Pope Calls for Balance Between Africa Customs, Church Teaching

Pope John Paul II challenged his Roman Catholic flock Friday to strike the right balance between African customs and church requirements.

On the third day of a pilgrimage to heavily Muslim Senegal, the Pope said the blending of “authentically African fruits in union with the universal church” is essential to the spread of Catholicism on the continent.

The 71-year-old pontiff, his face reddening from the African sun, celebrated an open-air Mass at a sanctuary in Poponguine, 45 miles south of the capital, Dakar. A choirmaster wearing a shirt bearing the Pope’s likeness led hours of rhythmic African hymns.

John Paul later met with Senegal’s bishops and told them that one of the biggest challenges facing the church in Africa is achieving a blending of cultures while retaining the essential elements of each.

The Pope also encouraged his bishops to press ahead with dialogue with Muslims, one of the major themes of his weeklong tour. Catholics make up only 5% of Senegal’s population, and the numbers are even smaller in the two other countries on his itinerary, Gambia and Guinea.