An Archbishop from the Central African Republic compared the war-ridden country “to the desert where we must fight the temptations of the devil.”
Archbishop Dieudonné Nzapalainga of Bangui released a Lenten message in which he addresses the civil war that has plagued the country since 2012.
“With the power of the Spirit we will receive at Pentecost, we must fight to eradicate the spirit of division”, adding that “basic consultation is a means of offering Central Africans an opportunity to talk with one another.”
According to Fides, the Central African prelate noted the upcoming Bangui Forum as means to overcome the current crisis in the nation. “These moments mark the beginning of the process for a change of behavior,” he wrote.
The Bangui Forum is the conclusion of a series of meetings held in various provinces of the Central African Republic, geared at promoting reconciliation among people “divide by hatred and indifference.”
Concluding his statement, Archbishop Nzapalainga said that the Holy Father’s trip to the country this year “is a sign of divine goodness.” Pope Francis announced that he plans to visit Uganda and the Central Africa at the end of the year. The Pope told journalists during his return flight from Manila that his visit to Africa was delayed to the Ebola epidemic.
“The Papal visit must be for our Church a time of grace, which will give new impulse to our life as Christians” Archbishop Nzapalainga concluded.
