Cardinal Wamala decries ‘mild dictatorship’ in Africa

As the ongoing Synod gathered momentum in Rome, different Synod fathers from different countries continued making their interventions today.

Each member was given fives minutes to make a presentations to the over 250 delegates gathered in the hall who included Pope Benedict XVI who attentively followed all the interventions.

Polycarp Cardinal Pengo of Tanzania and chairman of SECAM described it as unfortunate that many years after Christianity came to Africa, the Church here is still dependent on external donors for its material survival. He called on all the African religious leaders to make the church more self reliant materially.

He saw greed, selfishness and ethnicity as the root causes to our many problems in Africa.

Focusing on the social context of our continent, Emanuel Cardinal Wamala, Archbishop Emeritus of Kampala said though the great growth that has been witnessed in our continent, the new form of ‘mild dictatorship’ is sweeping across Africa, disguised by new leaders who have come to replace the old ones. He said that there was urgent need to evangelize even those in politics because in many of our countries, God is missing.

Bishop Sithembele Anton Sipuka of Umtata Diocese in South Africa said racial challenges are so serious that they are affecting even recruitment in the seminaries. He said that the whites in his diocese were not at ease being together with their black colleagues.

Recognizing the great work done by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and that there was a leap forward in majority rule, however, the bishop said many injustices still exist.

More sessions are underway with Cardinal John Njue later in the evening chairing the Commission for Information.

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