Democratic Republic Congo: Catholic Church Under Fire
Churches, convents, schools, priests and bishops are under threat by violent youth groups and by militias – all protected by powerful people. In the capital Kinshasa there are groups of youths, called koluna, who are trained in aggression and violence. They are protected by powerful people. Father Julien Wato, the Dominican priest of Saint Dominic’s […]
South Sudan: Witnesses Of Hope
Four years of war have deeply affected the women and children of South Sudan. A Comboni Sister tells of her journey at their side. The newest nation on the planet has not yet found peace. A clash in the capital Juba in December 2013, between the followers of Rick Macker of the Nuer tribe and […]
Kenya: Life in Turkana
The Turkana are a Nilotic people native to the Turkana District in northwest Kenya. The Turkana refer to themselves as “Ngiturkan” and their land as “Eturkan”. We look at some aspects of their life. The climate is hot and dry for the most part of the year. The average rainfall is about 300-400mm, declining to […]
Kenya: Fears Before The General Elections
Religious leaders from different faiths in Kenya have urged security agencies to enforce security coverage for all Kenyans noting that the strongest threat to credible, peaceful, free and fair elections is the compromise of peace and security. Expressing worries at the rising number of violent attacks on citizens in different parts of the country such […]
Chad: A Young But Vital Church
The Catholic Church is one of the youngest in Africa. This year, Comboni Missionaries mark 40th their presence in the country. The Church in Chad has a much shorter history than any other in Africa. It was only in 1928 that the first Catholic priest, Fr. René Calloc’h of the Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans) set […]
Kenya: “They Go Where Nobody Else Wants To Go”
Bishop Dominic Kimengich of Lodwar diocese in the north east of Kenya talks about his experience with Comboni Missionaries. “I find myself with great admiration and a sense of gratitude that they have been here for many years and it is my prayer that they will continue to be here for many more years to […]
Iran: Christian Communities In Danger Of Extinction
Chaldeans, Armenians, Catholics: the small group of Christians in Iran continues to follow their own traditions. While the law protects them, at the same time it imposes severe restrictions. An uncertain future. Before the 1979 Islamic revolution, Christians in Iran were 300 thousand out of a population of 42 million. Today they are 70,000 out […]
Asia: Unity Amidst Diversity
The Asian Youth Day (AYD), a major event of Asia’s Catholic Church, is taking centre stage in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Some 3,000 young people from 29 Asian countries are expected to gather in the Javanese city, from the 20th July to the 9th August 2017, for the youth meeting on the theme,”Joyful Asian Youth: Living the […]
The Fourth Consecutive Year: 100,000 Migrants Cross Mediterranean Sea
The latest report of U.N. Migration Agency (IOM) revealed more than 100,000 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea until the 3rd July and 2,247 deaths have been reported. The report, published on Tuesday, said a total of 101,210 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea, with 85 percent arriving in Italy while the rest […]
Central African Republic: Comboni Missionary As New Auxiliary Bishop Of The Diocese Of Bangassou
Pope Francis has appointed Father Jesús Ruiz Molina, a Comboni missionary as Auxiliary Bishop of the diocese of Bangassou, Central African Republic. He was assigned the seat of the titular Bishopric of Are in Mauritania. The new Bishop was born on January 23rd, 1959 in La Cueva de Roa, in the Diocese of Burgos – […]