Farewell to Vatican cardinal who gave us Munyonyo Basilica

Pope Francis on Saturday accepted the resignation of Cardinal Robert Sarah as head of the Vatican’s office for liturgy, but no successor has been named.

Cardinal Robert Sarah has been the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, a minister in the pope’s Vatican cabinet.

His ministry is the one, which processed the conferring of basilica status to Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine. The decree, which granted the church the title and dignity of a Minor Basilica, was signed by Cardinal Robert Sarah on behalf of Pope Francis on 19 July 2019.

The Guinean prelate was known as an outspoken conservative and possible future pope from the ranks of Vatican leadership. He submitted his resignation as required by church law when he turned 75 on June 15 of last year. But the pope frequently lets cardinals serve two or three years past that age, though not past 80.

The cardinal, who is a hero to many conservative Catholics, some of whom see him as a future pontiff, will still be able to vote in a conclave to elect a pope until he turns 80.

Sarah visited Uganda in July 2019 and was among the 400 religious delegates who attended the Golden Jubilee festivities of Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) from July 19 to 29. He presided over Munyonyo basilica naming cerebration.

Hilary Bainemigisha dag from the Archives to get you an interview New Vision had with Cardinal Sarah:

How do you find Uganda, cardinal?

Well, I am very impressed; Uganda is a very beautiful country. And when I heard that 56% are Catholics, I got more thrilled. This is a powerful Christianity country and it must be a result of the blood of the Uganda Martyrs.

As a member of the curia (Vatican cabinet), you meet the pope often; what did he say about Uganda?

Pope Francis still remembers Uganda very well. He talked about the Martyrs, the way you showed him love, and the warm welcome.  

Who is Cardinal Sarah?

I come from Ourous village in French Guinea. I am the only son of my parents, who gave birth to me on June 15, 1945. When their contemporaries asked them why they were giving their only son to the priesthood, they answered: he is God’s gift, so we offer it back! My mother died in 2007 and my father in 1991. I’m now alone, no sister and no brother. But as a priest, everybody is my sister and brother. This is what has encouraged me to work for my God. I am proud of it. I am happy to be a priest for 50 years. By the way, the Uganda Martyrs Parish Munyonyo gave me a surprise cake on Saturday, July 22.

Cardinal Sarah1...

You have been a prelate in Europe for almost as long as you have been bishop in Africa; how different are the challenges and opportunities in the different worlds?

I was archbishop of Conakry for 20 years and had a hard time with our president then, Ahmed Sekou Toure. He put my predecessor (Archbishop Raymond-Maria Tchidimbo) in jail. He took over all Catholic schools, the seminary, and all land belonging to the church. We lived through tough times in Guinea for 26 years. The archbishop was in jail for nine years! But we stood firm by the grace of God. Now I have been in Rome since 2001 and, yes; the two experiences are different. The Guinea experience made me strong in faith; without a cross, it is impossible to be a Christians. My cross now is different. It is to defend the Catholic faith and tradition as well as to support the Holy Father. I love working in Rome and it is very enriching. There is no political persecution. It is a different culture from Africa.  
          

Do you sometimes feel discriminated against, overlooked, or belittled because of the colour of your skin?

No, not in the Catholic family. But I am not the only black person working in Rome.

As the person in charge of the discipline of Sacraments, how is your office handling the issue of priestly celibacy considering that it is an embarrassing challenge to many priests in Africa?

Well, not only in Africa but even in Europe because celibacy is grace from God. If you don’t pray and if have no help from God you can’t manage to maintain celibacy. But if we want to emulate Christ, celibacy is very important.

You have served in the curia through 3 different popes; John Paul II, Benedict and Francis; how do you compare the three?

They are very different: John Paul II, the polish, suffered a lot for many years because of church persecution in Poland. But it made his faith very strong. And he travelled a lot encouraging Christians to remain strong in persecution and love Christ. Pope Benedict was brilliant, logical and very profound but very humble. Even before he became a Pope, he was a professor of the doctrine of faith. I worked with him for five years and he helped me a lot to understand what theology is. Pope Francis is different. When he became a Pope, he tried to help us be like Jesus Christ, to repair the church, and to always be like Christ. Pope Francis wants us to leave the church building and go out to help the needy and the poor. 

You have been described as a forceful advocate against LGBT issues. Were you concerned that in Uganda, we repealed the homosexuality Act soon after passing it?

