Cardinal Sarah warns against Christian disunity

Cardinal Robert Sarah

DISUNITY among followers of Christ is counter-productive to the mission of witnessing the Gospel message and evangelisation, Cardinal Robert Sarah said recently at a symposium in Kenya. 

Cardinal Sarah, who served as prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2014–2021, warned that divisions among Christians expose them to “exploitation”.

“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.

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,” he said.

“The divisions among us — religious, ethnic, and political — are vulnerable to exploitation; they may be exploited by corrupt politicians or even foreign powers.” 

According to Cardinal Sarah, challenges hindering the mission of witnessing the Gospel message and the evangelisation ministry could be addressed “by turning to God in prayer and fasting”.

“By turning to the Lord in prayer and fasting, by this means, God lifts us up,” he said.

“He frees us from selfishness and narrowness and reveals himself to us in one way or another.

“He disciplines us, so we do not allow mild differences to prevent us from working together in every permissible way.” 

The Cardinal emphasised the need to combine prayer and fasting, two of the three pillars of the Lenten season, alongside charity through almsgiving. 

“Evangelisation must involve prayer and fasting together, even with those of other religious traditions, in response to evils that we recognise together,” he said.

“By praying and fasting, the obstacles to evangelisation will be overcome.”