Central Africans Have “will, courage to live” Despite Persistent Challenges: CAR Catholic Bishops

The Catholic Church leaders, who organized their Plenary Assembly under the theme, “Always be ready to give an account of the hope that is in you” said that the first sign of hope that faith reveals to the people of God in the country is the “courage to exist, their firm will and determination to live, the strength of their resilience and their celebration of life as a fragile gift to be protected and safeguarded.”

In their statement, the Bishops also expressed appreciation for what they described as “sincere gestures of solidarity towards the displaced” in the country—acts they view as a clear sign of the enduring hope among the people.

“Today, many hearts are being disarmed,” CECA members said, and added, “Destitute and impoverished families have agreed to generously share their indigence to come to the aid of those in far greater distress.”

Against this backdrop, the Catholic Bishops in CAR said, “Inter-community relations between Christians and Muslims have greatly improved. Many illegal gun owners now freely agree to hand in their weapons, thereby joining the peace-building process.”

In their June 22 statement, the CECA members further said, “The rebuilding of the Defense and Security Forces, though a long process, is already well underway.”

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They went on to express their delight in noting “a real awareness of the need for schooling, especially for girls, and education.”

“During our pastoral visits, parents ask for more schools, qualified teachers and, above all, peace, to enable and encourage the schooling and education of their children, a true path to peace,” CECA members said.

On faith, Catholic Bishops in CAR lauded “the ever-increasing number of catechumens, the baptized, and the confirmed and Christian couples united by the Sacrament of marriage.”

They also hailed the “blossoming of Religious and Priestly vocations, as well as the commitment of our Christians to the dynamic of taking charge of their Church,” which they said, “is a real reason for thanksgiving and hope.”

“All you men and women of goodwill! Hope is a commitment that obliges us all. All of us, without exception, whether on an individual, social, political, economic, or security level, bear the responsibility of preserving the faint light of the flame of life and hope that still beats in the heart of every son and daughter of this country,” the Bishops said.

They added, “It is in the perspective of preserving this fragile flame of life and hope, of consolidating the hard-won gains and in view of all that we have been through that we look with concern at the current situation of crisis and political deadlock between power, opposition and civil society.”

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.