Central African Republic: “We are continuously under LRA attack, but nobody talks about it”
Monsignor Juan José Aguirre Muños is Bishop of Bangassou, in the south-east of the Central African Republic. He has recently denounced the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a guerrilla group of Ugandan origin which has wreaked havoc on the area for years. In recent weeks, the LRA has intensified its attacks against civilians, causing the Comboni […]
Peru: Paths of Hope
A small Comboni Missionary community lives and works among the poorest and neediest people on the outskirts of Lima, the Peruvian capital. They share their experiences. Pamplona Alta, on the outskirts of Lima, is home to 30,000 people. The history of this particular shanty town dates back to the night of December 31, 1999, when […]
Mexico: Priests under Threat from Drug Cartels
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Mexico between February 12-17. In addition to visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Mexico City, Francis will also travel to Ciudad Juárez on the US border, and to Chiapas, one of the poorest regions in the country. Many priests in Mexico are subjected to threats and […]
Another Comboni Missionary Becomes a Bishop
The Holy Father has nominated Comboni Father Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, as Titular Bishop of Luperciana. Father Ayuso Guixot was born in Seville, Spain, on June 17th 1952. He took his final vows in the Institute of the Comboni Missionaries on May 2nd, 1980, and was ordained […]
Central Africa: “Even the LRA rebels respect Pope Francis”
On January 21st, St. Andrew parish in Bakouma, southeast Central African Republic, was attacked by a group of LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) rebels, a formation of Ugandan origin that has been spreading terror in the Central African Republic for years. The LRA received widespread international attention a few years ago, when film maker Jason Russell […]
South Sudan’s Wounded Church Has Not Lost Hope
Not even religious buildings have been spared from the destruction of the war which broke out two years ago in South Sudan. As the ceasefire between government and rebels teeters, the missionaries continue to stand by the population: “God will not abandon us”. Months of negotiations and nine separate signed agreements have not been enough […]
South Sudan: The Catholic Radio Network
The Catholic Radio Network, with its nine radio stations, reaches out to the people of South Sudan and the Nuba Mountains, acting as a means of communication and information that builds peace and reconciliation. The Catholic Radio Network (CRN) is a vocal communication hub in the youngest nation of the world: the Republic of South […]
Human Life, a Gift of God the Creator
Extremism and fundamentalism find fertile ground not only in the exploitation of religion for purposes of power, but also in the vacuum of ideals and the loss of identity. The First Arab Thinkers Forum, “Interreligious Dialogue and Extremism: reasons and remedies”, was held between 17-18 January at the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research […]
United States: Bishops Call for an End to the Expulsion of Illegal Immigrants
The Episcopal Conference of the United States recently asked the government to end deportation raids of Central American families without valid documents. The Committee for Migration of the Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) have expressed “great concern” for the detention and deportation of 121 Central Americans – primarily mothers […]
Democratic Republic of Congo: Mission in the Forest
Mexican Comboni Brother Juan Carlos Salgado is a doctor and has been working in Africa for the past 16 years. We ask him to share his experiences with us. I am working at the mission hospital in Mungbere in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Lots of people come to us from far off places […]
