can lead us (cf. Jn 16:13) – is what marks out the path that all human justice must follow if it is to succeed in restoring the bonds of fraternity within the “human family, a community of peace” reconciled with God through Christ. Becoming just and building a just social order The model par excellence underlying the Church’s thinking and reasoning, which she proposes to all, is Christ. According to her social teaching, “the Church does not have technical solutions to offer and does not claim ‘to interfere in any way in the politics of states.’ She does, however, have a mission of truth to accomplish ... [one] that the Church can never renounce. Her social doctrine is a particular dimension of this proclamation: it is a service to the truth which sets us free.” This particular role is appreciated by a great many countries, which recognize the Church as a peacemaker, an agent of reconciliation and a herald of justice. It is worth repeating that, while a distinction must be made between the role of pastors and that of the lay faithful, the Church’s mission is not political in nature. Her task is to open the world to the religious sense by proclaiming Christ. The Church wishes to be the sign and safeguard of the human person’s transcendence. She must also enable people to seek the supreme truth regarding their deepest identity and their questions, so that just solutions can be found to their problems. Living in accordance with Christ’s justice On the social plane, human consciences are challenged by the grave injustices existing in our world as a whole and within Africa in particular. The plundering of the goods of the earth by a minority to the detriment of entire peoples is unacceptable, because it is immoral. Justice obliges us to “render to each his due”: ius suum unicuique tribuere. It is an issue, then, of rendering justice to whole peoples. Africa is capable of providing every individual and every nation of the continent with the basic conditions, which will enable them to share in development. Africans will thus be able to place their God-given talents and riches at the service of their land and their brothers and sisters. If justice is to prevail in all areas of life, private and public, economic and social, it needs to be sustained by subsidiarity and solidarity, and still more, to be inspired by charity. “In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, neither the state nor any larger society should substitute itself for the initiative and responsibility of individuals and intermediary bodies.” Solidarity is the guarantee of justice and peace, and hence of unity, so that “the abundance of some compensates for the want of others”. In Africa’s present situation the Church is called to make the voice of Christ heard. She wishes to follow Jesus’ counsel to
Nicodemus, who asked him whether it was possible to be born again: “You must be born from above” (Jn 3:7). It was the missionaries who offered Africans this new birth “of water and the Spirit” (Jn 3:5), Good News that everyone has a right to hear in order to realize his vocation fully. The Church in Africa draws her life from this heritage. For the sake of Christ and in fidelity to the lesson of life which he taught us, she feels the duty to be present wherever human suffering exist ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????%??????????????????????????????????????????q]????????????????????????t??%???????????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????A??????????????????????????????????????????????????I?????????q%?????????t??????
??????q????????????????????? ???????????????????$???????????????????t??)?????????Q??????????????????
?????????)?????????%?????????????????????????????????????????????%?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????%??????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????
??????????????????AMQ=I0?
=559P?Q??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q???????????????9???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????!?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????a??????????????????????????d??4?????????????????????a??????????????????????????????????????d???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????a??????????????d??1????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????aA?????$??????????????????????????d??)?????????%?????????????????????????????a????d????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????()Q!?M???Y=0????9????U UMP?????((??((0