Roman Catholic Church and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

The issue of human development, and in particular economic development, has been an important challenge for Roman Catholic social teaching in the post-Vatican II period. This challenge is particularly relevant for the Church in sub-Saharan Africa because while the African sub-continent is one of the fastest growing areas of Catholicism today, it is also arguably the poorest region on earth. In light of this situation, African liberation theologians have spoken of the necessity for a greater Church commitment to economic development, while the bishops' conferences have emphasized the intimate link between Christian evangelization and 'human promotion.' Specifically, these liberation theologians and bishops' conferences employ ethical arguments to critique the lingering effects of European colonial policies, the lack of African participation in international markets, and the present-day debt reduction and structural adjustment programs of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. However, in addition to offering these critiques, they also propose foundational principles upon which they believe African economic structures should be based. With these issues in mind, the specific question this study addresses is what contribution can the African Catholic Church make toward the articulation of a truly African theology of development, a contribution that takes into consideration the realities of both present-day African life as well as the social teaching of the universal Church?

Jozef D. Zalot received his Ph.D. in Religious Studies at Marquette University.