Cardinal discusses the Church in Madagascar
Recently, Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana, the Archbishop of Toamasina in Madagascar, visited ACN’s headquarters in Germany. While there, he was interviewed by Carlos Rosas-Jiménez for ACN. The cardinal spoke about some of the challenges facing Madagascar.
By ACN Staff
Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
Madagascar is predominately Christian, with the numbers of Christians and Catholics is only growing. Despite the churches being full, Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana is concerned. He fears that the faith of the people is only surface deep. There are also other problems facing Madagascar. The country has many natural resources, but there is still great poverty amongst a large proportion of the population, creating a country of contrasts. This contrast has been made even worse by recent natural disasters, such as cyclones and floods.
The cardinal believes that a deepening of faith and a true understanding of Christianity will help the country:
“There is a deterioration that is mostly linked to corruption. Many people want to enter politics so as to get rich as quickly as possible. There is also lack of education and civility because much of the deterioration is not economic, but social. The two are connected. If there is corruption, there is injustice; where there is injustice, there is no peace.”
The cardinal believes that trust in God will help deal with these issues:
“We cannot let ourselves be overcome by despair, by evil. We must trust in the Lord, otherwise we might think why do good, if the rest of the world is doing things badly? But we must work to do good, and the Lord will do the rest.”
Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana explained the positive influence of Pope Francis’ visit to Madagascar in 2019:
“The Pope came to give hope. Many people come to ask me for advice on what to do with their lives, and with the situation in the country. The Pope’s visit strengthened the people’s desire to face their daily challenges. In my case, it helped me strengthen my commitment to work for good. We have grown used to the faith. It is easy to get used to going to Mass, for example. But it is crucial to understand what it means to be truly Christian. One has to be fully convinced of one’s faith, to discover the need to pray, to come into contact with the Lord, with God. Our faith has to go further than what we are used to, we need to discover how we really need the faith. The Pope’s visit was an encouragement to rekindle our hope.”
The cardinal also spoke about the situation in the country involving religious extremism and violence against Christians. He explained that there has been no religious violence in the recent history of Madagascar. There has been an increase in the construction of mosques in certain parts of the country, but generally, the relationship between Christians and the Muslim minority is conflict-free. Despite this, the cardinal said that it is essential to keep an eye on the situation so that it does not escalate as it has done in certain countries on the mainland African continent in recent years.
The cardinal finished the interview by discussing the help that ACN provides to the Catholic Church in Madagascar. Many local parishes are in remote areas, meaning priests and catechists often must travel long distances on rough terrain. ACN helps provide the Church with 4x4 vehicles and motorcycles to help with these vital journeys. ACN has also helped provide radio equipment to the local Church to establish Catholic radio in the country. Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana wished to pass on his thanks to ACN’s benefactors for the support provided to the Church in Madagascar:
“I thank ACN with all my heart, and all the benefactors for the help they have given us. Through your faith, we have been able to sustain our own. We continue to pray for you every day. God bless you, and accompany you, and may the love of Christ stay with us.”