Respect for Human Dignity “opens us to harmonious relationship with other creatures”: Catholic Bishops in CAR

In the statement issued under the title, “Take courage; get up, he is calling you”, which recalls Jesus’ call for Bartimaeus, the blind man, recorded in Mark 10:49, CECA members emphasize the role of the Church in upholding “the equal dignity of all human beings”.

“The Church proclaims the equal dignity of all human beings, whatever their condition or qualities. This proclamation is based on a threefold conviction which, in the light of Christian faith, confers immeasurable value on human dignity and reinforces its intrinsic requirements,” they say.

The threefold conviction, the Catholic Church leaders say, “refers to the mysteries of creation, the Incarnation-Redemption, and man's vocation to communion of life with God.”

“Strengthened by this conviction, the Church-Family of God in Central Africa has always been committed to the dignity of the human person,” they say.

The Church, CECA members continue, “through her prophetic mission, has never been silent when the dignity of the country's sons and daughters is not respected. With constancy, courage, and determination, and despite multiple persecutions and calumnies, she has never ceased to be the voice of the voiceless, the oppressed, the small, the forgotten, the excluded minorities, and those left behind.”

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“The Church-Family of God in Central Africa is committed to the dignity of Central Africans, not only in word but above all in action,” they reiterate, adding that the Church carries out her mission “through various sections of the Episcopal Councils working in the fields of Integral Human Development (Caritas, health, justice and peace, welcoming and protecting migrants) and education.”

The Catholic Bishops appeal to “Small Christian Communities (SCCs) and parishes, Movements, and Fraternities … to form and raise awareness of the meaning of respect for human dignity.”

“May the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for our country, so that the infinite dignity of the human person may be at the heart of our commitments,” CECA members implore in their collective statement issued June 23.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.