From Fear of the Stranger to Solidarity

Newsday || By Fr. Oskar Wermter SJ || 24 April 2015

People have always felt at home in the family and found security within the clan. Outside the family there were only strangers, even enemies. Gradually they extended the clan and formed larger tribes and nations. But the basic division of “us” and “them”, those close to us by ties of blood and others remote and possibly hostile, remained.

Religion often enhanced this division. Different tribes and nations worshipped different gods and were loyal to different ancestral spirits. In times of war the gods fought on the side of their own people against foreign nations who in turn had the allegiance of their own gods and spiritual powers. “Your enemies are my enemies.”

Even though people now assume that there is only one God, however many religions there may be, they claim that this one God is on their side as their army marches to wipe out their neighbours and country. And their neighbours, threatened by invasion and conquest, pray to the same God, assuming, of course, he is on their side and will smite the invaders. And what does God do? “He sits in the heavens and laughs” (Psalm 2:4), with grim humour, presumably. And waiting for the time to show mercy.

Politicians make a laughing stock of themselves by claiming that the “God of heaven and earth” is backing up their particular little tinpot dictator.

In ancient biblical times it seems the Egyptians had their own set of gods and the Babylonians worshipped yet another gang of divine beings, male and female. So Israel had its “God of Israel”, but with a difference. He was not just the Lord of Israel (this “puny mite”), but the Creator of the Universe (and of any as yet unknown “universes” still to be discovered by us earthlings beyond the galaxies).

He was conceived as the creator of all human beings (not just as a Jewish national god), of all men and women on the face of the earth, without being either male or female himself. (When we call God “he/him” that is merely a matter of grammar and a sign of the limitation of human language).

This gradual recognition that there is only one God of all the tribes and nations on earth (or the transition from poly- to monotheism) is a major event in human history. Uniting the human race as children of one God and Father and making them one family of brothers and sisters is a major task of religion. That is why the great religious communities in the world (Christians, Muslims, the religions of Asia and Africa) must respect and be in dialogue with each other. Wars of religion contradict the very purpose of religious faith.

Even those who in this secular age are sceptical or simply indifferent about religion recognise our common humanity which renders war obsolete and absurd. Our ethical and common moral convictions and their development are not just academic. They have practical consequences.

Another case in point would be the change from polygamy to monogamy, thus giving woman equal worth to that of man.
From that point onwards, all people on earth must consider themselves children of one and the same God and Father, his sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters.

This process of accepting our common humanity filled with one Spirit, making us one family, is by no means concluded yet.

There are still plenty of nations that worship themselves by worshipping their own self-made gods. Just listen to our trans-
Atlantic neighbours when they claim that America is “God’s own country”. Is that self-importance perhaps the reason why they forever feel compelled to deploy their army in yet another armed conflict or even fully-fledged war?

Do Christians and Muslims consider themselves children of the same God? Do they remember that they are both, together with the Jewish people, descendants of Abraham and, whatever their differences may be otherwise, still worship that one God of their common ancestor, Abraham?

The Islamic State and Boko Haram seem to have forgotten and gone back to the pagan gods which Muhammad wiped out with faith in the one and only Allah, agreeing with Christian universalism.

Africa was and still is split into so many clans and tribes, each honouring different ancestors and ancestral lineages. As long as Africa was sparsely populated and there was plenty of space to settle, this may not have mattered so much, though tribal wars have been a scourge long before the settlers came.

But Africa can no longer afford to regard neighbours as strangers and foreigners as enemies. Christianity and Islam both share with us the good news that there is only one God and we are his children who must live as brothers and sisters. In fact, we have no choice — it is our only chance of survival. Either that, or we will all perish. Surely we do not all want to be “suicide bombers”?

Traditional leaders who still live in the tribal past must be extremely careful with what they say. By dividing their clansmen from the “invading foreigners” they may set off a bomb.

“Ukama” (blood relationship) is very dear to the African people and close to their hearts, but unless we widen the concept and include everyone in our family, clan or nation as a brother or cousin-brother, sister or cousin-sister we set a booby trap, not just for strangers and unwelcome foreigners, but for ourselves as well. If you set your neighbour’s house on fire, you may incinerate your own too.

Last week 700 African men, women and children drowned in the sea that separates poor, destitute Africa from affluent Europe when their wretched, unseaworthy vessel capsized. Who drove those desperate people to risk their lives in crossing the sea that is now an African graveyard?

The extended family used to ensure survival by strong bonds of solidarity. This is no longer enough. The collective egoism of clan, party, sect or tribe does not produce enough to feed the nation or indeed the continent. We need to be tied together by even stronger bonds of solidarity that are embracing everybody and excluding no one. The ethnocentrism that flared up in KwaZulu and Johannesburg will not save anyone.

The selfish greed and hunger for power of the elite drives the majority into misery. Migration is caused by failed states and failing economies. There would not be a stream of migrants down-south nor boatloads of economic refugees heading north if the political class had not betrayed our trust so dismally.

Nigerian Bishop: Hillary Clinton's Remarks about Religious Beliefs Show She "Thinks She Is a God"

Aleteia || By Diane Montagna || 29 April 2015

Discusses Boko Haram and the cultural imperialism of the West

In this far reaching, follow-up interview to a story Aleteia brought you in February, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, who serves as Director of Communications for the African Bishops, discusses with Aleteia the latest developments regarding Boko Haram, and his fellow Nigerian bishop’s claim that he had vision of Jesus Christ, who told him the terrorist organization would be defeated through the power of the rosary. 
 
He also offers his perspective on Hillary Clinton’s statement last week that “deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed” for the sake of giving women access to “reproductive health care and safe childbirth”; and calls the US administration’s recent appointment of its first “LGBT” envoy evidence of a growing “dictatorship of the minority”.
 
Your Excellency, let’s begin close to home. In our conversation in mid-February, you spoke at length about the nature and activities of Boko Haram. At the time, you stated that you wouldn’t be surprised if there would be an attempt made by the terrorists from different parts of the North of Africa and the Arab world — ISIS, Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram — to link up, and that this needs to be prevented.
 
Since then, Boko Haram has in fact pledged allegiance to ISIS. What can you tell us about recent developments in the fight against Boko Haram in Nigeria?
 
It all sounds like prophecy now, but it was quite easy for me to see at the time. Evil tends to find strength in other evil. I was sure that Boko Haram, ISIS, and Al Qaida were going to somehow try to link up resources and strength to do more harm than they’ve been doing, because they’re simply evil. I was wondering why that was so difficult for the powers that pretend to want to help us to see. 
 
What I said in the February interview about the current US administration actually making aids and grants to Africa conditional on our accepting anti-life values seemed absurd to some ears at the time. But this is exactly what has been happening, and I think they are coming out even more in the open now.
 
I heard it in a radio discussion, and I agreed with it, although it sounded absurd. For some reason, a week after our interview, there were so many reports in the Nigerian newspapers and media that America was actually helping us technically. I don’t know who was behind it.
 
The hope we have now is that we have had our elections. Thank God, they were largely successful, and we are hoping that the approach will be different. 
 
Six weeks before the elections, the government stepped up activities against Boko Haram. And the bombing and the killing has largely diminished. In many parts of the north of Nigeria where you couldn't go before, now you can hear a pin drop. People are returning to their homes, and Boko Haram is largely consigned to the borders of Nigeria.
 
To what do you principally attribute the positive shift?
 
For one thing, the government that is outgoing needed to win elections, and needed to convince Nigerians that it could do what it had never been able to do for 6 years. 
 
As the elections approached, the government communicated their desire to postpone them by 6 weeks. Of course, this met with great disapproval. One of the reasons the government gave for the postponement was to have time to rout Boko Haram and ensure safe elections. 
 
There followed a massive build up of arms and alleged mercenaries fighting for the purpose.  Surprisingly it has been effective. The government managed to do in 6 weeks what it could not do in 6 years.
 
Secondly, I think that Boko Haram had caught the Nigerian government in bed, so to speak. For many years, the Nigerian army had not been actively engaged in combat. Corruption was a large part of the problem, and so it was an army that had obsolete equipment and undertrained officers. The army itself has admitted this several times. Therefore, it took time to prepare and obtain the necessary equipment.

Much has changed now. The Nigerian army recovered so much territory from Boko Haram, arrested so many and freed up so much space that people are able to continue activities in very many areas. In fact, in many areas where we thought elections could never be held, elections we successfully held. 
 
Last week, for the first time in 6 years, the army actually entered into the dreaded Sambisa forest to confront Boko Haram, a feat considered unimaginable before now. So there is success against Boko Haram at the moment.
 
However, Boko Haram is not dead. And the danger is particularly acute given that ISIS has linked up with Boko Haram. In fact, it would seem that Boko Haram has modified its name now to relate to ISIS. However, I think that if the civilized world decides that terrorism is going to be eliminated, it can be eliminated, if there is sincerity and commitment.
 
One of your brother bishops — Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri, Nigeria — recently revealed that he had a vision of Jesus Christ, who told him that Boko Haram would be defeated through the power of the rosary. Your thoughts?
 
Bishop Oliver in my view has not said anything completely extraordinary, for two reasons. 
 
First, the rosary has always been the strength of Catholic spirituality. Throughout Church history, the rosary has played a great role not only in bringing people closer to God, but also in giving them strength to conquer many wars, also in times of combat. Now, if you sit here to discredit what happened at Lepanto and other battles many years ago, you’ll have trouble convincing anyone that you have good reason to do so.
 
In the Marian centers of the world which have been approved by the Church — like Fatima and Lourdes — the rosary has always been recommended. Messages were given to people at these places that battles —whether spiritual, physical, or military — can be conquered through the power of the rosary.
 
Bishop Oliver said he had a religious experience. Religious experience is legitimate and one doesn’t need to be against it. I think very many people question this kind of thing because they have really, actually stopped believing actively in God. 
 
We call Jesus ‘Emmanuel’. If he is ‘with us’ all the time, why can’t he show himself to us? And the fact that I have not had that kind of vision does not mean that Bishop Oliver cannot.
 
Religious experience is sacred. I have spoken to Bishop Oliver on the phone. We are quite close. I’ve been close to him because he and his people are on the front lines, and we try to support them in whatever way we can. I spoke to him on the phone and he is convinced about what he saw. 
 
I am particularly happy that when he said Jesus handed him a sword, this sword became a rosary. Thank God. Better the rosary than the sword. Christianity has always fought its battles by prayers, not by arms. And so what Bishop Oliver said is, I believe, very consonant with Catholic theology and Catholic practice.
 
I myself have contributed along with a religious organization in distributing about 1 million rosaries in Nigeria, and I believe that the rosary has the power to help change situations, and that includes the situation with Boko Haram.
 
Turning to other international issues: Last Thursday at the 6th annual Women in the World Summit, Hillary Clinton said: “Deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed” for the sake of giving women access to “reproductive health care and safe childbirth.” Your Excellency, what are your thoughts — as a Catholic bishop and specifically a Catholic bishop of Africa — on the former US Secretary of State’s remarks?

My personal opinion of Hillary Clinton is: She is seeking election in America so you can expect that, like most politicians, she will say just about anything to pander to the thoughts of whatever audience she is speaking to. 
 
So I really think that Hillary Clinton is just speaking for votes, rather than speaking for reason.
 
I believe there are three groups of people in this world: those who believe in God, those who do not believe in God, and those who think they are gods. Hillary Clinton I think is one of those who thinks she is a god. And I’m not obliged to believe that. 
 
From the way she spoke, people like herself very clearly don’t want to hear anything about God. Even if they say they believe in God, they really don’t. 
 
It’s evident even in her language: she talks about “deep seated cultural codes”. I feel she’s gotten too wrapped up in technology and has stopped realizing that there are values, there are things that are innate to people, that are not just “codes” that can be taken up and thrown out. 
 
We talk about the dignity of life, the sanctity of life, etc. Is she saying they ought to be changed? Well, I don’t know what she is talking about. What are human beings going to change to? 
 
We are saying that there is something innate in us as Africans that makes us Africans. 
 
And I am saying that God, in His infinite wisdom — which I think might be a little bit more than Hillary Clinton’s — decided to create us in these forms to add to the beauty of his creation. So those who work to have one generalized, undifferentiated world certainly don’t know the meaning of beauty, which is found in variety, in color. 
 
If these values are not precious to Hillary Clinton, I think she has no right at all to call for a change in religious values and religious beliefs.
 
She also called them “structural biases.” Again, that is a misuse of language. “Biases,” to many people, are the things that make them who they are. 
 
So that’s as much importance as I attach to Hillary Clinton’s statement about cultural beliefs. It is my desire that the American people open their ears and their eyes and know exactly what kind of people are running to be the next President of the United States.
 
In February 2015 the Obama administration appointed Randy Berry as the first Special Envoy for the Human Rights of “LGBT” persons. What are your thoughts on the recent appointment, especially in light of your previous comments regarding a new “cultural imperialism” being carried out by the US administration in Africa?
 
I think the appointment of Randy [Berry] just shows how little the current US administration respects the democratic values it seems to preach, especially when they preach them abroad. 
 
If the current American government is investing so much effort in appointing a special envoy to promote what it calls the “rights” of homosexuals and gays and the rest of it, as I have always said, I think there is a mix-up between what are actually “rights”, and what are behaviors. And human behaviors cannot be put on the same level as human rights.
 
We have a right to live. I do not think that homosexuals ought to be killed, by no means. Life is a basic human right. But the right to do things that are considered abnormal are not. 
 
I do not think that homosexuals, as people, are evil people. But I do think that their activities are sinful and disordered. And if we invest so much money and effort into imposing the orientation of this minority — this particular minority — onto the entire world, then we are guilty of what I like to call a “dictatorship of the minority.” So where is democracy? How can America claim to be a champion of democracy in the world? 
 
In any case, take for example something that is happening across the world in a different place. In recent months so many immigrants have been trying to get to Europe, to a better life, which by the way they have a right to, have been killed on the seas in Italy. Some have been killed in the desert, so many, tens of thousands. 
 
Now, the United States and the countries of Europe have not felt any need to appoint a special envoy to help to protect the rights of these human beings who are dying just because they are looking for better opportunities. But the US administration is so concerned about imposing the “rights” of homosexuals on countries of the world that don’t consider these to be the values that they need. 
 
Now if democracy is supposed to be a system that makes available the best for the most, without actually crushing the minority, then where is the meaning of democracy in America? 
 
So I question that. And I say that people ought to open their eyes to the cultural imperialism that America is promoting, and promoting so blatantly.

Diane Montagna is Rome correspondent for Aleteia’s English edition.

Catholic Church Leaders in Ethiopia Join Other Religious Leaders to Call for Peaceful National Elections

CANAA || By Makeda Yohannes and Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 30 April 2015

Leaders of the Catholic Church in Ethiopia have joined other religious leaders to call on the public to actively take part in the forthcoming national elections and to use their democratic rights to elect their leader in a peaceful manner.

The spiritual leaders have urged political leaders in Ethiopia to strive for peaceful elections.

According to reports, nearly 35 million Ethiopians were registered to take part in the nationwide parliamentary polls slated for May 24, 2015 during the voter registration exercise, which took place from January 9 to February 21, 2015.

In a message to Ethiopians by Cardinal Berhaneyesus of Addis Ababa on behalf of the Catholic Church leaders in Ethiopia, the Cardinal begins by highlighting the promotion of the integral human development by the Catholic Church in all her activities.

