YAOUNDÉ – Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Africa yesterday, where he said the continent’s people were suffering disproportionately due to the global challenges of food shortages, financial crises and climate change.
After arriving in Cameroon on his first visit to Africa since becoming pope, the pontiff called on Christians to tackle violence, poverty, corruption and abuse of power, issues that have stifled the continent’s progress.
While in Cameroon, Pope Benedict will visit charities, meet Muslim leaders and attend a gathering of bishops trying to chart the Catholic Church’s role in improving Africans’ lives. Later in the week, he will travel to Angola.
Although Cameroon and Angola are both resource-rich nations, where oil has flowed for many years and millions of dollars’ worth of minerals have been dug from the ground, most of their inhabitants still live in grinding poverty. “In the face of suffering or violence, poverty or hunger, corruption or abuse of power, a Christian can never remain silent,” Pope Benedict said on his arrival.
“We are happy. Jesus came for the sinners. Cameroon is ill so we are happy he [the pope] has come to save us,” said Robert Nguidjoi, who sang, danced and prayed at the St François Xavier church in Yaoundé.
But the Vatican’s refusal to let Catholics use condoms remains controversial on a continent where Aids has killed more than 25 million people since the early 1980s.
While medical workers advocate the use of condoms to help prevent the spread of Aids, the church insists on fidelity within heterosexual marriage, chastity and abstinence.
“The problem cannot be overcome by distributing condoms. It only increases the problem,” the pope said yesterday. – (Reuters)