(Archbishop of Abidjan, Ivory Coast)
The human promotion of man, his integral blossoming, the respect for his dignity and his rights, the establishment of justice and peace are integral parts of evangelisation. The are the signs by which we may recognise that the Kingdom of God has arrived. Numerous Pontifical documents bring this up.
Faithful to this teaching, the missionaries, from the beginning, have acted on behalf of human promotion: schools, dispensaries, actions for development. On their part, the Bishops and the Episcopal Conferences, sometimes, take courageous stands to denounce injustices and to remind of the social doctrine of the Church. But one must admit that if the actions on behalf of human promotion are developed in an organised way, those regarding justice and peace are less thorough. This comes back to our culture which makes man too dependent on the collectivity and customs and also on the political situation of our countries where dictatorship of the sole party has imposed silence upon all of us, until these last years.
Happily, things are changing with
the advent of multiparty systems and the birth of movements such as the
"League for the rights of man" and the "ACAT". The intellectuals have found
the freedom of speech again.
The Church, in which our people
have great trust, must bring about a great deal in our countries in the
domain of justice and peace:
a) Teaching of social sense from childhood and at all ages while clearly and forcefully teaching that the Good News announced must be proven by signs which are not only charitable actions, but also by the search for social justice and the fight for the respect of the dignity of man.
b) The establishment of "Justice
and Peace" Commissions in the dioceses with well-formed and supported lay
people, because the transformation of the social structures is the task
of the lay people among which women, unending treasure of generosity and
piety.
The present Synod should send a
pressing plea to our Christian elite to get involved in the political,
economic, professional organisations and in the diverse associations working
for human promotion to breathe into them the evangelical sprit.
Original text: French
