Rome, Italy, Mar 2, 2010 / 11:26 am
Speaking to the Theology College of Central Italy in Florence on Monday, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson outlined important points that came out of the African Synodal discussions last October. Among the concerns he brought up was the "criminal devastation of the environment" by multi-national companies and the role of women in society.
Cardinal Turkson, the newly installed President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, highlighted the value of the "extraordinary" Synod for Africa meetings in helping the Holy Father in his mission of building universal communion, in building relationships between people, nations and cultures and in discerning the important issues in Africa and the Church.
Presenting the challenges raised by the discussions in Rome last October, he said, "Without fear and not at all discouraged by the enormity of the problems of our continent, the bishops felt stimulated and encouraged by the African proverb that says that 'a well organized army of ants can fell an elephant.'"
One of these points, Cardinal Turkson said, was the destruction due to mining in his home country of Ghana and elsewhere. "Indiscriminate mining extraction destroys not only nature, but also human life and society," he pointed out.