Pope to authorities in
Madagascar: Promote integral human development
 |
| Pope Francis greets the civil authorities of Madagascar (Vatican Media) |
On the second leg of his 3-nation Apostolic Journey, Pope
Francis delivers his first speech in Madagascar to authorities, representatives
of the civil society, and the diplomatic corps, and invites them to promote
solidarity and mutual sharing among all who live in the country.
By Robin Gomes
Pope Francis on Saturday called for the integral human
development of all in Madagascar - no one excluded - in a spirit of
brotherhood, sharing, mutual help, and solidarity.
He made the call in his first speech on Madagascan soil at
the presidential palace in the capital, Antananarivo, when he addressed the
country’s authorities, representatives of the civil society and the diplomatic
corps.
Speaking in Italian, he pledged the collaboration of the
country’s Catholic Church with other Christian confessions, various religions,
and all sectors of civil society in this task.
He began by commending the principle of “fihavanana”,
a Malagasy word in the Preamble to the Constitution, which “evokes the spirit
of sharing, mutual help and solidarity” and the “importance of family,
friendship and goodwill between people and with nature”. Saying
that fihavanana reveals the “soul” of the Malagasy
people, he urged that it be recognized, esteemed, and appreciated.
Politics
Speaking of politics, the Pope said it is a challenge for
politicians to use their office and responsibility to serve and protect their
fellow citizens, particularly the most vulnerable. In this regard, Pope
Saint Paul VI rightly said that the development of a nation “cannot be restricted
to economic growth alone”.
“To be authentic, it must be integral; it must foster the
development of each person and of the whole person," he said.
Corruption, inequality, exclusion
Pope Francis thus encouraged all to “fight with strength and
determination against all endemic forms of corruption and speculation that
increase social disparity, and to confront the situations of great instability
and exclusion that always create conditions of inhumane poverty”.
He called for Madagascar's civil authorities to guarantee a
just division of income and an integral development of all, particularly the
poorest.
Our common home
Integral human development, the Pope pointed out, cannot be
possible without showing consideration and care for our common home.
Quoting his encyclical “Laudato si”, he said, “We are faced not with two
separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one
complex crisis which is both social and environmental.”
He lamented that Madagascar’s rich plant and animal
biodiversity is particularly threatened by excessive deforestation, from which
only a few make a profit. He warned that the deterioration of this
biodiversity compromises the future of the country and of the earth, our common
home.
While lamenting forest fires, poaching, cutting down of
valuable woodlands, contraband, and illegal activities that endanger plant and
animal biodiversity, he stressed the importance of creating jobs and
activities that generate income while protecting the environment and help
people to emerge from poverty.
“In a word,” he said, “there can be no true ecological
approach or effective efforts to safeguard the environment without the
attainment of a social justice capable of respecting the right to the common
destination of earth’s goods, not only of present generations but also of those
yet to come.”
International aid
While commending the help extended by the international
community to Madagascar, the Pope said this aid must respect local values, ways
of life, and the expectations of citizens. In this way, it is possible to ensure
that the aid will not be the sole guarantee of a country’s development. The
people itself will progressively take charge and become the artisan of its own
future, he said.
In this task, Pope Francis held out Blessed Victoire
Rasoamanarivo of Madagascar as a model, saying “her witness of love for this
land and its traditions, her service to the poor as a sign of her faith in
Jesus Christ, show us the path that we too are called to pursue.”
The Pope pledged the readiness of the Catholic Church in
Madagascar to collaborate with other Christians, followers of other faiths, and
civil society to contribute to the dawn of a true fraternity to foster an
integral human development, without excluding anyone.
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