B
Barzillai
Guest
Draft of Final Message of Africa Synod in which the following was said about the importance of the lay faithful in the Church and the world:
The scripture text of the theme of our Synod, addressed to all followers of Christ, refers in a special way to you: “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world” (Mt 5:13-14). Here we would like to **reiterate the recommendation of Ecclesia in Africa about the importance of Small Christian Communities **(EIA, 93). Beyond prayer, you must also arm yourself with sufficient knowledge of the Christian faith to be able to “give a proof of the hope that you bear” (1 Pet 3:15) in the market places of ideas. Those higher up among you have the duty to acquire a commensurate level of religious culture. In particular, we strongly recommend the basic sources of Catholic faith: the Holy Bible, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, and most relevant to the theme of the Synod, The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. All these are available at affordable costs.
There is no excuse to remain ignorant in the faith. In this regard, EIA fervently recommended the establishment of Catholic Universities. We thank God that many such institutions have emerged in the last 15 years, and many more are in the pipe-line. This is a project of capital importance. It also costs a lot of money. But it is necessary, if we are to invest for a future of well formed Catholic laity, especially intellectuals, ready and able to stand up and witness to the faith in the world of today. This is certainly an area where the universal solidarity of the Church-Family of God is greatly needed. (emphasis supplied).
The scripture text of the theme of our Synod, addressed to all followers of Christ, refers in a special way to you: “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world” (Mt 5:13-14). Here we would like to **reiterate the recommendation of Ecclesia in Africa about the importance of Small Christian Communities **(EIA, 93). Beyond prayer, you must also arm yourself with sufficient knowledge of the Christian faith to be able to “give a proof of the hope that you bear” (1 Pet 3:15) in the market places of ideas. Those higher up among you have the duty to acquire a commensurate level of religious culture. In particular, we strongly recommend the basic sources of Catholic faith: the Holy Bible, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, and most relevant to the theme of the Synod, The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. All these are available at affordable costs.
There is no excuse to remain ignorant in the faith. In this regard, EIA fervently recommended the establishment of Catholic Universities. We thank God that many such institutions have emerged in the last 15 years, and many more are in the pipe-line. This is a project of capital importance. It also costs a lot of money. But it is necessary, if we are to invest for a future of well formed Catholic laity, especially intellectuals, ready and able to stand up and witness to the faith in the world of today. This is certainly an area where the universal solidarity of the Church-Family of God is greatly needed. (emphasis supplied).