Ten glorious years of Mongu Diocese

Ten glorious years of Mongu Diocese
By Editorial
Monday September 03, 2007 [04:00]

ONE doesn't need to be a Catholic, a Christian or even a believer, to appreciate the value of the message by Archbishop Nichola Girasoli, the Apostolic Nuncio to Zambia, in Mongu yesterday. All that one needs to appreciate this message is to be a human being, a true human being.

Archbishop Girasoli has a message for all persons in this country who hunger and thirst for justice. The very God who creates human beings in the divine image and likeness, creates the earth and all that is in it for the use of all humans, in such a way that the created good can reach all in a more just and fair manner, and gives them power to transform and perfect society in solidarity. It is the same God who, in the fullness of time, sends His Son in the flesh, so that he might come to liberate all persons from the slavery to which sin has subjected them: hunger, misery, oppression and ignorance - in a word, injustice and hatred which have their origin in human selfishness.

Thus, for our authentic liberation, all of us need a profound conversion so that the kingdom of justice, love and peace might come to us. The origin of all disdain for human kind, of all injustice, should be sought in the internal imbalance of human liberty, which will always need to be rectified in history. The uniqueness of the Christian message does not so much consist in the affirmation of the necessity for structural change, as it does in the insistence on the conversion of men and women, which will in turn bring about this change. We will not have a new and more humane, just and fair society without new and reformed structures, but, above all, there will be no new society without new human beings who know how to be truly free and responsible.

In the economy of salvation, the divine work is an action of integral human development and liberation, which has love for its sole motive. Human kind is created in Christ, fashioned in him as a new creature. By faith the creature is transformed, filled with a new dynamism, not of selfishness, but of love, which compels human beings to seek out a new, more profound relationship with God, their fellow humans, and created things.

Love, the fundamental law of human perfection, and therefore of the transformation of society, is not only the greatest commandment of the Lord; it is also the dynamism which ought to motivate Christians to realise justice in the world, having truth as a foundation and liberty as their sign.

This is how we would like the Church to serve society, radiating over it a light and life which heals and elevates the dignity of the human person, which consolidates the unity of society and gives a more profound reason and meaning to all human activity.

Doubtlessly, the Church, the fullness and perfection of human vocation will be accomplished with the definitive inclusion of each human being in the triumph of Christ, but the hope of such a definitive realisation, rather than lull, ought to vivify the concern to perfect this earth. For here grows the body of the new human family, a body which even now is able to give some kind of foreshadowing of the new age. There is no need to confuse temporal progress with the kingdom of Christ. Nevertheless, the former, to the extent that it can contribute to the better ordering of human society, is of vital concern to the kingdom of God.
The Christian quest for justice is a demand arising from biblical teaching. All humans are merely humble stewards of material goods. In the search for salvation, we must avoid that which separates temporal tasks from the work of sanctification. Although we are encompassed with imperfections, we are persons of hope. Christians should have faith that their love for Christ and for their brothers and sisters will not only be the great force liberating us from injustice and oppression, but also the inspiration for social justice, understood as a whole of life and as an impulse towards the internal growth of our nation.
If one looks at things this way, it will not be difficult to discern why we esteem the teachings of the Catholic Church; it will be easy to see why we do need to be Catholics to identify with what this church and its leadership are teaching and doing. How can one disagree with Archbishop Girasoli when he says that the gospel should look at the development of every person, especially the poorest and the most neglected in society. We agree with him that there is no way the Church can proclaim the new commandment of love without promoting justice and peace. Moreover, how can there be peace where there is no justice? Truly, without promoting the true and authentic advancement of the human being, the Church would not be fulfilling its obligation in the new commandment of love. Therefore, we are all called to struggle without respite for the defence of personal dignity, for justice and social peace. But to achieve all this, we have to work in solidarity. And as Archbishop Girasoli has correctly observed, solidarity implies respect for human dignity and love for the poor and the voiceless. But love has to be love and not mere rhetoric or propaganda for rallying votes or support. As Archbishop Girasoli has said "love is love, not calculation. Love is not mathematic. We shall be blessed only if we love without motivating our love. Christian love is a pure mercy, which gives hope to those who are hopeless, joy to those whose life has let them lose their smile". This reminds us of what Mother Theresa once said: "True love hurts; love until it hurts."

It is not late for us to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank Bishop Paul Duffy, in particular, and his diocese in general, for what they have done in this short period of ten years for the people of Western Province. They have brought hope where there was none.

Their work is visible wherever one goes in the province and nothing or no one can wipe that out. This is the way things should be, and for that, Bishop Duffy deserves much credit, love and respect. We agree with Archbishop Girasoli that Bishop Duffy has given the church in Western Province deep and courageous pastoral guidance and he is doing a great job in maintaining the diocese at a very high standard. We wish them success in all their endeavours in the service of our people, especially those who are poor, ill-clad and all those who have lost hope. This is because these are the ones Christ really identified with and defended at all times. This is what makes the ten years of the existence of the Mongu Catholic Diocese glorious.