Middle East – Africa

Enugu, Nigeria, Aug 2, 2019 / 06:01 pm (CNA).- Priests of southeastern Nigeria’s Diocese of Enugu protested Friday government inaction in the face of widespread violence. Fr. Paul Offu, a priest of the diocese, had been murdered the previous day.

Offu was shot to death Aug. 1 in the Awgu local government area, about 20 miles south of Enugu.

He was from Enugu state, and had been the pastor of St. James the Greater parish in Ugbawka.

The Enugu diocese wrote on Facebook that Offu was killed “by some hoodlums suspected to be the notorious and murderous Fulani herdsmen.”

Ebere Amaraizu, a public relations officers for Enugu police, said Aug. 2 that those responsible for the death were yet to be identified, according to the Daily Trust. The Nigerian outlet also indicated that Amaraizu indicated that the Fulani should not be blamed for the death before those responsible were apprehended.

Fr. Benjamin Achi, communications director for the Enugu diocese, told The Punch that “Fr. Offu was stopped by the murderous herdsmen while returning to his parish after a visit to priest friend.”

“They dragged him to the bush but one of the assailants said kill him that the church would not do anything if they kidnapped him,” Achi said, according to The Punch.

Priests of the Enugu diocese protested Offu’s death, marching Aug. 2 to the Enugu State Government House and police headquarters urging that officials do more to defend residents.

Violence against Christians has significantly increased in Nigeria in recent years, with the radical Islamist group Boko Haram threatening safety in the north, and smaller violent gangs threatening security in the south.

Fulani herders, most of whom are Muslim, have had increasing conflict with largely Christian farmers over limited natural resources in recent years.

[…]

Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Aug 2, 2019 / 05:01 pm (CNA).- Caritas Spain has mobilized 6,200 volunteers to fight the Ebola epidemic in the affected areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. To prevent its spread they have established 22 monitoring points on the border with Uganda and South Sudan.

More than 1,800 have been killed by DR Congo’s Ebloa outbreak in the last year, and 2,700 have been infected. Last month the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global health emergency.

Alicia Fernández, a technician with Caritas Spain, is in DR Congo and said that “the fight against Ebola must take place in the communities more than in the hospitals, awareness has to be raised in the communities on the importance of maintaining hygienic methods to prevent contagion and the spread of the illness.”

Fernández also stressed the importance of the Church’s action in the fight against this epidemic since “there is no other local actor that can do what the Church does,” as it is “implanted in the life of the communities, living with them their day to day and therefore enjoys their trust and also because since the first known case it has been working to contain the outbreak.”

According to a statement by Caritas Spain, in the Diocese of Goma a second case of Ebola has been recorded and so efforts are focused on locating those who have maintained contact with the stricken person and adopting the necessary measures.

In the dioceses of Butembo and Bunia, Caritas has distributed in the last six months more than 34,000 pounds of aid to more than 23,000 sick and quarantined people. They have also published more than 9,000 posters and 9,000 informational pamphlets.

One of the Caritas social workers explained that “if a teacher falls sick, all his students are placed in quarantine, separated from their families. Caritas care for these people.”

The border with South Sudan is another of the critical points in the spread of the Ebola epidemic. The Diocese of Mahagi is located there, where one case has been detected. Caritas activated the response protocol, isolated the patient and contacted her family to disinfect the house, locate those who were in contact with her and the medical staff who treated her, as well as the sick people who were admitted to the hospital at the same time.

In addition, all the staff of Caritas’ health centers in Mahagi are undergoing training to respond to the disease.

There also have been established 22 control points at the two border crossings with Uganda and South Sudan, and for every ten houses Caritas has established an observation point, in which a person is responsible for raising awareness about the epidemic and monitoring to detect and isolate new cases.

“We have to contain the epidemic so it doesn’t reach the camps for the refugees and internally displaced people, because  that would be a catastrophe,” said the director of Caritas Mahagi.

Two Ebola fatalities were confirmed in Uganda in June.

Rwanda briefly closed its border with DR Congo Aug. 1 over fears the disease might spread there.

Efforts to contain the disease have been hampered by misinformation and distrust on the part of local communities, who in some cases have retaliated against health teams by attacking them. Nearly 200 attacks on medical centers and staff have been reported this year, according to the BBC. This has limited many of the health services that non-governmental organizations are able to provide.

More than 161,000 people have received the Ebola vaccine, which is 99% effective, according to the BBC, but some are fearful of it and refuse to receive it. In addition, violence in the eastern part of the DRC has made it difficult to reach some areas of the country, and difficult to monitor the virus as it spreads.

