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Catholic Bishops of North Africa or the Maghreb region have been reflecting on the African dimension of their communities. The information is contained in a final communiqué at the end of the Bishops’ regional plenary meeting. The Bishops were meeting under the auspices of CERNA, which stands for the Conférence Episcopale de la Région Nord de l’Afrique. The meeting was held in Tangier, Morocco last week. "Our communities of those who originate from sub-Sahara Africa are becoming more numerous and in some cases they represent 50 to 90% of our [Catholic] communities," the Bishops say in the communiqué. They note that North African states have always been, "traditionally countries of emigration but were now transit countries and slowly are becoming host countries [countries of destination]," The Bishops say.The Bishops say, the Church in the Maghreb sees issues of migration as both a challenge and an opportunity.&...
Catholic Bishops of North Africa or the Maghreb region have been reflecting on the African dimension of their communities. The information is contained in a final communiqué at the end of the Bishops’ regional plenary meeting. The Bishops were meeting under the auspices of CERNA, which stands for the Conférence Episcopale de la Région Nord de l’Afrique. The meeting was held in Tangier, Morocco last week.
"Our communities of those who originate from sub-Sahara Africa are becoming more numerous and in some cases they represent 50 to 90% of our [Catholic] communities," the Bishops say in the communiqué. They note that North African states have always been, "traditionally countries of emigration but were now transit countries and slowly are becoming host countries [countries of destination]," The Bishops say.
The Bishops say, the Church in the Maghreb sees issues of migration as both a challenge and an opportunity.
"It is a joy to us that the Church is becoming more universal; less European; is more rejuvenated and that there is this South to South ecclesial exchange," the Bishops affirm. They attest that priests and the religious from countries of sub-Sahara Africa are now fully inserted into the Church of North Africa.
"With various pastoral workers coming together from different cultural backgrounds, what is needed by all is to learn, know and esteem each other's diversity," reads the final communiqué
The Bishop also say the mission of the Church in North Africa is, “not only focused on the spiritual support of its congregations but also on the testimony of Christ's love for all, by coming into contact with our Muslim brothers and sisters…It is not easy because of the reality of prejudice and the fact of racism," note the Bishops.
Nevertheless, the Bishops make reference to certain representations of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Vladimir found in many shrines of the region. According to the Bishops, the painting of Our Lady of Vladimir is often represented carrying in her arms the infant Jesus with one hand painted white and another, black. They Bishops conclude that this Marian image symbolises the future of the Church in North Africa.
The meeting was presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese of Constantine and Hippo in Algeria, Paul Desfarges.
To emphasise the growing links between the Church in North Africa and that of sub-Sahara Africa, the next meeting of CERNA will be held next year in Senegal.
(engafrica@vatiradio.va)
Source: Agenzia Fides
Vatican City, Apr 12, 2016 / 05:42 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis has appointed French-born Archbishop Christophe Pierre as the Vatican ambassador to the U.S., replacing Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the Holy See press office announced Tuesday.The appointment of the new Vatican ambassador – known as an apostolic nuncio – comes after Archbishop Viganò reached the retirement age of 75 on Jan. 16 of this year. The Italian prelate had served as apostolic nuncio to the U.S. since 2011.Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., who heads the U.S. bishops’ conference, welcomed the announcement."On behalf of my brother bishops in the United States, I extend Archbishop Pierre a heartfelt greeting and my prayerful support as he embarks on his service to our country,” he said April 12. “A shared closeness with the Church in Mexico already creates a strong fraternal bond between us.”Archbishop Kurtz also thanked Archbishop Vigan&ogr...
Vatican City, Apr 12, 2016 / 05:42 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis has appointed French-born Archbishop Christophe Pierre as the Vatican ambassador to the U.S., replacing Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the Holy See press office announced Tuesday.
The appointment of the new Vatican ambassador – known as an apostolic nuncio – comes after Archbishop Viganò reached the retirement age of 75 on Jan. 16 of this year. The Italian prelate had served as apostolic nuncio to the U.S. since 2011.
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., who heads the U.S. bishops’ conference, welcomed the announcement.
"On behalf of my brother bishops in the United States, I extend Archbishop Pierre a heartfelt greeting and my prayerful support as he embarks on his service to our country,” he said April 12. “A shared closeness with the Church in Mexico already creates a strong fraternal bond between us.”
