VATICAN CITY (CNS): Pope John Paul II has called on the world’s richer nations to help Africa become a continent of justice and peace.
“The continent urgently needs peace, justice and reconciliation as well as the help of industrialised countries who are called to sustain its development,” said the Pope in a written message sent on the occasion of an international gathering in the Vatican on development in Africa.
The Pope emphasised that Africans need proper development that allows them to become the true “protagonists of their own future, the actors and subjects of their destiny”.
The message was presented to participants attending a one-day meeting sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
The convention, held on May 21, brought together Church and government officials from Africa and diplomats to the Holy See, as well as experts on sustainable development and non-governmental organisations.
