AFRICA/CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - Special Mass for peace at Bangui Carmel hosting 4,000 refugees

Thursday, 4 December 2014

Bangui (Agenzia Fides) – For a year now, since 5 December 2013, following disorder in various districts of Bangui, we have welcomed thousands of displaced persons to our Friary. Many – about 4,000 – are still with us. The present improved situation is still very precarious. With this in mind on Friday December 5 with our refugees we will celebrate a special Mass at 3.15 pm” Fides learned from Discalced Carmelite missionary Fr. Federico Trinchero, at Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Friary in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic. The Friary is still hosting thousands of homeless families fleeing violence and clashes between former Seleka rebels and Antibalaka militia (see Fides 6/5/2014).
With a national unity government in place and the arrival of international peacekeepers, the situation has improved, but peace remains precarious. “During the Mass - Fr. Federico tells Fides - “we will implore God for the gift of peace and authentic reconciliation for the whole of the Central Africa. We will pray for the conversion of hearts and minds. We will remember the thousands killed in these two years of war. We will pray for all the innocent victims, Christians and Muslims, for the Antibalaka and the Seleka. We will pray for our refugees whom we have known and loved and who are dead: elderly people, young people, children”.
“We will pray – the missionary continues – for all those killed, French soldiers, military from other parts of the world and humanitarian workers who gave their lives to restore peace in Central Africa. We will pray for those who govern our country today and those who will govern us in the future”.
“We will pray for all those who have helped us and who continue to do so with prayers, friendship and generosity. And we will offer thanks to God for all the children born here at the Carmel and for protecting us from harm” concludes Fr. Federico. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 4/12/2014)


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