Pope Benedict XVI in Cameroon (19 March, 2009)
"Sons and daughters of Africa, do not be afraid to believe, to hope,
and to love; do not be afraid to say that Jesus is the Way, the Truth
and the Life, and that we can be saved by Him alone. ... 'Hoping
against hope': is this not a magnificent description of a Christian?
"Africa", he added, "is called to hope through you and in you! With
Jesus Christ, who trod the African soil, Africa can become the
continent of hope! We are all members of the peoples that God gave to
Abraham as his descendants. Each and every one of us was thought,
willed and loved by God. Each and every one of us has a role to play
in the plan of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
"If discouragement overwhelms you, think of the faith of Joseph; if
anxiety has its grip on you, think of the hope of Joseph, that
descendant of Abraham who hoped against hope; if exasperation or
hatred seizes you, think of the love of Joseph, who was the first man
to set eyes on the human face of God in the person of the Infant
conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary".
"Like Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary into your home, that is
to say do not be afraid to love the Church. Mary, Mother of the
Church, will teach you to follow your pastors, ... to heed what they
teach you and to pray for their intentions. ... Those preparing for
marriage, treat your future spouse as Joseph did; those of you who
have given yourselves to God in celibacy, reflect upon the teaching of
the Church, our Mother: 'Virginity or celibacy for the sake of the
Kingdom of God not only does not contradict the dignity of marriage
but presupposes and confirms it. Marriage and virginity are two ways
of expressing and living the one mystery of the Covenant of God..."
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POPE IN ANGOLA
Luanda in Angola
Angolans pour into Luanda for pope's visit
T-shirts, badges and rosaries celebrating Pope Benedict XVI's visit dot the streets of Luanda, as tens of thousands of pilgrims flock to the city hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
"We have T-shirts, headscarves, rosaries, badges, sarongs -- all things for people to remember this special visit," said 55-year-old vendor Fatima Domingo, hawking her wares outside a church downtown.
"We are very happy because he's going to bring the word to us Christians here in Angola," she said.
Benedict arrives Friday from Cameroon on the first papal visit here since Pope John Paul II came in 1992, during a lull in the civil war that ended nearly seven years ago.
Images of that trip are replaying endlessly on television, showing groups of women and children clapping and chanting "Papa, Amigo, Angola esta contigo" -- "Pope, my friend, Angola is with you."
The airport is already decorated with pink and white flags bearing his face, and thousands are expected to gather at the terminal for his arrival, among them, Isabel Kinanga.
"When the last pope visited Angola, I was in hospital having my son by Caesarian, so I don't want to miss any of this visit," the 36-year-old told AFP.
"We're going to the airport and then we'll be following the pope around the city. We are just so happy for Benedict to be coming here and to have chosen Angola. He brings a blessing for all of us."
The pope will be driven around Luanda in a specially-imported white Mercedes "Pope Mobile", on roads the government is rushing to repair and clean before the weekend.
Angola, whose people live in poverty despite the nation's oil riches, is believed to have spent millions of dollars on new pavements as well as lighting systems outside churches and on the routes where Benedict will pass.
New lawns and shrub gardens have sprung up, with litter swept away and graffiti scrubbed from walls.
More than 12,000 police officers have been mobilised and security will be tight around the city, with many main routes expected to be closed to allow the Pope Mobile to pass.
In his last Sunday Vatican address before flying to Africa, Benedict said he wanted to wrap his arms around the entire continent, with "its painful wounds, its enormous potential and hopes."
Angola has been at peace for nearly seven years, but physical and mental scars remain from the decades of conflict which claimed half a million lives.
The bishop of Cabinda, Dom Filomeno Vieira Dias, said the pope's arrival would "animate the faithful". Politicians, artists and community leaders have all welcomed the visit and the pontiff's message of peace.
Tens of thousands of people from around the country are being bused and flown into Luanda to take part in the pope's visit, which includes an open air mass for half a million on Sunday and a meeting with young people at a football stadium.
For those unable to access the events, giant television screens are being put up across the capital and in other provinces to beam live coverage of his remarks to everyone.
"The Church is the only salvation we have in this world and we are very happy Pope Benedict is coming here to see us in Angola," said Eduardo Gonga, 53, as he clutched his souvenir poster on his way for a lunchtime prayer.
"The visit is a good thing because it will bring a lot of happiness. We have just finished a period of war and we are now in a time of peace and this peace can be prolonged, I think, with the words that the pope will bring."http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem
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