Aid to the Church in Need Stories

Calling home child soldiers in Uganda

News — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:30:53 GMT

A Catholic radio station in Uganda has been integral in calling home hundreds of child soldiers, according to a local Catholic leader.

Bishop Giuseppe Franzelli told international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that “Radio Wa” had encouraged more than 1500 child soldiers to flee and return home in the period during and immediately following the civil war.

The north Ugandan Diocese of Lira had been hard hit by war, and the radio station itself was set ablaze by LRA rebels in 2002 during the civil war and had since been housed in temporary accommodation

But a new building has been recently inaugurated for Radio Wa, which the bishop said had contributed greatly in the diocese to the cause of peace and reconciliation.

"We're now in a phase of reconstruction and healing," Bishop Franzelli said, and the expansion of the radio station was making it possible more effectively "to reach the people and help them with information and advice."

Not only Catholics are being reached, but the whole population, according to the bishop, who also described the station’s general mission: "The station wants to proclaim the glad tidings. In this, transmission of the faith is just as much part of the agenda as practical counseling.”

ACN has given $19,400 to support the expansion of the radio station. Two new studios have been built, as have a cabin for live transmissions and offices.

Aid to the Church in Need had previously helped provide the station with technical equipment.

Thanking ACN, Bishop Franzelli said, “The help we have received to developing Radio Wa encourages us to carry on."

Islamists terrorizing Central Africa's Christians

News — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:40:06 GMT

According to local Christians, churches and mission stations are being looted, destroyed and pillaged by Islamist militia soldiers directly under the Central African Republic's new government.

Sources in the country told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that a number of Christians have been killed or wounded in attacks by extremist rebel group Séléka, which seized control of the country in March.

Attacks include the pillaging of the Holy Ghost Fathers’ motherhouse by armed gunmen on the night of March 25th, and the abduction of Fr. Dieu-Béni Banga, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Bangui, and Fr. Francis Siki, the Cathedral rector, on Saturday, April 27th.

A statement by Bishop Albert Vanbuel of Kaga Bandoro Diocese described the current situation in the country as “a rebellion by religious extremists with evil intentions, characterized by a deliberate program of desecration and destruction of religious buildings, especially Christian ones.”

“They are targeting Catholic and Protestant churches,” he said.

The bishop, who is also president of the Justice and Peace commission, continued:
“Throughout the country, the Catholic Church has paid dearly, with many buildings damaged.”

“The elements from Séléka continue to kill each day.”

Many Christians have fled their homes and taken refuge in the countryside, following militia attacks.

ACN has sent emergency relief totaling $205,300 to four dioceses for essential supplies, including blankets, food, and medicine.

Fr. Anastasio Roggero, Missions Procurator of the Carmelites in Italy, who has been in the Central African Republic, told Aid to the Church in Need that priests and religious have been targeted by the militants.

Describing attacks on the mission of Baoro and Bouar-Saint’Elia he said, “Sister Lisieux was robbed of her watch and cell phone, and shortly after [she] was again in danger because the ‘new masters’ wanted to take the car in which she was a passenger.”

“The poor Sister is still in a state of shock.”

Fr. Anastasio Roggero also described how at Bour-Yolè mission, an armed soldier climbed over its boundary wall on the night of April 26th, and made the superior, Fr. Enrico, as well as Fr. Marco and Fr. Maurice, get down on their knees.

Fr. Maurice was beaten and a computer was also stolen.

Séléka, which means “alliance” in the local Sango tongue, was formed by the merger
of six Islamist rebel groups from Sudan, Chad, Darfur and the Central African Republic.

The rebels stormed the presidential palace in the capital, Bangui, on March 24th, 2013, forcing President François Bozizé to flee to Cameroon.

A number of members of the political opposition entered into a governing agreement with Séléka, and the militia leader Michel Djotodia was proclaimed the new president.

Internal government documents state that the militia group aim to introduce Shari‘a law and to set up an Islamic republic.

Archbishop Dieudonné Nzapalainga, in his homily during Mass on the third Sunday after Easter, said, “Christ is not abandoning His people in Central Africa.”

He called on the faithful “even in tragic situations to bear true witness like the Apostles to Christ, the victor over fear, hatred, violence and death, and the Lord of trust, love, peace and life.”

