Agenzia Fides REPORT - A number of women religious have been attacked in the Archdiocese of Kananga in relation to the tense atmosphere in which presidential elections were held (see Fides 30/11/2011). This was denounced by the Archbishop, His Exc. Mgr. Marcel Madila, in a statement sent to Fides. "Attacks and hostile acts against our women religious took place in Buena Mutu, Malole, at Katoka, in Bena Leka and other places", said Mgr.Madila.
According to the reconstruction of the Archbishop, "everything started in the school complex in Buena Muntu, where a nun of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, the school’s headmistress, had been accused of being complicit in an attempt to electoral fraud in favor of a presidential candidate. The nun was beaten and kidnapped, her life was saved only because the police intervened ".
This episode, yet to be clarified, caused a series of assaults on religious personnel in different areas of the Archdiocese. Episodes that seem related to the electoral tensions. In Katoka II (a town of Kananga), two diocesan sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Kananga, calmly waiting to vote, were attacked and hit, they were even ready to burn them alive, just because the polling station had not opened its doors at the scheduled time", reports Mgr.Madila, denouncing other serious attacks against the women religious of the Archdiocese.
"In town, there are threats and insults against the women religious and the Church's image is badly tarnished only on the basis of mere suspicion. At this stage of our investigations, there are no reasons why our women religious or Church are accused of complicity in attempted electoral fraud", said the Archbishop of Kananga. "At the same time, I declare with the same firmness that any, priest, man or woman religious, guilty of such crimes will be punished according to the canon law of the Church", says Mgr.Madila who underlines that the Church does not take an active part in political life.
The Archbishop concludes by calling on the population, in particular young people, not to give heed to the false news and free accusations and do not allow to be manipulated "by those who want to destroy your future". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 02/12/2011)
According to the reconstruction of the Archbishop, "everything started in the school complex in Buena Muntu, where a nun of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, the school’s headmistress, had been accused of being complicit in an attempt to electoral fraud in favor of a presidential candidate. The nun was beaten and kidnapped, her life was saved only because the police intervened ".
This episode, yet to be clarified, caused a series of assaults on religious personnel in different areas of the Archdiocese. Episodes that seem related to the electoral tensions. In Katoka II (a town of Kananga), two diocesan sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Kananga, calmly waiting to vote, were attacked and hit, they were even ready to burn them alive, just because the polling station had not opened its doors at the scheduled time", reports Mgr.Madila, denouncing other serious attacks against the women religious of the Archdiocese.
"In town, there are threats and insults against the women religious and the Church's image is badly tarnished only on the basis of mere suspicion. At this stage of our investigations, there are no reasons why our women religious or Church are accused of complicity in attempted electoral fraud", said the Archbishop of Kananga. "At the same time, I declare with the same firmness that any, priest, man or woman religious, guilty of such crimes will be punished according to the canon law of the Church", says Mgr.Madila who underlines that the Church does not take an active part in political life.
The Archbishop concludes by calling on the population, in particular young people, not to give heed to the false news and free accusations and do not allow to be manipulated "by those who want to destroy your future". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 02/12/2011)
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