“One of the way that integral development is expressed through participation in all aspects of life including election,” Cardinal Berhaneyesus said.

He goes on to describe “voting as an act of hope,” saying, “Voting gives us the power to express that deep hope for a better and more just society.”

Meanwhile, in a press conference organized by Inter-religious Council of Ethiopia in collaboration with the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, religious leaders in Ethiopia urged the nominees for the upcoming national elections to understand that their role is to serve the people and to conduct the election as per the election regulations of the country.

The Chairman of the National Electoral Board, Professor Merga Bekana expressed appreciation for the message from the religious leaders describing it as important for a successful conduct of the elections considering that 97.3% of the people of Ethiopia belongs to one the religious denominations.

“This message read today is directly addressed to the faithful and to the political leaders whom these religious leaders have an influence on. I would like to thank them for taking this initiative and call for the peaceful and democratic conduct of the National election,” Professor Bekana said.

Below is the full message from the Ethiopian Catholic Church read to all Ethiopians by His Eminence Cardinal Berhaneyesus of Addis Ababa.

 A call for Peaceful 5^th National Election for Ethiopian People

Proverbs 11:14: Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.

First of all I would like to express my deepest joy in the name of the Ethiopian Catholic Church for having this chance to present my view on the fifth coming election of May 24, 2015. The first is that the whole Church, in all her being and acting — when she proclaims, when she celebrates, when she performs works of charity — is engaged in promoting integral human development (CIV 11). One of the way that integral development is expressed through participation in all aspects of life including election. I use this opportunity to call all people to play their role in creating young people who are developed integrally to have smooth relationship in politics, economy and social affairs. Our people have a lot of questions therefore, all citizens, should be mindful of the right and also the duty to use their free vote to further the common good. The church praises and esteems the work of those who for the good of men devote themselves to the service of the state and take on the burdens of this office.’(The church in the Modern World 75).

Pope Benedict XVI strongly encourages the lay people to “… have an active and courageous presence in the areas of political life, culture, the arts, the media and various associations. Do not be hesitant or ashamed about this presence, but be proud of it and conscious of the valuable contribution it can offer to the common good!” (AM 131). Therefore, we want to encourage our people to participate in all phases of election (i.e. pre, post and after) for our common good as a nation.  

Voting as an Act of Hope: as people of faith, voting is one part of our commitment to that testimony. Voting gives us the power to express that deep hope for a better and more just society. Hope orients our hearts to actively participate in the society and world, knowing that when we do our part it opens the way for God to do more. Voting gives each of us that chance to shape our government and political system. We believe that participating in election is "avoiding sinning by omission". Therefore we all are called to vote our leaders/ servants for the next five years.

To be the Voice for the Voiceless: The leaders should be the voice for the voiceless by giving option for the poor. Through participating in voting we give vote for people that have high moral character who show solidarity through responding the questions of the community and searching option for the poor. In this part religious people should play a pivotal role as a voice of the voiceless , "It is also not just a voice to make a voice , but is also a moral voice".

To conclude we want to quote what pope Francis said "I ask God give us more politicians capable of sincere and effective aimed at healing the deepest roots- and not simply the appearances- of the evils in our world! politics, through often denigrated, remains a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good. we need to be convinced that charity "is the principles not only of micro- relationships(with friends, with family members or within small groups) but also of macro- relationships(social, economic and political ones)”. I beg the Lord to grant us more politicians who are genuinely disturbed by the state of society, the people, the lives of the poor! It is vital that government leaders and financial leaders take heed and broaden their horizons, working to ensure that all citizens have dignified work, education and heed and broaden their horizons, working to ensure that all citizens have dignified work, education and healthcare. Why not turn to God and ask him to inspire their plans? I am firmly convinced that openness to the transcendent can bring about a new political and economic mindset which would help to break down the wall of separation between the economy and the common good of society (Joy of the Gospel 205).

In this short message we call all respected Ethiopian people to take our faith-filled values of equity and justice to the polls and vote for candidates who promote a person (human being)-oriented politics. We hope and pray that we will have free and fair election in 2015.

God bless Ethiopia!

Pope Francis Appoints New Bishop in Tanzania, Institutes New Commission for Vatican Communications

CANAA || By Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 30 April 2015

On Tuesday, Pope Francis appointed Rev. Fr. Edward Mapunda as bishop of Singida in Tanzania.

Born on September 30, 1964 in Mango, Diocese of Mbinga, Bishop-elect studied philosophy at St. Anthony Major Seminary, Ntungamo in Bukoba and Theology at the interdiocesian Major Seminary of St. Charles Lwanga in Segrea, Dar-es-Salaam.

He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Singida on November 23, 1997. Since then, he has served in various academic and pastoral ministries, among them, Formator at the Minor Seminary in Singida, Studies at the University of Dar-es-Salaam, where he obtained a Master in Education and later as Vice-Rector of the Minor Seminary of Singida.

Since 2006, the Bishop-elect has been serving as the Diocesan Procurator and head of the diocesan health ministry.

According to a report by Vatican Radio, The Catholic Diocese of Singida, erected in 1972, is a suffragan diocese of Dodoma Archdiocese. It covers an area of  49,341 square Kilometres and has an approximate population of 1.5 million inhabitants. Of these, 238, 307 are Catholics. The Diocese has 22 parishes, 67 priests (50 Diocesan priests and 17 religious).  There are also 423 religious sisters and 14 seminarians.

The Bishop-elect will be succeeding Bishop Désiderius M. Rwoma who was transferred to Bukoba Diocese on January 15, 2013.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Holy Father instituted a new commission for Vatican Communications.

This is in line with the deliberations of the Council of Cardinals during their last April 2015 meeting during which the Cardinals examined the final report by the Vatican Media Committee (VMC), charged with proposing reform of Vatican communications.

The Council of Cardinals had proposed to the Pope to study this final report and to come up with suggestions on how the report could be feasibly implemented.

According to Vatican Information Service, Pope Francis favourably accepted the report and on April 23, 2015, he decided to institute the commission and to appoint its members.

The new commission will be chaired by Msgr. Dario Edoardo Vigano, director of the Vatican Television Centre.

The members of the commission will include Paolo Nusiner, director general of the daily newspaper “Avvenire”, Nuova Editoriale Italiana, Milan; Msgr. Lucio Adrian Ruiz, head of the Vatican Internet Service, directorate of Telecommunications of the Governorate of Vatican City State; Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., director of “La Civiltà Cattolica”; and Msgr. Paul Tighe, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

Apostolic Nuncio to Burkina Faso and Niger Appointed

CANAA || By Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 27 April 2015

On Friday, April 24, 2015, Pope Francis appointed Msgr. Piergiorgio Bertoldi, nunciature counsellor, as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Burkina Faso and Niger, elevating him to the dignity of Archbishop.

Born on July 26, 1963 in Varese, Italy, Archbishop-elect was ordained for the Archdiocese of Milan on June 11, 1988.

He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See after having attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.

Since July 1, 1995, Archbishop-elect has served in the following diplomatic missions of the Holy See: Uganda, Congo-Brazzaville, Colombia, Yugoslavia, Romania, Iran, and Brazil.

He is succeeding Archbishop Vito Rallo who had served as Apostolic Nuncio to Burkina Faso and Niger from June 12, 2007 to January 15, 2015 and resigned for health reasons.

His episcopal consecration has been slated for June 2, 2015 in Venegono Inferiore in the Italian region of Lombardy.

Namibia’s Only Catholic Radio to Re-open after Review

Vatican Radio || By Fr. Paul Samasumo || 27 April 2015

Archbishop Liborius Nashenda of Windhoek has told Radio Vatican’s English Service for Africa staffer, John Baptist Tumusiime, that Namibia’s only Catholic radio station, Radio Ecclesia, closed down by the Church, could reopen after the Bishops’ Conference finalises review of issues that led to its shut down. The Church still has the frequency.

“It has not died completely, we still intend to revive it. Presently, we have a priest who is studying social communications here in Rome with the view of trying to revive Radio Ecclesia Namibia,” Archbishop Nashenda said, as he tried to be cautious and optimistic at the same time.  The Archbishop was speaking on the sidelines of an ad limina visit to the Holy See by the Bishops of Namibia and Lesotho at the weekend.

Radio Ecclesia Namibia was granted a community radio broadcast licence in 1999 by the Namibian Government. Unfortunately, it found itself located in an area where it faced enormous challenges with regard to coverage for its intended listeners.  The acquisition of a huge antenna to reach the entire capital city of Windhoek and beyond did not improve matters.

“We tried our best but for technical and for financial reasons we could not continue. We discovered that the coverage in Windhoek itself was not good.  We felt we could not have the station broadcasting only to a very small part of the city when our original vision was for a station that was to have national coverage,” Archbishop Nashenda said.

The Archbishop said that the Bishops’ Conference is keen to have a radio station that the Church in Namibia would use as an agent for evangelization.  “We are trying to find resources –both financial and technical to get a nationwide Catholic radio station going. We want the radio to bring the faith to the people and for it to be a means of making the Catholic Church present among the people of Namibia,” he said.

Catholics in Namibia account for 22% of a national population of only 2.2 million inhabitants. The Evangelical Lutheran Church is the largest Church with 48% of the population professing membership.

In contrast to the national population, the geographical coverage of the country is 825,615 square km. Namibia is said to be the world's thirty-fourth largest country, after Venezuela.  The presence of the arid Namib desert, however, makes it one of the least densely populated countries in the world.

Sister Nyaatha, the Nun Bringing the World to Sleepy Nyeri Village in Kenya

Kenya’s Standard Digital || By Job Weru || 26 April 2015

Had it not been for the untimely death of her mother that forced her to take care of her young siblings, life would have no doubt led young Aurelia Mercede Stefani to a different path.

But the caring, strong and dedicated woman of God, popularly known as Sister Irene ‘Nyaatha’ Stefani, decided to retreat to a sleepy village in Nyeri where residents had not even seen, let alone tasted, modern-day sausages.

Nyaatha was known to the residents of Gikondi village in Mukurweini for her huge hat, no doubt to protect her from the unforgiving African sun, and military boots which were recently excavated with her rosary and rings 65 years after she was buried.

Sister Irene was born in Anfo, Brescia Province of Italy on August 22, 1891, the fifth in a family of 11 children.

Besides raising her young siblings following the death of her mother, Nyaatha also actively helped with the religious education of the youth in her parish. When she turned 20, she decided to follow her missionary vocation and was one of the first young women to be enlisted in the congregation of the Consolata Missionary Sisters founded by the Blessed Joseph Allamano.

She made her religious vows on January 29, 1914 and was sent to Kenya the following year.

“While in Kenya, she joined other sisters and priests who had been called to assist the wounded and the sick in hospitals and camps in Kenya and Tanzania during World War I. After the war, Nyaatha did missionary work for 10 years at Gikondi Catholic Mission, where she selflessly dedicated herself to the people who nicknamed her Nyaatha,” said Nyeri Catholic Diocese Archbishop Peter Kairo.

Merciful mother

The name ‘Nyaatha’ is a Kikuyu word for ‘one that has mercy’. It is a contraction of the words Nyina wa tha, which mean the merciful mother. Locals named her Nyaatha because of her enduring acts of mercy and compassion to the poor and sick at Gikondi in Mukurweini, Nyeri County.

Nyaatha became prominent after a bubonic plague outbreak hit the hilly region of Nyeri County. Having treated wounded soldiers during World War 1, it was obvious that she would dedicate her time visiting and caring for sick people.

“She spent most of her time visiting the sick and treating them. She did not discriminate against their faith or denomination,” said Fr Peter Githinji of the Nyeri Catholic Archdiocese.

Ironically, the nun contracted the plague that killed her from one of her fiercest critics, a man called Ngare. On October 31, 1930, Nyaatha died of bubonic plague in her bed in Gikondi. Ngare had succumbed to the disease a few days earlier but not before he had been baptised by the sister herself, locals recall.

As the day of her beatification edges closer, and she moves one step from being made a saint, a story is told on how her extraordinary way of life saved hundreds of war victims in a remote church in Mozambique.

Surrounded by a mob baying for her blood, hundreds of helpless people escaping the war, among them a pregnant woman whose labour pains had just begun, locked themselves inside a Catholic Church in the Nampepe region of Mozambique. But they were soon to run out of drinking water.

“They had no water to drink and were afraid they would dehydrate to death. But a priest told them about Sister Nyaatha and asked them to plead to her to intercede to God so they could get water. To their utter shock, the baptism font inside the church was miraculously filled with water for three days,” said Githinji.

The water was also used to offer the first bath to the newborn baby, who was named Irene after Sister Nyaatha.

A Consolata Missionaries Father, Joseph Gitonga, said Sr Nyaatha baptised more than 4,000 people in Nyeri, mostly at the time of their death.

Elderly residents of Gikondi fondly remember her. With a smile on his face, Mzee John Mbuthia Baiye recalls how the soft-spoken nun used to give him pork sausages in exchange for terere (amaranthus), a flowering plant that yields nutritious grain.

“I used to uproot fresh terere weeds and take them to Sister Irene so she could feed them to her pigs. She used to pay me two cents and pork sausages. They were so delicious. I wish she was still alive,” Mbuthia told The Standard on Sunday at his home yesterday.

At 95, Mbuthia’s memories of Nyaatha are still fresh. He even remembers the Latin songs Nyaatha taught him.

Humble servant

“When I was about six, I left Gikondi for Nairobi. I came back several years later after I fell ill. I had an inflammation on my neck and was surprised when Sister Octavia came to treat me. I was then told that Sister Nyaatha had passed on,” said Mbuthia.

Bishop Kairo says Nyaatha worked and helped anyone regardless of their faith. Gikondi Catholic parish, which was founded in 1901, is beaming with the pride of being the second home to the nun.

But the parishioners and villagers here are yet to comprehend how the humble servant of God has made their sleepy agricultural village world famous, even in her death. Hundreds of thousands of people from Kenya and elsewhere around the world are expected to attend the beatification ceremony.

A Consolata sister, Gian Paola Mina, has written Nyaatha’s biography titled Gli scarponi della Gloria, (Boots of Glory).

In Turin, the Consolata Sisters, who are promoting the cause of her beatification, have also established a Sister Irene Study Centre, which is publishing books about her life.

Bishops of Benin Encouraged to Promote Interreligious Dialogue, Pope Praises Church Dynamism

Vatican Radio || 27 April 2015

Pope Francis has encouraged Bishops from Benin to support families, to pursue the formation of young people and to promote inter religious dialogue.

The Pope was receiving a group of Bishops from the West African Nation who are in the Vatican for their ad limina visit.

In his message to them, Pope Francis thanked the Bishops for the successful exercise of their ministry which shines through in the great enthusiasm and in the visible expression of the faith of God's people in Benin. 

“Parish life – he pointed out - is animated, the faithful participate in large numbers in the celebrations, conversions to Christ are many and priestly and religious vocations”. 

However, acknowledging the bishops’ concern for a series of problematic issues, the Pope said he thinks “particularly of the major challenges related to family, to which the next Synod in Rome will attempt to answer”. 

And he encouraged them to “continue with determination efforts to support families, both in their faith in their daily lives”. 

Although the marriage ministry is a difficult one – Pope Francis said – “given the concrete situation, social and cultural life” of the people, he told them to persevere constantly because the family is a reality desired by God: “it is a gift from God that brings, for people and communities, joy, peace, stability, happiness”.

The family, the Pope said, is the basic unit of society.