An ecumenical watershed in Egypt

News — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:03:57 GMT

A local Catholic leader in Egypt spoke recently of a watershed in ecumenical relations between the Coptic-Orthodox and the Catholic Churches.

The Coptic-Catholic Bishop of Assiut, Kyrillos William Samaan, made his comments to international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) following the meeting between the Coptic-Orthodox Pope Tawadros II and Pope Francis on May 10 in Rome.

According to the bishop, “Pope Tawadros has shown from the very beginning that he wants to come closer to the other Churches. Tawadros is quite different from his predecessor Shenouda, as far as the ecumenical movement is concerned."

Pope Shenouda III had wished to visit Pope Paul VI in the Vatican in 1973. "But,” according to Bishop Kyrillos, “he soon feared that the ecumenical movement would confuse the faithful and that they would no longer place any value on their denominational affiliation. He therefore wanted nothing to do with the local Catholic Church."

In the matter of the Coptic-Orthodox Church's recognition of Catholic baptism, Bishop Kyrillos expects some movement on the part of Pope Tawadros.

"Tawadros has said this himself. Shenouda demanded rebaptism because in his opinion, unity in faith is a condition for recognizing Catholic baptism. He quoted the Epistle to the Ephesians, where there is talk of one Lord, one faith and one baptism."

The problem, Anba Kyrillos continued, is that in the Coptic synod there are still many of Shenouda's adherents. But there are also Bishops who had gone along with Shenouda's line on rebaptism for reasons of obedience and not conviction.

"I cannot, therefore, risk a prediction that the line will change. But my impression is that the Pope's cordial nature and the openness of Tawadros' curia representatives and his companions, including also disciples of Shenouda, have made a positive impact," the bishop said.

Bishop Kyrillos described how the ecumenical rapprochement of the two Churches was also being driven forward by the common problems the Catholics and Orthodox adherents have been experiencing in Egypt.

"When the revolution broke out two years ago, spontaneous consultations arose between us Catholics and the Orthodox Church, as well as Protestants. We wanted to speak with one voice. In institutional terms this rapprochement has had an impact on the Council of Egypt's Churches."

When asked whether the ecumenical rapprochement could come to an end with the question of the Pope's primacy, Bishop Kyrillos said, "No, I don't think so. In the theological dialogues being conducted between Catholics and the Ancient Oriental Churches the question of primacy has been discussed.”

“The criterion is what recognized practice was in the first millennium, when there was still unity of the Eastern and Western Churches.”

“In his ecumenical encyclical Ut unum sint in 1995 Pope John Paul II invited the Oriental Patriarchs to reconsider what would be for them an acceptable exercise of the Petrine office," the bishop said.

Help Provided to Train Capuchin Poor Clare Novices in Mexico

Success Story — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:53:46 GMT

Success Story

Assisi, in the year 1212. A young and beautiful noblewoman secretly slips out of the house of her wealthy parents. She leaves behind her all the safety, comfort, wealth and security in order to devote her life in poverty, chastity and obedience to her bridegroom, Jesus Christ. She is inflamed with the ideals of her spiritual mentor, guide and brother in the Lord, Saint Francis of Assisi. Chiara Offreduccio di Favarone, for that is her name, leaves her horrified family facing a fait accompli.

She has her hair cut short and in this way finally manages to convince her family that she has irrevocably chosen this life of radical imitation of Christ. Although it was not unusual for a young woman to enter a convent at this time, a young woman from a noble family would have been expected to enter a religious community and live a life in accordance with her station. To choose a life of utter poverty was something new and unheard-of. Very soon other young women joined her, and later, of course, she became famous throughout the world as Saint Clare of Assisi, the founder of the Poor Clares. The order she founded was unusual in that not only did the individual Sisters have to renounce all worldly goods, but even the community itself was to remain poor and have no possessions.

Throughout the world today there are Sisters who follow the ideals of Saint Clare. Above all they devote themselves to the perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. In Mexico, the Capuchin Poor Clares are the contemplative women's order with the most vocations. Young, joyful faces smile beneath their veils, while many of their convents are simply bursting at the seams, despite the fact that Mexico is a country with a strongly secular tradition in which politicians have sought again and again to undercut the influence of the Church and where today, despite the high number of Catholic faithful, Christian values are increasingly being squeezed out of society. In the face of such a situation, the prayers of the contemplative religious are more necessary than ever.

