Africa’s Bishops urged to confront obstacles to integral human development 

Kigali, Rwanda – Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, has called on the Church in Africa to respond to the continent’s many challenges with the Gospel message of hope, urging bishops to identify and confront the “obstacles to integral human development” in their dioceses and conferences.

Delivering an address at the opening of the 20th Plenary Assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) in Kigali, Cardinal Czerny noted that the Church’s work for development must be grounded in Christ’s mission: “Our Dicastery’s work takes up the mission of Christ who came that all may have life and have it abundantly (cf. John 10,10).”

He urged bishops to pastorally accompany their communities in overcoming injustice, inequality, and other threats to human dignity: “We stand ready to help the Churches to pastorally accompany their people in confronting the obstacles and developing integrally so that they may have life ‘in abundance,’ ‘man fully alive’ as St Irenaeus says.”

Asking the bishops to reflect deeply on their local contexts, he posed three key questions:

“What are the main obstacles to integral human development in the territory of your Diocese and your Conference?”
“What pastoral actions do you offer to accompany God’s people in facing these obstacles?”
“Does your local Church succeed in communicating the Church’s social teaching as it applies within your territory?”

Cardinal Czerny also affirmed the Dicastery’s commitment to walk alongside the Church in Africa:

“The Dicastery for Integral Human Development stands ready to accompany your Church in bringing Christ’s hope, reconciliation and peace to all your people,” he said.