Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – “Our country is very large (with a surface area of 622,984 km²) and has a fairly small population (3,600,000 inhabitants), located in the center of Africa. This is one of the main reasons behind its noted political instability,” says National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies of the Central African Republic, Fr. Paul Dipo Nzembe, who granted Agenzia Fides the following interview.
The Central African Republic was the center of attention in 2003, because of the civil war that ended with the rise to power of current President Francois Bozize. However, the situation is not altogether stable. Could you explain why?
Central Africa is a very large country with a fairly small population in comparison. It is impossible to monitor all of its borders with other nations. Furthermore, its geographic location in central Africa, makes it a target for rebel forces from neighboring countries who use it as a base for launching their attacks on their own governments. The activity of these groups leads to a great instability throughout the country. This is one of the causes of the nation's poverty, although it is a country rich in natural resources. We have diamonds, gold, uranium, magnesium. As for the agriculture, the country is divided into two areas: the savanna, where they grow cotton, and the forest, the richest area, where coffee and tea are grown. The problem is that the country has no direct access to the sea and there is no railway to transport crops to a port where they could be shipped off to foreign markets. With the rise in the cost of transportation, foreign demand for our coffee dropped, because our clients prefer to purchase it from the Ivory Coast or Cameroon, as they have sea ports and thus, the cost of transportation is much less. The people are abandoning agriculture and heading for the capital, Bangui, where the unemployment rate is extremely high. This explains the reason for the periodical uprisings and protests in the streets. Even those who have a public service job protest for low salaries. There is also a modern-day form of slavery, of diamond miners, forced to sell the gems they find after so much fatigue, to foreign dealers at extremely low prices.
What are the challenges for the Church?
The Church reflects the country's situation: we have 9 dioceses that cover extremely vast territories, without much communication, as the highways are almost non-existent. The Diocese of Bangassou has even bought a small plain in order to transport the sick in need of urgent care from the remotest areas of the territory. In the 10 years in which I have been Director of the PMS, I have not yet been able to visit several areas of the country due to a lack of road access. From a numerical point of view, I am optimistic. We have various priestly and religious vocations. However, we still need to find a way and means to cultivate these vocations and make them bear fruit.
Christians make up 40% of the population, Muslims are 10%, and the rest are members of the traditional religion and sects. We have a good relationship with the other Christian denominations, especially in human services, while dialogue with the Muslims has not been quite as developed. The real problem is presented by the spread of the sects, both local and foreign ones, including American sects. There are also groups like the Red Cross and the Freemasons (more common among the elite classes). The sects take advantage of the population's poverty, promising immanent salvation, with no worry for tomorrow. There is even a certain level of rivalry among the sects and there are people who do nothing more than pass from one group to another.
In your opinion, what is the necessary response to the situation with the sects?
In order to respond to this phenomenon, I think that there is a need to begin with the African culture and tradition. The sects take up parts of the tradition that have been rejected by Christianity, such as spiritism and magic. There is a need for the African clergy to help the Church in promoting the new evangelization, promoting a deeper effort in inculturalization of the faith, taking up those elements of African tradition that are compatible with the faith and support it. The concept of community, for example, is a key element for relaunching the evangelization effort, as has been determined by the Bishops with the two elements of “Church-family of God” and the Ecclesial Base Communities. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 10/11/2008)
