Outline Translation:Where Is Your Brother

Outline Translation: Where Is Your Brother

Where is your brother? (Genesis 4:9)

Pastoral letter of the Catholic Eparchs of Eritrea

(6^th Easter Sunday 2014 – 25 May 2014)

Asmara, Eritrea

Greetings

1.       The letter starts by offering greetings to the faithful who are “our true children in faith” and to all people of goodwill: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord be with you all.

Thanksgiving

2.       We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.  We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Aim

3.       The Church never takes faith for granted, but knows that this gift of God needs to be nourished and reinforced so that it can continue to guide her pilgrim way. (Lumen Fidei, 6)

Section 1: Concluding the Year of Faith

4. What is Faith?

Section 2: Reflection on Reality

God’s Blessing

5.       We have God fearing people who are at peace with each other despite its diversity

6.       God has protected our land from natural disasters

7.       Having said that we cannot hide the fact that we have unhealed wounds. We have therefore to look at the positive as well as the negative aspects of our life.

8.       “It is up to the Christian communities to analyse with objectivity the situation which is proper to their own country” (Evangelium Gaudium, 184)

In situation in the Seas

9.       “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” (Jeremiah 31:15)

10.   The tragedy in the Mediterranean sea where hundreds of our youth perished have shocked our people and the whole world

11.   Pope Francis called it “shameful” the tragedies in the sea, death in deserts, the barbarism of kidnappers..

12.   We all pray and cry to the Lord with Rachel the mother of all and all other mothers

Mass Migration

13.   While wish them to rest in peace in the bosom of God, the Lord turns to us and ask us the question of where is your brother? Where is your sister? Where is your son, daughter? In what situation do they find themselves?

14.   We can’t say, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The Reality of our Life

15.   Mass migration its long term effects

16.   The root cause of mass migration: the youth need their country to be a land of peace, justice, work opportunities, freedom of speech…..

Our Psychological Reality

17.   A broken family whose members are kept in the National Service, Military, Prisons, etc

18.   The elderly who are demoralised because there is no one to look after them

19.   There is a reason why illness such as diabetes, blood pressure, heart problems and mental illness are spreading.

Our Social and Civil Reality

20.   The situation of the family

21.   Moral foundations: corruption

22.   Rule of Law: spread of corruption, lack of constitutional governance, freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of dialogue, law and justice

Education

23.   We should radically change the education system, where the young can learn in freedom and with open mind, where they can see their future job opportunities.

24.   The Church plays fundamental role in the education sector.

25.   This social order requires constant improvement. It must be founded on truth, built on justice and animated by love; in freedom it should grow every day toward a more humane balance. An improvement in attitudes and abundant changes in society will have to take place if these objectives are to be gained. (Gaudium Et Spes. 26)

Living Standards and Economic Situations

26.   If families didn’t have assistance from the diaspora, how would they have survived?

27.   But this is not a long-term solution

28.   If there is not job opportunities, if there is no opportunity for trade and business, our wounds of living in poverty will get worse.

29.   People should be able to work in the jobs of their choice, for example, the job opportunities which could have been created by the construction industry is lost as the sector has been frozen

30.   How are we supposed to understand the independence/freedom of our country if the freedom of individuals and the society is not respected?

31.   A vocation is a call that requires a free and responsible answer. Integral human development presupposes the responsible freedom of the individual and of peoples: no structure can guarantee this development over and above human responsibility (Caritas in Veritate, 17)

Our Moral and Spiritual Life

32.   When we reflect on our moral and spiritual life, we find that our wounds are extremely delicate and deep. It makes you question if it will ever heal?