The Pope acknowledged that another important challenge faced by the Bishops of Benin is youth and education, and he thanked them for the many Catholic schools they have opened in their Dioceses.

He spoke of the importance of the encounter between cultures and dialogue between religions, especially with Islam. 

“It is known that Benin is an example of harmony between religions on its territory. It is necessary to be vigilant, given the current global climate, in order to preserve this fragile heritage” he said. 

So: “In promoting harmony and justice in your local Churches, dear Brothers, gives you a major role to play in the onward march of your country” he said. 

And speaking of the global economic crisis which is affecting many countries, Pope Francis said “it is necessary to go courageously against the current, struggling against the culture of ‘waste’ spread everywhere, (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, n.53) and disseminating Gospel values of hospitality and encounter”.

The Pope reminded the bishops that the service of charity is a constitutive dimension of the mission of the Church, and is “an expression of its essence" and he invited all religious to live intensely this Year of Consecrated Life and acknowledged the generous commitment of the priests in the service of the Gospel. 

And remarking on the many priestly vocations in Benin, he said that bishops must be fathers to their priests, fostering communion and fraternity within the priestly family and caring for those in need.

Moreover – he said - since vocations are not lacking, he encouraged them to generously share their resources with other regions which lack churches. 

Pope Francis concluded his address noting that the Church in Benin has a good relationship with the civil authorities. 

“The voice of the Church is heard – he said - and action is appreciated”. And he invited them to continue to take their place in the public life of the country, encouraging relationships between different components of society.

Pope Praises the Dynamism of the Church in Benin

Source: Vatican Information Service

The vitality of the Church, the pastoral ministry of the family, attention to priests and persons religious, and relations with the civil authorities are the central themes of the written discourse that the Pope handed to the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Benin this morning, at the end of their “ad Limina” visit.

The Holy Father begins by praising the dynamism of parish life, the extensive participation of the faithful in ceremonies and the increase of vocations to the priesthood, but he also echoed the prelates' reports that it is at times superficial and lacking in solidity and strength.

“Therefore, it is important that the desire for a profound knowledge of the Christian mystery not be the prerogative of an elite, but instead must inspire all faithful, as everyone is called to holiness. It is imperative that the Church in Benin resists and defeats the winds to the contrary that are rising throughout the world and do not fail to blow upon you too. I know that you are vigilant in the face of numerous ideological and media attacks. The spirit of secularisation is at work in your country too, although it is not yet very visible. Only a faith profoundly rooted in the heart of the faithful, and lived in a concrete way, will enable you to face this”.

One of the challenges to the Church in Benin is family pastoral ministry, to which the upcoming Synod will seek to respond. The Pope thanks the prelates of Benin for their prayers for this assembly, and for their mobilisation of the dioceses to participate in such important event.

“I can only encourage you to continue with determination in the efforts you have undertaken to support families, both in their faith and in their daily life. I know that the pastoral ministry of marriage remains difficult, considering the real social and cultural situation of the people. However, do not be discouraged, but persevere tirelessly as the family in defence of the Catholic Church is a reality willed by God; it is a gift of God that brings joy, stability and happiness to people and to societies. It is an important challenge since the family, as the basic unit of both society and of the Church, is the place where authentic human and Gospel values are transmitted”.

The bishop of Rome then turns to the theme of the education of the younger generations, who must bring solidarity, justice and mutual respect to the society of the future.

“It is necessary to promote in your country – without of course renouncing any of the Truth as revealed by the Lord – the encounter between cultures and dialogue between religions, especially with Islam. It is well known that Benin offers an example of harmony between the religions present in her territory. It is however wise to be vigilant, considering the current world climate, in order to conserve this fragile heritage. I am particularly pleased that an international colloquium on interreligious dialogue has been held, under the presidency of Cardinal Tauran, which was widely appreciated”.

“Your local Churches have a key role in promoting harmony and justice in the progress of the country”, Pope Francis observes. “But it is a role they also play in healthcare and human development. How much work is carried out in the name of the Gospel in your dioceses! While the global crisis is affecting many countries, it is necessary to go against the grain with courage, fighting against the throwaway culture that reaches everywhere and spreading the Gospel values of hospitality and encounter. The service of charity is a constitutive dimension of the mission of the Church, and it is an expression of her essence. However, it should be borne in mind that the spirit of the works accomplished by the Church has a specific nature that must be clearly identified: she never acts as a form of simple social aid, but rather as the manifestation of the tenderness and mercy of Jesus Himself, who tends to the wounds and weaknesses of His brothers. The joy of the Gospel is thus announced to humanity in the most effective way”.

The Pope thanks the priests of Benin for their generous service into the Gospel and mentions again the great number of vocations, a blessing from the Lord, and encourages the Church in Benin to share her resources with the Churches of other regions which are lacking. However, he writes, “when you send your priests to study or on missions elsewhere, do so with judgement, without forgetting the needs of your own Churches”.

The final paragraphs of the text are dedicated to the good relationship between the Church and the civil authorities in the country.

“The voice of the Church is listened to and her action is appreciated. I invite you to continue to take your place fully in the public life of the country, especially in these times. I know you are engaged in constant work to encourage relations between the different components of society. I invite you to continue along this path, taking care not to enter directly into the political arena or party disputes. The conduct of public affairs remains the duty of the laity, whom you have the important duty of ceaselessly educating and encouraging”.

Nigerian Bishop Sees Vision of Christ, Says Rosary Will Vanquish Boko Haram

Aleteia || By John Burger || 22 April 2015

Leader of embattled Catholics sees militants as "demonic"

The Nigerian bishop who is on the front lines with his people in the face of the Islamist terror organization Boko Haram minces no words when it comes to the evil that Christians face.

For one thing, he calls it "demonic."

In 2009, “we witnessed the emergence of Boko Haram, a demonic cult, which arose to ban Western education,” said Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri, Nigeria, at a religious freedom conference in Spain last weekend.

But that is no cause for despair. The bishop claims that Jesus Christ appeared to him in a vision, giving him the answer to the problem: the rosary.

“Towards the end of last year I was in my chapel before the Blessed Sacrament… praying the rosary, and then suddenly the Lord appeared,” Bishop Dashe told Catholic News Agency April 18. He said Jesus didn’t say anything at first, but extended a sword toward him, and he in turn reached out for it.

“As soon as I received the sword, it turned into a rosary,” the bishop said, adding that Jesus then told him three times: “Boko Haram is gone.”

“I didn’t need any prophet to give me the explanation,” he said. “It was clear that with the rosary we would be able to expel Boko Haram.”

The bishop said he didn’t want to tell anyone, but “felt that the Holy Spirit was pushing him to do so.”

The Diocese of Maiduguri is in northeastern Nigeria's Borno State. The violence wreaked by Boko Haram has led to a drop in the Catholic population there from around 125,000 in 2009 to about 50,000 to 60,000, the bishop said.

Bishop Doeme has been spreading another Christian message recently as well: forgiveness. 

“It is up to God and not us to avenge and take retribution,” he has said in parishes he visited during Easter week. According to Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop Doeme told the faithful that in the end, revenge and retribution would only lead to a vicious cycle of violence and war, and that the fundamental values of the Christian faith are to love our enemies and persecutors. Healing can only begin when the faithful forgive the past and look to the future with great hope and faith. 

There is a lot of healing that must take place. More than 6,000 have died in Boko Haram-led violence since 2009, according to Human Rights Watch. The militants have killed 1,000 people across Nigeria in the first three months of 2015 alone. Last month, the group pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Church Leaders in Ethiopia Condemn the Execution of Ethiopian Christians

CANAA || By Makeda Yohannes, Ethiopian Catholic Bishops' Conference || 23 April 2015

The Ethiopian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ECBC) has strongly condemned the killings of young Christian Ethiopian migrants in Libya.

In a statement released by ECBC on Tuesday, the Church leaders expressed their deep sadness following the execution of 30 innocent Christian Ethiopian Migrants in Libya, just “because they refused to change their faith in a world where every human being regardless of race, color, and religion should live in any country with their human rights respected.”

The Bishops cautioned young Ethiopians against embarking on foreign trips without making sure that the country of destination provides them protection since they risk falling “in the traps of the human traffickers.”

“Moreover, we ask the youth to consider the option of working and prospering in your own country and drop the idea of migrating to another country where there is no safety,” the Bishops continued.

Briefing the media on behalf of ECBC, Cardinal Berhaneyesus recalled the condolence message of the Holy Father Pope Francis sent to His Holiness Abune Mathias, the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church.

Cardinal Berhaneyesus also added that the Catholic Church has been praying for the souls of the deceased migrants that they may rest in peace and to all the bereaved family members to obtain consolation from God our Father.

There have been prayers in all the parishes throughout the country from the moment the sad news of killings was heard.

The Catholic Church in Ethiopia has planned Holy Mass on Friday, April 24, 2015 in memory of all deceased migrant Ethiopians at the Nativity Catholic Cathedral in the presence of all ECBC members, presided over by Cardinal Berhaneyesus.

Other religious leaders who have also condemned the atrocious killings include leaders from the Ethiopian Inter-religious Council, the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church His Holiness Patriarch Matthias, the President of the Ethiopian Islamic Supreme Council Sheik Mohammed Amin, among others.

The Ethiopian Peoples’ Representative Council has declared a 3-day national mourning period from April 22 – 24, 2015.

On Wednesday, a Mass rally was organized in Addis Ababa where residents of the city in their thousands raised their voices against the killings of Ethiopian Migrants.

Below is the full text of the statement from ECBC

Statement from the Ethiopian Catholic Bishops' Conference

on ISIS killings of Ethiopian Christians in Libya

On our 36^th ordinary assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia, held between 18-23 April 2015, we received the sad news of the atrocious killings of 30 innocent Christian Ethiopian Migrants in Libya with great indignation and anger. We pray that the souls of our departed children may rest in peace and all the bereaved family members obtain consolation from God our Father.

We the Ethiopian Catholic Bishops of Ethiopia condemn in unambiguous terms this barbaric terrorist act and call up on all international communities and Governments to provide protection to migrants where ever they live, so that such acts may never be repeated to the lives of innocent people.

These Ethiopian Martyrs who were butchered on the coast and desert of Libya were not politicians, nor military soldiers, or they were not armed people, considered to be dangerous people for security, rather they were young innocent migrants hopeful for a better future on the other end of their destination; capable of transforming their lives, the lives of their families and even contribute for the betterment of the country of their destination.

We are saddened that these young people were killed, because they refused to change their faith in a world where every human being regardless of race, color, and religion should live in any country with their human rights respected.

In fact these terrorist acts do not represent any religion; it is known that these are cruel killers who murder even followers of their own religion. However, the blood of innocent people should never be shed in the name of the Lord in any country.

Most of the religions spread in our world through migrants. The Jews became a nation after their migration to Africa. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to Africa as a refugee and returned to his birth place after receiving African hospitality. The first persecuted Christians scattered to surrounding countries for the sake of their faith and spread their faith in Jesus Christ. The first Muslims came to Ethiopia around 615 A.D. and preached Muslim religion in Ethiopia. We Africans and especially Ethiopians have a great tradition of welcoming refugees and hosting them in our country. Even today Ethiopia is hosting tens of thousands of refugees from different countries without any discrimination. Why such atrocity and bloodshed up on the innocent Children of Ethiopia? Ethiopian refugees in any country should be treated according to international refugees’ agreements like any other nationals; it is a crime to take away their lives.

We plead to the human traffickers who are tricking the youth to leave their country through illegal means to stop their acts; to those young persons who are still planning to migrate from their country, even though it is your right to move from one country to another, we ask you not to travel without making sure that your country of destination provides you protection or fall in the traps of the human traffickers and travel without the necessary legal documents. Moreover, we ask the youth to consider the option of working and prospering in your own country and drop the idea of migrating to another country where there is no safety.

We will keep the Martyrs in our prayers. May their souls rest in peace in heaven among the Angels and Saints. We pray for all the bereaved family members that the Lord may grant you his consolation. May our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Consolation, intercede for our Martyrs and console their families and relatives.

May God bless Ethiopia with his peace.

+Cardinal Berhaneyesus, C.M.

Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Ababa

President of the Ethiopian Catholic Bishops’ Conference

Chairman of AMECEA

April 21, 2015

Catholic Relief Services Celebrates 50 Years in Kenya

Vatican Radio || By Rose Achiego, Waumini Communications || 23 April 2015

Non Governmental and non-profit organisations have been challenged to focus more on innovation and diversification in order to complement the efforts of the Kenyan government in developing the country.

Speaking during the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) golden jubilee celebrations in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, on Wednesday, Kenya’s former republican president Mwai Kibaki said it was now time for NGOs operating in Kenya to actively encourage expansion of sources of wealth creation amongst Kenyans.

President Kibaki said the efforts of getting involved in economic value addition, agriculture, agro-processing and processing of consumable goods for the domestic and export market will solve the problem of unemployment and poverty in the country.

President Kibaki commended the work of the Catholic Church in the evangelization, education and health sectors adding that, it has been more than 100 years since the Catholic mission was established in Kenya.

Representing the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), the Archbishop of Nyeri, Peter Kairo, congratulated the CRS East Africa region for 50 years of “great and exemplary service to humankind through charity work,” he said.

Archbishop Kairo commended CRS for strengthening Catholic Church institutions in East Africa by offering trainings directly or indirectly to employees implementing CRS programmes and Church leaders in policy and governance issues. This, he said, has enabled them to become competent witnesses of the Gospel of Christ.

The Archbishop also applauded the efforts and commitment of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in assisting the poor and vulnerable in the East Africa Region.

The colorful CRS celebration, hosted by the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, Archbishop Charles Daniel Balvo, brought together old and new employees of CRS. The celebrations were led by the executive vice president of CRS for overseas operations, Schylor Thorup.

Several KCCB representatives and other partners participated in the celebrations.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The organisation describes itself as the official overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and a member of Caritas International and as well as the National Catholic Development Conference.

CRS approaches emergency relief and long-term development holistically.

Church Leaders in Southern Africa Condemn Brutal Murder of a Nun

CANAA || Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 23 April 2015

Church leaders under the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) have condemned the brutal murder of a nun belonging to the religious congregation of the Precious Blood Sisters.

Sr. Stephanie Tiefenbacher, an Austrian national, was found by a fellow nun murdered in her room on Sunday morning.

According to a statement sent to CANAA, Sr. Stephanie, 86, “was found gagged and bound with a typewriter cord‚ in her quarters at the Sacred Heart Home in Ixopo” in KwaZuluNatal province and that rape was also suspected.

“She was alone in her room when the robbers struck‚ tied her up and robbed her of cash,” the statement issued by SACBC Communications Officer, Fr S’milo Mngadi, explained.

Speaking on behalf of the whole Catholic Church in South Africa, SACBC issued a statement expressing shock at the nun’s killing and condemning the murder, which they described as “evil and barbaric.”

“The churches and, especially, the convents have always been centres of hope for our communities as they minister through education, health, charity and other social services,” the Church leaders said, adding, “For a person just to break into a convent is despicable to say the least and violating the dignity of an elderly nun is evil and barbaric.”

The Church leaders challenged the police to do their best to apprehend the murderers and urged community members to assist the security forces in identifying criminals.

“We are following all leads. We are also appealing to the community to come forward with any information that will help us solve this case,” police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane was quoted as saying, expecting to charge suspects for rape‚ robbery and murder. 