On a practical level, the formation of young Sisters costs money, and for the contemplative communities in particular it is very difficult to support themselves. But thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, ACN was last year once again able to help for the training of eight young novices with a grant of $5,000.

Sister Rosalina Aguilar Gonzalez has now written to us: “I would like to thank you most sincerely for the donation you have given us. May God reward such great kindness and generosity!” At the same time the Sisters assure us of their prayers: “We will not forget the needs of our benefactors, and we continue to pray for their intentions!”

This now completed project is an example of our work. If you would like to support a similar project, then please indicate the reference code below when making your donation. Thank you.

Code: 230-06-79

Carmelite Convent Renovated in India

Success Story — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:49:21 GMT

Success Story

The Carmelite Sisters in the Diocese of Jalpaiguri in West Bengal are overjoyed, for thanks to the kindness of our benefactors, we have been able to give them $32,400 towards the cost of renovating their convent in Jordhigi.

The convent has been in existence since 1977. The bishop at the time had hoped that the contemplative Sisters would support the life of the diocese through their prayers. The territory of the diocese is home to almost 5.4 million people, of whom just 131,000 are Catholics, or about 2.4% of the population. Today, there are 14 Carmelite nuns living in the convent who have already made their permanent vows, one Sister with temporary vows and one postulant. They spend seven hours a day praying and strive to support themselves by making candles and altar breads and by making and decorating liturgical vestments. The convent also has some areas of land that are used for agriculture.

The Carmelite convent plays an important role in the life of the diocese. Among other things it serves as a place of spiritual recollection and retreat for priests, religious and lay people, including those seeking counsel and spiritual advice. Many people have found their vocation to the priesthood or the religious life in this place.

After years of use, the convent was very much in need of renovation, work that has now been undertaken. The asbestos roof was a potential danger to the Sisters' health, and heavy monsoon rains had taken their toll and caused serious damage to the building. In places the electrical wiring had been damaged or rendered unsafe by the penetration of the rainfall, while on the inside of the chapel wall the damp was causing the plaster to crumble. Similarly, the Sisters' cells and the guestrooms were in a very poor condition.

On top of this, the outside enclosure wall around the convent was slowly but steadily collapsing, so that outsiders were able to get into the convent grounds and steal the food that had been stored after the harvest. This was a bitter blow to the Carmelite Sisters, who are only just able to support themselves from the crops they grow. Worse, these intruders were also a real danger to the sisters themselves.

For these reasons the Sisters turned to us for help, and now they are very grateful to the kindness of our benefactors. May God reward you!

This now completed project is an example of our work. If you would like to support a similar project, then please indicate the reference code below when making your donation. Thank you.

Code: 317-06-19

Insulation Provided Against Winter Cold for a Church in Lithuania

Success Story — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:46:16 GMT

Success Story

In winter, it can be bitterly cold in Lithuania. Even temperatures as low as -22° F are not uncommon. The children of the parish of the Holy Spirit in Grigiskes, not far from the capital Vilnius, sent a touching letter to ACN: "We would so like to go to church, but our parents won't allow us when it is so cold. We would like to pray in the church. Perhaps you can help us and send some money to make our church a bit warmer."

There was no insulation inside the Church of the Holy Spirit. The same was true of the pastoral center in the parish, where the children are given religious instruction. "We put on warm clothes for the religion lessons and drink hot tea to keep ourselves warm," the children reported. They wore thick woolly scarves around their necks and woolly hats on their heads as they bravely followed the lessons given by the nuns.

In fact, the parish is something of a second home for these children. Unemployment is high here, and often one of the parents goes abroad in search of work, so that they can send money home. "Euro-orphans" is a phrase one hears frequently nowadays in Eastern Europe. Poverty is tearing families apart, and often the children are unsupervised and left to themselves. Any kind of meaningful leisure activities, in sports clubs and the like, cost money, money that their families cannot spare.

