VATICAN - Interview with Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples who just returned from a Pastoral Visit to Sudan

Monday, 27 February 2006

Vatican City (Fides Service) - Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples just returned from a Pastoral Visit to Sudan 17 to 25 February. We asked him about his impressions.

Your Eminence you have just returned from a visit to Sudan a country still struggling to consolidate peace and where pockets of violence and emergency still exist. While you were there a government helicopter was shot down, a cholera warning was issued and several rebel incursions were reported...Why did you undertake this journey ?
I gladly accepted the invitation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sudan to visit their country. I went also on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI to assure the people of his solidarity and his Apostolic Blessing. I wished to demonstrate the concern of the whole Church for the deplorable situation of our brothers and sisters in Sudan, where hatred, war and religious extremism have rendered life very difficult for at least twenty years. I wanted also to hand over the money collected by our Propaganda Fide Christmas Auction in favour of the missions, this year in aid of children in Sudan. A small gesture, a drop in the ocean, but many drops make the river grow...as St Paul writes in his Letter to the Corinthians, the body is one but it has many members and when one suffers all suffer. So the Church spread all over the world in one in the love of the Father and the whole Church suffers when one of its members even in a remote area of the world suffers for some reason or another. I made this pastoral visit to assure the Church in Sudan that she need not feel abandoned, the whole Church sustains her with faith, prayer and charity.

What situation did you find ?
An extremely complex situation from the religious, social and economic points of view. Long years of civil war have left a heavy mark: guerrilla warfare, unwarranted violence, vandalism... not to mention destruction of infrastructures, public offices, spreading disease, extreme poverty which condition life particularly of the younger generations. Many priests and religious are among those who suffered and are now trying to recuperate after trauma caused by the civil war. Not to mention the tragedy of Darfur, still an open and bleeding wound

In this context what is the situation of the Church? How does it carry on its mission?
The Church in Sudan has never stopped working to announce Christ and the Good News, to promote reconciliation and peace, even in extremely difficult conditions. On behalf of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples I thanked the Bishops, the clergy, the religious and the laity, the catechists especially who continue to build up the Church in this country and do their best to guarantee education for the children, medical care for the sick, assistance for the poor irrespective or race or religion. The problems were are still are many from north to south where the life and mission of the Church were heavily conditioned during the civil war. Now, since a peace agreement was signed a year ago, it is hoped the country will return to normality. It was recognised on many sides that during the war the Church was ever present striving to promote peace, standing with and assisting the suffering people, working to promote reconciliation and settle disputes. The Church does not offer political solutions, this is not her duty, but she always reminds people, believers and non of the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the dignity of every human person created in the image and likeness of God. Now it is necessary to restore confidence and hope in the future also through ecumenical initiatives with the other Christians present in Sudan. Because the mission of the Church in the mission of Christ which continues in history. In his first encyclical Deus Caritas Est Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that: “Love is the service that the Church carries out in order to attend constantly to man’s suffering and his needs including material needs. (…) With regard to the personnel who carry out the Church’s charitable activity on the practical level, the essential has already been said: they must not be inspired by ideologies aimed at improving the world, but should rather be guided by the faith which works through love” (DCE 19; 33).

What obstacles does the Church in Sudan meet in its pastoral work ?
The main obstacles are common to many parts of our world although in Sudan they are connected to the particular situation: the main obstacle is that people do not want to listen to the message of Christ because it touches the person and questions his or her behaviour. The erosion of many values including the concept of the family and Christian marriage, secularism, urbanisation, unemployment, materialism, combined with a fundamental fragility of faith render the preaching of the Good News difficult also in Sudan. Nor must we overlook various forms of poverty, unjustified violence, conflicting interests, egoism, abuse of power which strike mainly the most vulnerable. Another serious problem are religious sects ever more active and aggressive, forced conversions and the influence of other negative tendencies such as tribalism and ethnic-centrism. I encouraged the local Catholics not to be discouraged or tempted to give up in the face of so many difficulties, offering them the example of St Paul, who was attacked, insulted, rejected, abused, imprisoned and finally condemned to death for his preaching, but he never desisted. He was never ashamed of his ministry because it made manifest the power of God (Cf. Rom 1, 16). For Paul love was the strongest force: “Love of Christ urges us on” (2 Cor 5, 14). This is understood by the bishops, clergy, religious, lay people and catechists who are determined to continue their ministry ion with generosity.

How can the local Church respond to these problems ?
The Church is engaged on several fronts, starting with initial and ongoing formation for all, seminarians, clergy, men and women religious, the laity in particular the catechists who are the backbone of the work of capillary evangelisation. The process of intellectual and human formation, like charitable activity and social services, are based on a life of faith in union with Christ through daily prayer, celebration of the sacraments, study and meditation of the Word of God. All these aspects must be addressed and promoted. On my visit I underlined the need for constant search for unity in the Church and co-ordination of pastoral activities to avoid waste of energy or double planning of similar activities.

You were a long way from Rome when you celebrated the 5th anniversary of your nomination as Cardinal and the feast of the Chair of Peter. What were your feelings on these two celebrations?

I consider it a gift from God to have celebrated these two recurrences in a mission field and with deep emotion. In the past the position of a Cardinal was seen as an honour, a privilege, a place as princes of the Church. Today very rightly, Cardinals are recognised as co-workers with the Successor of Peter to tend to and build up the Church all over the world. In that beloved African land I was keenly aware of the importance of my ministry; I was strengthened in my faith and I felt like Simon of Cyrene called to help the Lord carry his cross. Our brothers and sisters of Sudan have been carrying the cross for many years, a heavy cross, at times almost overwhelming with its weight. But this suffering is not an end in itself. For those who possess the gift of faith the shadows of Calvary are always followed by the dawn of the Resurrection. For my part I encouraged them on their path, I shared for a while their anguish and urged them to grow in hope which is never disappointed because it comes from God.
On the feast of the Chair of Peter I celebrated Mass twice, in the morning at Rumbek cathedral and again in the afternoon at Wau cathedral. One might imagine that geographical distance from Rome would weaken bonds with the See of Peter but this is not at all true. It was quite clear that those people were keenly aware of the closeness of the Holy Father, his continual concern for their plight, his prayers and solidarity in many ways. With deep devotion they bowed their heads to receive the Pope’s the Apostolic Blessing and when I invited them to pray for Pope Benedict XVI their eyes were filled with intense spiritual participation. It was a profound experience of the Catholicity of Christ’s Church built on the blood of the Apostles and guided by the Successor of Peter. Very moving was the moment when we all sang in Latin the hymn, Let us pray for our Pope Benedict. “Dominus conservet Eum…”, which was followed by a warm applause and shouts of joy.

At the end of this pastoral journey there was a visit to the travailed region of Darfur…
I would repeat the call I made when I visited the camp for displaced persons in Darfur, the last lap of my visit to Sudan, the most painful. I wanted my presence in the camp to demonstrate the Church’s concern and solidarity as she continues to preach the Gospel of truth, love, justice and peace. From the camp I called on all men and women of good will to give assistance and protection to displaced persons and I called on the international community to undertake initiatives to stop what venerable Pope John Paul II referred to as “a shameful wound of our day”. During my visit I was impressed by the joy and enthusiasm of the Catholic community and their pride in their faith even in that martyred land. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 27/2/2006, righe 131, parole 1.768)


Share: