CNS STORY: Pope tells Burundi's bishops proclaiming Gospel includes reconciling

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CNS Story:

POPE-BURUNDI May-31-2005 (540 words) xxxi

Pope tells Burundi's bishops proclaiming Gospel includes reconciling

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Proclaiming the Gospel in Burundi includes working to bring healing and reconciliation after the civil war and supporting the restoration of democracy, Pope Benedict XVI told the country's bishops.

Meeting the bishops May 28, the pope praised their efforts on behalf of "the promotion of peace and reconciliation in the country, especially in this period of electoral rounds."

The bishops were at the Vatican for their "ad limina" visits, which take place every five years.

Bishop Jean Ntagwarara of Bubanza, president of the bishops' conference, told the Vatican's Fides missionary news agency that a Catholic priest had been named spokesman of the national electoral commission and that priests and religious had been appointed to most regional election committees.

"These people represent the church in Burundi, not themselves," he said. "The people trust the church and so the country's political parties are certain that the presence of our representatives in the electoral commissions will guarantee fair elections."

The people of Burundi approved a new constitution in February. Local representatives were to be elected June 3, and presidential elections were scheduled for August.

Pope Benedict praised those Burundian Catholics who acted heroically to save others during the civil war, which began in 1993 and led to the deaths of some 300,000 people, and in the face of continuing political tension.

And he lauded the bishops' current pastoral efforts "to announce the Gospel, to heal memories and hearts, to promote solidarity among all Burundians, to banish the spirit of vengeance and resentment and to call everyone to forgiveness and reconciliation."

Pope Benedict also encouraged the bishops to strengthen their efforts to educate adults in the Catholic faith.

"Many of them live in extreme poverty and interior distress and are tempted to return to ancient practices not purified by the spirit of the Lord or to turn to sects," he said.

Bishop Bernard Bududira of Bururi told Catholic News Service that Pope Benedict "is very informed about the economic, social and political situations in Burundi and about the action of the church."

For example, he said, "he knew about the church's work in reconciliation and peace, and he knew we have support from the Catholic Church in the United States," particularly from Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. bishops' conference in developing, staffing and launching a reconciliation project.

Bishop Bududira said he and the other bishops were encouraged that "he knew what we were doing and with whom we were working concerning these efforts in creating a stable and peaceful environment in Burundi."

The bishop said Burundi still faces a massive task in rebuilding the country's infrastructure, improving education and dealing with disease.

Bishop Bududira told Fides, "We must also help to rebuild the foundation of society: the family.

"Civil war separated many families and killed many fathers so that now we have many widows and orphans," he said. "Besides this, there is also the scourge of AIDS, which is a serious problem. AIDS has spread because of promiscuity in refugee camps and the fact that husbands and wives were separated because of war.

"We need a major intervention by the international community to fight this," he said.

- - -

Contributing to this story was Carol Glatz.

END

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