ACN News - Islamists terrorizing Central Africa’s Christians

Islamists terrorizing Central Africa’s Christians

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 25^th, and the abduction of Fr. Dieu-Béni Banga, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Bangui, and Fr. Francis Siki, the Cathedral rector, on Saturday, April 27^th.

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 26^th, 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 24^th, 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.”

With image of disarmed rebel soldiers in Bocaranga and a distressed woman in Bouar Diocese (Images © Father Aurelio Gazzera, OCD).

Editor’s Notes:

Directly under the Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.  ACN is a Catholic charity - helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.

Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity,” the organization is now at work in over 145 countries throughout the world.

The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 43 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.

For more information contact Michael Varenne at michael@churchinneed.org or call 718-609-0939 or fax718-609-0938. Aid to the Church in Need, 725 Leonard Street, PO Box 220384, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384.  www.churchinneed.org

Pentecost

Picture source

Happy Birthday to the Catholic Church!

Come Holy Spirit, come! Fill us with all Your marvelous gifts. Let us cherish all of Your Divine Fruits!


ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses,
I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God.
I adore the brightness of Your purity,
the unerring keenness of Your justice,
and the might of Your love.
You are the Strength and Light of my soul.
In You I live and move and am.
I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace
and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You.
Mercifully guard my every thought and
grant that I may always watch for Your light,
and listen to Your voice,
and follow Your gracious inspirations.
I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You,
by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness.
Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and
looking at His Five Wounds,
and trusting in His Precious Blood and
adoring His opened Side and
stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity,
to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You.
Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son
to say to You always and everywhere,
"Speak Lord for Your servant heareth."
Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

O Lord Jesus Christ Who,
before ascending into heaven
did promise to send the Holy Spirit
to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples,
deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul,
the work of Your grace and Your love.
Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world
and aspire only after the things that are eternal,
the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind
with the light of Your divine truth,
the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God
and gaining heaven,
the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You
and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation,
the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself
and grow perfect in the science of the Saints,
the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable,
and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God
and may dread in any way to displease Him.
Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples
and animate me in all things with Your Spirit.
Amen.

Source:  :http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/pentecost/seven.htm#ixzz2TgOoGCNO

"My God..."

Our Lady - Quote

The Catholic IQ Test

Mahalo Holly! " It is advisable to set up an account for yourself as this "test" is pretty lengthy."  Catholic IQ Test, click here

Saintly Quote on the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Separating Christ from His Mother

Our Lady in times of Troubles

Quotable Mother Teresa

I hope you are enjoying these series of photos of quotes.  I often jot down pearls of wisdom in my journal, I find when doing spiritual reading.  Thought pairing them with the countless photos I take would be a good idea.

As always, please click on photo so you can read the quote.

ACN News - Nigeria – Government afraid of tackling extremists

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 8^th, close to Yola Cathedral, where two people, including a street trader, were shot dead and another person was injured.

Editor’s Notes:

Directly under the Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.  ACN is a Catholic charity - helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.

Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity,” the organization is now at work in over 145 countries throughout the world.

The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 43 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.

For more information contact Michael Varenne at michael@churchinneed.org or call 718-609-0939 or fax718-609-0938. Aid to the Church in Need, 725 Leonard Street, PO Box 220384, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384.  www.churchinneed.org