Agenzia Fides REPORT - “Yesterday, 4 March, There were some clashes in the mosque after prayers in central Tripoli, but the city is well guarded,” said Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli, Libya, to Fides. “The situation is very uncertain and for the moment anything is possible. In my view, the international embargo and threats will unlikely convince the Libyan authorities to surrender. Perhaps I am an idealist, but I still believe in the possibility of dialogue to find a way out. I realise that it is not easy in this context, because now we have gone beyond the limits of violence.”
Bishop Martinelli describes the situation of the Catholic community: “Every Friday we celebrate Mass in three or four different languages: English, Tagalog and Korean. Yesterday, as a precaution, we celebrated just one, with a hundred of the faithful, mostly Africans and Filipinos. We celebrated Mass to instil hope in these people who are forced to remain, especially for Filipino women who work in hospitals and are really very courageous. From the Mass they gain new energy to continue doing their duty, just like the Africans, working in manual labour, and who are very faithful to the Church.”
“Every day we celebrate Mass at one of the centres where the sisters of one of the four religious communities operating in Tripoli work. We celebrate Mass in a health clinic where the Filipinos are working, because it is difficult for them to leave the centres due to the amount of work,” continues the Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli.
“Father Sandro, who has long been responsible for monitoring the Eritrean refugees, was able to return to Tripoli fortunately, by an airliner from Malta. So we are continuing with the registration of these people, in order to have verifiable documents to be presented to the competent bodies. We hope that some countries will take responsibility for the fate of these people,” concluded Bishop Martinelli.
Bishop Martinelli describes the situation of the Catholic community: “Every Friday we celebrate Mass in three or four different languages: English, Tagalog and Korean. Yesterday, as a precaution, we celebrated just one, with a hundred of the faithful, mostly Africans and Filipinos. We celebrated Mass to instil hope in these people who are forced to remain, especially for Filipino women who work in hospitals and are really very courageous. From the Mass they gain new energy to continue doing their duty, just like the Africans, working in manual labour, and who are very faithful to the Church.”
“Every day we celebrate Mass at one of the centres where the sisters of one of the four religious communities operating in Tripoli work. We celebrate Mass in a health clinic where the Filipinos are working, because it is difficult for them to leave the centres due to the amount of work,” continues the Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli.
“Father Sandro, who has long been responsible for monitoring the Eritrean refugees, was able to return to Tripoli fortunately, by an airliner from Malta. So we are continuing with the registration of these people, in order to have verifiable documents to be presented to the competent bodies. We hope that some countries will take responsibility for the fate of these people,” concluded Bishop Martinelli.
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