AFRICA/TOGO - Toward a society increasingly in search of sanctity, despite appearances

Kara (Agenzia Fides) - "Despite appearances, our society strongly aspires to holiness". This is how Father Donald Zagore, theologian of the Society of African Missions, underlines the prophetic character of Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete Et Exsultate 'on the call to holiness in today’s world'.
The theologian, in a note sent to Fides, commented on the Pope's recent publication, arguing that in fact, "ours remains essentially an era strongly marked by secularization. A secularization that ended up deconstructing religion and turned into a true phenomenon of desacralization of the sacred. God is dead! Let us cry out loudly! The only acceptable truths are from now on only those accessible to reason. Yet, in our present world, the influence and power of esoteric, paranormal, and magical phenomena is increasingly evident.
Secret societies attract a good number of followers. Therefore the question we ask is: how come in such a rationalized world, mainly technical and scientific, where everything that is veiled is destined to be unveiled, where even the smallest secrets of humanity, the universe are revealed in the light of the day, the questions of the esoteric, of the secret societies and the unusual phenomena are strongly in vogue and more and more popular? Are we witnessing a real rebirth of an ever more gnostic human society?
Or is it the silent cry of an increased thirst for the divine?
At the risk of being deceived - Father Donald continues - we must recognize that many men and women today suffocate in this atheistic rationalism imposed by secularization and deeply aspire to a life rooted in the relationship with the divine, with transcendence. Of course, they want a life of holiness.
The main problem is how can one move towards a life completely open to God, to holiness? The truth is that our present world ardently craves holiness, but gets lost during its path. The path of true holiness is the return to the true God, and not to the god proposed by secret societies and sects. The true God, revealed in the person of Christ, illuminates every creature with his universal and benevolent presence. A free gift that requires a free answer.
God’s holiness becomes at the same time a free gift but also a need of holiness for man. We are called to be holy as our Heavenly Father is holy (Matthew 5:48), and to live this holiness in the simple daily reality of our lives", concludes Fr. Zagore. (DZ/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 18/4/2018)

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