Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Cabinda (Fides Service)- “I am still alive although I was struck violently on the head several times but without serious consequences thank God” Bishop Eugenio Dal Corso of Saurimo in northern Angola, who is also Administrator Apostolic of Cabinda told Fides. The Bishop was attacked on July 18 in the sacresty of the parish church of the Immaculate Conception in Cabinda. Fides received news of the serious episode only today.
Bishop Dal Corso said “Despite the attack I will stay and carry on the mission in the diocese of Cabinda entrusted to me by the Church”. Mons. Dal Corso arrived in Cabinda on Thursday 14 July for his installation as Apostolic Administrator pending the arrival of the new Bishop Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias, until now Auxiliary Bishop in Luanda.
Local sources told Fides that on Monday 18 July Bishop Dal Corso was preparing to celebrate Mass at the parish church of the Immaculate Conception. He was in the sacresty with the parish priest and had just put on his vestments when some young men burst into the room crying “Where there is no peace there can be no Mass”, and they beat and kicked the Bishop who fell to the floor.
“What is perplexing is that no one intervened to rescue the Bishop except for one boy” the sources told Fides. “It was only when the attackers had gone that someone helped the Bishop to his feet and took him to hospital where the doctors found he had a number of bruises and a sprained hand”.
“The doctors wanted to keep me in hospital but I said that after medication I would prefer to return to the Bishop’s House to give a sign of encouragement to the people” the Bishop told Fides.
According to local sources “there were ethnic, religious and poltical motives behind the attack. However the police are investigating the incident”.
All Angola was shocked by the attack on Bishop Dal Corso. In a public statement the Bishops’ Conference of Angola and Sao Tome expressed “profound indignation at the sad news of physical aggression on the person of Bishop Eugenio Dal Corso”. The Bishops’ Conference organised a Mass of reparation and solidarity the same evening, on July 18, at St Paul’s Church in Luanda. The papal nuncio in Angola, Archbishop Angelo Becciu visited Bishop Dal Corso and expressed his personal concern and closeness and that of the the Holy See.
Cabinda is an Angolan enclave of 7,270sq km, situated 60 km away from the rest of Angola wedged in between the Republic of Congo and Democratic Congo. It has a population of about 250,000 including 100,000 locals and the rest refugees from the bordering countries. An armed independence movement has operated in the enclave for decades. Oil is the main stake in the battle. In fact the enclave also called Africa’s Kuwait has two thirds of Angola’s oil reserves. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 21/7/2005 righe 36 parole 431)