This is where the parish community can play an important role, helping to look after the children and giving them a sense of security and shelter and an opportunity to spend their free time creatively. The Holy Spirit parish offers a range of different activities and also organizes summer camps in the mountains, where the children can have fun and enjoy a change of scenery.

Of the 12,000 or so inhabitants of this small town, some 8,000 are Catholics. Lithuania is in fact the only majority Catholic country of the former Soviet Union. Yet, after the many decades of communist rule, the Church still faces many challenges. Much still has to be rebuilt and restored. EU entry by this Baltic state has not brought any benefits to the Church; instead, in Lithuania today, as in most countries of the so-called "free world," those who strive to defend Christian values and a Christian way of life have to struggle against a cold and hostile culture.

Given these conditions, it is all the more beautiful when children actually voluntarily attend religious instruction and willingly go to church, and when many people still want to come to Holy Mass. But what was also clear in this case was that if the children were to be kept away from the church because of the cold, then many would not come back later and so they would lose contact with the Church.

Thanks to the generous response of our benefactors, the children's SOS did not go unheard, and ACN was able to give a donation of $32,400 for the necessary insulation. All the faithful of the Holy Spirit Parish in Grigiskes say thank you!

This now completed project is an example of our work. If you would like to support a similar project, then please indicate the reference code below when making your donation. Thank you.

Code: 436-01-19

Sponsor the Training of Catechists in Rural Regions of Colombia

Project — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:17:05 GMT

Project Code: 214-08-49

Bishop Héctor Epalza Quintero of the Diocese Buenaventura wants to encourage the proclamation of the Gospel in a local rural parish, and he has turned to us for financial help for the training of his catechists.

The Parish of the Sacred Heart (Sagrado Corazón de Jesús) in Puerto Merizalde is a very poor parish, and it lacks the resources for training its own catechists. There are not enough textbooks, catechisms or Bibles for this very rural region, the 80,000 or so people living here are widely scattered, and there are three rivers, which means catechists can only reach the scattered villages and individual faithful by boat. Altogether there are 195 catechists serving the people living here.

This pastoral work is a real challenge, and this makes Bishop Quintero all the more concerned to support his catechists. ACN has already promised $9,500. The bishop has already thanked us warmly for this promise of support, wishing all our benefactors who have contributed or will contribute to this project "the joy and peace of the Lord." Will you help sponsor the training of catechists in these poor, rural regions of Colombia?

This project is an example of our work. Your donation will be attributed either to this or to another similar project that accords with the pastoral needs that ACN witnesses.

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Fund the Printing of 300 Bibles in Arabic for Bethlehem

Project — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:30:04 GMT

Project Code: 344-05-89

"We need them for our pastoral work, for our catechetical programs and for the families involved." With these words, Sister Maria Grech wrote to us from Bethlehem, requesting 300 Bibles in Arabic. This Franciscan Sister works in the family center of her congregation, in the city where Jesus was born.

In this family center there are regular meetings of women's groups, of catechists from the region and of couples preparing for marriage. Above all it is to these young couples, who can have so little familiarity with the sacred Scriptures ("They hardly know how to open the book to the right page," says Sister Maria), that the Sisters want to impart a better knowledge of the Bible.

Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem and his general administrator, Humam Khzouz, fully support her request. "It is a good moment to pursue this initiative, above all in light of the Year of Faith and the call for a new evangelization that was emphasized during the bishops' synod. … We are grateful for your efforts to support this mission and help the people in the Holy Land and the entire region," they wrote to us.

ACN is helping with a contribution of $7,800 for the printing of these Bibles. Will you give to help Sister Maria bring the Word of God in Arabic to young couples and others in Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born?

This project is an example of our work. Your donation will be attributed either to this or to another similar project that accords with the pastoral needs that ACN witnesses.

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Promoting Peace and Reconciliation in Nigeria

Project — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:18:24 GMT

Project Code: 141-07-49

Nigeria is going through a time of trial and horror, and not only since the attacks by the Islamist terror group Boko Haram. For years now, a succession of conflicts has torn this vast West African nation apart. Thankfully, among ordinary people there is a longing for peace, and the Catholic Church, is doing everything in her power to promote this peace and reconciliation.

