Nations and institutions, especially in the West, must stop trying to impose on Africa policies and ideas that fail to respect human dignity and life, said Cardinal Theodore-Adrien Sarr of Dakar, Senegal. Cardinal Sarr, who is one of three delegated co-presidents of the Synod of Bishops for Africa, said just because certain countries have determined such policies are good for their own countries does not mean those ideas and practices should be imposed on Africa.
Also, approval for foreign aid to promote industry and development may require a government to cut back on education, welfare and health care spending, he said. It used to be if something was against the common good it was considered objectively wrong and what was for the good of the wider community was objectively good, he said.
Cardinal John Njue of Nairobi, Kenya, said Africa finds itself in a difficult situation in which it needs aid in order to become self-reliant. The church works to give young people and adults accurate information about HIV and what to do to avoid it, he said. Specifically, people should not engage in sexual activity before marriage and should stay faithful in marriage, he said. The Vatican press conference came a day after the Synod of Bishops for Africa concluded its general discussions with a formal summary.
The recording secretary of the synod, Cardinal Peter Turkson of Cape Coast, Ghana, presented the report, which provided a summary of the nearly speeches made during the first phase of the three-week synod. The report is also meant to offer guidelines for continued discussion as the bishops break into small working groups to draw up proposals for the pope. The bishops would like to see better formation, especially of lay Christians involved in politics, it said.
The key to bringing about peace, justice and reconciliation in Africa lies in a conversion of hearts, so that people live as true disciples of Christ, it said. He and three other synod members spoke at a Vatican press conference Oct.
