Still posting

Some might say that I've fallen off the earth these past months, but finally I'm back to the routine of posting in cyberspace. Check out the newer posts, and subesquent ones under the title An Attitude of Gratitude.

Dance of a thousand hands

The proverbial 'they' say that good theatre is good liturgy. If that's true, then the ancient cultures who have become so good at theatre have much to teach us, and perhaps we are wise to listen.

This year, as part of the Spring Festival celebrations which marked the Chinese New Year, a group of twenty-one dancers performed the Dance of a Thousand Hands. To the western eye, this is a beautiful mixture of colour and movement that is a true display of talent, but moreso of discipline and what must represent HOURS of work.

The accomplishment is all the more remarkable considering that all the performers are deaf. They can't hear any of the music, and must rely on prompts from trainers who are situated at the four corners of the stage!

The Dance of a thousand hands was first débuted on the international stage at the Athens Paralympic Games in 2004, but it has long been part of the repertoire of the Chinese Disabled Peoples Performing Arts Troupe and has appeared in more than 40 countries.

Farewell ... and hello

Yesterday, the Holy Father concluded his visit to Cameroon. As is his custom, he delivered a farewell speech at Nsimalen International Airport in Yaoundé before boarding the plane for the journey to Angola.

The Holy Father is pictured here arriving at the airport in Luanda, Angola.

A few hours later, he arrived in Luanda (Angola) and shared warm greetings at the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport in that city. The Holy Father acknowledged his desire to visit all of Africa, but recognized that it has been necessary to restrict the itinerary to Yaoundé and to Luanda.

The remainder of the day yesterday was devoted to a meeting with civil authorities and members of the Diplomatic Corps of the country of Angola (which took place at the Presidential Palace) and to a meeting with the bishops of Angola and Säo Tomé (in the chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature in Luanda).

Today, the Holy Father was expected to celebrate Mass with the bishops, priests, religious people, ecclesial movements and catechists of Angola and São Tomé at São Paolo Church in Luanda, and then to attend a special meeting with youth at Dos Coqueiros Stadium in Luanda.

A word of fraternal encouragement

The last of the Holy Father's scheduled meetings during his brief visit to Cameroon took place last night. The invited guests were the members of the Special Council of the Synod for Africa, who have been busy preparing the documents which will lay the groundwork for an important encounter scheduled to take place in October 2010 in Rome.

Just yesterday, the official Lineamenta (outline of the meeting) and the Instrumentum Laboris (working document) were presented publicly by the Pope himself. Tonight's meeting with the Special Council gave him the opportunity to suggest some specific reflections on the themes of reconciliation, justice and peace, thereby adding his own thoughts to the process of preparation for this significant meeting.

The Instrumentum Laboris concludes with a special prayer which the Holy Father invited the gathered members to recite on a regular basis in the coming months, along with the faithful as a vocal commitment to prayer for the success of the Synod.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Protectress of Africa, you have given the
world its true light, Jesus Christ. By your obedience to the Father and by the
grace of the Holy Spirit, you have given us the source of our reconciliation and
our joy.

Mother of tenderness and wisdom, show us Jesus, your Son and the Son of
God, sustain our journey of conversion, so that Jesus may enlighten us with his
Glory in all the settings of our personal, family and social life.

Mother full of Mercy and Justice, by your docility to the Spirit, the
Comforter, obtain for us the grace to be witnesses of the Risen Lord, so that we
may become ever more fully the salt of the earth and the light of the
world.

Mother of Perpetual Succour, to your maternal intercession we entrust
the preparation and the fruits of the Second Synod for Africa. Queen of Peace,
pray for us! Our Lady of Africa, pray for us!

If words could heal

Yesterday, the Holy Father met with a group of sick and suffering folk in Cameroon. The location of this meeting was the Paul Émile Léger Centre, named for the Canadian Cardinal who was so well known for work among the people of that country.

Continuing the theme of his pastoral visit, the Holy Father spoke words of consolation to those who were gathered, telling them that they are not alone: that Christ himself is close to all those who suffer. Like Jesus himself, who chose to spend time in presence of those who were suffering the Pontiff's purpose is to demonstrate his fraternal tenderness and benevolence towards all the broken-hearted, all whose bodies are wounded.

For so many years, the people of Africa have been the outcasts, thanks to those of us who find ourselves living in other parts of the world. Therefore this visit bears all the more relevance as the Pope demonstrates his fraternal concern for those who suffer in silence or otherwise. This is the task set before all of us who follow in the footsteps of the Lord: bring good news to the poor ... proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind ... let the oppressed go free ... proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord (cf Lk 4:18-19).

Preparing for next year ... with the help of the Saints

Next Fall, there will be a special assembly organized by the Synod Office and held in Rome to discuss issues pertaining to the Church in Africa. In preparation for this Assembly, the Holy Father presented the working document (called an Instrumentum laboris) during a meeting with the Bishops of Cameroon today.

Fourteen years after the publication of the Post-synodal document on the Church in Africa, the Holy Father now called today on his brothers in the episcopacy and others who will partake in this meeting, to prepare well for the exchange which will take place next year.

The unveiling of the Instrumentum laboris took place at the conclusion of a publicly celebrated open-air Mass which the Holy Father celebrated, accompanied by the bishops and priests as well as the faithful of Cameroon. This celebration took place in the Amadou Ahidjo stadium in Yaoundé.

During his homily, the Holy Father reflected on the example of Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary, whose Feast day is celebrated today. He called all those present to be people of faith and trust, accepting the duty and role which has been consigned to us by the Lord, looking to him for guidance and assurance in time of trial, but also trusting that he will inspire us to fulfill the tasks entrusted to us with care, love and attention.

These words, spoken to the people of Cameroon, are equally applicable to all of us who strive daily to live lives of faith, to seek the answers that only come with trust and prayer, and to share the values of love and commitment with those entrusted to our care. We model that which we have learned in the school of prayer, at the feet of the saints like Joseph, and his wife Mary.

Day 3

Continuing a tradition which he himself began during his extra-Vatican voyages, the Holy Father met this morning with representatives of the Muslim community in Cameroon. The diplomacy which is characteristic of the Vatican was more than evident in the wording of the speech he gave to the gathered dignitaries:

Our encounter is a vivid sign of the desire we share with all people of good will – in Cameroon, throughout Africa and across the globe – to seek opportunities to exchange ideas about how religion makes an essential contribution to our understanding of culture and the world, and to the peaceful coexistence of all the members of the human family.

Focusing on the common tasks which Christians and Muslims must face in the immediate future, the Holy Father expressed his belief that we must strive to unveil the vast potential of human reason, which is itself God’s gift and which is elevated by revelation and faith. Belief in the one God, far from stunting our capacity to understand ourselves and the world, broadens it. Far from setting us against the world, it commits us to it. We are called to help others see the subtle traces and mysterious presence of God in the world which he has marvellously created and continually sustains with his ineffable and all-embracing love.

Seeking out the common threads which we must all cling to and work from is the key to any negotiations, be they around the bargaining table or involving the most delicate of international relations.

These words, which seem to roll off the tongue, are presented in the context of some very auspicious moments, but the hard work of bringing these dreams to reality is the challenge which the Pontiff leaves behind, entrusting to the local Church and to the members of the Muslim community in Cameroon, the task of working out the details. All efforts toward peace and reconciliation are to be lauded, and a gesture of support such as this can only serve to help solidify the working relationship which is so essential if such dreams as peace, concord and understanding are to come about.