In Rwanda, and more generally in the Great Lakes Region, "the clergy is being decimated like a lamb among wolves and silence covers the disappearance" of the religious. This was the alarming denouncement released yesterday to MISNA by Comboni Missionary Father John Antonini, Secretary General of the Congo Forum, giving voice to various Christian intellectuals who will remain anonymous. "The Bishops -continued the Secretary General of the Forum, co-ordination organisation for the monitoring of ex-Zaire, constituted by the Missionary Institutes present in the African country- are being massacred and no" laic "voice utters condemnations against such unspeakable acts". While other prelates, such as Bishop Augustin Misago of the Gikongoro diocese, are humiliated and mistreated. More generally, Father Antonini continued, the local "Catholic Church is being demonised" while the Universal Church stands witness in agony. The current crisis, reiterated the intellectuals through Father Antonini, "is the problematic coexistence between Hutu and Tutsi". A contrast that has wedged itself into the church and in its relations with the State, provoking confusion and disarray among the faithful, reduced to behaving like "sheep without a shepherd".
Given that the Catholic Church represents the only active social organisation, able to be super partes, "we, as Christians, religious and laymen -urged the authors of the appeal, revealed by Father Antonini- should rise united as one man, to establish a common action with verifiable consequences. Such, to stop the forces" from destroying "God's children". A first objective, suggested the authors of the document, is the realisation of a Regional Conference participated by all the Superiors of the Religious Institutes operating in the Great Lakes Region, the Chairmen of the Episcopal Conferences and all the Bishops recognised as impartial. Together with competent experts, whether they are laymen or religious, on problems regarding the area. The purpose of such a meeting would be "the elaboration of new strategies and methods of evangelisation and reconciliation among Christians". The "reunification of Christians and a cohesion concluded the document revealed by Father Antonini- will completely eliminate those national political and foreign realities that want to dominate people" at all costs. Nevertheless, 'we were all created in the image of God and must benefit from the same rights in society'.
(BO)