During the second Africa Synod, Pope Benedict XVI emphasized the immense importance of strengthening peace, justice and development in Nigeria. To help, Father Michael Oyedare, who has responsibility for the Bible apostolate in his diocese, and Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of the Diocese of Oyo are organizing training workshops for the lay pastoral workers who do so much to ease the burden on the 39 priests of the diocese.

Within the Diocese of Oyo, there are 45,000 Catholics, among a population of 2 million Muslims. Most of the Catholic faithful earn their living as peasant farmers or harvest workers on the citrus, maize, yam, cassava and cocoa plantations of the region. Their earnings come to at most $9 a day, barely enough to survive on. Many of the faithful "really do their best," as Father Michael insists, but it is important, he believes, to strengthen the community leaders in their faith and train them to engage in interreligious dialogue so that they can be "good ambassadors for the Church." The idea of the workshops is to equip the participants to do just this.

Since the diocese itself has very few resources, Father Michael and Bishop Emmanuel have turned to ACN for financial support. We have promised a contribution of $6,500 for the practical implementation of these workshops. Will you give to promote peace and reconciliation in Nigeria?

This project is an example of our work. Your donation will be attributed either to this or to another similar project that accords with the pastoral needs that ACN witnesses.

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Support the Formation of Seminarians in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Project — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:53:32 GMT

Project Code: 115-02-79

Since 1996, bloody fighting has claimed the lives of over 5 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the Kivu province in the east. Brutal massacres, mass rape, arson, abductions and wholesale lootings continue to this day. This conflict has most likely cost more human lives than any other since World War II.

One of the driving forces behind this ongoing tragedy is the unbridled greed for mineral resources, as this is a region rich in copper, uranium, cobalt, zinc, tungsten, tin, gold and diamonds. Some 80% of the world's entire resources of coltan are found here. On account of its high heat resistance and conductivity, this metal is now an essential element in the production of computers, mobile phones, and space satellites. The control of these resources brings immense wealth and power, and human lives count for little or nothing in such a conflict.

In the midst of all this, Catholic priests and religious are sharing the sufferings of the people, persevering along this bloody Way of the Cross and helping in whatever way they can. Some of them have already given their lives.

Yet despite this, or perhaps precisely because of this courageous witness, many young men are still prepared to follow the call of God. In the theology seminary of Saint Pius in Murhesa, there are 89 candidates studying in the hope of one day being ordained as priests and working as good shepherds to their people. In addition to a sound academic formation, the seminary attaches the greatest importance to the spiritual formation of these future priests, and emphasis is placed on prayer, personal contemplation, Eucharistic adoration and sacramental confession.

Without financial support, the seminary could not take in or provide this formation to the many young men who feel called to the priesthood. And so it is no surprise that ACN has been regularly helping towards the formation of these seminarians.

The rector of the seminary, Abbé Crispin Bunyakiri Mukengere, writes, "Your help enables us each time to complete the academic year normally. Without this support we would be totally blocked, or would simply be forced to cut short the academic year."

This year ACN is once again helping for the seminary with a contribution of $9,500. Will you join us in helping these 89 young men complete their path to the priesthood? We are sure they will remember you gratefully in their prayers.

This project is an example of our work. Your donation will be attributed either to this or to another similar project that accords with the pastoral needs that ACN witnesses.

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Nigeria - Government afraid of tackling extremists

News — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:48:10 GMT

A bishop from northern Nigeria says President Goodluck Jonathan's government is reluctant to fight the Boko Haram terrorist threat for fear of losing crucial votes in the upcoming elections.

Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza of Yola accused the government of lacking the will to crackdown on Boko Haram and other militant groups wreaking havoc across the country.

The bishop said Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan's regime was fearful of upsetting voters sympathetic to extremists.

Speaking in an interview with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Dami Mamza said that a state of emergency should be declared in north-east Nigeria and the region put under direct military control.

The bishop was speaking after 55 people were killed in Bama, Borno state, on Tuesday, May 7, when Boko Haram carried out a series of attacks and burned to the ground a police station, a military barracks and government buildings.

Bishop Dami Mamza, whose Yola Diocese in Adamawa state borders Borno, said that the government had the capacity to assert its authority but feared a backlash from supporters of extremists.

The bishop said, "I thought that by now, with security being in place, attacks such as in Borno would no longer have happened.”

