Missionary Trip to MAURITIUS—Reported by Emil Hagamu, May 2010

On Saturday, May 15, 2010, I made my first missionary trip to the tiny but beautiful French-speaking island of Mauritius. I was warmly received by my hosts, Daniele and Jack Sauvage, who drove me directly to the Diocesan Catholic Center near St. Helen Catholic Church, where I would spend the rest of my stay in Mauritius.

Mauritius, whose population now stands at 1.2 million, is ageing. There has been a sharp drop in its fertility rate, especially among people of

white decent. I spoke with my host’s friend, Monique, who expressed concern that people of white descent, like herself, are becoming extinct simply because they are not reproducing themselves. “I think my husband and I are the only people of white descent remaining on the entire Island,” Monique noted to me.

When traveling through this island, you will find the whole land covered by sugar-cane plantations, which is why it is called “a Sugar Cane Country.” The sugar industry has dominated the economy of this Island for many centuries. Another commercial crop grown in this Island is tea. The island is of volcanic origin, so you find remnants of hills and craters here and there, giving the island a unique topography. The majority of the people enjoy a high standard of living. The average per capita income is around $26,000, making Mauritius a relatively rich nation compared to neighboring African countries. Although English is the official language, the majority of the people speak French. Creole is also widely spoken, sometimes interchangeably with English and French. While Catholicism and Hinduism co-exist peacefully, Islam is gaining a stronghold and is threatening the existence of other religions.

ACTIO FAMILIALE

In a meeting with my hosts, Daniele and Jack, I explained how Fr. Paul Marx began Human Life International and his efforts to plant the seeds of the culture of life around the world. I told them that our strategy is to create a strong opposition to the culture of death throughout the world, and thus HLI has grown into a global movement that is now present in more than 100 countries.

In turn, Jack and Daniele explained how they are promoting the culture of life in Mauritius through their organization called Actio Familiale (Family Action). Besides the pro-life outreach programs they do throughout the country, they also promote NFP education programs.They print a number of pro-life booklets and brochures. They also have advocacy programs, through which they have been able to bring members of other religions as well as government leaders on board. At the organizational level, they have a director, deputy director, heads of departments and 4 regional animators, one in each region. These regional animators are overseen by supervisors from a national office.  I was blessed to visit this office on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 and saw with my own eyes the important work they do. And fortunately, Daniele, the director for Actio Familiale, is also the current president of Africa Family Life Federation, an organization that coordinates NFP organizations throughout Africa. I am proud to be part of this continental organization; I have been able to participate in the workshops and congresses since 2006.

At the end of our brief meeting, I gave Daniele and Jack pro-life materials, brochures, CDs, DVDs and booklets. HLI’s task will now be to work

Emil Hagamu with Monique of the Pregnancy Crisis Center in Sileo, Mauritius.

with them in their various projects in defense of human life. The major threat currently facing their country is a strong push to legalize abortion. They have been able to resist the pro-abortion campaigns since 2003. But now the new Prime Minister has appointed a feminist to head the Ministry of Gender and Women Affairs. Daniele and Jack fear that this feminist minister may push the abortion agenda even further. Considering the support given to the government by population control groups and conditions favorable to abortion contained in the Maputo Protocol, where the abortion agenda is being marketed as women’s rights, there is a need for the pro-life movement in Mauritius to be more vigilant proactive in their endeavors.

MAURITIUS UNITES TO OPPOSE ABORTION

Actio Familiale has also worked with the Intercultural Committee, On Respect For Life, which is a loose national organization that coordinates the activities of all pro-life and pro-family organizations in Mauritius. It brings together people of all faiths and professions to work in defense of life. It functions on the advocacy level at moments of a real threat to human life. It was very active in 2003 when the campaign to legalize abortion was brought to the attention of the Mauritian people. It took action again last year when the abortion agenda re-emerged, being in large part pushed by the Maputo Protocol and the IPPF (Family Planning Association) of Mauritius. This organization brought together Actio Familiale and Movement d’Aide a la Maternite (Movement for Maternal Assistance), as well as the Catholic Church and people of all faith traditions, to design a nationwide to oppose abortion.

AUDIENCE WITH THE BISHOP

On Wednesday, Daniele and Jack drove me to Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius. Situated on a gulf and surrounded by mountainous landscape, this port is the most beautiful I have ever seen. Tall buildings stand just on the embankment of the seawater. It appears the area was dug out to allow big ships to sail right into the concrete pavements surrounding the gulf. On the pavement, beautiful photographs display scenes from different areas of the world, including sand dunes, marshy seashores and plain mineral deposits. After almost an hour of sightseeing, we drove to the cathedral, which lies just behind the harbor.

Emil with Bishop Maurice E. Piat, C.S.Sp.

The bishop’s house, built from old materials of stone and quarry limestone, is just a stone’s throw from the cathedral. We were fortunate to meet the bishop that day, as he had a very tight schedule. Before our official meeting, Bishop Maurice E. Piat, C.S.Sp, invited us to sit on the verandah outside the office, offering us coffee and tea. He is very friendly, full of the hospitality that is characteristic of Mauritian people. During our brief stay, we exchanged information on the pro-life apostolate, as well as the anti-life encroachment into our countries. He said that since 2003, Mauritius has been under very strong pressure to legalize abortion. Sharing his ideas on the Maputo Protocol, he said it is sad to note that leaders in almost all African governments do not take time to reflect on the content of the document. Instead, they rush for quick gains at the expense of their people. He noted that in a number of African countries the population is no longer growing, and some countries, like Mauritius, are experiencing population decline. He echoed other pro-lifers’ concerns in noting that the fertility rate is now below replacement level and some ethnic groups face extinction.

I briefed him on HLI and our mission around the world. He seemed to be very impressed with our work. I told him about the many gifts God has bestowed on our president, Fr. Tomas Euteneuer, and that Fr. Tom’s vision and zeal is to make HLI present everywhere the agents of the culture of death are, carrying out our mission to “create an effective opposition to the culture of death through prayer and education.”

The bishop is the founder of Actio Familiale, and thanks also to Daniele and Jack, co-founders and pioneers, this organization is now present throughout Mauritius. Their main activity is to promote and teach NFP. In their outreach programs, they also teach pro-life topics and promote a pro-life mentality among the people. The bishop was proud of the commitment and progress made by Actio Familiale, and he looks forward to becoming affiliated with HLI as soon as possible. He prayed for HLI and the work we do in the Lord’s vineyard. Needless to say, Bishop Maurice E. Piat, C.S.Sp. is profoundly pro-family and pro-life.

HLI – ACTIO FAMILIALE COLLABORATION

As already said, Actio Familiale is well established in Mauritius and is spreading the culture of life. I can say confidently that HLI has found a useful and dependable ally. My hope is that Actio Familiale will become an affiliate of HLI as soon as possible. After affiliation, their greatest immediate need will be our support through French-language material resources.

I will end my report by thanking God, who is the author of all our achievements. I thank Him for his guidance, especially in those countries where immigration formalities are overly strict. If not for His intervention, our mission could be greatly jeopardized. I also give thanks for the very close cooperation I receive from the HLI Central staff, and more particularly for the efforts of the International Coordination office. The material and financial support I receive is very important for my coordination work. And above all, I extend my thanks to all HLI donors, without whom our mission would come to a standstill.