杏MAP导航

By Francesca Merlo

鈥淲e are very grateful鈥� to 杏MAP导航 Francis for accepting to visit Mauritius during his Apostolic Journey, says Cardinal Maurice Piat, Bishop of Port Louis. After visiting the 鈥渂ig island鈥� of the Indian Ocean, Madagascar, 杏MAP导航 Francis traveled to one of the smaller ones, Mauritius.

Social harmony in Mauritius

Mauritius, said Cardinal Piat, is known 鈥渁s a country in which people from various cultures and various religions live together鈥�, and they do so 鈥渨ith a certain amount of social harmony鈥�, despite it being such a 鈥渟mall space鈥�.

Cardinal Piat says that although there are, of course, problems at times, 鈥渋t is good to live in Mauritius, among people with such varied backgrounds鈥�, both cultural and religious.

A Christian message for all

He believes that the 杏MAP导航 addressed his message to everybody. 鈥淎 Christian message, of course鈥�, he says, 鈥渂ut voiced and expressed in ways in which it can be understood by everybody else, too鈥�.

Even our 鈥渂rothers and sisters鈥� from different backgrounds enjoyed this visit with 鈥渕uch joy鈥�, and they collaborated fully in order to 鈥渕ake it a success鈥�.

A spiritual authority

Cardinal Piat says that he believes it is because they consider the 杏MAP导航 a spiritual authority beyond 鈥渢he limits of the Catholic Church鈥�. He is 鈥渓istened to and admired as somebody who installs peace鈥�, through his manner of speaking and through his way of life. He is therefore, according to Cardinal Piat, someone who can bring 鈥渁 breath of fresh air and a renewal of our commitment of living together.鈥�

Deepening our Christian Identity

Cardinal Piat says that in order to live in harmony 鈥渨e must be able to deepen our Christian Identity鈥�. Because, he explains, 鈥渢his identity is true鈥� and it is open to others. 鈥淐hrist on the cross had his arms open to the world and true Christians should be close to Christ鈥�, he says.

This openness, continues Cardinal Piat, is what we are trying to achieve 鈥� humbly and will small steps鈥�. It is a daily challenge, he adds, because 鈥渨henever we go out in Mauritius鈥� we meet people from different backgrounds, and as you know 鈥渋t is becoming a challenge for people all over the world鈥�.

鈥淗ow can we live together when we are so different? How can we welcome one another and how can we be brothers?鈥� he asks.

A challenge

This re-discovering our Christian identity is a challenge that the Churches are facing across the Archipelago, though, he says, they are 鈥渘ot exactly the same鈥�.

Faith in the islands started as 鈥渟omething attached to social identities鈥�, he says. Cardinal Piat explains that 鈥渁t the beginning鈥�, 鈥渁ll the inhabitants had to be baptized鈥� and that therefore it is easy to take for granted that someone with Creole origins in Mauritius might be a Christian.

鈥淪o鈥�, concludes Cardinal Piat, 鈥渨e have to rediscover the beauty and the specificity of our identity. Our Christian Identity.鈥