one of many indirect ways of proclaiming the Gospel ” the President of the Bishops' Conference of Mali concluded. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 16/5/2007 righe 48 parole 626)
