Archbishop Emmanuel Kataliko, of Bukavu, will not be present tomorrow May 18, for celebrations in his diocese to mark the third anniversary of his taking of possession of that flock. Since February 12 he has been detained in Butembo -stopped after a visit to Kinsahsa- by the Rassemblement Congolais for Democracy group (RCD) which declares him persona non grata because of his positions against warfare and in defence of civilians.
For the past week people in his diocese have organized a prayer chain for his return. They have decided to hold a celebration even in the absence of the Archbishop, making it a protest. Tomorrow all social and school activities run by the local Church will close. At dawn a procession will leave from each parish to converge on the Cathedral for a 10am open air Mass.
During the past week of prayer-chain every day at 12 noon Catholics made loud noises, beating drums or ringing bells crying: "Free the Archbishop, keep your promises!" . In front of churches thousands of signatures have been collected, asking for the immediate release of the prelate. At the end of the Mass tomorrow the signatures will be presented to the city authorities.
In early May the Bishops of Goma, Kindu and Kasongo, in the Kivu region, sent a message to the RCD leaders, saying the accusations against Mgr Kataliko are totally unfounded. They also reminded the RCD leaders of their promise that the restrictions on the Archbishop residence would be lifted.
"Sad to say the exile continues" the Bishops write. "The situation is a symbol of the suffering imposed on our people by armed conflict for which there seems to be no solution". The called for the "immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops" underlining that the "return of the Archbishop is an act of justice and will be a clear sign of commitment to work for peace".