I thought I’d share with readers some of the words of Benedict XVI on the occasion of the opening of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, which will be held in the Vatican's Synod Hall until 25 October, any make some comments in light of my very limited experience.
In his homily, the Holy Father noted that "Africa is the repository of an inestimable treasure for the whole world: its deep sense of God.” He went on to note, “When we speak of the treasures of Africa, our thoughts immediately turn to the resources its land is rich in and that, unfortunately, have become and often continue to be a reason for exploitation, conflict and corruption. The Word of God, instead, makes us look at another inheritance: the spiritual and cultural inheritance, of which humanity has even greater need than it does of raw materials".
“Africa,” the Pope went on to say, "represents an enormous spiritual 'lung' for a humanity that appears to be in a crisis of faith and hope. But this 'lung' can take ill as well. And, at the moment, at least two dangerous pathologies are attacking it: firstly, an illness that is already widespread in the West, that is, practical materialism, combined with relativist and nihilist thinking".
"There is", he went continued, "absolutely no doubt that the so-called First World has exported and continues to export its spiritual toxic waste that contaminates the peoples of other continents, in particular those of Africa. In this sense, colonialism which is over at a political level, has never really entirely come to an end".
The "second 'virus' that could hit Africa", he said, "is religious fundamentalism, mixed with political and economic interests. Groups who follow various religious creeds are spreading throughout the continent of Africa: they do so in God's name, but following a logic that is opposed to divine logic, that is, teaching and practicing not love and respect for freedom, but intolerance and violence".
About the first “virus” let me say that I have been intrigued by what is exported here on television. There is a nighttime soap opera that’s shown here, Desire. I’d never seen it before. It combines bad writing, bad plot, and bad sets with the worst depiction of America life one can imagine. It is amazing the image folks here have of the USA. It’s unfair to them re: limiting their choices concerning what is shown – that is, I’m not suggesting morality police. At the same time, the only sensitivity to choices made seems to be the market; and that’s insufficient.
About the second, let me say that it would be a mistake to think that the pope is speaking only about Islam. There are a number of people from independent evangelical churches who’ve come to Africa in the same way that they arrived in South America 10+ years ago. I’ve come to know a Lutheran pastor here quite well. Herb’s ministry is mostly among the Maasai. He’s dealing a lot with small, independent evangelical groups who are going into villages that have been Christian for at least a generation. They tell the villagers that they’re all headed to hell unless they receive a real baptism, disregarding the notion that Christians believe in one baptism. Further, they preach a version of the prosperity gospel, a form of extreme Calvinism, that equates divine favor with economic success (check this and this out)– this economic success mostly trickles up as the poor give the little they have and the evangelists enrich themselves.
If you want to know more about what is happening at the synod, you can check out the page devoted to reports on its progress.
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