A long preparation – then all the savings lost to the hands of smugglers. A dream that ended in the sand of the desert. Idrissa, 26, is sitting on a bed at the migrant centre in Niamey. The heat is oppressive. He looks out the window; he can hear noises from the street. Thoughts run through […]
Niger: Migrants’ Dreams Buried in the Sand Read More »
A community of 40 nuns from different nationalities; a melting pot of faith and prayers, where priests, religious and lay people can find the Benedictine monastic spirituality embodied in the African culture. In 1960, seven French nuns of Notre-Dame des Gardes arrived at the Apostolic Prefecture of Parakou, which was founded in 1948 in the
The Abbey of Étoile Notre-Dame, Benin: The Faces of Hope Read More »
The Japanese religions may be compared to a multi-coloured tapestry depicting diverse traditions with a history going back almost two thousand years — a journey towards others and towards nature. Japanese religious culture is composed mainly of Shintoism and Buddhism, both influenced by Confucian ideas and values and, to a lesser extent, by western Christianity. Historically,
Japan: The Way of the Kami Read More »
Having known Mother Teresa very well over a period of four decades, what has impressed me the most has been her visible sense of compassion, self-forgetful attention to others, bubbling enthusiasm, and unfailing resilience in the face of difficulties. I first met Mother Teresa as a young seminarian, in 1958 at Bandel Church. Her work was
India: Mother Teresa, A Message For Our Times Read More »
The world view of the Ashanti community is reflected in the ancestral worship ceremonies which are performed to ask the deceased for protection, and in those ceremonies that are held to pay tribute to the king. These ceremonies are held to reaffirm individuals’ membership to the group, and the Adae Kese festival is one of them.
Ghana: Ancestor Veneration Read More »
Being a missionary in Dijbouti means seeking a dialogue with Islam and being confronted with the situation of the migrants and refugees in the country. Djibouti is often quoted in the press because of its strategic and military relevance or, more recently, for its ambitions as a potential commercial and economic gateway for both Africa
Dijbouti: The Witness Presence Read More »
The market is a world in miniature, not just because of the infinity of goods but because of the amount of people who go there. The market is a melting pot of races, cultures, languages, traditions, and religious rites. The market has a bit of everything – fruit and vegetables, rice, baby food, galoshes, vermicelli and pumpkins, as
Bolivia: Market Theology Read More »
The World Social Forum (WSF) is one of the most important successes of Pope Paul VI, the “New Areopagus” of evangelisation. This year, the 12th edition of the WSF took place from 9-14 August in Montreal, Canada. A group of Comboni Missionaries attended and tell us about their experience here. The date and place of this year’s WSF brought with it
Advocacy at the Core of Civil Society Read More »
In Africa, there are a large number of languages, around 2,000, which makes up 30% of the languages spoken in the world. African languages have been classified in various ways. A generally accepted classification defines four main groups of interrelated languages. Afro-Asian This group covers about 200 languages, with some 175 million speakers. It is
African Languages in a Time of Globalisation Read More »
Paika is a rural community of the Miao minority in the hilly Guizhou Province of south-western China. In the local language, the name refers to this mountain village, which produces the Lusheng, a reed instrument. The village, with no more than one hundred houses, has been known around the province for its Lusheng production over
China: The Sound Among the Mountains Read More »
