Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Yesterday, as I was reflecting on what I could share with you on such an important day, the day we celebrate the life of our Founder Cardinal Charles Lavigerie, a notification just popped up on my phone. And when I checked it out, it happened to be a notice about a coup d’état in Guinea-Bissau, a former colony of Portugal, located in West Africa. Then my mind started hovering over events of war, violence and destruction.
Surprisingly, going to today’s gospel text (Lk 21:20-28), I found that the same images of war, violence and destruction are being described and played out. I was, however, consoled by the last statement of today’s gospel text: “When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand” (Luke 21:28): A message of hope from Jesus himself.
Jesus’ words raised a question in my mind: “Is announcing the message of hope still relevant to Africa and the African world?” In other words, is announcing the message of hope still “appropriate to the current time, period, or circumstances” our beloved continent Africa is passing through? Or again, if Lavigerie comes back today, will he find it relevant to send Missionaries of hope to Africa?
Africa is faced with challenges that can be traced back to her recent history. She suffered about 400 years[1] of slave trade, about 100 years of colonization,[2] and more than four decades of the Cold War.[3] Now, as we speak, she is being torn apart between the powerful of the world: USA, Russia and China, who by all means, want to extract her natural resources, mercilessly destroy her beautiful rivers and forests, without forgetting the many women and children who get trapped in the cycle of unending economic and geostrategic wars imposed on Africa. In such circumstances, announcing the message of hope becomes relevant; and Cardinal Lavigerie, with no doubt, would recommend us to continue doing so. However, it would be more relevant, if we, the daughters, sons, children and grandchildren of Lavigerie, take interest in knowing better what is happening to Africa and the African world today.
Most of us who are here today, have suffered, I argue, the consequences of the Cold War, starting from Patrice Lumumba and Kwame Nkrumah, passing through the Thomas Sankara period, to the Muammar Gaddafi time. Did we try to understand what happened to these men I just mentioned and many other sons and daughters of Africa? If we didn’t, it is high time we get re-connected to our own history. In this way, we will be able to announce the message of hope, relevant to the people of Africa, and the African world. We will be able ‘to stand erect, hold our heads high’, to announce the message of hope and true “liberation” to the African people. If we are in touch with our roots, it will make sense, to stand at the pulpit and say: “[…] hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand” (Lk 21:28).
When we hear about coup d’états, women and girls being raped in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in South-Sudan, Sudan; girls being kidnapped and Christians killed in Nigeria; migrants dying in the desert of Libya in their hope to get to greener pastures in Europe; when we hear about so many other atrocities being done to the daughters and sons of Africa, we are gripped with fear. However, like the prophet Daniel, we should know that even in the lions’ den, God will never abandon us (cf. Dan. 6:23).
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, to celebrate the life of Cardinal Lavigerie is to revive his legacy in us. It is to remember that Africa, which our Founder loved and cherished so much is still fighting for her true liberation. We suffered the Cold War; the generation after us, I allow myself to argue, will probably suffer more because of the current confrontation between USA, Russia and China. Unless young missionaries take time to imagine new ways and means of evangelization that empower more the African people. Young missionaries are called to move from “charity handouts” to “equity”. In other words, missionary apostolate should strive to challenge and change systems – local, national and international – that maintain in misery and hopelessness the beneficiaries of evangelization.
United with Cardinal Lavigerie, through the intercession of Our Lady of Africa, Queen of Peace, let us ask Christ to make us true messengers of hope. “When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand” (Lk 21:28).
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[1] Cf. Clark, «Number of African Slaves Taken by Each Nation per Century 1501-1866», African slaves taken by each nation 1501-1866| Statista [accessed 27/11/2025].
[2] Cf. African History, «How Long Colonisation Lasted in Africa», How Long Colonisation Lasted In Africa [accessed 27/11/2025].
[3] Cf. Blakemore, «What Was the Cold War – and Are We Headed to Another One?», Cold War facts and information | National Geographic [accessed 27/11/2025].