33.   Its seems to what St Paul has said is happening…”People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy” (2 Timothy 3:2)

34.   Devil worship

35.   Unlike former days, the denial of God or of religion, or the abandonment of them, are no longer unusual and individual occurrences. For today it is not rare for such things to be presented as requirements of scientific progress or of a certain new humanism. (Gaudium Et Spes, 7)

36.   The love of money is the root of every evil

37.   For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.(1 Timothy 6:7)

38.   "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Mathew 6:24)

The Root Cause of our Wounds and Problems

39.   The root case our wounds and problems is the wound of our sins

40.   “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)

41.   to restore the world restore human being…..faith in humanity

42.   Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. (Psalm 127:1)

The Road (Way) to Peace

43.   See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. (Isai 32:1)

44.    Peace is not merely the absence of war; nor can it be reduced solely to the maintenance of a balance of power between enemies; nor is it brought about by dictatorship. Instead, it is rightly and appropriately called an enterprise of justice. Peace results from that order structured into human society by its divine Founder, and actualized by men as they thirst after ever greater justice. (Gaudium Et Spes, 78)

Conclusion

45.   Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

46.   "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Section 3: Witnessing

47.   “You shall be My witnesses” (Act 1:8)

48.   There is an urgent need, then, to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim. (LUMEN FIDEI , 4)

Evangelisation

49.   Evangelisation asks the spiritual mobilisation of the people of God

50.   Justice delayed is justice denied

51.   We can’t say, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Nominal Christianity

52.   Let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him…(1 John 3:18)

53.   New Evangelisation

54.   The laity derive the right and duty to the apostolate from their union with Christ the head; incorporated into Christ's Mystical Body through Baptism and strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit through Confirmation, they are assigned to the apostolate by the Lord Himself. They are consecrated for the royal priesthood and the holy people (cf. 1 Peter 2:4-10) not only that they may offer spiritual sacrifices in everything they do but also that they may witness to Christ throughout the world. (Apostolate of the Laity, 3)

55.   The laity can engage in their apostolic activity either as individuals or together as members of various groups or associations.

56.   The individual apostolate, flowing generously from its source in a truly Christian life (cf. John 4:14), is the origin and condition of the whole lay apostolate, even of the organized type, and it admits of no substitute.

57.   Regardless of status, all lay persons (including those who have no opportunity or possibility for collaboration in associations) are called to this type of apostolate and obliged to engage in it. This type of apostolate is useful at all times and places, but in certain circumstances it is the only one appropriate and feasible.

58.   There are many forms of the apostolate whereby the laity build up the Church, sanctify the world, and give it life in Christ. A particular form of the individual apostolate as well as a sign specially suited to our times is the testimony of the whole lay life arising from faith, hope, and charity. It manifests Christ living in those who believe in Him. Then by the apostolate the spoken and written word, which is utterly necessary under certain circumstances, lay people announce Christ, explain and spread His teaching in accordance with one's status and ability, and faithfully profess it.

59.   Furthermore, in collaborating as citizens of this world, in whatever pertains to the upbuilding and conducting of the temporal order, the laity must seek in the light of faith loftier motives of action in their family, professional, cultural, and social life and make them known to others when the occasion arises. Doing this, they should be aware of the fact that they are cooperating with God the creator, redeemer, and sanctifier and are giving praise to Him.

60.   Finally, the laity should vivify their life with charity and express it as best they can in their works.

61.   They should all remember that they can reach all men and contribute to the salvation of the whole world by public worship and prayer as well as by penance and voluntary acceptance of the labors and hardships of life whereby they become like the suffering Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 4:10; Col. 1:24). ((Apostolate of the Laity, 15-16)

What weakness our faith?

62.   Secularism and worldly spirit

63.   Inadequate Christian formation

What strengthens our faith?

64.   Strong faith in the providence of God

65.   Being faithful to the Church

66.   Bearing Christ’s Cross

67.   Regularly reading the world of God (the Bible)

68.   Participation in the Sacraments

69.   With Mary at the foot of the Cross: children of Hope and Resurrection

o   You should fight with courage “against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Eph 6:12)

Conclusion

70.   In all our prayers for all of you, we always pray with joy (Phil 1:4)

71.   Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:32)

Catholic Bishops of Eritrea

1.       Bishop Mengisteab (Eparchy of Asmara, Eritrea)

2.       Bishop Thomas Osman (Eparchy of Barentu, Eritrea)

3.       Bishop Kidane Yeibiyo (Eparchy of Keren, Eritrea)

4.       Bishop Fikremriam Hagos (Eparch of Segeneiti, Eritrea)