By RFIPalled on 07-09-2019Modified on 07-09-2019 at 13:50

After two days in Mozambique, Pope Francis arrived in Madagascar on Friday night, the second leg of his long tour of the Indian Ocean. This Saturday morning at 10:00 am local time, he spoke for the first time since his arrival. Pope Francis, guest at the State Palace, delivered his speech to the Malagasy authorities, the diplomatic corps, and civil society. An expected speech, sticking perfectly to the realities of the country and addressed very directly to the governors of the country but also to international organizations.

Fight against " inhuman " poverty, fight against endemic corruption, need to serve his fellow citizens ... At the outset, the Pope reminded politicians that their primary mission was to promote conditions for dignified and fair development. Island and how human beings, especially the most fragile, should be at the heart of this development.

Another topic dear to François and widely developed this morning, that of the importance of taking care of what he calls " our common house ", enumerating, in passing, various threats, oh how topical, which weigh on the island as excessive deforestation for the benefit of some, poaching or the unbridled cutting of precious woods .

Then, quoting an excerpt from his encyclical Laudato Si on ecology, he recalled that " there are no two separate crises, one environmental and one social, but one and complex socio-environmental crisis " .

Then, and it is undoubtedly there that the Pope created the surprise, he wanted to warn the international community. While recognizing the help provided by the latter, Francis nevertheless stressed that too much to help Madagascar to open up to the world, the risk was to lock the country in " an alleged universal culture that despises, buries and removes the cultural heritage of each people ".

This is a call for respect for everyone's way of life and an invitation to the Malagasy people to become the craftsman of their own destiny.

Also, to succeed in this great enterprise, the Pope reiterated the need to pay attention and respect to the local civil society, the very one that, by its actions, makes more audible " the voice of those who have no voice ". A civil society that today is still struggling to make itself heard on the Big Island and who was expecting a lot from the Pope's speech.

Other major events

The pope meets this Saturday afternoon, the bishops of the island and then spend the evening with young people from the dioceses of the country for a vigil of prayer.

Sunday, the highlight of his visit, will be high mass, which is expected nearly a million people.

The Pope will then travel to Akamasoa, the villages created by Father Pedro, emblematic priest of the island who has made the fight against poverty the fight of his life.

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