“We pray for the Precious Blood Sisters, her family back in Austria and the community of Ixobho, including the Little Flower School, which she served for over 60 years,” the Church leaders said in their statement, expressing forgiveness to the perpetrators and praying for their repentance.

Late Sr. Stephanie worked closely with impoverished children in the community.

She has been described by her fellow nuns as having had a kind heart and love for children.

"She has been in the mission for 60 years. She was a very generous and open person with a big, big heart for the people especially the children," a colleague, Sr. Gerald, has been quoted as saying.

“As we lay her remains at the Sacred Heart Home cemetery on the 27^th April 2015, we hope her blood will water the garden of true freedom in our country and bring crime against women to the urgent attention it deserves,” the Church leaders concluded.

Meanwhile, SACBC has also issued a statement condemning the violent attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa.

Below is the full text of the Church leaders’ message in which they call for a return to the “principle of Ubuntu,” describing South Africa as “a nation of peace” and “a rainbow nation.”

THE STATEMENT OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH ON

THE RECENT VIOLENT ATTACKS ON FOREIGN NATIONALS.

The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has observed with sadness the outburst of xenophobic violence in Durban which the Catholic Archbishop, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier has already condemned.

Our charter, the bible, is very clear “When a foreigner lives with you in your land, don’t take advantage of him. Treat the foreigner the same as a native. Love him like one of your own. Remember that you were once foreigners in Egypt. I am God, your God”. (Leviticus 19:33-34)

We understand the anger that the people may be feeling towards the foreigners for various legitimate reasons. However, we are a nation of peace; we are a rainbow nation. We conquered apartheid with very little use of violence and a settlement was reached peacefully. The same principle of Ubuntu needs to be applied in order to calm the recent spates of violence and unrest.

While we acknowledge that the utterances by His Majesty, the king of the Zulu nation, never meant nor intended this violence, we believe that he should categorically condemn this violence and publicly propagate the value of hospitality entrenched in the Zulu worldview “isisu somhambi asingakanani singangenso yenyoni.” This would amplify his influence as a peacemaker and a loyal leader of the soil.

We commit ourselves to pray to God for this situation to be resolved and to be available as agents to broker peace. We also commit financial support from the SACBC Foundation for the displaced people.

We urge the foreigners and expatriates to avoid being involved in any unfair labour and illegal business practices. We also exhort them to expose those who are here illegally and report any criminal elements among them. This is to be expected of every responsible citizen, both foreign/expatriate and native.

We urge our society to avoid irresponsible use of social media. Many graphics and verbal postings do very little to change the situation but exacerbate the violence. Before posting, always ask yourself if it will bring any good or if it will fuel the conflict.

Finally, we urge the government to take leadership in this matter. Leaders of this violent movement should have been identified and confronted for dialogue and accountability. Issues that provide a context for this horrible violence need to be addressed immediately.

May all South Africans remember that “whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it unto me” (Matthew 25:40) and that the Freedom Charter (1955) says “South Africa belongs to all who live in it.”

***********************************************************

Released by: Archbishop William Slattery, the Spokesperson of the SACBC

Enquirie: Fr S’milo Mngadi, SACBC Communications Officer

Email: [email protected]

Pope Francis Urges Bishops of Gabon to Evangelize the Customs and Socio-Political Realities of Their Country

Vatican Information Service || 20 April 2015

“In this jubilee year that commemorates several events in the life of the Church in Gabon, including the 170th anniversary of her foundation, I wish to greet and encourage your priests, men and women religious and other pastoral agents who collaborate with you, as well as the lay faithful of your dioceses, whom I join in prayer and thanksgiving”, writes the Holy Father in the discourse he handed this morning to the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Gabon, at the end of their “ad Limina” visit.

“The courageous missionaries who preached the Gospel in your land, in heroic conditions, and also the first Christians of Gabon, who welcomed the Good News of salvation with a generous heart and bore witness to it, often facing great adversity, are the pioneers of your local Church. Their memory, their zeal and their evangelical witness must never cease to inspire you in your pastoral action, and constitute for the Church of Gabon the source of a renewed commitment to the announcement of the Gospel, as a message of peace, joy and salvation that liberates man from the forces of evil to guide him to the Kingdom of God”.

“To carry out the ministry that has been entrusted to you in each of your dioceses requires you to live in authentic fraternity within your Episcopal Conference”, he continues. “Fraternal collaboration must make it possible to respond better to needs such as the challenges of the Church and to assure, with a collegial spirit, service to the common good all society. In this regard, you have recently taken the initiative of establishing a day of prayer for your country. The Church thus shows that she shares in the concerns of all Gabonese and that the Christian message, far from deterring humanity from building an ever more just and fraternal world, makes doing so a duty. The Centre for Studes for Social Doctrine and Interreligious Dialogue, established in 2011 in Libreville, also shows your concern for evangelising customs and the socio-political realities of your country”.

“The unity of the presbytery with the bishop is an example that gives the faithful the sense of the Church as the family of God. This must be translated in particular into great care to immunise them against the insidious danger of tribal and ethnic discrimination, which are the very negation of the Gospel. This spirit of communion is especially expressed in the fraternal care that you dedicate to the life and the mission of your priests. … The candidates to the priesthood also need … effective accompaniment in the indispensable and complex process of the discernment of vocations. This discernment and the formation of seminarians must be anchored first to the Gospel, and then to the true cultural values of their country, on the sense of honesty, responsibility and the given word. … Men and women religious, who since the founding of the Church in Gabon have displayed extraordinary apostolic zeal in the service of the Gospel, are also entitled to privileged and affectionate attention from you … that may be manifested in constructive dialogue and permanent collaboration at all levels with them, as well as in spiritual closeness and the promotion of different charisms within your dioceses”.

The bishop of Rome encourages the prelates to continue in their efforts to “awaken in the laity the sense of their Christian vocation, and to urge them to develop their charisms in order to put them to the service of the Church and of society. The Church is missionary by nature. … Therefore, the human and Christian formation of the laity is an important way of contributing to the work of the evangelisation and development of the people, always endeavouring to adopt an 'outbound' approach towards social peripheries. It is also necessary to present to the young the true face of Christ, their friend and guide, so that they find in Him a solid anchorage to resist ideologies and sects as well as the illusions of a false modernity and the mirage of material wealth”.

“In this regard, it is important to maintain the prestige of Catholic educational institutions in your country, by way of a formation that is increasingly inspired by the spirit of the Gospel. The 2001 Agreement between the Holy See and the Gabonese Republic on the Status of Catholic Education offers valuable support to the local Church, favouring the promotion of each and every person, with a preferential option for the poorest. I encourage you, therefore, not to hesitate in raising your voice to defend the human person and the sacred nature of life”. The Holy Father concludes, “In this time of preparation for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the family, I invite you to pray and to ask for prayer for a good outcome, to better serve all families”.

South African Cardinal Addresses Catholics on Outbreak of Xenophobia

Below is the letter by Wilfrid Cardinal Napier of Durban, South Africa availed to CANAA by Bishop Jose Luis Ponce de Leon of Manzini diocese, Swaziland. Further below is the statement of the community of St. Egidio on the same violence due to xenophobia.

Source:

To all Catholics and all People of Goodwill

On The current outbreak of Xenophobia.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

As a pastor, as a South African and as a resident of Durban, I am utterly shocked and filled with shame by the violence and intolerance that has overtaken our beloved city. It is truly sad to see brothers and sisters from Africa living in fear of their lives and desperate as they watch their homes and livelihoods destroyed by misguided and violent groups and individuals. With other religious leaders of our city and province, I have repeatedly condemned such behaviour as well as attempts to incite or justify it.

First let us remind ourselves that this is contrary to the values enshrines in the Constitution of South Africa, expressed in these words of the Preamble: “We believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in South Africa, united in our diversity.” We should be justly proud that this value of Ubuntu is enshrined in the highest document in the land.

Secondly, it is contrary to the values of the Church. The Pastoral Constitution, Gaudium et Spes, issued by the Second Vatican Council 50 years ago, also reminds us that as followers of Christ we are called to share in the griefs and anxieties of all other human beings; if there is any preference it should be for those who ‘are poor or in any way afflicted’. We are to look out for those who are marginalised not to target them with violence, but rather with our love.

And thirdly, this is contrary to our values as human beings. In my work with people of other religions, I see how they each tradition teaches unity of and respect for all human beings. This is also seen in the way that people from all communities have been outraged by the violence and have responded by saying: ‘Not in my name!’

The xenophobic behaviour we have seen and the attitudes that lie behind it do not reflect the majority of people. We must not allow a few bullies to change how we, as people living in South Africa, see each other and see ourselves.

As a Catholic community we need to make a meaningful response. Many, many people now need our help as they have had to leave their homes and their jobs and seek safety for themselves and their children.

Our Catholic organisations have been responding round the clock in the areas most affected. But every Catholic can make a contribution. The Refugee Pastoral Care Commission of the Archdiocese is asking especially for donations of food, both that can be cooked and tinned (perishable and non-perishable), blankets, toiletries, baby food and disposable nappies and clothes. Donations of items can be dropped off at the Chancery or St Joseph’s Church, Florida Road, Morningside from where they will be distributed to people in need. Donations of cash (to help pay for emergency accommodation) can be made through your parish and sent to the Chancery clearly marked for Refugee Relief.

This sad and traumatic time is also an opportunity for us as a Catholic community to work out a longer-term response. We need to make sure that the areas in which we live are places where all feel welcome and safe. If people have fled our neighbourhoods because they felt unwelcome, we need to help them to move back and rebuild their lives. And if we know people who do not share our values, we need to challenge them to a ‘conversion of heart’ in which, like the Good Samaritan, we see every person as our neighbour, especially those who are different from us.

South African politicians are troubled about how we can build community in our country. As Catholics we have the chance to provide a model of good community-building in every part of the land. We can show that we are willing and able to live in harmony with others. To use the words of Pope Francis: “We need to build bridges not walls. Christians who are afraid to build bridges and prefer to build walls are Christians who are not sure of their faith, not sure of Jesus Christ.”

With the Holy Father I urge you and all residents of South Africa to build bridges and to help move our country forwards.

May God bless you for your care and concern for the least of the brethren of Jesus and our brothers and sisters!

+ Wilfrid Card Napier OFM, Archbishop of Durban

A Statement of the Community of St. Egidio on the Xenophobia Violence

Source:

COMMUNITY OF SANT’EGIDIO

PRESS STATEMENT - 17 April 2015

“PRAYERS FOR RECONCILIATION AND PEACE IN SOUTH AFRICA”

South Africa is once again faced with the tragedy of xenophobic violence, and the Community of Sant’Egidio expresses grief and profound condemnation towards the recent attacks against foreigners, in which lives are being lost and hundreds displaced.

The increased influx of foreigners from other African countries has long since been a contentious matter, as seen during the 2008 attacks in which many foreigners were killed, and a multitude were injured and displaced.

Not only are these actions despicable and embarrassing, but they are not in line with the ideal of the democratic and free Rainbow Country for which many have lost their lives. This goes against one of the ideals former President Nelson Mandela cherished. “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.”

These acts of vandalism and violence are symptoms of deeper societal problems, and foreigners are the scapegoats of these social and economic injustices. Mob violence, like many other forms of evil which are not firmly addressed, spread like a wild fire, and the situation in South Africa is not an exception to this rule.

Our deep concern in the face of this tragic and gruesome violence drives to us to want to speak more forcefully in favour of peace and reconciliation. Peace and reconciliation is vulnerable but essential, and should be preserved at all costs. Violence is never a solution, irrespective of the justifications presented by the perpetrators.

The Community of Sant’Egidio is an international association of the Catholic Church present in 73 countries in all the continents. We obey the Lord Jesus command: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Gospel of Matthew 25,35). On a volunteer basis we, in South Africa give food to the homeless people, help the poor children and visit the lonely elderly. We live a brotherhood without borders in the spirit of God, the Father of all human kind. In the daily life of the Community of Sant’Egidio it is inspiring to see South African members, young immigrated youth from West Africa or from Zimbabwe together, helping the South African people in need.

Our hearts go out to victims of these attacks, and their families. We will remember them all in our weekly communal prayers and our personal prayers. Our prayers for peace, reconciliation and the end of violence will take place in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Polokwane and Durban next days, in an effort to answer with an emphatic “no” to violence and xenophobia. In this difficult time, the need for solidarity is even greater, and we implore all people to exercise acts of compassion towards all the people in need, no matter their nationality.

Church in Ibadan Province, Nigeria, Decries Rise of Anti-life and Anti-family Values

CANAA || Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 20 April 2015

The clergy and the laity of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ibadan in Nigeria have lamented the promotion of the “culture of death” by some global and international institutions and called for an end to all forms of killings, assassinations, terrorism, and kidnappings.

In the communiqué at the conclusion of the Pro-Life and Family Life International Conference of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province sent to CANAA on Sunday, the clergy and the people of Ibadan term the trend “worrisome.”

“The imposing nature of the culture of death as opposed to the culture of life is spreading all around us,” reads the statement.

“It wants to dethrone God and enthrone science; while what a powerful minority wants to impose becomes the morally acceptable,” the statement continues, giving the example of some advocates of abortion who “use obscure U.N. commissions to attempt to wrestle vague languages into resolutions” and funding agencies funding “abortion under the guise of ‘sexual and reproductive health Rights’ to work within developing countries.”

“Billions of dollars are spent influencing laws of different Nations and their cultures in order to create an anti life agenda,” the statement goes on.

The conference called on legislators to “reject every pressure and attempt to legalize the killing of babies in the womb” and urged for the protection of the dignity of human life by nations, institutions, and individuals.

“Pastors of souls should pay serious attention to the preparatory stages of marriage for family life and help families facing different challenges to grow, trusting in God without losing their faith,” the conference declared, denouncing same-sex unions.

The three-day conference brought together Pro-life and Family advocates and resource persons, leaders, stakeholders from Africa, Europe and America and the general public. It concluded on Wednesday.

Below is the full text of the communiqué, which was signed by Archbishop Gabriel Leke Abegunrin of Ibadan on behalf of the clergy and people of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ibadan.

LIFE IS SACRED: IT IS GOD’S GIFT, PROTECT IT

Communiqué at the End of the Pro-Life and Family Life International Conference Sessions of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province at the John Paul II Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria (April 13 – 15, 2015)

PREAMBLE

1.      The Bishops of the Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Ibadan organized a Pro-Life and Family Life International Conference from April 13 – 15, 2015, at the John Paul II Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Having prayerfully reflected on the theme, “A Call to Duty to Protect Human Life and Family Values in the Encroaching Culture of Death”, we now present our communiqué to the Church and the Nation.

THE SANCTITY AND SACREDNESS OF HUMAN LIFE AND FAMILY VALUES AND THE CALL TO PROTECT IT

2.      The importance of this special period in the world and in the universal Church must not be lost on us. New technology and inventions accompanied by new attitudes and ideas continue to challenge traditional beliefs, established faith and conventional practices. New lobbies backed by diverse cultures in recent past have shown that there is a gross misunderstanding between what individuals see as human rights and inclinations. It should be borne in mind that all rights must be defended, but not all human inclinations can be defended. The Church has always been at the forefront of protecting human life, human rights and better health care for all and still remains so. The Holy Father, Pope Francis called a Special Synod on the Family in October, 2014 and another General Synod for October, 2015 to deliberate on those challenges and proffer ways to make the Church more supportive of marriage and family life.  This is because she believes that God is the sole Author and Source of all life. She serves Jesus Christ who said “I have come to give them life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

3.      God is the Author of all life. He however makes man and woman co-creators in the divine work of bringing forth life, as he commands the human race to multiply, thus, procreation, is only found in a union of man and woman which is family life. This makes the family an essential part of the culture that promotes life. Every nation, every institution, every leader and every individual then must be equipped effectively to seek beauty in life, while promoting and protecting it. Thus human life and family values are so closely knitted that they are all a Nation needs to become great. Every individual lives and exists because there is a breath of life in the person. Such an individual is a product of a family and what the person becomes in the society is at large determined by the values or vices first acquired in the family. Such values or vices recycle to make a society to be either a bad one that disregards life or a good one that promotes the culture of life.

