Denouncing Corruption

“Corruption is theft from the poor,” warn the Bishops of the South African Catholic Bishops’ Conference in a pastoral letter released on Oct. 16. Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town said the issue is especially poignant in a region as poor as southern Africa. “Money diverted into the pockets of corrupt people could have been spent on housing for the homeless, on medicine for the sick or for other needs. Aid should reach those it is intended for,” he said, quoting from the statement. “Unless we are able to root out corruption in our society and in our country we are stealing from the poor, we are preventing the advancement of poor people, we are preventing poor people [from] reaching their full potential as human beings,” he said. The bishops of Southern Africa have called on their people to embrace the international ecumenical campaign, called “Exposed,” which encourages individuals to take action against corruption. Archbishop Brislin called corruption, whether public or private, a “selfish action” that “harms the whole community. It is a poison, an evil that must be eradicated from the whole of society.”