The Pope on Witchcraft and Witch Hunts in Africa

South African Orthodox deacon Steve Hayes on one of Africa's worst problems — Roman Pope speaks on African witchcraft and witch hunts. Writes Father Methodius:

The modernist response has been quite common among Christian churches -- to assert, in the face of witchcraft beliefs and fear of evil spirits, that such things don't exist at all, and that modern and enlightened people don't believe in such primitive nonsense. Faced with that kind of response from the church leaders, people who fear witches and evil spirits conclude that the church is not equipped to cope with such problems, and so they resort to those who do claim to be competent to deal with them -- diviners and medicine men, the so-called "witchdoctors".

If Pope Benedict is urging church leaders to take the fears of such people seriously, and to help them to overcome them rather than despising them as primitive superstitions from the vantage point of a superior Enlightenment worldview, then that is to be welcomed.

But there is also the problem of some neopentecostal groups who, according to some reports, are actually fanning those fears into a flame, and thereby encouraging witch hunts and pointing the finger of suspicion even at children. That should be a matter of concern to all Christians in the continent.

Of course, saying, "in the face of witchcraft beliefs and fear of evil spirits, that such things don't exist at all," would also be a lie, as would the conclusion that "the church is not equipped to cope with such problems."

UPDATE: A report with some more details on the Holy Father's visit — Shun witchcraft, pope tells Angolan Catholics and Pope Prays for 2 Young Angolan Stampede Victims. In the former story, His Holiness is quoted as saying, "So many of them are living in fear of spirits, of malign and threatening powers. In their bewilderment they even end up condemning street children and the elderly as alleged sorcerers." In the latter story, he prays, "We trust that Jesus embraces them in his kingdom. I express my solidarity with their families and friends, and my deep sorrow because this has happened when they went to see me."