Vatican synod slams multi-nationals' exploitation in Africa
The Roman Catholic Church on Friday slammed multi-nationals for their "criminal devastation of the environment" as a three-week Vatican synod on the world's poorest continent drew to a close.
In a draft statement, the synod called on these major enterprises "to stop their criminal devastation of the environment in their greedy exploitation of natural resources" in Africa.
"It is short-sighted policy to foment wars in order to make fast gains from chaos, at the cost of human lives and blood," it said, asking: "Is there no one out there able and willing to stop all these crimes against humanity?"
A mass in Saint Peter's Basilica on Sunday will mark the official end of the synod, which opened on October 4.
The bishops also decried the rise of religious fanaticism in Africa, saying: "When this religious fervour is misdirected by fanatics or manipulated by politicians, conflicts are provoked that tend to engulf everyone."
The statement also called for "mutual respect" between Christians and Muslims, saying the two faiths had "many shared values" in common and could work together for peace and reconciliation.
It also criticised some countries where Christianity is banned, saying: "Those nations which by law forbid their citizens from embracing the Christian faith are depriving their own citizens of their fundamental human right to freely decide on the creed to embrace."
The synod called for stepped-up dialogue and cooperation between adherents of traditional African religions and those of other faiths.
On the HIV-AIDS pandemic ravaging Africa, the synod "seriously warns that the problem cannot be overcome by the distribution of prophylactics," the statement said.
"We appeal to all who are genuinely interested in arresting the sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS to recognise the success already obtained by programmes that propose abstinence among those not yet married, and fidelity among the married," it added.
Finally, the synod also addressed corruption, saying Africa needed "saints" at the top echelons of political power to fight corruption and "work for the good of the people."
It lamented that "many Catholics in high office have fallen woefully short in their performance," calling on them "to repent or quit the public arena and stop causing havoc to the people and giving the Catholic Church a bad name."
