Holy Pontiff,
I am not a saint, nor am I Paul, but I also have a penchant for writing epistles. Oh you, Commander of the faithful, though you are small in your own eyes, are you not the leader of the largest bloc of the population of Europe? Your Holy See, if democracy is about numbers, then you carry the voice of Europe, so I beg you to speak with due humility to your supporters and your political leaders.
Holy Father, I am sure you are aware of the endless episodic massacre of young Africans off the coast of Europe. My fingers tremble as I write these words because my mind is drawn to my cousin who died on this very trip a couple of years ago. A neighboring town near my hometown lost the lives of three young men this week and the death toll continues to rise. Every time I go on Facebook, a friend is announcing or mourning the loss of a loved one near the gates of the Vatican.
Holy Father, although you do not hold a political position, the Church’s mission to bring the message of Christ to our continent coincided with the political domination of our people, so your position and that of President of the EU are not strange companions of bed. I certainly got a sign this week when Cuban leader Raul Castro thanked you for his country’s current rapprochement with the mighty West. A good word from your wounded tongue will surely not damage the course of our young and innocent lives that are wasted daily on the seas of our former colonial masters. Speak Holy Father because your message will be heard.
As Amos, speak Father so that your voice may roar from the hallowed halls of the Vatican and echo in the chambers of David Cameron and the EU President. Tell them, Holy Father, that the Day of the LORD is near and that it will not be a day of joy for those who “oppress the poor and crush the needy”!
It can warn Europe of the consequences of inaction and punish David Cameron for the counterproductive moves he has been taking against meek young Africans. Even as Europe rushes to make peace, David of all kings refuses a fair quota system for these poor young Africans. Perhaps you can remind Mr. Cameron that the meek he rejects are the children of people whose economic, social, and political systems were violated by their own ancestors, the British Empire.
Just when I thought this madness was getting out of hand, I stumbled upon a Ghanaian outfit, Joy Online’s report on sex camps in the Italian woods housing African women. The report laments: “The creepy improvised atmosphere of the sex camps represents a clear sense that economic and social crises are degrading the condition of daily life for a wide range of people in many parts of the world and that the responses of global elites to these crises cannot provide solutions, regulations or pardons in the near future.”
Truly, the elite and the political leaders are failing to solve this problem; I was shocked last night when I heard the Italian Foreign Minister propose the destruction of Libyan ships as a solution to this crisis! How dare Europe wage war against the legacy of the prophet Noah for all of us? The Economist magazine wrote on this very subject in its April 25 issue: “At a hastily arranged summit … EU leaders set out to do something about drowning. Before them was a ten-point plan designed to improve rescues, crack down on people… smuggling and spread the burden of taking in refugees. Yet even if Europe’s leaders adopt the plan in its entirety, it would still fall short.”
So I can assure you, Holy Father, that this problem will not go away any time soon. Don’t trust the political animals in Brussels to find a solution to this global embarrassment.
Holy Father, Scripture teaches that when Adam was presented to the world up there, between the corners, everyone was asked to prostrate before him. Satan refused; It seems that Satan was asking, “Hey, not me; the stranger among us is not worthy of my respect; he is an illegal immigrant and I am a citizen!” And then he invaded the dwelling of Adam and his wife. Then he, the cursed one, tempted Adam and what followed was the archetypal migration that the earth witnessed for the first time. Since the history of this world began with migration, why is your flock being an obstacle to the movement of people?
Allow me to confess, Holy Father, that the slaughter of young Africans is not committed by their flock alone. While we mourn the deaths in the Mediterranean, thousands of lives have also been lost in the vast deserts of North Africa; Berbers are equally guilty of betraying the very people from whom they accept money for smuggling. They not only abandon these young people, they sometimes kill them and seize their resources. Also, the countries that share these deserts don’t seem to mind either.
Unfortunately, there is no central authority in the Muslim world to whom to direct my cry; and I sincerely pray that ISIS fails in its mission. So my plea is to you: why is Christian Europe (and Muslim Berbers) collaborating to kill our African youth? The Arabs and Western nations came to Africa to baptize us, only to corrupt the holy missions with political domination and economic exploitation. Why do you think our young people are not fit to set foot on their land?
When Pope John Paul II visited my country in 1992, he advised young people to get to know each other and be ourselves.
In a super-connected world, how can we meet without traveling through God’s land? Father, I present my plea to Your Holy Face: plea for the young souls of our African brothers and sisters. Tell Europe and David Cameron in particular the words of the Wise King, David, Solomon’s father: Deal kindly for my sake (with these young African souls)!
I bow!
Sincerely,
