What is the power of Catholicism in Africa today?
The strength of Catholicism in Africa comes from the fact that the Church is close to the population, a population that has been touched by poverty, touched by injustice, also touched by misery and with the degradation we know at the political level, the church make sure to be close to this population. People see this, appreciate it, and also feel connected to this Catholicism that supports it, that defends the poor and the little ones, that becomes the voice of those who don’t have it.
He comes from a country that is a land of religious boundaries, where there has been a lot of violence in recent years. Is there a problem of coexistence between Christians and Muslims in Africa in general and in your Central African Republic in particular, or is it other interests and the involvement of powers that cause people to have conflicts?
Yes. The issue of interfaith conflict was raised in the Central African Republic in early 2013 by the Séléka group seeking to seize power. The pastor, the imam and I came together to say no. In Central African history there have never been religious wars, there has always been peaceful coexistence. Our ancestors always worked together, everyone is free to choose their religion and that has never caused any problems. We must remain united, in solidarity, to block the way for those who want to instrumentalize, not to say manipulate, religion for political ends. That is why we oppose the idea that Muslims should oppose Christians, no! Religion in the broadest sense means uniting, connecting, connecting with each other. Religion means living together. Human lives are under threat in the Central African Republic and we must save human lives. Why have we overcome our contradictions? We overcome our passions, the historical division says we had brothers who faced violence and we say “no!” in conjunction with this intruder who is quietly destabilizing for your benefit.
Are you talking about the interests of greedy foreign powers?
Yes. There are riches in our country that fuel greed and when it is present and the resources are mobilized, the religious conception, the respect for the other disappears, but we say that every being created by God is important.
He knows that there are also Portuguese soldiers in the Central African Republic to try to ensure peace. Is it therefore possible for international forces on the ground to play a positive role?
I think so, and the Portuguese army is appreciated for being special forces. There are other United Nations groups that cannot do what they do, they arrive and the enemies retreat and sometimes the population has some peace. Peace lasts a week, two weeks, a month at the most, before they leave, but there is a month of truce, a month in which people can also arrange other things. This is important, it is very positive.
His appointment as cardinal was seen as a sign of a more global church. Now, with Pope Francis, there is a majority of non-European cardinals for the first time. Is it important for the church to reflect the diversity of Christians in the world?
I believe when we say the word Catholic, we mean universal, and that’s what it means. I think we should go to the end of this word “Catholic” because it is the diversity that enriches this unity around the Pope. When we say diversity, we are talking about other continents, other spheres that must unite around the Pope to reflect this Catholicism. That openness to universalism is necessary, just as the Pope returns to that origin of the Catholic world, I can only encourage that, I can only say that yes, we must rediscover our roots. We must go back to our roots and face the future not alone, but together with others. Because the Catholicism that lived in Latin America has its flavor just like the Catholicism that lived in Africa, Asia or Europe, but all this formed Catholicism and the Pope, as universal pastor, asked the priests, the cardinals in those places to to advise him, to aid him in the task of administering the universal church.
Let’s talk about Africa for a moment. In Europe today we talk a lot about Africa in terms of illegal emigration, the poverty that explains it. What is Africa’s big problem? Is it the absence of democracy? Is it the lack of alternatives for young people? How do you analyze your continent?
I analyze it from the perspective that before the colonization of Africa existed, it means that the groups had their way of functioning. We know that the encounter with colonization has changed everything, there is now a new way of functioning in terms of Europe. If we look closely, when Africans are often asked to establish democracy, as is happening in Portugal, Europe, the United States, it has no basis, it is a different world, a different form of organization. It must have its own form and not import the same, the constitutions have been drawn up here to be applied there. I notice that there is often reluctance, sometimes resistance, to adherence to therapy. The problem is that we already know culturally, anthropologically that we have to let people live their way of life and we have to respect that. We need to let people organize themselves, and when we do that there are a number of problems that are avoided. I think there is a problem, if there is no courage to face this problem, we will always say “democracy is not for you”, and this and that, but has culture been taken into account?
Are you optimistic about the future of Africa?
As a Christian, I am inhabited by hope and therefore optimistic, because no matter how long the night, the day will finally come.
He talked about colonization, about the relationship between Africa and its former colonizers. Because we talk a lot about war in Europe these days, we also talk about the global South as opposed to the West. Does this conception of the global South uniting Latin America, Africa and Asia make sense to you?
You know when the division of the world started, there were Third World supporters, people who walked away saying they didn’t accept that system, that they had a different view. [risos].
Is the Global South a bit like that?
Yes that is it. It’s to cut off from the West, to cut off from America, etc. It’s a different way of looking at things, a new emergency. I think these groups also come to Africa to say that Africans also have their place in that group. We must be careful and learn from the lessons of the past. What caused the machine to stop working? If not, what happens? We repeat the mistakes of the past, we think it is the right way, but it is not. There is a small group that adheres to the new, the intellectuals, but the masses are left behind.
There is much talk of an African pope. Do you think that after the Argentinian Francisco, an African or an Asian is important to affirm this globality of the Catholic Church?
I think the good pope is the one who is chosen from among his cardinal colleagues, whether he is African, Asian, American or European, he will be the Holy Father to the whole world. As we begin to compartmentalize, let’s do as worldly people do. The day the question arises, Christians will pay for it. The election is clear, it is the one that is chosen from among the cardinals, regardless of their geographic origin.
What is your impression of your personal contact with Pope Francis?
I have a strong and positive impression of this pope, who has a lot of vision and a unique charisma, who dares, knows how to speak, speaks candidly and goes to the essence. I think Pope Francis, if we look closely, brings us a lot and if we pay attention, we see that he is one of the current leaders who attracts the most people. I say this because I went to the Democratic Republic of Congo on the occasion of his visit and I saw the crowd, the stadium full… this Pope has something to say to the people. I advise you to look at World Youth Day to see how many young people from all over the world will be there to listen to you.
There is currently a great debate in Portugal about the issue of sexual abuse in the church, and there are even many Catholics who are uncomfortable with the situation. Is it a church problem or is it a general social problem?
I think it’s a more general problem. The church is part of society, so people who are committed to being priests or religious are people who also have their weaknesses. Of course they can also be lost and it is necessary to condemn, but it is also necessary to dare to say that this behavior is not the behavior that the word of God wants, that the church wants. What the Holy Father does, the work he does, is not just for the Church, it is for the whole of society, but there is the moral figure of the Church that demands that she be immaculate.
But isn’t the law of silence acceptable?
No. It is necessary to overcome the law of silence, it is necessary to dare to speak because the victim is waiting for a word of truth, justice, redress, so no, for me it is not acceptable.
Source: DN
