AFRICA/LIBYA-"The Church has become the reference point for the foreign community deprived of an embassy, " said Bishop Martinelli from Tripoli

Tripoli (Agenzia Fides) - "We spent a very calm and silent night. Maybe there was a moment of reflection by those who bomb " Archbishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli says to Fides. "I appreciated the position taken by those who have spoken about putting an end to the bombing and for a peaceful solution to the crisis," he confirms. The Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli says that the life of the Catholic community of the Libyan capital continues, despite the difficulties. "Yesterday we celebrated two Masses and the church was full, including Filipinos and Africans. This makes us feel that our presence in Tripoli is not useless, because we offer encouragement to other communities that no longer have an embassy to turn to. The Church has therefore become a place of reference both for the Christian community as for the various national groups, " concluded Bishop Martinelli. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 05/07/2011)