4.      The mind of the Creator of life and family is so clear. He alone gives life and he alone can take it. He created man and woman in his own image. The creation of two sexes is ordered for procreation and the good of the spouses. Creating us in his image is to share in his divine essence of being able to love, to reason, to have affection, to choose, to mention but a few.  Thus, inclinations that are inimical to the mind of the Creator must be fought by all. This fight can only be won if everyone is involved. The culture of death, promoting contrary values can only be eradicated if individuals, families, cultures, and nations come together to remind people of what life means and what the family stands for. Also, these individuals, groups and systems are to present to the world those credible ethical alternatives about human life, family life, sexuality and relationships.

ANTI LIFE AND ANTI FAMILY VALUES ON THE RISE

5.      The imposing nature of the culture of death as opposed to the culture of life is spreading all around us. With advancement in technology, it sees a special help, just like a fire in the harmattan. It wants to dethrone God and enthrone science; while what a powerful minority wants to impose becomes the morally acceptable.

In our contemporary time, this culture is becoming more worrisome because many structures and Institutions which ordinarily are meant to support life agenda are fast placing themselves at the service of a culture that promotes and encourages death. For example, some advocates of abortion in the United Nations use obscure U.N. commissions to attempt to wrestle vague languages into resolutions. U.N. agencies develop curriculum for children promoting abortion. Some donor countries, billionaires, Foundations and U.N. agencies fund abortion under the guise of “sexual and reproductive health Rights” to work within developing countries and at the U.N. Government grants are given to Non-Government Organizations to train health care providers in “values clarification” to weaken the respect for the dignity of unborn children as persons. Billions of dollars are spent influencing laws of different Nations and their cultures in order to create an anti life agenda.

Furthermore, the ever increasing phenomenon of the error of relativism is another bane. The Pope emeritus, Benedict XVI ferociously denounced this when he said: “We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goals one’s own ego and one’s own desires”. The individual person wants to dictate what he or she can do with his or her life, without recourse to what is objectively true.

TRENDS CHALLENGING HUMAN LIFE AND FAMILY VALUES

6.      The world as a whole will always have its problems and challenges, including those associated with developmental needs. However, these challenges should never be confused with ones which have a common and rather a well organised and unfortunately sinister common origin.

Secular (atheistic, religious, ideological and imperialistic) Humanism is the concept under which they all operate. These challenges include the modern epidemics of sexism, contraception, immorality, pornography, hedonism, abortion, broken homes, homosexuality, crass materialism, so called same sex marriages, international terrorism, rape, crisis in the religious as well as family life, and a lot more.

7.      Drawing from the articles of faith of Secular Humanism as most succinctly expressed within their cycle, especially that on the “death” of God as well as that of the absence of anything called sin, the evils that these have created are all there for everybody to see. Such terms as fornication and adultery have completely disappeared from human literature – including the books of many of the new age religions, even in Christianity! These two sins are now referred to as pre-marital or extra-marital sex – because for Secular Humanism, all sexual intercourses are the same, whether pre-marital, intra-marital or extra-marital!

Abortion has become “menstrual regulation”, “menstrual induction”, “menstrual extraction”, the “removal of the products of conception” or the “termination of a mere pregnancy”. Some of these people have also demanded openly that pregnancy be considered a disease. Hence the whole of society is rapidly sliding into a serious moral and spiritual death; and few people are seeing or realising it!

OUR DECLARATIONS AS A WAY FORWARD

8.      Based on discussions and presentations surrounding the issue on sanctity of human life and the values inherent in family life at the Conference, we hereby declare as follows:

       i.          Life is God’s gift and this life starts at conception and can only be taken by him. Every man and woman is created in the image and likeness of God. Thus, every nation, every Institution, every man and woman must respect, protect and uphold the dignity of human life.

      ii.          The family is the cradle where life is nurtured and protected. Thus, every family as a matter of necessity must create a conducive environment where the value of life is imbued and upheld. Pastors of souls should pay serious attention to the preparatory stages of marriage for family life and help families facing different challenges to grow, trusting in God without losing their faith.

     iii.          The sanctity and sacredness of sacramental marriage is instituted by God as a union between a man and a woman only. Thus, every other form of union is contrary to the mind of the Creator. Inclinations that are inimical to the mind of the Creator must be fought by all, reminding people of what life means and what the family stands for. Also, credible ethical alternatives about human life, family life, sexuality and relationships should be taught by Pastors of souls.

     iv.          Every form of deception by different Agencies, Organisations, and Individuals, to promote the fact that abortion should be seen as a right that can be determined by the individual should be rejected. As such, those who legislate on the laws of our country should reject every pressure and attempt to legalize the killing of babies in the womb.

      v.          The promotion of chastity should be given priority in every home. This should include a suitable sex education of the young, starting from the parents, who are the first teachers, to school teachers and pastors of souls. Such education should include: “the Love of life; appreciation, love and respect for one’s body; respect for the person of others, regardless of their physical characteristics and sexual orientations; the search for and acceptance of one’s identity and the roles that depend on it; respect for freedom; the sense of responsibility in sexual activity”, among others into consideration.

CONCLUSION

9.      Finally, in the name of our merciful God we call for an end to all forms of killings, assassinations, terrorism, and kidnappings, etc.

As Pope Saint John Paul II exhorted us, we urge everyone to continue courageously to witness to the dignity of every human life at every stage and age. May God inspire all Nigerians by his Holy Spirit so that together we may rebuild our dear nation on the principles of the Culture of Life to the glory of God in whose image we are all created.

SIGNED:

MOST REV GABRIEL ‘LEKE ABEGUNRIN

ARCHBISHOP OF IBADAN

FOR AND ON BEHALF OF CLERGY AND PEOPLE OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE OF IBADAN

Kenya and the Survey for the Synod on the Family

Americamagazine.Org || By Jim McDermott || 17 April 2015

Last month I published a number of articles about the surveys being used to gather information from Catholics all over the world in preparation for next October’s Synod on the Family.

In the last of my four pieces, I tried to find out what was being done in other parts of the world. In a number of regions of the world I couldn’t find anything, usually because those areas had not yet begun the process of soliciting information. (The Vatican seems to have a rolling process; countries like New Zealand and Australia were asked for response by early January; places like France have only just turned their data now.)

Among the comments to my pieces was a letter from Father Joseph G. Healey, M.M. Fr. Healey is a Maryknoll Missionary priest who has worked in East Africa for nearly 50 years, publishing many books and developing Small Christian Communities. He wrote with concern that my piece did not mention the process that was ongoing in East Africa.

I invited Fr. Healey to write back to me after their process had ended and share something about the Kenyan experience with the Synod surveys. Fr. Healey’s comments to me proceed below.

"The Local Church in Kenya, and in particular the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), is happy to share its pastoral experiences of family and marriage in Kenya with the Catholic Church worldwide." These are the opening words of the 38-page document sent to Rome on 15 April 2015 called 'Results of the Consultation in Kenya on the 46 Questions in the Lineamenta on The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World.'

Kenya carried out a long and in-depth consultation and the answers to all the 46 questions were compiled from many sources: Catholic dioceses and parishes, departments and offices in the Kenya National Catholic Secretariat, academic institutions, lay movements, other ecclesial associations especially of married couples and Small Christian Communities (SCCs). For example, Nakuru Diocese produced a report of 25 pages.

Kenyan lay people were eager to discuss the challenges and pastoral solutions for cohabitation (called “come we stay”), high dowry payment (one of the main reasons why 60% of the Catholic couples in Nairobi Archdiocese have not sacramentalized their marriages and so cannot receive communion), how to communicate with the young generation (especially the Generation Y of 18-22 year olds) and better parenting. A key insight is that lay people are saying, “We are the church and family and marriage are our responsibilities.”

The final compilation was done by an eight member team led by Kenyan Bishop James Maria Wainaina of Murang’a Diocese and included one priest, two religious sisters, one married laywoman, two married laymen and one single man.They tried to respond to Pope Francis’ call to be “be bold and creative” in finding new pastoral solutions (“think outside the box”).

In response to the key Preliminary Question, “Does the description of the various familial situations in the Relatio Synodi correspond to what exists in the church and society today [such as in Kenya]?” the Kenyan report said, “An overall yes.”  Thenit named some “missing aspects” from the Kenyan experience and perspective.

For instance, the questions have a Western tone or viewpoint and sometimes lack a Global South perspective. Many felt the questions did not directly touch the local African reality and concerns. For example, 71% of the 35 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the world live in sub-Saharan Africa.  HIV/AIDS is not mentioned in the Lineamenta, yet it deeply affects marriage and family life.

Nor is Female Genital Mutilation, a significant issue here, and the importance of Small Christian Communities (SCCs) here in promoting family and marriage ministry in the world today. (In Kenya the Catholic Church has 45,000 Small Christian Communities (SCCs) that create a communion of families in neighborhoods.)

Also, in the Lineamenta children are seen as the objects and receivers of pastoral and missionary care. But children can also be the subjects of promoting family relationships and family life, active participants in church life (for example, doing the Readings and dancing in the liturgy) and agents of evangelization (the importance of the Pontifical Missionary Childhood [PMC] in Catholic family life through its “children helping children” motto). In Kenya there are also households run by children; this, too, needs acknowledgment and consideration.      

Our consultation gave a strong affirmation to family and to a family life that is truly Christian and truly African. It stressed the importance of the ministry of accompaniment – with engaged couples, married couples and different categories of wounded families – and offered pastoral strategies for good and responsible parenting. And it affirmed the work of Tangaza University College, a constitutive college of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) in Nairobi, which offer two courses for future priests and other pastoral workers in which married people teach about the family, family values and marriage.

It also recommended that future Lineamenta offer fewer questions with simpler language and construction of sentences.

More background information can be found on the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) Website (http://www.kccb.or.ke) and the Small Christian Communities Global Collaborative Website and “Facebook Page” (www.smallchristiancommunities.org).

The two delegates from Kenya to the Fourteenth Ordinary General Assemblyof the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October, 2015 are Cardinal John Njue, the Archbishop of Nairobi and Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and Bishop James Maria Wainaina, the Bishop of Murang’a Diocese. Hopefully a Kenyan married couple will also be chosen to participate in the synod.

Bishops of Sierra Leone Committed to Eradicating Ebola and Defending Democracy

Agenzia Fides || 15 April 2015

"We are still living in fear since the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease and now with uncertainty about the political situation of our Country", say the Bishops of Sierra Leone in their Easter message, sent to Agenzia Fides.

Sierra Leone is one of three African Countries most affected by the epidemic of Ebola, with at least 12 thousand recorded cases and more than 2,900 deaths.

The Bishops, in the light of Easter, invite the faithful to hope, but express their concerns about developments in the political situation of the Country.

"We are greatly concerned about the increased level of political tension" they say in their message.

"This is inevitable where justice and fundamental rights are not perceived to be promoted and respected" the document stresses.

"The situation needs to be urgently addressed. Our national destiny is in our hands and we must remain vigilant in defending our democratic rights. The ultimate goal is the welfare of the people and the Country leading to a lasting and stable democratic rule".

After inviting the faithful to "maintain peace and responsible citizenship" and "to be steadfast in the efforts to eradicate the Ebola virus disease respecting the prohibitions and health alerts", they launch an appeal to all Sierra Leoneans to "respect the law and the due process in seeking redress in grievances".

Nigerian Catholic Youth Meet for Talks with Muslim Youth

Vatican Radio || By Catholic News Service || 15 April 2015

The Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Fr. Ralph Madu has declared that Nigeria needs a profound cultural renewal which will enable her to rediscover those values which can serve as the solid basis for building a brighter future for all.

Fr. Madu made this assertion in his welcome address to participants at the Interfaith Dialogue between Catholic and Muslim youths. The meeting was organised by the Young Catholic Students of Nigeria (YCSN) and Muslim Youths in Abuja. It took place, recently, at the Daughters of Divine Love Retreat and Conference Centre (DRACC) in Abuja. The theme of the meeting was, “Our Faith, Our Culture.”

According to the Secretary General, “Our present crises – be they economic, leadership crises, insecurity, religious, environmental and social – are also moral crises.” He continued, “They require us to rethink the path which we are travelling together. Specifically, they call for a lifestyle marked by sobriety and solidarity, with new rules and forms of engagement, one which focuses confidently and courageously on strategies that actually work,” Fr. Madu said.

Fr Madu further stated that the country needs a peaceful and conducive atmosphere to facilitate the building of a desired strong nation.

Speaking on the relevance of the programme, Fr. Madu stated that interaction and mutual relationship between youths of the two major religions in the country is an essential factor for the promotion of peace and unity in the country. He added that this will help in healing the wounds of, “hatred and ignorance and suspicion that for a long time have characterised our relations in Nigeria,” he outlined.

Speaking at the same occasion, Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Professor Oshita Oshita stressed the need to entrench the culture of peace and tolerance in the country’s communities describing the youth as veritable agents for the promotion of this desired goal. He noted that the gathering was very strategic because the country has been faced with challenges of managing faith and culture-related peace and security.

The Director General’s presentation was delivered by Chukwuemeka Mbah, Coordinator of External Conflict Resolution programme at the Institute.

Welcoming participants and other invited guests to the programme, the National President of YCS, Uchenna Enebe outlined the objectives of the programme adding that interfaith dialogue would promote cordial relations among all groups of Nigerians. In his words, “Our faith and culture are strong powerful tools which must be harnessed properly to ensure peace; therefore we are to utilise them to wage war against those who might try to disintegrate us,” he said.

The participants were also addressed by Mgr. Hypolite Adigwe, the National Chaplain of the Young Catholic Students of Nigeria.

Pope Francis Urges Kenyan Bishops to Promote Reconciliation, Justice and Peace, Bishops Invite the Pope to Visit Kenya

CANAA || Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 16 April 2015

Pope Francis has encouraged Catholic Bishops from Kenya to work toward promoting reconciliation, justice and peace in their country by collaborating “with Christian and non-Christian leaders alike” and ‘through dialogue, fraternity and friendship.”

The Kenyan Bishops are in Rome for their Ad Limina visit and met with Pope Francis on Thursday morning.

In his prepared speech, the Pope called on the Kenyan Bishops to live their episcopal ministry as pastors of souls, fathers and shepherds by working closely with priests in “compassion and tenderness” and by deepening “the bonds of charity and ecclesial communion” with members of religious institutions.

The Pope expressed his appreciation toward “the many humble and dedicated workers in Church-run institutions throughout” Kenya.

“The Church has contributed, and continues to contribute, to all of Kenya through a diverse array of schools, institutes, universities, clinics, hospitals, homes for the sick and dying, orphanages and social agencies,” Pope Francis acknowledged and added, “Through these, dedicated priests, religious men and women, and laity make a vital contribution to the welfare of the entire nation.”