Ebola is a deadly virus that is primarily spread through contact with bodily fluids. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pains and occasional bleeding. The disease is fatal in up to 90 percent of cases.

Several outbreaks have taken place in Africa in recent decades. An outbreak in 2014-2016 in West Africa killed more than 11,000 people and spread briefly to Spain, the US, and the UK.

[…]

Kampala, Uganda, Jul 29, 2019 / 01:01 pm (CNA).- During the plenary assembly celebrating its golden jubilee, the leadership organization for bishops’ conferences in Africa elected Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo of Ouagadougou as its president.

The July 19-29 plenary assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar was held in Kampala and was devoted to the theme “That they may know Christ and have life in abundance.”

In its closing message, given July 28, SECAM called its golden jubilee “a time of thanksgiving” and of communion.

The symposium said the jubilee is “a commitment to the service of reconciliation, justice and peace which promotes communion and pastoral solidarity which enables us to stand together against: ideological colonization, land grabbing, political and democratic destabilization, human trafficking, terrorism and arms trafficking, etc.”

The bishops added that SECAM is to be “a sign of hope, especially for families and our countries.”

They noted that “the family founded on the union of man and woman remains the first place of evangelization; that is why SECAM has kept insisting on its importance, vocation and nature as ordained by God.”

They highlighted the importance of integral human development, and “the socio-political dimensions of evangelization and calls on politicians and governments to work for the wellbeing of their people.”

The Ugandan martyrs, the bishops said, “remind us of the importance of remaining faithful to our faith in Christ and to our baptismal commitment. They are also models for all the baptized, especially the catechists.”

SECAM also noted that children “need to be given special attention and quality Christian education to make them effective witnesses to Christ.”

They drew attention to the “irreplaceable role” of women in the Church and society, saying, “their participation in education and evangelization is indispensable.”

At the plenary assembly, the members of SECAM also made a number of commitments and exhortations.

They committed to investing “ more deeply in the biblical, theological, moral and spiritual formation of all the baptized; to nourish them with the word of God and the sacraments, so that they may make the gospel penetrate all aspects of life,” and to making the jubilee “a springboard for the new evangelization.”

The bishops also committed themselves to promoting “ the human formation and the professional, moral and spiritual education of children and the youth and to help them to be more deeply rooted in the values of the gospel,” as well as deepening collaboration with political leaders and holding them accountable, “ so as to put our human and natural resources at the service of development, reconciliation, justice and peace.”

They exhorted religious communities to be true to their vocation and to engage in “missionary exchange” among dioceses, and recommended that “the formation of priests should aim at helping them to develop a deeper personal intimate relationship with Christ, human and spiritual maturity, a sense of service and accountability and passion for the mission of the church.”

“We encourage the particular Churches to engage in the formation, accompaniment and guidance of civil servants and politicians in their respective locations so as to fight against corruption, promote good governance and better management of human and natural resources,” the bishops added.

SECAM elected Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Umtata (Mthatha) as its first vice president, and Bishop Lucio Muandula of Xai-Xai its second vice president. Fr. Terwase Henry Akaabiam was appointed secretary general.

The symposium grew out of the desires of the African bishops at the Second Vatican Council to speak with one voice. SECAM’s stated mission, according to its website, is to “to promote its role as a sign and instrument of salvation and to build the Church as a Family of God in Africa,” while also preserving and fostering communion and collaboration among its member episcopal conferences.

Cardinal Ouédraogo announced at the assembly that SECAM will be issuing a “Kampala Document” after the assembly, to “help the people of God to deepen their knowledge of Christ our Savior and make him known as the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

The symposium intends the document to “become a reference text for our mission.”

[…]

Jerusalem, Jul 26, 2019 / 02:37 pm (CNA).- A forest fire in the northern region of Israel is threatening the Basilica of the Transfiguration of Christ, according to local reports.

The flames sprang up late Thursday at the foot of the wooded Mount Tabor, where the transfiguration of Christ is believed to have taken place.

Over the past week, dry conditions and heavy winds have made conditions ripe for fires throughout the country. The police do not know the exact cause of the blaze, but they do not suspect arson.

“An additional front of the fire is at the moment advancing toward the church,” said Dudi Peretz, a spokesman for the fire department, according to Agence France-Presse.

“The fire’s centre is far from main roads and the topography of the area and difficulty of access are hindering the work of the firefighting teams.”

Overnight, the monks at the basilica were safely evacuated. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem posted that there have been no deaths associated with the fire so far.

