An African cardinal who seeks to “disarm hearts and minds”

Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga became archbishop of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, back in 2012 when he was just 45 years of age. 

Pope Francis gave him his red hat in 2016. 

Five years later, and now 54, the African prelate is still the Church’s youngest cardinal. And he needs all the youthful energy he can get to deal with life in a very violent and divided country.

Cardinal Nzapalainga was in Rome to present a documentary on the Central African Republic. 

And he gave this exclusive interview to La Croix’s Loup Besmond de Senneville in which he shares his thoughts on interreligious dialogue, the difficulties he encounters and the situation in his country.

La Croix: You will present a film on your work in the Central African Republic, "Siriri, the cardinal and the imam", directed by the Swiss Manuel von Stürler. How did this project come about?

Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga: It was Manuel von Stürler, a Swiss journalist, who approached me after following me through the media for more than a year. 

He wanted to make a film about the imam, the pastor, and me, but the pastor was reluctant. 

The imam and I agreed. We said yes because we felt that what we were experiencing, our daily cooperation, was natural. 

For this reason, he followed us all over the country, even to difficult places. This work lasted three years.

With this film, we want to show that dialogue is a must, that we are like beacons planted here to tell people that there are lines that must not be crossed, to always remind them that our society must not sink into the absurd. 

The message we want to send is a message of peace, a way of reminding people that religions should not divide but gather.

They must allow for peaceful coexistence and living together, helping everyone to accept differences and respect each other.

In countries that have gone through years of tension and civil wars, like my country, the Central African Republic, this is a vital message. 

We must first look for what is beautiful in the other. What is beautiful, what is positive. 

When we founded a platform for dialogue with the imam and the pastor, our goal was not to discuss dogma or theology, but to knock on the door of the conscience of our faithful to say that dialogue was not just an option.

You are presenting this film at the Vatican. What do you expect from Pope Francis?

Whether he goes to Assisi or Abu Dhabi, the pope promotes universal fraternity. The pope came to Bangui in 2015, and it was also for that. To encourage us on this path.

What are the greatest difficulties you face in implementing this dialogue?

The greatest difficulties sometimes come from within. 

Some people reproach me for being too close to the imam, for having hosted him and his family in the bishop’s residence for six months. 

And I admit that it was not insignificant.

We had to take into account the other person, his meals, his prayer times. You often have to make an effort so that the other can exist. 

But I was sometimes reproached for doing too much.

How many times have I heard priests say to me: "Come on, let's stop with this dialogue. They kill us, they kidnap us, and you dialogue?" 

But I believe in following St. Paul, and overcoming evil with good.

Are some people calling you naive?

Yes, and I can feel that some people expect me to give orders to attack Muslims or to burn down mosques, to enter into a spiral of hatred. 

But this is not my role! My role is to deliver a message different from the one that destroys and kills us.

Many have also urged me to serve as president for a while. I refused. These politicians wanted to use me.

Afterwards, I would have had to enter politics, appoint ministers. That is not my job. 

I maintain my role as a man of God.

My role is to dialogue with everyone, to go and see the rebels and to tell them that this Allah to whom they appeal is God. And that God knows everyone's heart. That we will all have to answer to God in the end.

My role is to disarm hearts and minds. And to be concerned with the lives of all people, Muslims and Catholics alike. 

I do not limit myself to the people of my group. Christ did not give his life for a small group, but for all.

A month ago, the United Nations said thousands of civilians were in imminent danger because of the armed violence in Alindao. Since December, the Central African Republic has been facing a coalition of rebels. What is the current situation?

In December, the rebel coalition clearly wanted to take power. They had surrounded Bangui. 

Then came this bilateral agreement between the Rwandans and the Russians which made it possible to change things and stop this movement. 

I'm sorry to say that, without that, the MINUSCA, the international force, would not have stopped the rebels.

As of now, the rebels have been stopped from taking power, but they are now throughout the bush, like highway bandits.

What are the reasons for hope?

Hope will come from us, the people, from our will to overcome hatred. Each of us has a resilience within us, and a capacity to say no.

This is what is needed to change not only one's own destiny, but also that of an entire community.

From now on, the Justice and Truth Commission must also do its work, to defuse the desires for revenge and hatred.

It must say no to impunity, otherwise everyone will remain with their hatred and there will be no way out.

In this context, religious leaders must bring hope. 

Hope is one of the Christian virtues and I am convinced that a new dawn is on the horizon.

You are one of the 15 cardinal electors from Africa. Is that enough?

No. 

Given the number of countries on the continent, the population that lives there, and the weight of the Church, it is not enough. 

In Africa, the Catholic Church has a strong voice. In our country, when bishops meet, people wait for their message.

Some say that African cardinals are very close to each other, and that there is even a kind of "African party". What do you think about this?

We don't have a formal forum to meet among ourselves. But there are issues where we are close to each other.

This is the case, for example, with regard to the celibacy of priests.

When this was discussed at the Synod on Amazonia, when the possibility of ordaining married men was raised, we all said that this would be too much of an upheaval for our Churches in Africa.

On the one hand, Christians are not used to it. 

Secondly, there is a material issue: our Churches do not have the means to accommodate families in the presbyteries. This would risk putting people in precarious situations. 

From my point of view, all this is happening too soon. Let's allow things to mature.