Madagascan Cardinal: “We cannot serve Jesus Christ in church, and the devil outside”
During his visit to the international headquarters of ACN, Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana emphasised the urgency of an authentic and committed faith. In the face of many social problems which for a long time have undermined Madagascar, he insists on the importance of pastoral work so that the Gospel may transform hearts and society.
“How can we live and transmit the Gospel so that people can have a deep faith, a solid faith, able to transform our lives according to the teaching of the Church?” That is the question which Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana, the Archbishop of Toamasina, has on his mind as he visits the international headquarters of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Although most of the country’s leaders are Christians of various confessions, Madagascar continues to sink deeper into corruption and social injustice. “Why is our country sinking, sinking, sinking? There must be a problem with our faith.” The cardinal continues sadly: “We cannot serve Jesus Christ in church, and the devil outside – the father of lies, of hypocrisy”.
Faith certainly seems to be present in Madagascar: churches are full. However, the cardinal wonders about the authenticity of this faith: “Do we pray just because everybody prays? Or is it really with conviction?” The transformation of a society can only take place from the inside and for that, the cardinal is convinced, the Church and the clergy must show the way: “The change has to start with us. Do we really believe in the Gospel?”
For this, he emphasises, the formation of future priests is of crucial importance and that is why ACN helped to fund an inter-diocesan seminary, opened at the end of 2022, and continues to support the diocese in the formation of seminarians. “It is essential to give a good intellectual and spiritual formation to these young men, so that the honour associated with being a priest does not spoil them,” says the cardinal. “The discernment of vocations is already a very big challenge for us.”
Despite all these difficulties, the Archdiocese of Toamasina is very dynamic. “There are many social projects and lots of attention being paid to the poorest,” explains Maxime François-Marsal, who is responsible for ACN projects in the Francophone countries of central Africa and who recently visited the island nation. “The Church’s work for society is very beautiful; it does a lot with very modest means. The challenge is big: the country is under-developed and extremely poor. Many Catholic communities find themselves isolated because of the lack of roads,” he says, adding: “Besides this, the population doubles every 25 years. Climate change is transforming the country more and more into a desert – the south of the island has been suffering from drought for more than three years. Madagascar is on the United Nations’ list of least developed countries. And finally, there is considerable insecurity: a third of the country is a red zone, meaning that it is among the most dangerous regions.”
“Faced with this situation, many young people dream about leaving the country because of the lack of prospects,” says Cardinal Tsarahazana regretfully. “Many young girls hope to find a foreign husband to escape poverty.”
Last year, the cardinal was able to strengthen pastoral and spiritual life in his diocese thanks to ACN projects, including a two-day meeting for 320 catechists, which he organised with help from the foundation. In Madagascar, catechists play a key role in transmitting the Faith, notably in remote regions where they take care of pastoral missions in the regular absence of priests. “It is the catechists who spread the Gospel,” emphasises the cardinal. “They are deeply anchored in the Faith, and that is why they serve the Church devotedly, even as volunteers.”
For the future, he wishes to deepen even further the pastoral and spiritual dimension of his archdiocese. His dream is to welcome a contemplative community. “We don’t yet have a monastery, not because of a lack of vocations, but because of the lack of a building. One of my biggest priorities is to provide a place where the religious can settle,” he confides.
ACN has supported more than 380 projects across the whole of Madagascar over the past five years, including spiritual retreats for the priests of the Archdiocese of Toamasina, which provide a time of renewal, as well as Mass stipends. The cardinal is very grateful for the help received over these past years: “A huge thank you to ACN, a faithful friend, whose essential financial support enables us to overcome daily challenges. Your precious help and your unfailing commitment are an invaluable source of support for our mission.”
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