Catechesis. 8. To hope is to bear witness. Isidore Bakanja

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

The hope of the Jubilee is born of God’s surprises. God is different from how we are used to being. The Jubilee Year spurs us to recognize this difference and to translate it in real life. This is why it is a Year of grace: we can change! We always ask for this, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer and say: “On earth as it is in heaven”.

Saint Paul writes to the Christians of Corinth, inviting them to realize that among them, earth has already started to resemble heaven. He tells them to consider their calling and to see how God has brought closer together people who would otherwise never have met. Those who are humbler and less powerful have now become precious and important (cf. 1 Cor  1:26-27). God’s criteria, which always begin with the least, already in Corinth constitute an “earthquake” that does not destroy, but awakens the world. The word of the Cross, to which Paul bears witness, awakens the conscience and awakens the dignity of every person.

Dear brothers and sisters, to hope is to bear witness : to bear witness that everything has already changed, that nothing is like it was before. This is why today I would like to talk to you about a witness of Christian hope in Africa. His name is Isidore Bakanja, and since 1994 he has been one of the Blessed, patron saint of the laity in Congo. Born in 1885, when his country was a Belgian colony, he did not attend school, because there was none in his town, but instead became an apprentice bricklayer. He became a friend of the Catholic missionaries, the Trappist monks who spoke to him about Jesus. He agreed to pursue Christian teachings and receive Baptism, when he was around 20 years old. From that moment onwards, his witness became increasingly bright. To hope is to bear witness: when we bear witness to new life, light increases even amid difficulties.

Indeed, Isidore found employment as an agricultural worker for an unscrupulous European landowner, who could not tolerate his faith and authenticity. The master hated Christianity and missionaries who defended the indigenous people against the colonizers’ abuses. But Isidore, wore his scapular with the image of the Virgin Mary around his neck, until the very end, suffering all kinds of mistreatment and torture, without losing hope. To hope is to bear witness! Isidore died, telling the Trappist fathers not to feel resentment, but rather promising to pray even in the hereafter for those who had reduced him to such a state.

Dear brothers and sisters, this is the word of the Cross. It is a word lived out, which breaks the chain of evil. It is a new kind of strength, which confounds the proud and topples the powerful from their thrones. Thus, hope arises. Very often the ancient Churches of the North of the world receive this witness from young Churches, which urges us to walk together towards the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom of justice and peace. Africa, in particular, asks for this conversion, and it does so by giving us many young witnesses of faith. To hope is to bear witness that the earth can truly resemble heaven. And this is the Jubilee message.

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Summary of Catechesis:

Dear Brothers and Sisters, as we continue our Jubilee catecheses, let us reflect today on the life of Blessed Isidore Bakanja, a Congolese martyr who lived out his faith with joy and authenticity, even in hostile environments such as his workplace. The supervisor of the European-owned plantation where Isidore worked despised the Catholic missionaries who defended the rights of the indigenous, and unleashed his anger upon Isidore. This courageous young man continued to manifest his faith, expressing his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by wearing his brown scapular. While close to death due the abuse he suffered, Isidore declared that he would pray for his aggressors from heaven. His testimony reminds us that we have much to learn from our persecuted brothers and sisters in Africa. Let us strive to follow his example of perseverance in the faith despite any persecution or rejection we may face. Blessed Isidore, pray for us, so that we too can give witness to our faith with courage and enthusiasm!

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Greeting:

I extend a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those coming from the United States of America. A special greeting to all of you who are participating in the Jubilee of the World of Work. In praying that you may experience an increase in the virtue of hope during this Jubilee Year, I invoke upon all of you, and upon all your families, the joy and the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!

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Osservatore Romano