Well, I am fighting against the crisis in Europe. Europeans want to change our Christian ecology, marriage and family.  But remember that God created Adam and Eve and united them as one family, not man and man. And for Africa, I am fighting because homosexuality is not African! It is against our custom and our nature.  

You openly criticized the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, for calling on African nations to repeal laws against homosexuality. Don’t you fear being seen as archaic fighting sexual rights and freedoms, which the Western world has embraced?

I criticized him because he doesn’t even know the African culture. He came to Senegal and Kenya, promoting human rights and saying that homosexuality is a right. I said no! I thank the African Presidents who are fighting this corruption. Let us live in truth. And truth is the respective nature. Even animals know this. 

In 2016, you were accused of trying to smuggle back the pre-Vatican II reforms of liturgy. You suggested that we should pray facing the East, after consecration, the priest should continue mass facing the tabernacle, and that all Catholics should receive Communion on the tongue and kneeling. You also suggested that the two types of liturgy, where priest faces the tabernacle and where he faces the congregation, should be used interchangeably. That caused you problems with Pope Francis who overruled you. Didn’t this affect your popularity in the Vatican administration?

Yes, I gave a lecture in London and proposed that we analyze what the council intended when they changed some forms of liturgy. After seeing what is happening in Europe, where many people are leaving the church and no longer practicing their Christianity, I proposed that we could try to think about turning to the pre-Vatican II practice. I proposed that we should return to praying facing East because Christ will come back from the East. The Muslims and Budhists do that! And for the respect of the body of Christ, I proposed that we stop receiving it with our hands and use the tongues because, as St Augustine says, only the consecrated hands should touch the Eucharist and those are hands of only the priests. We should desist from profaning Christ by touching Him with hands that may not be holy. But many people did not agree with me. And I hope that they eventually see my point and that we can return to those changes. I am still pushing it, you never know, it can change.    
      

Before you left Guinea, your home country; you condemned the government of Lansana Conté for oppressing the poor, bribery, and corruption. Is this an indication of your support for the clergy to meddle in political affairs?

Well, I am not encouraging priests to engage in politics. As priests, our mission is to evangelize and bring back people to God, not to make politics. And when we change the hearts of people, everything will change. But when I said it to Lansana Conté, I was just insisting that we must fight corruption, bribery and promote justice. That is not joining politics.

50 years in priesthood! How was the journey?  

Well, it has been a very long way. At our time, there were no seminaries in Guinea. Sekou Toure took over all seminaries in Guinea; I had to go to Ivory Coast at the age of 12, in 1957 to study in Bingerville. I continued studies in France and, later, in Senegal, Rome, and Jerusalem. Now I am cardinal and Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

Cardinal Sarah..

Last word to Ugandans?

I want to come back to Uganda; you have her a beautiful country. I was impressed when we went to Namugongo where the Martyrs were killed, it is a very touching place! I entreat Ugandan to remain faithful and to deny what will change them from their faith.

Uganda can be an inspiration of faith to other countries. Africa is suffering right now because of poverty, wars and hunger, but if we accepted God, we would become the new country of Christ.

Cardinal Robert Sarah at a glance

• Born 15 June 1945 in Guinea
• Entered Saint Augustine Minor Seminary in Bingerville, Ivory Coast in 1957
  
  
• Ordained priest on 20 July 1969
  
  
• Rector of Kindia minor seminary
  
  
• Parish priest in Bokè, Katace, Koundara and Ourous
  
  
• Appointed Archbishop of Conakry on 13 August 1979 by Pope John Paul II, becoming the youngest bishop (34 years old) in the world (nicknamed "the baby bishop").
  
  
• Consecrated on 8 December 1979.
  
  
• Named secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples by Pope John Paul II on 1 October 2001.
  
  
• Appointed President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum (responsible for organising Catholic relief efforts worldwide) by Pope Benedict XVI on 7 October 2010.
  
  
• Appointed Cardinal on 20 November 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. Cardinal motto: Sufficit tibi gratia mea: My grace is sufficient for thee.
  
  
• Participated in the conclave of March 2013, which elected Pope Francis. Was among the possible candidates for pope.
  
  
• Named Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments by Pope Francis on 23 November 2014.
  
  
• Member of the Congregations: for the Evangelization of Peoples; for the Causes of Saints; for the International Eucharistic Congresses, for the Laity, for Justice and Peace, and the Dignitatis Humanae Institute.
  
  
• Speaks French, English, and Italian fluently.
  
  
• Author of The Power of Silence, God or Nothing, and The Day Is Now Far Spent