The human adventure in this world began in Africa. Our origins as a species lie there. From that continent, approximately two hundred thousand years ago, the first migratory waves departed, eventually populating the entire planet. However, despite possessing this anthropological heritage, and despite some seeing in that territory a potential solution to the demographic and employment problems of the European Union, a tepid indifference pervades the current view of its geographical mosaic.

Looking at it on a map is to open our eyes to an immense, overpopulated space. In terms of area  — equivalent to the combined size of the United States, China, India, Japan, and Europe—it ranks third in the world, and second in terms of population. However, to speak of Africa today is to feel the horror of war, hunger, disease, poverty, ignorance, exploitation, corruption, social instability, political and economic turmoil, injustice, and the tragedy of migration.

This is the dramatic reality for most of a continent struggling to escape poverty, despite its abundant raw materials, which are of intense commercial interest to China, Russia, and the United States. In rare metals alone, the Congo region possesses 80% of the world’s coltan, an essential mineral for the development of new technologies related to the manufacture of electronic devices, spacecraft, and advanced weaponry.

Alongside its fabulous natural resources, this continent possesses extraordinary human wealth, despite the Western tendency to underestimate the capabilities and potential of its 1.4 billion inhabitants. It is a land teeming with human life. Its population is young and constantly growing. The 1.5 million people who, in sub-Saharan Africa alone, have been learning Spanish in recent years speak volumes about its desire to overcome its current stagnation. This vitality is but one example of the wealth of its invaluable human qualities.

But even though these values ​​are relevant, they are not the most significant that Africa can offer to all of humanity. According to Pope Benedict XVI, “Africa is the custodian of an invaluable treasure for the whole world: its profound sense of God.” It represents an immense spiritual “lung” for a world in crisis. The history of this people for two thousand years is inseparable from the Catholic faith. Moreover, the growth of conversions to Christianity is constant: while at the beginning of the 20th century there were only two million Catholics, today there are one hundred and forty-seven million, with an overwhelming number of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Therefore, the Catholic Church, in the words of Pope Francis, must continue “ensuring its presence and collaboration [in Africa], striving generously to provide all possible assistance to the population and, above all, to rebuild an atmosphere of reconciliation and peace among all members of society.” Thus, in addition to attending to the religious needs inherent in its mission, it is committed to the human development of the region through actions and institutions that create numerous oases of dignity amidst so many deserts of poverty.

But even though the Gospel of Christ is the best hope for Africa, the solidarity of the global community—national governments, international organizations, and citizens—is also essential at this historic moment when the effectiveness of technology allows for the immediate and accessible delivery of material aid to those most in need anywhere in our global village. The international community cannot consider Africa’s fate as that of a failed continent.

Especially crucial is the role of the media, which, in order not to reinforce our prejudices, cannot limit its task to the ephemeral display of the horrors of the continent or to disseminating its more appealing image: safaris, sporting events, and exotic landscapes. They must responsibly challenge the conscience of the developed world, in whose luxurious offices decisions affecting Africa’s future are frequently made. Faced with this reality, advanced society cannot remain entrenched in its own comfort zone.

Pedro Paricio. Give me three minutes