(Prelate Bishop, Prelature of Tunis, Tunisia)
At the beginning of this Synod that reinforces our communion between Bishops and between our particular Churches, I would like to appeal to all the other Churches and humanitarian organisations, so that evermore they should co-ordinate their initiatives towards us.
The first point of our intervention concerns the organisms of inter-Christian aide. A better co-ordination between them and ourselves is necessary: they consolidate the ecclesial communion that I have evoked and will reinforce before the authorities of the country, the moral authority of our local Church.
The second point of my intervention is of a more pastoral order. It concerns the priests who with permission from their Bishop, accept to be placed for a certain period at the service of our Church: the Congregation for the Clergy encourages us to "render more equal and qualified the distribution of the clergy". We have accepted this request with satisfaction. To avoid any improvisation with the Muslim world, I propose the following formula: sending two or three priests on a rotating basis, for a period of four or five years. While assuring their services, they could acquire pastoral experience among the Muslim, which would be useful when they return to their diocese.
Such is my proposal: help us, do not come only to throw stones!
We are in Africa, but remain marked
by Europe, seeing the origin of our priests and our faithful. It is also
a Church which feels the communion with the Oriental Churches, if not only
through the common language: Arabic. Tunisia was part of the Arab League,
we live and share the problems and the legitimate aspirations of the Arabic
world of which 2/3 live in Africa. This Synod allows us to recover our
identity as Church of Mediterranean Africa at the same time reinforcing
our common with you!
Original
text: French
