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The Bishops of North Africa, in Rome for their Ad Limina visit, met Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia


"The borders must not be closed. If Europe were to do that, people would get through anyway. It is, however, true that development is the problem in these countries, because education, health assistance and employment are needed, especially for young people." This was said by Archbishop Vincent Landel, President of the Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa (Cerna), in an interview with Vatican Radio on the occasion of their Ad Limina visit in the Vatican, which began on Monday with a meeting with Pope Francis and the visit to the Pontifical Council for the Family, where he and his delegation met the Dicastery‘s President, Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia.
 
"We are at the center of two pastoral challenges; I would say at two frontiers in our Countries. There is—he explained—the frontier of the encounter of Christians with Muslims. This is a great challenge for the world today. The second challenge is that of migration, because our four countries are all migratory corridors. So, on the one hand, we have to work on these vulnerable people who pass through our countries, but at the same time caution the West and sub-Saharan countries, raise the consciousness of the Churches and even of the politicians in our countries of origin."
"We live peacefully and happily with the Muslims," said Archbishop Landel. "We must not be pessimistic, because the Arab Springtime started with us in Tunisia, which today has a constitution that recognizes religious freedom. And this was not taken for granted. So, there are signs of hope, and we cannot expect these evolving countries to achieve in a few years what took other Western democracies several decades to accomplish."
In his message to the visiting Bishops, Pope Francis paid tribute "to the courage, loyalty and perseverance of the bishops in Libya, as well as to those of the priests, consecrated persons and lay people, who stay in the country in spite of the many dangers. They are authentic witnesses of the Gospel." "Your Episcopal Conference, which regularly organizes meetings for the pastors of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, is an important place of exchange and dialogue, but—Francis added—it must also be an instrument of communion that allows deepening fraternal relations and confidence among you. Your pilgrimage to Rome is a happy occasion to renew your commitment to serve the common mission of the Church in each of your Countries."