AFRICA/LIBYA-"A truce is necessary for the the civilian population to breathe again, " said Bishop Martinelli

Saturday, 14 May 2011

Tripoli (Agenzia Fides) - "I repeat that I have never said that Gaddafi has been injured, or gone abroad, " Archbishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli says to Fides, referring to some news released by the international press about this. " My position has been communicated in a letter to the Italian Foreign Ministry - says Archbishop Martinelli - in which I also hope that the Italian government implements a truce, as requested also by the Holy Father and the United Nations" .
Archbishop Martinelli said that "yesterday, in Marsa Brega, 16 people died and several were killed in other parts of Tripoli. The bombs are still claiming victims. A truce seems appropriate to help the civilians breathe again. Even last night there were several bombings, the strongest we heard around 3a.m. They do not allow us to sleep”. "With regards to the Church - Archbishop Martinelli continues - we are still respected, and even foreigners are. We conduct our regular religious services on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Yesterday there was a good participation of the faithful to mass. In prayer, we invoke the grace of peace and reconciliation. Certainly on one side and on the other there are sins to be forgiven, but you cannot forgive by throwing bombs, " concludes the Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/05/2011)


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