Unique sharing

In our capacities as European and African bishops "we want to address together the challenge of the new evangelization, living more intensely the fraternity in our mission", said card. Péter Erdõ, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, CCEE president (Council of European Bishops’ Conferences) in the press conference held February 15 at the headquarters of the Vatican Radio, during which were presented the outcomes of the Symposium co-organized by CCEE – SECAM, ongoing until February 17 (from February 13) at the Atheneum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, themed ‘Evangelisation today: communion and pastoral collaboration between Africa and Europe. The human person and God: the Church’s mission to proclaim God’s presence and love’, attended by some 70 bishops and delegates, who will be received in Papal audience on February 16. A final message will be released at the end of the Symposium. Except for the opening session, the encounter took place behind closed doors.Numerous joint challenges. "We discovered we have many shared concerns", said card. Erdo – and "we wish to work together for pastoral care, education, and social questions". Europe "can benefit from the humane quality of relations in Africa", he underlined. Migrants will bring "young faith". "Migrants from Africa can help Europe revitalize the faith with the contribution of the youth", said the Archbishop of Dakar, first SECAM vice-president, cardinal Théodore Sarr. Sarr retraced the journey that since 2004 brought the bishops of the two continents to meet on several occasions to discuss different issues ranging from slavery to migration, from the missio ad gentes to the new evangelisation. In the future, underlined card. Sarr, the bishops’ relations will increasingly focus on "education, the fight on poverty, leading class formation, inter-religious dialogue, weapon trade, trafficking, foreign trade and exploitation by mining companies". Answering a question on how the African Church views the phenomenon of the so-called Arab Spring, cardinal Sarr said he "closely follows the unfolding of events in Arab countries, hoping the situation will incessantly improve" and that across the Muslim world there may be "an acknowledgement of religious pluralism".A change in mentality. In recent years there has been a "change in mentality. It’s no longer the way it was in the past, when Europe was considered the heart and Africa was only the periphery. Today’s new situation promotes mutual interaction and reciprocal influence to building our future together". It is the view of the Archbishop of Johannesburg (South Africa) Msgr. Buti Joseph Tihagale. "We must complete each other and work together for this Church – he underlined – . From this new partnership it will be easy to launch a common discourse for the defense of rights". Also the Archbishop of Warsaw-Prague Msgr. Henryk Hoser, described the gathering as "a unique community experience". "We have developed excellent synergy for action – he pointed out -. We acknowledge our future responsibilities and we realize that globalization is a tool that must be used with intelligence, for the evangelization of the ‘new man’".The blood of the martyrs. The president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference (KEP) Msgr. Jozef Michalik reminded the prelates gathered in plenary session about the contribution as "promoters of the Gospel" carried out by faith witnesses and by Saints, and underlined Christians’ persecution in Africa. Ensuring the prayers of support to "the brothers in Sudan, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia and other countries", Msgr. Michalik said he believes that "even this time, the blood of the persecuted martyrs will act as the seed of the Gospel". "The sufferings and the experiences of the African populations have taught us humbleness and the recognition of inflicted wrongs. Europe hasn’t always been a benevolent sister that is ready to sacrifice herself for Africa. We need forgiveness and a new way to jointly look at the future of the Church, Mother of us all", he concluded.