(Archbishop of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso)
The African diocese and especially those in Burkina Faso, actually know the serious difficulties for the financial support of their pastoral activities of evangelisation. This dramatic fact brings them to hope for the whole Church: a true theology of temporal goods of the Church, which would enlighten and stimulate the Communion between Christians through fraternal solidarity.
The report on the economic and financial reality of our diocese reveals the following elements: insufficient competence of the new African managers, the lack or the modest new rental investments, the poor financial condition of the faithful, the appearance of richness of the Church through its means and infrastructures of apostolate, the lack of consideration for the real evangelising works by European organisms of aid which prefer supporting the socio-economic works, the subjective screening and the selective channel role played by certain missionaries within our diocese and the organisms of aid, a certain competition between the Missionary Institutes and the diocese.
Faced with this situation, it is urgent that a change of mentality occur among us, regarding the problem of financing the works of our apostolate. Our African diocese must form Pastoral Agents and Faithful to count upon their personal contributions above all, so as not to build Churches of perpetual beggars. The developed Churches of Europe and elsewhere and the ecclesial organisms of aid and co-operation must have more faith in the Bishops of Africa and support them while respecting their options and priorities fixed by their pastoral plans which can but privilege the workings of proper evangelisation.
It is in the name and in view of the communion in the Church, which is also expressed by interdependence and material solidarity without damaging peoples dignity, according to the enlightening teachings of "Sollicitudo rei socialis" n. 38-40 that this question of financing of our works of apostolate in Africa must be treated.
Original
text: French
