African Synod Ends- Pope invokes an African Redivivus

Africa Resurrection, Renaissance, Redivivus- Promise of Hope, Light at the end of the Tunnel.
Commentary:
The Pope Benedict XVI Closes African Synod 2-2009- with the Advice for Africa to rise up. This is in line with the idea of the resurrection. Africa must arise with Christ, our Lord and saviour. African must over the real and imagined realities of death, gloom, despair, and discouragement. Africa must rise up, she must stand again. Africans must provide that anchor, while the stimulus of faith through personal believe and community action, especially through the transparent, honest, responsible and accountable instrumentality and guidance of the Christian spirit and Church, to enable her sputter forth in being fully alive, healthy, and productive.
In spite of many conditions and circumstances that seems to militate and mitigate against the promise of Africa, and even those situations within the church, that clouds and dents, such possibilities, may the hope and promise of the resurrection see this continent of great potentials, resources, vitality, and animated and expressive humanity through to experience the fullness of life in the world, aided by grace.
There is no shying away, but we must be responsible agents within our different callings, statuses, positionalities, and interests to be both agents of the Catholic faith and of our African and black, Arab, Oriental, and white identities, utilizing our multicultural heritages to serve the needs of this continent, to the best of our abilities.

‘Rise up!’ Pope Benedict tells Africa at close of Synod
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Vatican City, Oct 25, 2009 / 10:01 am (CNA).-

Pope Benedict XVI’s homily for the close of the Synod of Bishops for African concluded the Lord of history does not tire of renewing oppressed humanity since the time of Moses. “Rise up, African continent, the land which received the Savior when as a child he had to flee with Joseph and Mary to Egypt so as to save his life from the persecution of King Herod,” Pope Benedict proclaimed. Benedict XVI’s homily turned to Sunday’s first reading from Jeremiah. In the Book of Lamentations, there is an announcement of hope for the people of Israel, laid low by the invasion of the army of Nebuchadnezzar, the devastation of Jerusalem and the Temple and the deportation to Babylon. In the Gospel, Jesus encounters along the road to Jerusalem Bartimaeus, who has lost his sight. “God is light and creator of light,” the Pope explained. “Man is the son of light, made to see light, but has lost his sight and wanders.” “Brothers, we give thanks because this ‘mysterious meeting of our poverty and the greatness’ of God is realized also in the Synodal Assembly for Africa, which today concludes,” he added. “God has renewed his call: ‘Courage! Rise up…” “And also the Church in Africa, through the bishops, come from all the Countries of the Continent, from Madagascar and the other islands, has received the message of hope and light to walk the way leading to the Kingdom of God,” the Holy Father continued. “Bartimaeus becomes a witness to the light, giving a firsthand account of healing, renewal, regeneration.” “This is the Church in the world, a community of persons reconciled, workers of justice and peace, ‘salt and light’ amid a society of men and nations… Moving testimony has demonstrated to us that even in these most dark moments of human history, the Holy Spirit is at work transforming the hearts of victims and persecutors so that they recognize brothers.” The Pontiff directed the synod fathers to the example of the encyclical “Populorum progressio,” elaborated by the Servant of God Paul VI and which missionaries have realized and continue to realize promoting a respectful development of local culture and locale. The Pope added, “After more than forty years, this appears to be the only logic capable of freeing the African people from the slavery of hunger and sickness.” Before the Angelus prayer, Pope Benedict spoke of the rich reality of the local Churches presented by the Synod Fathers. Animated by the Word of God and the Eucharist, he explained, the Church works so that “no one is without the necessities to live and so that all can have an existence worthy of a human being.” Benedict XVI said he shared the joys of the Christian communities, “which continue to grow in quantity and quality.” He added, “Naturally, the actual problems of Africa and the great need of reconciliation, justice and peace were immersed in the Assembly.” “Today I desire to address all the African populations, especially those that share the Christian faith, so as to ideally entrust to them the ‘Final Message’ of the Synodal Assembly,” the Holy Father continued. “Dear brothers and sisters who hear me in Africa, I entrust in a special way to your prayers the fruit of this work of the Synod Fathers and I encourage you with the words of the Lord Jesus: You are the salt and light of the beloved African land!” The Holy Father concluded by recalling next year’s Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, for which the “instrumentum laboris” will be presented during his visit to Cyprus. After the Angelus prayer, the Pontiff extended his greeting to thousands of faithful gathered outside of Milan, Italy’s cathedral for the beatification of Father Carlo Gnocchi: “Father Gnocchi worked ‘to restore the human person,’ gathering children orphaned and mutilated by the Second World War and offering them help and education. He gave his all until the very end and dying, donated his corneas to two blind children. His work has continued to develop and today the Father Gnocchi Foundation offers rehabilitation therapy to needy people of all ages. While I greet Cardinal Tettamanzi, Archbishop of Milan, and rejoice with the entire Ambrosian Church, I make my own the theme of this beatification: ‘Alongside life, forever.’