“According to one of the Franciscan friars who lives at Mount Tabor, the fire has been brought under control. The proper authorities will keep monitoring the situation throughout the day,” the post said, asking for continued prayers.

The Franciscans built the Basilica of the Transfiguration of Christ in 1924. The spot, upon Mount Tabor, is where the Gospels record Christ taking three of his disciples – Peter, John, and James. Atop the mountain, he was transfigured before them in heavenly splendor and spoke to the prophets Moses and Elijah, who appeared alongside him.

The basilica receives hundreds of thousands of pilgrims a year and is operated by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, which released a statement on Friday, accusing the government of negligence that led to the fire.

The situation “is a direct consequence of the state’s neglect of the basic infrastructure of Mount Tabor,” it said, according to i24 News.

“For years, Christian churches have warned the authorities and demanded a normal water supply to the top of the mountain, as provided by law.”

[…]

Asmara, Eritrea, Jul 24, 2019 / 10:37 am (CNA).- The Eritrean government’s recent closure of all Catholic-run health clinics in the country will have devastating effects for the people of the country, warned the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need.

Sources in the country told the agency that the situation is dire and denounced the international indifference and lack of response.

“They are preventing us from offering what little we could give, in places where no one cares for the population, not even the state,” a source told Aid to the Church in Need, according to Vatican News.

“What will the people do?”

Last month, military forces arrived at the Church’s 22 health care clinics, telling patients to return to their homes, and subsequently guarding the buildings.

The government justified its seizures of the property under a 1995 decree restricting social and welfare projects to the state. The decree has been used intermittently since then to seize or close ecclesial services.

According to the BBC, analysts believe the recent seizures were retaliatory, after the Church in April called for reforms to reduce emigration. The bishops had also called for national reconciliation.

When the government interrupts the work of the Church, it is the people who suffer, Aid to the Church in Need said.

The agency argued that government-run hospitals lack the equipment and resources to take over the operations of the closed Church-run facilities, particularly in rural areas, Vatican News reported.

The agency also noted that the Catholic health care centers served people of all faiths. Some 95% of Eritreans are non-Catholic.

The Eritrean bishops have objected to the seizure of the clinics, stressing that the Church’s social services are not an act of opposition to the government.

“Any measure that prevents us from fulfilling … the obligations that come to us from the supreme commandment of brotherly love is and remains a violation of the fundamental right of religious freedom,” the bishops said in a statement.

Eritrea is a one-party state whose human rights record has frequently been deplored. Government seizure of Church property in the country is not new.

In July 2018, an Eritrean Catholic priest helping immigrants and refugees in Italy told EWTN that authorities had recently shut down eight free Catholic-run medical clinics. He said authorities claimed the clinics were unnecessary because of the presence of state clinics.

Christian and Muslim schools have also been closed under the 1995 decree designating the state as sole provider of social services, according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom’s 2019 annual report.

Eritrea has been designated a Country of Particular Concern since 2004 for its religious freedom abuses by the US Department of State.

Many Eritreans, especially youth, emigrate due to a military conscription or a lack of opportunities, freedom, education, and health care.

A July 2018 peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which ended a conflict over their mutual border, led to an open border which has allowed for easier emigration.

[…]

Annaya, Lebanon, Jul 24, 2019 / 12:16 am (CNA).- St. Charbel Makhlouf is known in Lebanon for the miraculous healings of those who visit his tomb to seek his intercession – both Christians and Muslims.

“St. Charbel has no geographic or con… […]

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jul 18, 2019 / 04:26 pm (CNA).- The nearly year-long Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reached the level of an international health emergency, the World Health Organization declared… […]

Bangui, Central African Republic, Jul 15, 2019 / 02:45 pm (CNA).- Armed rebel groups are thwarting the prospects for success of the Central African Republic’s recent peace agreement, warned the president of the country’s Catholic bishops.

… […]

Qamishli, Syria, Jul 12, 2019 / 04:18 pm (CNA).- A car bomb exploded near a Syriac Orthodox church in Qamishli Thursday, injuring about 11 people. It is unclear who is responsible for the attack.

According to AFP, the July 11 bombing “slightly dented” the metal gate of the Church of the Virgin Mary located in the al-Wasta neighborhood of Qamishli, in Syria’s Al-Hasakah Governorate on the border with Turkey.

Sana, the Syrian state news agency, reported that the blast caused “material damage to parts of the church, shops and cars.”