He also called on the Kenyan Church leaders to promote youth ministry, “forming them to be disciples capable of making permanent and life-giving commitments – whether to a spouse in marriage, or to the Lord in the priesthood or religious life.”

Reporting on the Church in Kenya to the Pope on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Kenya, John Cardinal Njue said that the just over a century of Christian evangelization in Kenya has “seen an increase in the number of Christians from very few Christians in the year 1900, to about 14 million baptised Catholics today.”

“Notably, the Church in Kenya has witnessed immense growth in vocations to priestly life and religious life,” Cardinal Njue reported, adding, “The Church receives a lot of support from the faithful who are often very ready to offer their children as priests and religious men and women.”

Cardinal Njue cited the rise of religious fundamentalism and terror attacks targeting mainly Christians, growing levels of corruption and negative ethnicity in politics, the difficulty of establishing and sustaining Catholic media outlets and the formation of the laity, religious and clergy due to financial constraints among the challenges the Church in Kenya is facing.

“We ask for your prayers for our faithful in Kenya, who, with great eagerness, hope you will visit them.  Your holiness, we also take this opportunity to invite you to come to visit your people as this would be a great boost to their faith in these difficult times,” Cardinal Njue concluded.

Below is the Pope’s address to the Catholic Bishops of Kenya available from Vatican Radio. Further below is the report by John Cardinal Njue to the Pope on behalf of Kenyan Bishops sent to Waumini Communications by David Omwoyo.

Dear Brother Bishops,

I offer you my fraternal welcome on the occasion of your visit ad Limina Apostolorum as you make your pilgrimage to the tombs of Blessed Peter and Paul.  Your time in the Eternal City and your visits to the offices of the Roman Curia provide numerous opportunities to deepen communion between the Church in Kenya and the See of Peter.  I thank Cardinal Njue for his warm words on your behalf and in the name of the priests, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful of Kenya.  I ask you kindly to assure them of my prayers and spiritual closeness.

For some of you, this visit to Rome will bring to mind your time spent here preparing for ordination to the priesthood.  The many seminarians studying in this City, like the numerous seminarians in your own country, are an eloquent sign of God’s goodness to the universal Church and to your Dioceses.  They remind us of the great resource you have in the many youth of your local Churches, as well as your paternal care in helping young men answer the call to the priesthood.  I think in a special way of the zeal, hope and dedication of seminarians who wish to give everything to Christ through service to the Church.  While the seeds of a priestly vocation are sown long before a man arrives at the seminary, first in the heart of the family, it pertains to seminary formators to nurture the growth of these vocations.  For this reason, it is imperative that seminarians’ goodwill and earnest desires be met with a formation that is humanly sound, spiritually deep, intellectually rich, and pastorally diverse (cf. Pastores Dabo Vobis, 43-59).  I am aware of the challenges which this entails, and I encourage you to strengthen your efforts, individually within your Dioceses and collectively in your Episcopal Conference, so that the good work which the Lord is accomplishing in your candidates for priestly Orders will be brought to completion (cf. Phil 1:6).

In the exercise of your episcopal office, each of you is called to be a pastor of souls (cf. Christus Dominus, 1), a father and a shepherd (ibid., 16).  This will be accomplished primarily with your closest collaborators, your priests.  They need you to guide them with clarity and strength, but also, and especially, with compassion and tenderness.  As Bishops, we must always look to the example of Jesus, who tended personally to the Apostles, spent time with them and enjoyed their company.  You also must strive to be with your priests, to know them and listen to them.  Your support will help them to be faithful to the promises they have made and strengthen your common efforts to build up God’s kingdom in Kenya.

In this Year of Consecrated Life, my heart is also close to the men and women religious who have renounced the world for the sake of the kingdom thus bringing many blessings to the Church and society in Kenya.  I ask you, dear brother Bishops, to convey to them my gratitude, affection and prayerful closeness, and to express my hope that during this year dedicated to consecrated life, they may be joyful and brave as they point to Christ by their lives.  I encourage you to deepen the bonds of charity and ecclesial communion that you have with the religious Institutes in Kenya.  The Church’s mission, though multifaceted, is one: much more will be accomplished for the praise and glory of God’s name when our actions are in harmony.

The united and selfless efforts of many Catholics in Kenya are a beautiful witness and example for the country.  In so many ways, the Church is called to offer hope to the broader culture, a hope based on her unstinting witness to the newness of life promised by Christ in the Gospel.  In this regard, without wishing to interfere in temporal affairs, the Church must insist, especially to those who are in positions of leadership and power, on those moral principles which promote the common good and the up building of society as a whole.  In the fulfilment of her apostolic mission, the Church must take a prophetic stand in defence of the poor and against all corruption and abuse of power.  She must do so, in the first place, by example.  Do not be afraid to be a prophetic voice!  Do not be afraid to preach with conviction!  Bring the wisdom of the Church, enshrined particularly in her social teaching, to bear on Kenyan society.

In a particular way, I wish to offer a word of appreciation to the many humble and dedicated workers in Church-run institutions throughout your country, whose daily activities bring spiritual and material benefit to countless people.  The Church has contributed, and continues to contribute, to all of Kenya through a diverse array of schools, institutes, universities, clinics, hospitals, homes for the sick and dying, orphanages and social agencies.  Through these, dedicated priests, religious men and women, and laity make a vital contribution to the welfare of the entire nation.  Such praiseworthy works are continually sustained by the life of prayer and worship experienced in so many parishes, convents, monasteries and lay movements.  May this hymn of praise and the fruits of your apostolic works continue to grow!

Dear brothers, the Church in Kenya must always be true to her mission as an instrument of reconciliation, justice and peace.  In fidelity to the entire patrimony of the faith and moral teaching of the Church, may you strengthen your commitment to working with Christian and non-Christian leaders alike, in promoting peace and justice in your country through dialogue, fraternity and friendship.  In this way you will be able to offer a more unified and courageous denunciation of all violence, especially that committed in the name of God.  This will bring deeper reassurance and solace to all your fellow citizens.  With you, I pray for all those who have been killed by acts of terror or ethnic or tribal hostilities in Kenya as well as other areas of the continent.  I think most especially of the men and women killed at Garissa University College on Good Friday. May their souls rest in peace and their loved ones be consoled, and may those who commit such brutality come to their senses and seek mercy.  

I wish to offer you a word of encouragement in your pastoral care to the family.  As the Church prepares for the Ordinary Synod dedicated to “the pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization”, I am confident that you will continue to assist and strengthen all those families who are struggling because of broken marriages, infidelity, addiction or violence.  I ask you likewise to intensify the Church’s ministry to youth, forming them to be disciples capable of making permanent and life-giving commitments – whether to a spouse in marriage, or to the Lord in the priesthood or religious life.  Teach the saving truth of the Gospel of Life to all.  May the beauty, truth and light of the Gospel shine forth ever more radiantly from the youthful and joyful face of the Kenyan Church.

Finally, with you I pray that the forthcoming Jubilee of Mercy will be a time of great forgiveness, healing, conversion, and grace for the entire Church in Kenya.  Touched by Christ’s infinite mercy, may all the faithful be signs of the reconciliation, justice and peace that God wills for your country, and indeed, all of Africa.

With these thoughts, dear brother Bishops, I commend all of you to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and with great affection I impart my Apostolic Blessing, which I willingly extend to all the beloved priests, religious and lay faithful of Kenya.

SPEECH BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE KENYA

CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS DURING

THE AD LIMINA VISIT TO ROME-APRIL 16^TH 2015

1. General Report

Your Holiness, the Pope, our dear Holy Father, Head of the Catholic Church and Successor of the Apostle Peter, and our common father, we are privileged as Bishops from the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops to make our obligatory visit, Ad Limina to the tombs of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul. We are also here to present ourselves to your Holiness in order to report on the state of our Archdioceses and Dioceses as we receive suggestions and counsel from your Holiness, in solidarity with the Universal Church and in support to you as the divinely appointed Head.

We bring to you the greetings of the faithful from our Dioceses in Kenya who promise you their prayers.  We also take this opportunity to thank you for our constant challenge and example in your Petrine Ministry.

This Ad Limina Visit is both important and historical for us as the Church in Kenya as it was about eight years since the last visit in November 2007, when not all of us present here today had been ordained Bishops. It is also a moment that we, the Catholic Bishops in Kenya, take this opportune time to meet with Your Holiness and reflect on the challenges facing the Church in Kenya today.

Your Holiness, evangelization in Kenya is just over a century old. During this period, with its challenges, we have witnessed a tremendous growth in mission and pastoral work. In these last eight years we have witnessed a remarkable increase of parishes.  We have also seen an increase in the number of Christians from very few Christians in the year 1900, to about 14 million baptised Catholics today. This makes about thirty   per cent of the Kenyan population. The number of Dioceses has also grown over the century since the coming of early missionaries. The Catholic Church in Kenya today has four Ecclesiastical/Metropolitan Provinces with four Archdioceses, twenty Dioceses, one Vicariate and one Military Ordinariate.

Further, Your Holiness, the over a hundred years of evangelization in Kenya have inspired great missionary works within our Christians.  Notably, the Church in Kenya has witnessed immense growth in vocations to priestly life and religious life. The Church receives a lot of support from the faithful who are often very ready to offer their children as priests and religious men and women. Our Dioceses have greatly benefitted from the presence of Diocesan Priests, without whom the work of evangelization will not be successful. We also acknowledge the presence of many Religious Congregations, both local and international, whose contribution to the Church in Kenya is enormous. The Church in Kenya has witnessed and facilitated the growth of Fidei Donum priests who are serving the Dioceses which still need primary evangelisation as well as other parts of the world.

Your Holiness, as the Universal Church celebrates the Golden Jubilee of the Second Vatican Council Ad Gentes (1965-2015), the Church in Kenya, in the spirit of collegiality, wishes to report that despite the challenges we are facing as a Country, we have made several milestones towards the implementation of the recommendations of Second Vatican Council. Among the notable achievements are: the steps taken towards institutionalising interreligious dialogue, the participation of the laity in liturgical celebrations and the inculturation process.
 
2. Challenges in Evangelization

Your Holiness, among many other challenges facing the Church in Kenya is the rise of religious fundamentalism and terror attacks targeting mainly Christians. The last ten years in Kenya have seen an alarming trend of a rise in radical Islamic groups.

We have witnessed the killing Christians, initially in their places of worship but lately even in public places. The latest attack was the killing of young Christian students in Garissa University College in Northern Kenya, where 148 lost their lives. We, the Bishops of Kenya, appreciate the solidarity shown by the Universal Church in condemning these attacks. We request your continuous prayers for victims and their families and also for our Country. More than ever before, the unity of the Church is very central in protecting the dignity of the human person and the freedom of worship in Kenya.

The Church is further concerned with the sustenance of pastoral work and formation of pastoral agents in the Country. In the wake of globalisation and liberalisation of our society, the need for re-evangelisation through holistic pastoral formation is essential. The Church is grappling with the challenge of forming the lay faithful, the Religious and Clergy amid limited resources. The transition from primary evangelisation to pastoral work and Christian formation, though remarkable, requires your prayers and continued support.

In addition, we are faced with the challenge where secular media condones evil by demeaning the voice of reason. The Conference of Catholic Bishops is tackling this challenge by establishing and strengthening Catholic media in the Country. We believe that with a well-established radio/Television network, the voice of the Church will reach many people.

Finally, the Church in Kenya is concerned about the growing levels of corruption and tribal politics. The Church, in her attempt to restore integrity, has advocated for dialogue and equitable distribution of resources. Bishops representatives have held numerous meetings with the President of the Republic of Kenya and rallied other Christian leaders at various levels.  

We are rallying together other Christian leaders around this initiative. Your Holiness, as the voice of conscience, we continue to create room for constant dialogue with elected leaders to ensure social inclusivity in all aspects of governance.

Our dear Holy Father, as we present our report as the Catholic Bishops from Kenya to you, we once more declare our loyalty, obedience and communion to you as the Vicar of Christ and Universal leader of the Church.  We declare our faith as in the Creed of the Apostles, to One Catholic and Apostolic Church. We implore you to pray with the Church in Kenya and especially for the servants of God as we, in communion with the Universal Church, face up to challenges and opposition.

We ask for your prayers for our faithful in Kenya, who, with great eagerness, hope you will visit them.  Your holiness, we also take this opportunity to invite you to come to visit your people as this would be a great boost to their faith in these difficult times.

We also ask that you pray for us as we serve the flock and the Church for the salvation and sanctification for all people.  We assure you of our prayers and filial solidarity as we ask for our apostolic blessings.
_________________________________________
HIS EMINENCE JOHN CARDINAL NJUE
CHAIRMAN,
KENYA CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS

Niger: Their Enemies Burn Their Churches... and They Forgive them

Aleteia || By Miriam Diez Bosch || 11 April 2015

The shadow of Charlie Hebdo rises again

In the aftermath of the attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine, various locations around the world have seen acts of vengeance by Muslim groups who felt offended by the cartoons against their religion.

One of these attacks happened in Niger where, the weekend following the attack on the Paris magazine, ten Christians were killed and churches were burned, as well as the houses of several religious communities.

"Despite the attacks, there is no other route than forgiveness," suggests the missionary Josep Frigola, who took time to speak with Aleteia to explain the situation in this country where Christianity is a minority religion.

Josep Frigola is a Catalan missionary (of the White Fathers or Missionaries of Africa) who lives in Niamey. Originally from the diocese of Girona (Spain), he has been in this country for decades. "The trauma of many burned churches and the massive destruction of houses and establishments doesn't disappear just like that," he acknowledges.

"The wounds remain, although important steps of forgiveness and reconciliation have been taken," he adds. "Maybe the most impressive and paradoxical thing is the calm and tranquillity that have reigned since almost right after the attacks."
"The criminals disappeared into the most complete anonymity and the population, instead of publicly protesting and condemning the acts, adopted the strategy of silence, of not feeling involved and letting everything go back to normal," he relates.

"Fear, every kind of fear, has gripped all of us. The day after the attack, state security forces put guards and police on watch at almost all churches and houses of religious congregations. Now, with few exceptions, they are no longer there," he adds.

They have been present during Easter to ensure that everything was in order. This missionary asks if these security measures are provisional: "The question now is to know if these are provisional measures, or if we will always have to celebrate our faith with police at the door. Is a democratic state willing and able to protect all of its inhabitants?"

In some areas of Niger the situation is better. "To be truthful, we have to say that in many parts of the country we have been able to celebrate Easter normally and without security forces. I myself am a witness of this in the Tillaberi region, where there weren't any protests against the Christian religion during those fateful days either."

And now what? "With the Gospel in our hands, the cross doesn't disappear," he recognizes, "but the sign of forgiveness will always prevail, because it renews us interiorly and allows us to move forward."

Translated from the Spanish edition of Aleteia by Matthew Green.

Kenyan Bishops in Rome for Ad Limina Visit

Vatican Radio || Rose Achiego, Waumini Communiations and Fr. Paul Samasumo, Vatican Radio || 13 April 2015

Catholic Bishops in Kenya have arrived in Rome Monday to begin their “ad limina" visit to the Pope and various offices of the Holy See from 13 to 17 April, 2015. The Bishops come to Rome shortly after Islamist militants, Al Shabaab, attacked Garissa University College in Northeastern Kenya on 2 April 2015. The official death toll from the tragic massacre and siege in Kenya stands at 148.

