Agenzia Fides – 2nd July 2012

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)

“It is with great joy that I am among you this morning for this Eucharistic celebration, which marks the beginning of my apostolic visit in your beautiful and great country. I am pleased to begin my stay with this intense moment of prayer and fellowship, in order to entrust to God the program of the coming days.”

With these words Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, began his homily on Sunday, 1 July, presiding the concelebrated Mass in the Cathedral of Notre Dame du Congo, in Kinshasa, which was attended by all the Congolese Bishops, the Apostolic Nuncio, His Exc. Mgr. Tito Yllana, civil authorities, as well as men and women religious and lay people (see Fides 30/06/2012).

The Cardinal said: “This apostolic visit in Congolese land is intended to confirm you in faith. It also wants and above all to manifest the Holy Father’s closeness, who carries you in his heart and his prayers.”

Commenting on the Sunday Gospel, the healing of the woman afflicted with hemorrhage, and the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter, Cardinal Filoni said: “Today’s gospel teaches, in particular, that Jesus has power not only concerning diseases but also death. The miracle of Jairus’ daughter resurrection has an educational value and teaching. It means that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life and that he received from God the Father, the power to give life. Another lesson we can draw from the story of Mark. The intervention of Jesus is always in response to the faith proclaimed by his interlocutors, or raises their faith.”

Therefore the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples made some applications at a social and ecclesial level.

“In social terms, illness and death that prompted the intervention of Jesus are all the evils and tragedies suffered by the Congolese today. Many are victims of social injustice, violation of human rights, indiscriminate violence of the incessant wars and insecurity. The scourges of poverty, disease, hatred and division are a real cause of suffering for individuals and families …

At an ecclesial level, sickness and death are our personal and communal sin, moral and spiritual problems that afflict the Church and the behavior contrary to our Christian vocation to holiness.

These are the jealousies that create conflicts and divisions within the Christian community, tribalism, nepotism, and anything that causes the rejection of others, the lack of a sincere belief and commitment that results in irregular attendance to the sacraments, religious syncretism, in following sects and apostasy. What emerges in particular is the problematic situation of the family, due to the lack of respect for the Catholic conjugal morality, cohabitation, divorce and polygamy.

On all these issues, the Church-Family in the Democratic Republic of Congo has need of conversion and renewal. For you, the voice of Jesus resonates more strongly: Talitha kum! Stand up! He invites you to a spiritual jolt.”

Concluding his homily, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples urged: “Yes, Jesus invites you to stand up, ready for the mission. He invites you to use your energy and human spirit with courage and strength to proclaim the Good News of salvation. In the present context, the primary mission for the Church of Congo, as we have said, is the promotion of reconciliation, justice and peace.”

(SL) (Agenzia Fides 02/07/2012)

Agenzia Fides – 30th June 2012

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – As of today, from June 30 to July 6, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, will be in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a pastoral visit that will focus on “The Church in Congo: since the II Vatican Council to present day. Evolution, development, analysis.”

The Cardinal arrives in Kinshasa today, and tomorrow morning, Sunday, July 1, he will preside at a Concelebrated Mass at the Cathedral Notre Dame du Congo, where all the Congolese Bishops, the Association of Major Superiors (ASUMA), the Union of Major Superiors ( USUMA), the Council of the lay Apostolate, the members of ecclesial movements will participate.

On Monday, July 2, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples will speak to the Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) gathered for the plenary Assembly, then he will separately meet the Bishops of the various ecclesiastical provinces: Kinshasa, Mbandaka, Kisangani, Kananga, Lubumbashi, Bukavu.

In the afternoon, July 3 he will meet Congolese men and women religious, and on July 4, in the morning Cardinal Filoni will visit the Prime Minister, Head of Government, and the President of the Republic. In the afternoon we will visit the orphanage run by the nuns of Mother Teresa and Saint Joseph Hospital in Limete.

Thursday, July 5 will be dedicated to visiting the Diocese of Kisantu (Santa Rita Parish; literacy centers, pediatric center of Kimbondo; parish and college Mater Dei) and in the afternoon, in Kinshasa, a meeting with members of the National Committee of the Laity, and with representatives of the Committees of the Laity will take place.

On Friday, July 6 Cardinal Filoni will visit the Catholic University of Congo (UCC), then a Seminary of the Archdiocese of Kinshasa. In the afternoon he leaves for Rome. (SL)

(Agenzia Fides 30/6/2012)

Agenzia fides – 27 June 2012

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – The UN Security Council decided on June 26 to publish a controversial document in which it denounced the Minister of Defence of Rwanda and several Rwandans senior officers as supporters of the Movement M23, consisting of military deserters, who act in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The document was prepared by the UN Group of Experts, an independent body in charge of investigating who supports armed groups in the eastern DRC and to propose sanctions to the UN Committee for this member. This is an addendum to a recently published report by the experts. The publication of the addendum was temporarily blocked, given the sensitivity of its contents, prompting protests in Kinshasa.

According to an anticipation on behalf of Reuters the document states that “the Rwandese Army has provided military equipment, weapons, ammunition and other material to rebels of the M23”.

In the briefing on June 13 in front of the UN Sanctions Committee, the Group of Experts had found that the military of the Rwandese army had entered the DRC to reinforce the rebels positions and provide them with logistical support. The Rwandese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, rejected the conclusions of the Group of Experts, stating that there is an ongoing “war of words” in the Country, to make Rwanda the “scapegoat” of the problems that exist in the DRC. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 27/6/2012)

Agenzia Fides – 4 june 2012

Today, June 4, is the “International Day of Innocent Children Victims of aggression” sponsored by the United Nations.

The young ones and the entire population of North Kivu suffer the climate of tension caused by armed groups in the country that, without distinction, become responsible for violence to women and children, as well as murders.

Many people have fled in fear, so just on the outskirts of Goma refugee camps have been formed: in four days 15 000 people, mostly elderly, women, children have arrived. Moreover, the war around Goma has greatly reduced the arrival of agricultural products, with the consequent increase in prices.

“The situation inside the city of Goma, is quiet, the students are preparing themselves for their final end of year exams. But they do not eat anymore at the Don Bosco Center, since the World Food Programme (WFP) has reduced drastically the distribution of food due to the ‘ depletion of reserves’,” is what is reads in a note by Fr. Piero Gavioli, of the Salesian Society in Goma-Ngangi sent to Fides by Ans.

The Don Bosco Center has welcomed so far 18 boys and a girl ex-soldier who were guests of a Transitional Center of Orientation (CTO) run by Caritas in Rutshuru, 80 km north of Goma, because traumatized by the experiences lived.

With the help of a psychologist they were regaining a certain serenity, but the gunshots and mortar fire of the fighting have lead them to the crisis again and the director of Caritas asked the Salesians to host them, awaiting the end of the fighting.

(AP) (Agenzia Fides 04/06/2012)