Ignatius Aphrem II, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, “condemned with the strongest terms this coward terrorist act, considering that the perpetrators of the explosion aim to create an atmosphere of worry and chaos among citizens and destabilize the situation in the region,” Sana reported.

Al-Wasta is held by the Syrian government; much of the rest of Qamishli is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed, Kurdish-dominated alliance.

Most media report that the attack has gone unclaimed, though The Defense Post reported that Islamic State took credit for the bombing.

Joan Garcia, a researcher with the Rojava Information Center (an organization in northeastern Syria assisting reporters and researchers), told The Defense Post that “this attack is the eleventh in eleven days in Hasakah province and the fourth in a month in Qamishlo – the de facto capital of North East Syria.”

North East Syria is a Kurdish name for Rojava, or Western Kurdistan, a de facto autonomous region of Syria under Kurdish control.

Garcia added that Qamishli “has for some years been secure from ISIS attacks.”

“As such, these attacks form part of a steady increase in ISIS-linked attacks in previously-secure, Kurdish-majority cities close to the border. This particular attack targeted worshippers leaving a church, part of the Christian minority which in Qamishlo exists peacefully alongside Arab and Kurdish communities,” Garcia said.

The Syrian civil war began in March 2011 with demonstrations against the nation’s president, Bashar al-Assad. The war has claimed the lives of more than 500,000 people, and forced 5.6 million to become refugees. Another 6.6 million Syrians are believed to have been internally displaced by the violence.

The civil war is being fought among the Syrian regime and a number of rebel groups. The rebels include moderates, such as the Free Syrian Army; Islamists such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Islamic State; and Kurdish separatists.

[…]

Asmara, Eritrea, Jul 9, 2019 / 01:01 pm (CNA).- As the Eritrean government continues to seize and close Catholic healthcare sites throughout the country, the Church has denounced the intimidation used during the nationalization.

The government’s action began in June, and by July 9 as many as 29 Catholic hospitals, health centers, and clinics had been shuttered.

Agenzia Fides reported that a group of nuns who ran a health facility in southern Eritrea were asked to leave their residence July 4, and that in Zager (Zaghir), about 20 miles north of Asmara, police forced nuns away from their health facility and sealed its doors July 5.

“Though the Catholic bishops have expressed their opposition to this measure, they have not yet received any response from the State authorities,” read a recent statement from the Eritrean Catholic Church.

“While in some locations actions of force were involved, in other centres the staff were ordered to ‘get out of the way,’ the premises were sealed, and the staff was placed in a position where they were unable to attend to patients … Threatening words and bullying were spoken in various (health) centres,” the Church continued.

Eritrea’s bishops framed the problem as one of religious liberty, saying: “It is our firm belief that, with the recent requisition of our clinics, a specific right of our religion has been violated, which prescribes, ‘to love others and to do good to them.’ Any measure that prevents us from fulfilling … the obligations that come to us from the supreme commandment of brotherly love is and remains a violation of the fundamental right of religious freedom.”

Papal charity Aid to the Church in Need was told by a source in the Eritrean Catholic Church that “the staff at some of the clinics refused to hand over the keys so the soldiers broke into them.”

Archbishop Menghesteab Tesfamariam of the Eritrean Archeparchy of Asmara has called for the Church’s faithful to observe the Apostles’ Fast, which lasts through July 11, in response to the nationalization of the health facilities.

A letter from the Church to the health ministry after the seizure said that “the government can say it doesn’t want the services of the Church, but asking for the property is not right.” It added that the Church’s social services cannot be characterized as opposition to the government.

Eritrea is a one-party state whose human rights record has frequently been deplored.

It is believed the seizures are retaliatory, after the Church in April called for reforms to reduce emigration. The bishops had also called for national reconciliation.

Government seizure of Church property is not new, however.

A 1995 decree restricting social and welfare projects to the state has been used intermittently since then to seize or close ecclesial services.

In July 2018, an Eritrean Catholic priest helping immigrants and refugees in Italy told EWTN that authorities had recently shut down eight free Catholic-run medical clinics. He said authorities claimed the clinics were unnecessary because of the presence of state clinics.

Christian and Muslim schools have also been closed under the 1995 decree, according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom’s 2019 annual report.

Eritrea has been designated a Country of Particular Concern since 2004 for its religious freedom abuses by the US Department of State.

Many Eritreans, especially youth, emigrate, due to a military conscription, and a lack of opportunities, freedom, education, and health care.

A July 2018 peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which ended a conflict over their mutual border, led to an open border which has allowed for easier emigration.

[…]