"But this outbreak of violence shows that rural areas are vulnerable to attack because there is no security. In fact, it shows that in areas in the north-east outside the center of Maiduguri, security is getting worse."

Attacking the government's record on tackling Boko Haram, he said, "The problem is that the government does not take serious measures against Boko Haram.”

"Even the President is focused on the 2015 elections. If he puts in place measures to control Boko Haram, he will lose support from northerners."

The bishop added that the growing military capability of Boko Haram and the group's refusal to negotiate with the state authorities represented a fundamental threat to the rule of law.

The bishop said, "Do we allow Boko Haram to take over the government? We can't allow them to take over the government."

Bishop Mamza also warned that support for Boko Haram was growing.

He made his comments after suspected Boko Haram militants carried out an attack on Wednesday, May 8th, close to Yola Cathedral, where two people, including a street trader, were shot dead and another person was injured.

Militant violence in Bangladesh

News — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:55:55 GMT

The violent excesses committed by Islamist groups have given rise to great concern among many Bangladeshis, according to a local Catholic leader.

Referring to events that occurred in Dhaka on Sunday, May 5, the Archbishop of Dhaka, Patrick D’Rozario, made his comments during a telephone conversation with international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

Archbishop D’Rozario said, "The largest opposition party, the 'Bangladesh Nationalist Party' (BNP) supported this. Clearly the plan behind it all was to topple the government. It is intended to trigger chaos by means of violence."

According to the Archbishop the background is a power struggle within Islam, "There is a dispute as to what Islam is. The protest is being carried along by Islamist groups. They have put forward 13 demands which lie completely outside the constitution.”

“No Bangladeshi with a normal education supports this, only militant groups who are based entirely on the Islamic schools," the archbishop insisted.

Christians were not affected by the most recent excesses, Archbishop D’Rozario claimed.

In a joint declaration, which was also positively received by Muslims, the Christian churches in Bangladesh called for a day of prayer, fasting and penitence on June 1.

Archbishop D’Rozario said, "We call on all Bangladeshis who bear responsibility in politics and society to turn to the country's poor. If we do this, we will really be able to change society for the benefit of all."

Furthermore the Archbishop explained, "The simple people here have actually always lived together peacefully. That is a part of our culture and tradition. The conflicts tend to be brought into the country from outside."

Division and hostility in Venezuela

News — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:50:07 GMT

During a visit to international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the Bishop of Trujillo, Venezuela, Oswaldo Azuaje, talked about the serious situation his country was in at the present.

"Politically, the country is suffering from its division into two almost equal halves, which has resulted in a major separation and serious split,” Bishop Azuaje stated.

“Unfortunately Venezuelan politics have in the past few years consisted of disputes, not simply debates but downright hostilities."

According to the Bishop, this situation does not affect the whole of society but large portions of it. He said it was even undermining family relationships, stirring rancor and enmity.

Bishop Oswaldo Azuaje stressed the importance of the "dialogue for peace and for the sake of peace."

He further commented that democracy "does not only consist of going to the polls in order to elect a political leader. It is also the ability to live in diversity, to respect those who hold a different opinion and to listen."

"Blessed are those who have 'a mouth to listen.' After all, we often use our mouth to attack. But it is also important to have a firm resolution to build a better country for all, regardless of who governs.”

“In Venezuela freedom is hanging by a thread. That's why I ask my compatriots and people who love Venezuela to pray for peace and reconciliation," the Bishop emphasized.

After accusations had been made in public that the Venezuelan government was dismissing officials for their political views, the Venezuelan Bishops' Conference also demanded in a declaration on May 2: "Repression, victimization, harassment und unjustified dismissals of public service employees as well as violence for political reasons must stop."

The declaration also related to the incident in the National Assembly a few days previously. A number of opposition deputies had been the target of a bloody attack after they had protested against ratification of the decision by the President of the National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, to deny them the right to speak.

Such cases of physical aggression "are an act of violence which makes us sad and ashamed. Venezuela doesn't deserve such a degrading spectacle! Such actions distort the identity of parliament," the statement of the Bishops' Conference stressed.

The stated closed with a call to prayer and to work for peace, respect and forgiveness.

