Well I never made it to meet the Coptic Pope. Maybe, just maybe I can get to the University of Norte Dame (the other Catholic university in Indiana!). Why go there, because the bishops of Nigeria, Burundi, Uganda, Colombia and the Philippines will be there. On April 13 , the conference’s opening plenary, “Peace as the Church’s Vocation: The Role of Bishops,” will include the bishops listed above as well as Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, S.J., of Cagayan de Oro on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines and Bishop Evariste Ngoyagoye, president of the Burundi Episcopal Conference.
If you are a regular reader of this blog than you’ll recognize many of the hot spots. The Philippines with the clash between radical Islam and its Christian citizens has been addressed. Africa has many of the same problems and the result sadly is a new cadre of martyrs. South America continues to deal with the clash between the owners and the poor. In all of these situations the church has a role to play as peace-maker and it has been struggling to do just that.
The bishops will also address “Catholic Peacebuilding in Africa”. It should be an easy date to remember, April 15th, tax day.
On April 16th Archbishop Luis Augusto Castro Quiroga of Tunja will speak on” Colombia: the Church as Peacemaker.”
Franciscans are called not to be peace-wishers but peace-makers. That means taking chances, getting your hands dirty, being misunderstood. As Franciscans we can learn from these Catholic leaders and use their experiences and wisdom to guide our efforts.
Shalom, Salam, Peace, La Paix, Heiwa, Amaní, Aman Malay, Barish, Damai, Ets'a'an Olal, Fred, Hasîtî, Hau, Hoa Bình, Innaihtsi'iyi, Iri'ni, Kapayapaan, Írq, K'é, Innaihtsi'iyi, Khanhaghutyun, Kev Thajyeeb Nyab Xeeb, Kiñuiñak, La Paqe,
Pace n Bene
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