Though a minority, the Catholic Church in North Africa relates well with Muslims, according to Archbishop Vincent Landel of Rabat, Morocco, and president of the Northern African Regional Bishops Conference (CERNA)."Our small communities of Catholics, living among people who are mainly followers of Islam, bear witness to Christ's love for all humanity" Archbishop Landel said at the Vatican where CERNA bishops had gone for their five-yearly ad limina visit.
"We are free to live our faith and bear witness to it in a Muslim environment" the archbishop told Fides news agency. "We do not proselytise; our Catholics come from other countries in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa; but we are not isolated from the rest of the population. We have established good dialogue with our Muslim brothers and sisters and work with them in the fields of human promotion and assistance for the needy.
He said the Catholic Church is respected by both the authorities and the people for its contribution to services in education, healthcare and social services. "Our task, in fact, is to show God's infinite love for all men and women and to announce the Gospel with the witness of our life".
The archbishop said much fear and misunderstanding between Christians and Muslims could be overcome by reciprocal knowledge. "We must deepen our reciprocal knowledge in order to build a world of peace founded on respect for others," said Archbishop Landel.
www.allafrica.com (Nairobi) 12 June 2007
No comments:
Post a Comment