The difficult situation in Venezuela, which has existed for years, deteriorated further after the last national elections on April 14.

In the presidential elections Nicolás Maduro was elected by a slim majority. The opposition, led by Henrique Capriles, is challenging the validity of the elections, however, and is demanding a recount.

They refuse to recognize Nicolás Maduro as the legitimate President of the country until the results of the election review currently being conducted by the National Election Commission are known.

Wall will further weaken the Christian presence in Palestine

News — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:24:28 GMT

A local Catholic leader has warned about the weakening of the Christian presence in Palestine as a result of the construction of an Israeli security barrier.

Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali, who is responsible for the Palestinian regions of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, made his comments while speaking to international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

His comments came after a ruling by an Israeli court on April 24 which rejected the appeals against the construction of the Israeli security wall through the Cremisan Valley near Beit Jala, Bethlehem.

Following extensive legal proceedings that have lasted seven years, the court deemed that for reasons of security it was just and proportionate to confiscate the lands of 58 Christian families in order to build the wall.

Bishop Shomali commented: "It is true that in the case of Cremisan only 58 families are affected and not the whole Christian community of Palestine. But the more incidents we have of this kind the more it challenges the community as a whole."

The bishop also pointed out that the Christian community will be further weakened by the cutting off of the monastery of the Salesian Fathers from the rest of Beit Jala.

"The Christian community has always found in this monastery a spiritual and inspiring high place," he said.

If the wall goes ahead, the monastery of the Salesian Fathers, which lies in the Cremisan Valley, will also be cut off, on the Israeli side, from the convent of the Salesian Sisters and its school on the Palestinian side.

Until now the Salesian Fathers have always provided a pastoral ministry to the Sisters and their school.

Bishop Shomali was not convinced by the reasons for the verdict of the court in Tel Aviv.

He commented, "The Israeli system of justice is excellent when it comes to matters other than security. In the case of security-related issues, these prevail over all other aspects.”

“In our case the court claimed that the construction of the wall is necessary to protect the settlement of Gilo. We disagree."

In reaching its verdict the court had also relied on assurances of the Israeli military that the families affected would have access to their land through an agricultural gate.

The bishop does not regard this as realistic. "Free access may be denied in the future and expropriation may be looming in that case as well.”

“And let's not forget: We do not want a modus vivendi but justice. And it is utterly unjust to separate families dependent on the income, through olive trees and so on, from their property. This is Palestinian land."

The bishop added that Israel was totally free to build the wall on the Green Line (from 1949 until the Israeli occupation of West Jordan in 1967 this was the internationally agreed frontier between Israel and the Palestinian territories.)

But Bishop Shomali is not yet ready to give up on the Cremisan issue. The lawyer representing the families affected is considering an appeal to the Israeli High Court, the final arbiter, since the legal process is not yet exhausted.

"We still believe in justice in the Israeli High Court,” the bishop said. “Otherwise we would not continue to fight.”

“With good will and political pressure there might be a different outcome possible."

Asked whether this included external diplomatic pressure, he confirmed that "every help is welcome."

Foreign diplomats had been following the issue closely in its earlier stages. "This did not change the court’s mind,” the bishop said. "But at least this impressed the judges and we were treated with respect at the hearings."

The Jerusalem-based Catholic human rights organization the Society of Saint Yves told ACN on Thursday that it was not clear when the case in the High Court would begin or how long it would last. But since the High Court is the final court of appeal, it must handle the case.

The Society of Saint Yves, an organization under the auspices of the Latin Patriarchate, had represented the Salesian Sisters in the lower courts. It is now planning to submit an appeal as soon as possible to the High Court.

The only aspect that is not yet clear is whether this will be done in collaboration with the families or on its own, a representative of the society told ACN.

Nigerian Bishops: Country threatened by "the twin monsters of corruption and insecurity."

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:02:25 GMT

ACN-USA News

“Growing corruption and religious violence jeopardize the West African country of Nigeria”. This stark warning by Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, was given during his recent presentation to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament in Brussels.

Cardinal Onaiyekan was accompanied by Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto. Coordinated by the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, the two church leaders presented the most urgent challenges facing Nigeria to the European Union decision makers to try and help them understand the realities on the ground in one of the three priority countries of the EU in sub-Saharan Africa. The two others are South Africa and Kenya.

