Bishop Sithembele Sipuka South African bishops call for an end to violence and looting
Catholic bishops in South Africa have called for an end to violence and looting that has led to the deaths of 72 people.
People were trampled to death this week amid looting and rioting in the streets of two South African provinces, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, where violence broke out following the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma.
The South African Bishop Sithembele Sipuka issued a statement on behalf of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) on July 13 condemning the violence.
Protestors have right to express grievances, say Cuban religious
The Conference of Catholic Religious in Cuba is supporting the “legitimate and universal right” of Cubans to express grievances with the government in an “orderly and peaceful way in public”.
Public space, the conference’s board of directors said, “is not the monopoly or privilege of any particular ideological group”.
The expressed support was one of five areas addressed in a message sent July 13 to members of religious communities in Cuba from the directors, who represent men and women religious in the Caribbean nation.
Saying they are “in communion” with the Catholic bishops of Cuba regarding protests that erupted July 11 in cities across the country, the religious leaders explained that “we cannot close our eyes or look the other way, as if nothing were happening”.
Oblates of Mary apologise in response to indigenous schools reports
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate had significant responsibility for operating residential schools for Canada’s First Nations and other indigenous people.
With the rediscovery of graves at these school grounds and renewed focus on the role of the schools in advancing government policies of forced assimilation, the Oblates have apologised for their historical involvement and have pledged to do more to help identify the remains of any children who died there.
“We were wrong. We should have investigated what was said. Our deafness contributed to the suffering that many have experienced and to the anger that many are expressing,” said a Q&A on the website of the Lacombe Canada Oblates, responding to the question of why claims about graves were not taken seriously.
Catholic priest in Nigeria who escaped nine-day captivity ‘responding well to medication’
Fr Elijah Juma Wada, a priest of the Diocese of Maiduguri who was abducted June 30 and held for nine days, is “generally responding well to medication”, according to the diocese’s secretary.
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents abducted Fr Elijah Juma Wada along Damboa Maiduguri road in Borno state, a day after he had left his parish, St Paul’s in Buma, where he is the Father in Charge.
Fr John Bakeni, Secretary of the Maiduguri diocese, told ACI Africa July 13 that “Fr Juma regained his freedom on Thursday (July 8) last week after he escaped from his captors”.
“We thank God for his faithfulness. Our God is alive and on the throne. He will never disappoint us especially in critical times,” Fr Bakeni said.