Cardinal Robert Sarah has warned that disunity among followers of Christ is counterproductive to the mission of witnessing the Gospel message and evangelisation. Source: CNA.
Cardinal Sarah, who served as prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2014–2021, made the comments in his keynote address at the 2024 Theological Symposium organised by the School of Theology of Kenya-based Tangaza University College.
“If we are not one, if we are divided, then our witness to Christ is divided and the world will not believe in the Gospel,” Cardinal Sarah said.
He urged followers of Jesus Christ in Africa to prioritise their adherence to the Gospel message, allowing the principles of the Christian faith to trump all other identities, including tribe, nationality, and race, among other affiliations.
“Seek unity first in Christian faith, and then with our fellow countrymen and fellow Africans,” he said in his address, titled “Make Disciples of all Nations: The Missionary Mandate of Christ.”
To emphasise the need for unity among followers of Jesus Christ, the 78-year-old Guinean-born cardinal warned that divisions leave Christians “vulnerable to exploitation”.
“If we do not strive for unity in Christ then we are even worse off. The divisions among us — religious, ethnic, and political — are vulnerable to exploitation; they may be exploited by corrupt politicians or even foreign powers,” he said.
In his February 22 address, Cardinal Sarah linked unity of the disciples of Jesus Christ with progress. “Only together can we prosper,” he said.
He said challenges hindering the mission of witnessing the Gospel message and the evangelisation ministry can be addressed “by turning to God in prayer and fasting”.
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Cardinal Sarah cautions against disunity among Christians, says it’s counter-witnessing (CNA)
