Friday, March 20, 2009

Pope Benedict's African Tour

The pope’s African tour was significant for several reasons. It was the pontiff's first since he succeeded the charismatic John Paul II. The pontiff's success on this tour was mixed. On the question of corruption, the pontiff was on target, chastising African leaders for amassing wealth at the expense of the misery of their people. Corruption is pervasive throughout the continent and has contributed to the economic miseries of the world's poorest continent.

The pontiff was also eloquent in promoting sexual morality. Today the proliferation of western music, movies and other cultural norms has led to the breakdown and decadence of traditional African family values. Many young Africans indulge in pornography and school age children are pursuing prostitution. Consequently, the future looks bleak for many African girls, who have fallen prey to the pressures of the new materialistic culture that permeates Africa through Hollywood. Many of these girls are often victims of abject poverty, and can only keep up with the newfound materialistic culture by selling their bodies to sugar daddies or rich western tourists, who like to indulge in underage sex and other decadent acts prohibited in western countries.

What is more, the pontiff also hit the right nodes on the issue of Africans' obsession with superstition and sorcery, as he admonished the church's faithful to put their ultimate faith in God, not sorcerers. Many Africans, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, religious and secular are deeply superstitious and live in fear of evil spirits and witches. Such individuals often seek the help of sorcerers to protect them against the attacks of evil spirits. This issue has far reaching economic and social consequences. First many sorcerers falsely accuse innocent women of being witches and being responsible for the difficulties and calamities of close relatives. Such wild accusations sometimes cost these innocent victims (mostly older, wretched looking women) their lives. Besides, sorcerers manipulate their clients for their own selfish economic gain. This money incentive and need to please their clients is so intense, sorcerers would say anything to convince their clients that the sorcerer is the panacea to all their problems. African sorcerers often sow seeds of social discord, pitting families against each other, co-worker against co-worker.

However, pontiff was off target on the issue of the HIV epidemic in Africa. Africa has the worst HIV epidemic of any continent and for the pontiff to discourage condom use, which to date has been the most successful form of HIV prevention program was disturbing if not outright irresponsible. Of course we understand the pontiff has a responsibility to uphold the catholic doctrine of zero tolerance for family planning methods. But for the pontiff to tell Africans that condom use could lead to HIV spread was downright demagogic and shameful, deservedly, pundits around the world rebuked the pope.

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