In their discussions with the Committee and other Members of Parliament, as well as with the executive power of the EU (the European Commission) and the political representatives (the Council of the 27 Member States), Cardinal Onaiyekan and Bishop Kukah addressed two fundamental concerns, what they referred to as “the twin monsters of corruption and insecurity.” According to the Church leaders, with a GDP of $244 billion as well as a recipient of generous international aid, Nigeria is not a poor country, but the corruption and mismanagement is such that precious little reaches the population. “This has generated extremely high levels of mistrust among the population, which feeds into the other daily menace: insecurity,” explained Cardinal Onaiyekan.

Where the government services fail, the Catholic Church steps in to provide relief services, operating numerous schools, hospitals, legal aid centers and other basic services in Nigeria’s most impoverished regions. “The Catholic Church is concerned about the well-being of all Nigerians, not only those baptized in our churches. We are 170 million Nigerians, roughly half are Christians from different denominations and half are Muslims, also of different groups. Catholics are still the largest single-faith group in the country, so we have considerable influence and responsibility,” stated Cardinal Onaiyekan.

Bishop Kukah of the Sokoto diocese (in northwestern Nigeria) where the Catholics are a very small minority, said that the socio-economic indicators of health, education and income of Northern Nigeria are among the worst in the entire Sub-Saharan Africa. “The region has a Muslim majority in power. The way they spend federal funding follows their own priorities and the concept of education and public health is not the same as that of UNESCO. This is the region where the group Boko Haram was created.” Cardinal Onaiyekan added that the combination of poverty, mistrust and a huge inflow of arms from Libya have made the tension grow exponentially. “Very often the criminals are better armed than the Nigerian security forces.”

Kidnapped bishops in Syria - An eerie silence

News — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:36:05 GMT

Fears are growing for two Syrian archbishops, with still no news about them a week on from their abduction.

Adding urgency is the fact that one of the two prelates, Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim, faces a “life-threatening problem” if prevented from taking medicine for high blood pressure and diabetes.

He did not have any medication with him when he and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Boulos Yagizi were kidnapped on Monday, April 22nd.

Their driver, Deacon Fatha’ Allah Kabboud, was killed.

The incident took place some 4 miles west of Aleppo, the city to which they were returning after traveling to the Turkish border to negotiate the release of two priests, Fathers Michael Kayyal and Maher Mahfouz, kidnapped on February 9th.

Since the two archbishops’ abduction, there have been conflicting reports, with one (subsequently withdrawn) even claiming that they had been released.

But in an interview with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), an official spokesman for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo said that no contact had been made with either the prelates or the kidnappers.

He said this lack of information was unprecedented at a time when abductions of Christians in the region had risen dramatically.

Speaking from Syria Monday, April 29th, the spokesman, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, said, “We still do not know where the two archbishops are or who has taken them.”

“There are many Christians being kidnapped now and this is the first time where we have absolutely no clue about what has happened, where nobody has taken responsibility for the abduction.”

“This is of course very worrying, especially as we are now on day eight since [the kidnapping] happened.”

Referring to Archbishop Ibrahim’s poor health, he said, “It is a life-threatening problem if he does not receive his medicine.”

The diocesan spokesman said that Church leaders were combating pressure from the distressed and frightened Christian community who, he said, were calling for demonstrations to appeal for the archbishops’ release, a move which he said could antagonize the kidnappers.

Saying that services and prayer vigils were taking place including one broadcast on Syrian TV, he added, “The Christians are worried and want to express their anger about what has happened.”

“But every step should be carefully studied; we have to think about what the response will be from the kidnappers.”

He went on to appeal for continuing international pressure for the archbishops’ release.

Stressing the prelates’ high status, he said he was hopeful that diplomatic intervention would prove effective.

The spokesman said, “So far, the international community has done very well in putting pressure. We do not want that pressure to subside. Government, civil society, churches and NGOs: different levels of help might help.”

He called on Christians “and all people of goodwill” to pray for the archbishops’ release.

“What is so sad about this is that both men were among those working hardest for peace and yet in this time of conflict they are among those paying the highest price.”