Archbishop Kurtz also thanked Archbishop Viganò for “his selfless contributions to the life of the Church in the United States.”
It had been speculated that the role of papal nuncio to the U.S. would fall to Archbishop Pierre, who has been nuncio to Mexico since 2007. As reported by CNA, Vaticanista Sandro Magister asserted in his March 10 blog that the 70-year-old Archbishop Pierre would be “imminently” promoted to the position.
Magister characterized Archbishop Pierre as a “Bergoglian,” and someone in whom Francis confides.
Additionally, a source close to the Mexican bishops' conference told CNA that Archbishop Pierre “is known for suggesting solid, reliable candidates to the episcopate.”
The French prelate was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Rennes in 1970. In 1995 he was consecrated a bishop and appointed apostolic nuncio to Haiti. He served there until 1999, when he was transferred to Uganda.
In an April 8 speech at the Pontifical North American College's annual rector's dinner, Archbishop Viganò offered a farewell reflection of his four and a half year “mission” as the Pope's representative to the U.S., and the challenges against religious liberty in the country.
“As everyone knows, the past years have been very challenging for the Church in America,” he said, acknowledging in turn other significant events, including Pope Francis' visit to the U.S.
He stressed the need to pray “that the United States of America will protect our freedom, especially our religious liberty, as well as respect the human right to conscientious objection, and that we will be courageous in always defending the freedom to put our Catholic faith into practice without fear.”
“This is an age when we need great courage—courage to stand up for the Truth, even when we are not understood, or persecuted when we are understood. We need to be strong in the face of evil.”
Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. welcomed the appointment, saying “Archbishop Pierre is recognized for his distinguished diplomatic career and service to the Church. I look forward to welcoming him to this archdiocese where he will make his home as he carries out his responsibilities across the country.”
Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput echoed this welcome, saying, “Throughout his many years of service to the Church, Archbishop Pierre has displayed a strong sense of just diplomacy. Previously, he served as Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti, Uganda, and Mexico. His broad experience will greatly benefit the Church in the United States.”
“I also want to express my deep gratitude to Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, now retiring from his diplomatic duties,” Archbishop Chaput continued.
“Throughout his time as Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Vigano worked zealously for the spiritual welfare of Catholics and many other good people in our country. I am particularly thankful for his personal friendship and invaluable assistance as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia prepared for the World Meeting of Families and the visit of our Holy Father last year.”
By Junno Arocho EstevesVATICANCITY (CNS) -- Christians must beware of a "polite" persecution that is cloaked in a disguiseof "culture, modernity and progress," Pope Francis said. Thosewho suffer this kind of persecution are not persecuted "for confessingChrist's name, but for wanting to have and manifesting the values of the son ofGod," he said April 12 during the Mass inthe chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae."We see every day that thepowerful make laws that force them to go on this path, and a nation that does not follow thesemodern, cultured laws, or at least does not have them in their legislation, are accused (and) arepolitely persecuted," he said.Theday's reading from the Acts of the Apostles (7:51-8:1) recalled the martyrdomof St. Stephen, who was stoned to death after firmly rebuking the scribes andelders who "always oppose the Holy Spirit."Thepope said that persecution is "the church's daily bread" and that today,there are "everyday men and women" who are martyred for the ...
By Junno Arocho Esteves
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christians must beware of a "polite" persecution that is cloaked in a disguise of "culture, modernity and progress," Pope Francis said.
Those who suffer this kind of persecution are not persecuted "for confessing Christ's name, but for wanting to have and manifesting the values of the son of God," he said April 12 during the Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
"We see every day that the powerful make laws that force them to go on this path, and a nation that does not follow these modern, cultured laws, or at least does not have them in their legislation, are accused (and) are politely persecuted," he said.
The day's reading from the Acts of the Apostles (7:51-8:1) recalled the martyrdom of St. Stephen, who was stoned to death after firmly rebuking the scribes and elders who "always oppose the Holy Spirit."
The pope said that persecution is "the church's daily bread" and that today, there are "everyday men and women" who are martyred for the faith.
"Only three weeks ago, those Christians celebrating Easter in Pakistan were martyred precisely because they were celebrating the risen Christ. And like so, the history of the church goes forward with its martyrs," the pope said.
