Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – "We are still living in a post-war era following the conclusion (8 years ago) of the terrible war of 1992-2002," Fides was told by Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles, Archbishop of Freetown and Bo, Sierra Leone, in Rome for the Seminar for newly appointed bishops organized by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (see Fides 9/6/2010).
"We are still undergoing the process of rehabilitation of persons and structures in the country. The work of the Church is recovering gradually. The upcoming erection of a new diocese shows the vitality of the local Church. The new diocese will be formed by the separation of the Archdiocese of Freetown from the city of Bo. I am the Archbishop of both cities. Bo will soon be separated from Freetown and will become its own diocese."
Regarding the timing for the formation of the new diocese Archbishop Charles said: “We have sent the paper work to the Vatican. We are praying that the various procedures are completed. In particular, we hope that the new territory of the diocese will be determined and that the bishop will be appointed. Then, each area will be able to reorganize itself, towards a new impetus for evangelization.”
As for the social environment, Archbishop Charles said: "We enjoy a certain stability and the disarmament process is going well. We have very few cases of armed robbery. People's lives, however, are difficult. The global economic downturn has affected everyone, but in countries such as Sierra Leone it has had drastic consequences. In a country like ours, much of the population depends on expatriates' remittances from North America and Western Europe. Due to the global economic crisis, many of Sierra Leone's migrants have lost their jobs and are unable to send family members part of their salary. In addition, there is the rise in food prices and high unemployment among young people. This finding is worrying because in a country that is just emerging from civil war there is still a chance that the conflict will explode. The large number of unemployed youth would be the first to be recruited into the militias."
The Archbishop of Freetown and Bo expresses concern for the drug trafficking phenomenon that is sweeping West Africa.
"In recent years, West Africa has been increasingly used as a transit point for South American cocaine into Europe," recalls Archbishop Charles. "Two years ago, a stir was aroused with the seizure of a cargo of 600 kilograms of cocaine on a plane coming in from somewhere in Latin America that landed at the international airport in Freetown. The Regional Association of West African Bishops' Conferences, we are worried about this phenomenon, not so much because of any drug use by our citizens (because economic conditions do not permit it), but for the increase in corruption and, ultimately, the outbreak of violent conflicts among drug traffickers. The local cocaine market is very limited, however the consumption of marijuana, a locally grown drug, is on the rise. The police have seized various amounts, even truckloads. The young unemployed are the largest consumers. Fortunately, however, at least for now it is not yet a national emergency. As a Pastor, I am very concerned about the high rate of youth unemployment," concluded Archbishop Charles. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 09/14/2010)
