Cardinal Fernando Filoni ended his pastoral visit to Malawi, and arrived
in Zambia yesterday afternoon, November 7, and immediately met the
Bishops' Conference, in Lusaka, conveying Pope Francis’s personal
greeting as well as his Apostolic Blessing.
As Prefect of the
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Cardinal thanked the
Episcopal Conference for the cordial welcome and for their dedicated
service to the Church’s mission.
"What a joy it is to be here with you - said the Cardinal -, in the
midst of your Jubilee Celebration of 125 years of Catholicism in Zambia,
inaugurated this past August! Dear brothers, you are standing on the
shoulders of the great missionaries who so boldly and selflessly labored
to bring the Good News to this blessed land".
He then quoted the tireless commitment of Fr. Van Oosten, M.Afr., and of
his confreres, who despite malaria and poor living conditions, founded
the first mission, and the first Bishop consecrated in Zambia, Mgr.
Joseph Dupont, M.Afr. Following the lead of these first missionary
fathers, many men and women have continued the work of evangelization
here in Zambia up to the present day. "Each of you, dear brothers, must
continue to assume the personal responsibility to evangelize", urged the
Cardinal, saying he was pleased to hear that "the Church here in Zambia
still enjoys a strong missionary spirit".
In his speech, Cardinal Filoni stressed the importance of the Apostolic
Exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" of Pope Francis, and recalled what the
Pope said to the Bishops of Zambia on their ad Limina visit in 2014 and
reiterated the timeliness of the Ad Gentes conciliar Decree. After
emphasizing the common duty of every baptized person to be a witness of
Christ, and in particular for the Bishop to promote, direct and
coordinate missionary activity in his diocese, as well as encourage all
the members of the People of God to participate in the work of
evangelization, the Cardinal pointed out that "the path of
evangelization is not easy".
"As in many places around the world - he
continued - here you are facing particular challenges regarding threats
against family life and the Gospel values inherent in it". He then urged
the Bishops to continue to support the "sanctuary of life" which is the
family, with patience and firmness, also "missionary patience will also
help promote a culture of dialogue, of which Pope Francis often speaks
and which is much-needed on a social and political level here in
Zambia".
Cardinal Filoni then encouraged the Bishops with regards to some
particular aspects. First of all he commended them for using radio to
spread the Gospel as well as their recent initiatives to involve the use
of television. Then he recommended the promotion of priestly vocations
accompanied by serious discernment and proper formation in seminaries,
thanks to the guidance of priests who have deep human, spiritual and
pastoral qualities. "In this light, I commend you for the efforts
already undertaken, with the aid of the Pontifical Society of St. Peter,
to properly form your priests for this important work", he noted.
He then warned the Bishops of Zambia on the need "to overcome
temptations to distrust and skepticism caused by cultural differences",
highlighting the importance of seeking and maintaining fraternal
communion, important for the unity of the People of God and the Zambian
society at large.
Finally, he urged to always strive to love with a
fatherly and brotherly love all those whom God entrusts to them,
especially for priests, and to remain always present and available to
the lay faithful, "who are an integral part in the work of
evangelization in Zambia".