Pope Francis in a Telegram to Kenya’s Cardinal John Njue, President of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) said that he was deeply saddened by the immense and tragic loss of life at the Garissa University College. The Holy Father assured Kenyans of his prayers and spiritual closeness to the families of the victims.

Speaking Easter Monday, Pope Francis expressed his hope that the international community would not look on “silent and inactive,” in the face of the "unacceptable crime" of the persecution of Christians around the world.

The Pope’s message was all the more poignant because according to survivors in the Garissa attack, Muslims were separated from non-Muslims. Non-Muslim students who failed to recite Islamic verses were executed there and then. In fact, the first group to be killed in Garissa were 22 Christian Union students who had gathered in a hall at the university campus that morning for prayers.

Regarding the ad limina visit, Acting Secretary General at the KCCB, Fr. Daniel Rono, disclosed ahead of the Bishops’ departure from Kenya that the Bishops would have an opportunity to share with Pope Francis the situation of the Kenyan Church and give an account of their work in the dioceses they shepherd. The Bishops will also pray at the tombs of the two great Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul.

During their week-long visit, the Bishops will visit different congregations especially the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Congregation for Catholic Education and many other decastries. They will seek to share with concerned offices various successes, challenges and concerns of the Church in Kenya as well as seek closer collaboration.

Fr. Rono said some of the challenges that will be addressed by the Bishops, during their meeting with Pope Francis, expected to take place on Thursday, 16 April  include efforts being made by the Church in Kenya for the good formation and sustainability of future priests. He further spoke of the growth of Kenyan Catholic media, “Secular media condones evil by demeaning the voice of reason and the voice of faith and as a Church in Kenya, we are facing a challenge on how to establish and strengthen Catholic media in the country to make the voice of the Church reach as many people as possible” said Fr. Rono

The Church in Kenya is growing at a fast pace and there is now need to for more and new infrastructure such as parishes.  

Other areas of discussion, according to Fr. Rono, include the issue of corruption and bad politics in Kenya which divide the country along tribal, political, economic and regional lines. These, he said, are challenges that the Kenyan Church is tackling through its advocacy programmes as well as through pastoral responses in justice and peace.
 
While in Rome, the Bishops will visit different Basilicas such as St. John Lateran, St. Paul’s outside the walls, St. Mary’s Major Basilica and eventually meet some of the partners who have always worked with the Kenyan Church. Fr. Rono said the Bishops will use their presence in Rome to meet some of the Kenyan priests, religious and seminarians studying in the Pontifical universities; celebrate Mass with the students and also share a meal with other Kenyans resident and working in Rome.
 
While expressing hope for a fruitful visit, Fr. Rono appealed to all the Christians in Kenya and people of good will to pray for the Bishops during their trip to the Holy See so that they would have a fruitful visit and that they would be strengthened and energised to continue shepherding the faithful in Kenya.

Every five years Catholic Bishops all over the world visit the Pope and the Holy See in an ad limina visit. While in Rome the Bishops venerate the tombs of the Apostles; meet with the Pope and give an account of their Dioceses to the Holy Father.

Pope Appoints New Bishop and Nuncio in Madagascar, New African Cardinals to Roman Curia

CANAA || Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 13 April 2015

The Church in Madagascar has a new Bishop and a new apostolic nuncio.

On Monday, Pope Francis appointed Msgr. Paolo Rocco Gualtieri, Nunciature Counsellor, as Apostolic Nuncio in Madagascar, elevating him to the dignity of Archbishop. Archbishop Paolo, 54, takes over from Archbishop Eugene Martin Nugent, who was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti on January 10, 2015.

Last Saturday, April 11, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Jean de Dieu Raoelison, auxiliary of Antananarivo, Madagascar, as the new bishop of Ambatondrazaka. Born on July 31, 1963, Bishop Jean de Dieu succeeds Bishop Antoine Scopelliti, O.SS.T., whose resignation upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Pope Francis appointed some of the Cardinals created in the Consistory of February 14, 2015, as members of various Dicasteries of the Roman Curia, among them, two new African Cardinals.

According to reports from the Vatican, Berhaneyesus Demerew Cardinal Souraphiel of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will serve in the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and in the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples.

Arlindo Cardinal Gomes Furtado of Santiago de Cabo Verde, Cape Verde, will serve in the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and in the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum.”

Violation of Sanctity of Human Life a Major Concern of Church Leaders of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, Nigeria

CANAA || Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 13 April 2015

The Catholic Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ibadan in Nigeria are deeply concerned about the increasing violation of human life in Nigeria, occasioned by “terrorism, inter-ethnic conflicts, ritual killing, armed robbery, murders, traffic accidents and suicide.”

The Bishops have responded to this concern by convening a three-day meeting beginning today, Monday, bringing “together Pro-life and Family advocates and resource persons, leaders, stakeholders from Africa, Europe and America and the general public.”

The theme of the Conference is, Protecting Human Life and Family Values in the Rising Tide of the Culture of Death.

Participants at this Conference will be reflecting “on the family as the foundation of the Culture of Life” in view of developing “strategies for defending the sanctity and dignity of human life.”

Last Wednesday, the Bishops gave a press Conference at the Catholic Chaplaincy of the University of Ibadan, outlining the main content of the planned Pro-Life and Pro-Family Conference.

The protection of human life, the safeguarding of the institution of marriage viewed as a covenant union between a man and a woman, and the cherishing of family life are among the key issues to be addressed during the meeting.

“This Conference will attempt to show the lie of same-sex unions as a grossly disordered phenomenon which should never be given legal status in Nigeria,” the Bishops stated in their Press Release availed to CANAA explaining, “Only sacramental marriage between a man and a woman forms the foundation for the human family.”

The Church leaders will be calling on the government, aided by professionals and media practitioners, to make every effort “to protect the weakest and the most vulnerable human beings from all threats.”

The Bishops will lead participants to denounce abortion, artificial family planning and the general use of contraceptives “as deceptive and unacceptable.”

Below is the address of the Bishops of Ibadan Catholic Ecclesiastical Province, given on April 8, 2015, at the Catholic Chaplaincy of the University of Ibadan, ahead of the three-day Conference.

International Pro-Life and Pro-Family Conference

Ibadan Catholic Ecclesiastical Province, Ibadan: April 13-15, 2015

Press Conference given at the Catholic Chaplaincy of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State on April 8, 2015.  

TOPIC: Protecting Human Life and Family Values in

the Rising Tide of the Culture of Death

This Pro Life and Pro Family Conference is a response by the Catholic Bishops and Church of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province to the dire situation around us of increasing violation of the sanctity of human life at every stage and in every manner. It is also in alignment with the Holy Father, Pope Francis who has convoked a special Synod dedicated to the family which was held in October 2014 and another one to hold in October 2015 to reflect on the means of sustaining and supporting marriage family life. This Conference will bring together Pro-life and Family advocates and resource persons, leaders, stakeholders from Africa, Europe and America and the general public to reflect with our Church in the Province of Ibadan on the family as the foundation of the Culture of Life. It will also help to develop strategies for defending the sanctity and dignity of human life.

The present situation of continual bloodshed due to wanton killing, terrorism, inter ethnic conflicts, ritual killing, armed robbery, murders, traffic accidents and suicide in Nigeria seriously calls to question our identity as Africans and our civility as a nation. As the general elections continue in Nigeria we feel compelled to speak up for respect for human life and dignity and the recovery of family values among our peoples.

Therefore, the following are the insights and contents of our Pro-Life and Pro-Family Conference:

1.     God is the giver of all human life and only He has the right to take it. Every conceived child is formed and perfected in the image and likeness of God. Human life therefore begins at the moment of conception, and must be protected until natural death. Nigerians love life, they welcome children as precious gifts, celebrate motherhood and uphold marriage as a union between man and woman. Every child deserves a home and the love and care of a father and a mother.  

2.     Witnessing to the dignity of human life should include the defense of marriage between a man and a woman, the promotion of chastity, the campaign against abortion and all forms of artificial birth control, as well as the promotion of natural family planning methods while seeking to empower all Nigerians to live a more dignified life.

3.     The family is God’s precious gift to humanity which ought to be continually cherished. It is the bedrock and foundation of the development of a better society because it has the primary role of educating children which provides formation of character and ensures ethical living.

4.     Only sacramental marriage between a man and a woman forms the foundation for the human family. Such a covenantal union is the true source for procreation offered to man by God. This Conference will attempt to show the lie of same-sex unions as a grossly disordered phenomenon which should never be given legal status in Nigeria. The adoption or promotion of same-sex unions undermines the right to life, right to freedom of conscience, religious liberty, respect for moral and cultural values, etc. It also harms the innocence of children, degrades marriage and family life and destabilizes society, now and in the future.

5.     For us, to be Pro-Life is to be Pro-Christ, for Jesus came to give life and life to the full (Cf. John, 10:10). We are however thankful that other religions have a strong sense of the sanctity of human life as a gift of God as well. It is therefore imperative for the Catholic Church and all religious organizations in Nigeria to be more courageous and consistent in Pro-Life activities in favor of human life, marriage and the family as counter-cultural antidotes to contemporary secular humanism and other anti-life ideologies and practices. This call is urgent, as campaigns and lobbies against life, marriage and family in Nigeria have become more intense at both the Federal and State legislative levels.

6.     Government must recognize and respect the primordial origin of the family and do its profound moral duty to protect the weakest and the most vulnerable human beings from all threats. Professionals and practitioners of media particularly have a special responsibility before God in this regard. The right to life - the most basic of all human rights - applies to all, regardless of race, colour, creed, sex, religion, state of physical health, age, stage of development or condition of dependency. Government policies and programmes therefore ought to reckon with and protectt this fact of our common humanity.

7.     We condemn the relentless promotion by some international organizations of Western style “sexuality and reproductive rights”, a euphemism for abortion, artificial family planning and a culture of contraception, as deceptive and unacceptable. Accordingly, we ask that all legislations for abortion, which is the intentional killing of innocent babies in the womb, be denounced and abrogated. We remain resolved in our efforts to ensure that abortion is never legalized in our country. We also wish to alert our people to the surreptitious infiltration of our school curricula by lobbyists of these corrosive anti-life agenda of pervasive contraception abortion and even homosexuality generally for monetary gains.

8.     The entire human person belongs to God. This means that neither the human person nor his body parts can be reduced to commodity for commercial purposes. Therefore, we strongly condemn human trafficking, the sex trade, human egg trafficking, embryo manipulations and organ poaching or harvesting.

Finally in the name of our merciful God we call for an end to all forms of terrorism, ritual and political killing. As Pope Saint John Paul II of blessed memory exhorted us, we urge every person of goodwill to continue courageously to witness to the dignity of every human life at every stage and age and to the indispensability of marriage and family life in Nigeria for the development and sanity of our country and the future of all our children.

Thank you all for listening

Most Reverend Gabriel Abegunrin - Archbishop of Ibadan

Most Reverend Ayomaria Atoyebi - Bishop of Ilorin

Most Reverend  Emmanuel Badejo - Bishop of Oyo

Most Reverend Felix Ajakaye - Bishop of Ekiti

Most Reverend Jude Arogundade - Bishop of Ondo

Very Rev. Fr Michael Okodua  - Vicar General of Osogbo Diocese

Niger Bishops' Message: "Easter, the feast of all the believers who work for peace"

Agenzia Fides || 09 April 2015

"On the feast of the Resurrection, as believers, we encourage to fight against all forms of hatred, destruction and death", write the Bishops of Niger in their Easter message.

"Whether we are Christians, Muslims..., God's desire is to see us together, in solidarity, in continuous search of the peace that comes from Him. All those who contribute in the name of their faith in search of peace, security, love of one’s neighbor and respect for others are blessed by God", stresses the document sent to Agenzia Fides.

The search for peace is all the more necessary in a Country that saw the Church suffer brutal attacks in January against its community, which resulted in the destruction of much of the ecclesiastical structures, by organized groups under the pretext of some cartoons judged "blasphemous" published by the French magazine Charlie Habdo (see Fides 21/01/2015).

In their message, the Bishops emphasize that they speak not only to Christians but also "to all those who, in one way or another, have special links, family, work, neighborhood and friendship with Christians".

"Easter - explains the document - unites all Christians around the same profession of faith in the God who won over death. This feast equally unites those who, through their religion, have put all their trust in the power of life that destroys death".

In praising all those who struggle for peace and are against intolerance, the Bishops conclude by invoking God's blessing for the efforts made "in the fight against the common enemy of all Nigeriens".

Religious Congregations in Rome Decry Insecurity in Congo DR

Vatican Radio || 08 April 2015

Members of the general councils of various orders and congregations in Rome, Italy who are present in the Diocese of Butembo-Beni, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have issued a message of solidarity with the people of the Diocese of Butembo-Beni. They have denounced and condemned the cruelty and brutality of massacres and kidnappings in the region. They also speak of concern regarding the disappearance of three Assumptionist priests (Fathers Jean-Pierre Mumbere Ndulani;  Anselme Kakule Wasukundi and  Edmond Bamtupe Kisughu) missing since 19 October 2012.

The region is home to a host of various armed gangs marauding in the area.

1. Introduction
We, the members of the general councils of various orders and congregations present in the Diocese of Butembo-Beni, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have been informed of the recent unrest and massacres in the region of the dioceses of Butembo-Beni and in its proximities. We were shocked to learn of the dreadful slaughter of unarmed civilians, even as the people of this region are still mourning the kidnapping of more than 800 individuals, including three Assumptionist priests on October 19, 2012. This word of ours is meant to be an expression of our solidarity with the people of the DRC in general and the Church of Butembo-Beni in particular, and especially to Christ’s disciples working tirelessly for peace and for the development of the people in this region.

2. The dignity of the human person finds its source in God and is inalienable
We denounce and condemn the cruelty and brutality of these killings – of adults and children alike – in the regions of the Diocese of Butembo-Beni. Our initiative arises from our faith. It is a fundamental principle of our faith that every person is created in the image and likeness of God (Gn 1:27). The massacres that have occurred in the region of Mbau, in the diocese of Butembo-Beni strike us by their heinous, inhuman, and senseless nature; they were not only cold-blooded, but they targeted innocent children, as well as unarmed men and women.

3. The massacres
From October 2014 to this very day, you have had to face horrible massacres. From the information we have received, peace-abiding and unarmed citizens have been abducted and murdered in villages of the territory of Beni. Night-time raids by armed men have resulted in people being kidnapped and others being killed. Pillaging has also taken place: of money, goats, and chicken The nature of these killings is unbelievable: some had their throats slit; children’s arms were gashed; a number of women, even though some were pregnant, were raped and disemboweled; there were cases of entire families being massacred. Victims were killed brutally with machetes, knives, or axes. These killings spread to the Diocese of Bunia in January 2015. Up to the present, more than 400 people have been butchered with the same inhumanity.

4. Consequences of the massacres
These killings have had significant after-effects: food shortages, the interruption or already malfunctioning of medical services, displacement of peoples, migrations, lack of psycho-social services, and the suspension of educational services and activities. Family life has been disrupted, if not destroyed. It is unacceptable that the instability of the DRC and killings of this nature persist and that the country continues to be plunged into this spiral of violence. Clearly, the people of the DRC have suffered for too long. They continue to live in insecurity, instability, and poverty, even though their country is blessed with rich natural resources to which only the greedy and the armed have access.

