Author: Catholic Information Service for Africa
Date: January 24, 2007
Source: All Africa http://allafrica.com/stories/200701240566.html

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The Church in Africa is now mature to tackle global challenges on an equal footing with the rest of the world, according to Catholic Archbishop Zaccheaus Okoth of Kisumu, Kenya.

Archbishop Okoth said the Church was participating in the World Social Forum (WSF) to convey the message that "we want a better world" and to contribute to making the people of Africa conscious of who they are.

The archbishop, President of Caritas Eastern Africa, said the Church wanted to state very clearly that the dignity of the human person had neither race nor colour.

Archbishop Okoth said Africans were not inferior, since they had values that were admired by other nations. He pointed out Africa's generosity of caring for their brothers as an example that made them a people that valued life.

The general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), Rev. Dr. Mvume Dandala, said the AACC/CARITAS platform at the WSF represented more than 300 million Christians in Africa. He noted that the church was with its flock every day and, therefore, understood better the plight of the common people.

Rev. Dandala said the uniqueness of the Church at the WSF was that it was not speaking from a philosophical or ideological position, but rather from a day to day experience of the suffering of the people.