However, he added, there is also a "polite" persecution that "takes away from man and woman their freedom, as well as their right to conscientious objection."
"Jesus has named the head of this 'polite' persecution: the prince of this world. And when the powerful want to impose behaviors, laws against the dignity of the son of God, they persecute them and go against God the Creator. It is the great apostasy," the pope said.
Pope Francis said that although Christians are besieged by persecution, Jesus will always remain close.
"The Lord has promised that he will not be far from us: 'Beware, beware! Do not fall for the spirit of the world. Beware! But go forward, I will be with you,'" he said.
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IMAGE: CNS photo/Stoyan Nenov, ReutersBy Cindy WoodenVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' trip to Lesbos, Greece,April 16 comes at a frightening and critical time for tens of thousands ofrefugees and migrants waiting and wondering where they will end up, saidmembers of Catholic aid agencies.Maristella Tsamatropoulou, spokeswoman for Caritas Hellas, theCatholic charity in Greece, said when rumors started swirling that Pope Franciswould join Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople on avisit to refugees, "we believed it immediately because our pope isspontaneous; he's a force of nature."Last October, when several thousand refugees from Syria,Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries were passing through Greece on their wayto other parts of Europe, Caritas Hellas had five paid employees. Now thenumber of refugees and migrants has grown and the borders with other European countrieshave been closed to them. In response, the paid staff at the Caritas centraloffice in Athens has grow...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Stoyan Nenov, Reuters
By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' trip to Lesbos, Greece, April 16 comes at a frightening and critical time for tens of thousands of refugees and migrants waiting and wondering where they will end up, said members of Catholic aid agencies.
Maristella Tsamatropoulou, spokeswoman for Caritas Hellas, the Catholic charity in Greece, said when rumors started swirling that Pope Francis would join Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople on a visit to refugees, "we believed it immediately because our pope is spontaneous; he's a force of nature."
Last October, when several thousand refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries were passing through Greece on their way to other parts of Europe, Caritas Hellas had five paid employees. Now the number of refugees and migrants has grown and the borders with other European countries have been closed to them. In response, the paid staff at the Caritas central office in Athens has grown to 15 people and there are 40 other employees around the country, including in Lesbos.
Among the migrants and refugees, Tsamatropoulou said, "the terror is immense." The northern border with Macedonia closed in February, and the European Union and Turkey signed an agreement to forcibly return to Turkey those not applying for asylum in Greece. The agreement went into effect March 20.
What was a transit center in Idomeni, on the border with Macedonia, has become a muddy encampment of more than 11,000 people hoping and praying the border will open. The Caritas spokeswoman said the Greek government keeps saying it will close the Idomeni camp, "and we fear it won't be peaceful."
Already impatient refugees, stuck on a field never meant to serve as a camp, occasionally try to force guards on both sides to let them pass into Macedonia. They are pushed back, including by the use of water cannons or tear gas.
Tsamatropoulou said staff from Caritas and the other aid agencies continue trying to convince the people at Idomeni to go to one of the smaller, organized refugee centers set up by the Greek government. Conditions are better there, she said; at least there are hot meals. But the migrants and refugees at Idomeni can see the border and are certain that it will open eventually. They want to be the first ones across.
The scene in Lesbos had changed dramatically as well, she said. Prior to March 20, when the Turkey-EU agreement went into effect, the migrants and refugees were more or less free to come and go. Now, many of them are in what amounts to detention centers.
Jesuit Refugee Service, which also operates in Lesbos and other parts of Greece, issued a statement April 12 saying Pope Francis' visit "could not come at a more critical time." JRS believes the Turkey-EU agreement "violates the international law and the principle of 'non-refoulement' or not pushing back people in need of protection."
More than 150,000 refugees and migrants have arrived to Greece so far in 2016, JRS said, and more than half of them reached the country by arriving in Lesbos. In addition, "the U.N. refugee agency has announced more than 22,000 unaccompanied minors are stuck in Greece and facing an uncertain future of possible violence and exploitation," the statement added.
"During a time when pushbacks are seemingly the solution being put forward by the EU, we hope the pope's visit is not just a symbol of hope for refugees, but a concrete push for the Greek government and other European states to actualize those hopes," said Jesuit Father Thomas H. Smolich, JRS international director.
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Follow Wooden on Twitter: @Cindy_Wooden.
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Copyright © 2016 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.
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