5. Dear Bishops, dear brothers and sisters in Christ
Working in a situation as unstable as the one in your country is not easy. We thank you all, members of the Church and volunteers for your hard work for so many years. We encourage you to continue this ministry of evangelization, which finds its source in an encounter with the saving love of Jesus. Let us keep in mind these words of Pope Francis, «the Gospel responds to our deepest needs, since we were created for what the Gospel offers us: friendship with Jesus and love of our brothers and sisters » (EG 265).

The Church must bring its pastoral concern to the victims as well as to the perpetrators of these atrocities. This genocide among brothers must come to an end. But the brutality of these killings reveals the depth of sin in the hearts of its perpetrators and accomplices. The ministry of the Church must reach out to them as well. May you continue to redouble your efforts in the work of forming consciences, of educating the whole person, and of promoting justice, reconciliation, healing and peace. Relying on our own power, that is impossible. We ourselves must encounter Christ if we are to be bearers of the Good News to our brothers and sisters.

6. Dear brother and sister religious
Do not lose heart! Continue to take part in the human, spiritual, and ethical rebuilding of your country by becoming “experts in communion », witnesses and artisans of this « project of communion » (Apostolic letter of his holiness Pope Francis to all consecrated people, II, 3), encouraging « communion and mutual support « (Ibidem), in becoming: prophets who bear witness to the way that Jesus lived on this earth » (Ibid., II, 2). It is our duty and our privilege to give witness to our people by an example of fraternal love, of solidarity, and of mutual sharing that shows that ethnic differences are a source of strength and goodness and not of division and hatred. We encourage you, dear Major Superiors, to form religious in the areas of justice and peace, of psycho-social services, and of communication for the effective running of your communities and for your apostolic activities.

We are counting on you to inform us every time you deem it necessary by conveying to us objective reports of what is happening.

7. Involvement of the members of the general councils in Rome
As members of our general councils residing here in Rome, we got together and shared our reflections on the situations which you are experiencing. We were deeply moved and affected by what you have had to endure. We recognize how courageous you are in continuing to carry out your ministry among people in such difficult circumstances. We wish to express to you our moral and spiritual support in assuring you of our prayer for all of you.

On our part, we are committed to getting the news out about the deteriorating situation in the DRC and to being in touch with the organs of Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation of the USG-UISG so as to contribute to the effort of making this ongoing unrest known to the international community and to the different organizations involved in human rights.

8. Keep Hope alive
As St. John Paul II said, « God's redeeming love embraces the whole of humanity, every race, tribe and nation: thus it also embraces all the peoples of Africa » (Ecclesia in Africa 27) and « the Good News is Jesus Christ » (Ibidem 60). We encourage you to rekindle your faith, hope, and love in God and in your brothers and sisters. Raise up your eyes to Christ; he is the source of hope. Moreover, « Before all else, the Gospel invites us to respond to the God of love who saves us, to see God in others and to go forth from ourselves to seek the good of others » (Evangeli Gaudium 39). May the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, be with you all and renew your energy and your strength.

Rome, March 2015
Your brothers and sisters in Christ living in Rome,
Augustinians of the Assumption/Assumptionists
Sisters of the Holy Family of Spoleto
Sisters of the Order of the Company of Mary Our Lady
Sisters of Mary Reparatrix
Order of the Holy Cross/Croziers
Missionaries of Africa/White Fathers
Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Clerics Regular Minor/Carraciolins
Sylvestrine Benedictines
Order of Secular Discalced Carmelites

Bishop in Kenya Emphasizes Good Relations between Christians and Muslims after Varsity Terror Attack

CANAA || Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla || 09 April 2015

The Coadjutor Bishop of the Catholic diocese of Garissa in Kenya, Bishop Joseph Alessandro, has emphasized the good relations between Christians and Muslims in Garissa, citing initiatives toward peaceful coexistence before and after the varsity terror attack.

A week ago, Islamist militants linked to the Al Shabaab terrorist group attacked Garissa University College in North Eastern Kenya. The official death toll from the Thursday early morning attack and siege that lasted several hours stands at 148, excluding the four terrorists, namely, 142 students, three university guards and three policemen.

According to reports quoting survivors, the attackers isolated Muslims from non-Muslims among the students, releasing the former and shooting the latter who failed to recite Shahada, a proclamation of new converts. This was after killing 22 Christian Union students who had gathered in a hall at the University that morning for Prayers.

Bishop Alessandro told CANAA on Wednesday that national Muslim leaders had reached out to the Church leaders a couple of days after the attack to express their solidarity with victims of the attack.

“Saturday morning, the Chairman of Supreme Council of Muslims, came together with one Imam to our compound to show solidarity with the Catholic Church and told us that as leaders of SUPKEM, they were against this attack,” Bishop Alessandro told CANAA on phone.

SUPKEM is the umbrella body of all the Muslim organizations, Societies, Mosques' Committees and Groups in Kenya.

According to Bishop Alessandro, interfaith and interreligious dialogue initiatives have been going on at the diocesan level in Garissa and similar activities towards peaceful coexistence between members of different faith will continue.

“Catholic-run schools are open to the Muslim families and humanitarian assistance by the Church is open to all,” Bishop Alessandro added.

He however expressed caution saying, “You just don’t know the enemy within.”

Bishop Alessandro also told CANAA that following the Thursday attack, Holy Thursday celebrations had to be cancelled in Garissa town.

“Good Friday and Holy Saturday liturgical celebrations took place, but were all marked by a very low attendance. However, on Sunday, the Cathedral Church was full since people had overcome their fears,” he shared adding, “the last couple of days have been tense (in Garissa town and its environs), characterized by few people on the road, high security, including the Bishop’s Residence and Churches.”

On Friday, a day after the Garissa massacre, Pope Francis expressed his spiritual closeness to the families of the victims of the attack. In a message addressed to John Cardinal Njue, the Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), the Pope commended “the souls of the deceased to the infinite mercy of Almighty God.”

Pope Francis called “upon all those in authority to redouble their efforts to work with all men and women in Kenya to bring an end to such violence and to hasten the dawn of a new era of brotherhood, justice and peace.”

The Chairman of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), Berhaneyesus Demerew Cardinal Souraphiel also emailed John Cardinal Njue saying, “It is with great sorrow and shock that I heard the news about the inhuman killings of young University students in Garissa University, my prayers and condolences to you and to the families of those dear students and the other victims of the tragedy that occurred in Garissa”.

On Wednesday, John Cardinal Njue visited Chiromo Mortuary where the bodies of the victims of the Garissa attack have been kept.

Accompanied by officials from KCCB, representatives of Nairobi Archdiocese, a host of priests, nuns and the laity, Cardinal Njue led prayers for the victims and addressed a Message of Solidarity.

The solidarity message called on public institutions to “continuously vet all employees to ensure that they are not used to radicalize students and recruit them to join subversive groups.”

“Religious leaders should desist from teaching and preaching hatred for people who do not subscribe to their religion and doctrines, and recognize that everybody believes in a Supreme Being. Everybody has an inalienable right to life and fundamental freedoms, especially to religious beliefs, and as such they should not be perceived as non-believers,” the solidarity message continues.

“Fellow Kenyans, despite all the difficulties we are facing as a Country, we urge you to remain united. Let us continue to pray for our Country so that security, peace and unity may prevail,” Cardinal Njue concluded.

On the same occasion, Caritas-Kenya brought and donated a large quantity of food stuff, handed to the Red Cross team.

A witness also reported that he saw a group of Muslim university student girls also bringing food stuff to the families of victims.

On Thursday, leaders of the Mainstream Christian Churches in Kenya gathered at Chiromo Mortuary to “condole with the parents and relatives who lost their loved ones.”

“Dear Kenyans, we all need to join forces and embrace a spirit of nationalism and patriotism among us. It is sad that there are terrorists living among us yet we are not reporting them to the relevant authorities. It is saddening that our children are being recruited every day to commit acts of terrorism against their fellow citizens,” the Statement by the Christian leaders in Kenya reads in part.

“Fellow Kenyans, despite all the difficulties we are facing as a country, we urge you to remain united. May the blood of the young Kenyans who died in Garissa bind us together as Christians and as a nation,” the Christian leaders in Kenya said in conclusion.

Below is the joint statement by the leaders of the mainstream Christian Churches in Kenya. Further below is the solidary message by John Cardinal Njue.

 JOINT STATEMENT BY LEADERS OF MAINSTREAM

CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IN KENYA

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death shall be no more.”  (Revelations 21:4)
 
We, the leaders of the Mainstream Christian Churches in Kenya, comprising of the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church of Kenya, the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, Methodist Church in Kenya, Africa Inland Church and National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), have held a daylong meeting and reflected deeply on the state of affairs in our country.
 
We are still coming to terms with the horror, helplessness and pain suffered by over 147 young students, staff members and security personnel who lost their lives  in the massacre at Garissa University College, as well as hundreds more who are nursing injuries and trauma in different hospitals and at home.
 
We condole with the parents and relatives who lost their loved ones and assure you of our continued prayers especially during this painful period. For those still in hospital, we shall continue praying for their quick recovery and peace of mind. For those who survived with minor or no injuries, we wish them speedy recovery from the trauma that they are going through, and pray that they will resume their studies as soon as possible.
 
Dear Christians, fellow Kenyans and all People of goodwill, we the shepherds of the flock of Christ are pained to admit that this was another case of Kenyans targeted because of their religion.
 
For several months now, we have watched with horror as our flock is attacked in their places of worship - innocent Kenyans butchered because they believe in Christ - and deliberate attempts to expel Christians from certain parts of the country. We have just learnt that in Wajir Christians are living in military camps due to fear.
 
We regret that most of those killed were young Christians in a prayer session. The systematic profiling, isolation and massacre of Christians in different parts of Kenya must stop. The use of derogatory language when referring to other religions is wrong and must be stopped. We must learn to tolerate each other regardless of religious affiliation and region of origin. While urging our Christians to be peace makers, we will not remain silent as they continue being massacred.
 
We are shocked by information that the government, through its intelligence services, knew of the impending attack yet nothing was done. We shall not tire in reminding the government to take its responsibility to protect every Kenyan more seriously. Top security chiefs must take responsibility for negligence and abdication of duty that led to this horrific massacre. Clearly, there exists serious loopholes in the chain of command in our security apparatus.
 
Dear Kenyans, we all need to join forces and embrace a spirit of nationalism and patriotism among us. It is sad that there are terrorists living among us yet we are not reporting them to the relevant authorities. It is saddening that our children are being recruited every day to commit acts of terrorism against their fellow citizens.
We must pause for a moment to ask ourselves: Why are our sons and daughters turning against us? Where have we gone wrong in bringing them up? How do we correct this problem?
 
We urge every family in Kenya led by the politicians and religious leaders to account for the where about of each of their children. We remind the government of its duty to protect the freedom of religion and association of every Kenyan.
 
The Government should develop mechanisms to continuously vet all employees to ensure that they are not used to radicalize students and recruit them to join subversive groups.
 
All religious leaders must desist from teaching, preaching and spreading hatred among people based on their religion. The use of derogatory words against other religions must stop.
 
Dear Kenyans, in the wake of regular terror attacks, it is clear that we have not learned any lessons from the past regarding our emergency response strategies. Time has come for us to ask ourselves certain questions, such as how prepared are we to respond to future terror attacks? How have we prepared our children to respond when under attack? How can we minimise casualties during emergencies?
 
In this regard, we are asking the government to introduce mandatory emergency response training at all our learning institutions and to all other vulnerable groups.
Fellow Kenyans, despite all the difficulties we are facing as a country, we urge you to remain united. May the blood of the young Kenyans who died in Garissa bind us together as Christians and as a nation.
 
Let us continue to pray for our country so that security, peace and unity may prevail.
God bless you and God bless Kenya

Signed

His Eminence, John Cardinal Njue - Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Most Rev. Dr. Eliud Wabukala - Anglican Church of Kenya

Rev. Silas Yego - Africa Inland Church

Rt. Rev. Joseph Ntombura - Methodist Church in Kenya

Rt. Rev. David Riitho Gathanju - Presbyterian Church of East Africa

Rev. Dr. Charles Kibicho - National Council of Churches of Kenya

MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death shall be no more. And neither mourning, nor crying out, nor grief shall be anymore. For the first things have passed away,” (Revelations 21:4).

The Catholic Church in Kenya joins other Kenyans and the international community in mourning the 148 young students, staff members and security personnel who lost their lives through massacre at Garrisa University College. We condole with the parents and relatives who lost their loved ones and assure them of our continued prayers, especially during this painful period. For those still in hospital, we pray for their quick recovery and peace of mind. For those who survived with minor or no injuries, we wish them speedy recovery from the psycho-social trauma and resumption of their studies.

We have been touched by the generous support of Kenyans to the victims of the terror attack and their families and extend our gratitude and prayers to all who have touched the lives of these people in one way or the other. We call on Kenyans and all people of good will to continue lending their support even as the affected students and their families go back to their homes. The Catholic Church commits to activate the parish networks for our Christian faithful to lend their support and prayers. At the same time, we call on our priests, Church institutions and other Christian Churches to journey with the victims and families of the terror attacks by providing them with psycho-social support at the Parish community levels.

We strongly condemn the heinous terror attack visited on innocent promising young Kenyans and all those others going about their duties at the University College.

We hope the Government will get to the bottom of this problem of terrorism and radicalization with a view to proactively stemming such incidences from recurring. In the meantime, we urge the Government to beef up security especially in all educational institutions in the Country and also address the now obvious breakdown in the security intelligence system.

It is saddening that many Kenyan youths are being radicalized to commit acts of terrorism against their fellow citizens. We all need to join efforts and embrace a spirit of nationalism and patriotism among all of us. It is unfortunate  that some terrorists are living among us yet we are not reporting them to the  relevant authorities. We need to respect the dignity of all  human persons.

While the Government is expected to provide security to all the people in all parts of the Country, we observe that all of us have a responsibility to support the Government by being vigilant and providing information on any suspicious persons and items within our immediate environment. In addition, parents, guardians and teachers need to be more observant of the behavior of their children for purposes of identifying any unusual, negative, suspicious or violent tendencies.

Such behavior should be dealt with immediately or support sought from relevant institutions or authorities. Time has come for Kenyans to be more patriotic. Let us all  be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.

The Ministry of Education, the Teachers Service Commission, Boards of Management and University Councils should carefully and continuously vet all employees to ensure that they are not used to radicalize students and recruit them to join subversive groups.  

Religious leaders should desist from teaching and preaching hatred for people who do not subscribe to their religion and doctrines, and recognize that everybody believes in a Supreme Being. Everybody has an inalienable right to life and fundamental freedoms, especially to religious beliefs, and as such they should not be perceived as non-believers.

In the wake of regular attacks in the Country, we call on the Government and security agencies to formulate an emergency response strategy for the Country. Time has come for us to ask ourselves certain questions: as institutions, how prepared are we to respond to terror attacks? How have we prepared our students and by extension, all Kenyans, to respond under attack? How can we minimize casualties during emergencies? We call on the Government to move with speed and, through the National Youth Service, provide mandatory emergency response training at all our learning institutions and to all other vulnerable groups.

Fellow Kenyans, despite all the difficulties we are facing as a Country, we urge you to remain united. Let us continue to pray for our Country so that security, peace and unity may prevail.
 
God bless you and God bless Kenya.
 
Signed:___________________________

His Eminence John Cardinal Njue,
Chairman, Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops
Date: 8th April, 2015