Taking care of the world
It is one
of the first times, since I have been in Central Africa, that there has been a
reversal of global issues! In general, it is the rest of the world that worries
about us, however, recently it is we who are concerned about the rest of the
world. The coronavirus crisis is bringing countries and continents to a halt,
killing people, and severely affecting many people.
As we think
about our families, our friends all over the world, we realize how fragile we
are, but also how connected we are.
In Central
Africa there seems to be only one case, for now.
But the
concern is great: if the virus arrives here, it will be a very serious thing!
There is only one lab that can carry out the test, and it is in Bangui, the
capital. There are practically no resuscitation facilities, and no possibility
of respiratory assistance. Containment measures are very difficult, in a
country where you don't live in a home, but rather outside ...
In these
days there has been no lack of prayer, or sympathy and the conviction of living
a very difficult moment. This morning Bozoum Radio, "la Voix de
Koyale" broadcast the Italian anthem as a sign of solidarity and sympathy.
Here a small video:
Last week
we gathered moment with the other priests of the diocese to have a moment of
prayer.
On Monday I
went down to Bangui to accompany Alban, a young Belgian who spent two months
with us. Once in Bangui, we were told that the Air France flight, scheduled for
the afternoon, was canceled! We managed to find a flight for the following day
to Douala, Cameroon, with the hope of leaving for Paris or Brussels in the
evening. Tuesday morning, at 5, the flight to Brussels appeared to have been
canceled, but then it reappeared on the schedule and Alban left. In Douala, where he had to
spend the whole day, I found a friend who welcomed him, and brought him back to
the airport in the evening.
Finally, a
few hours later, he managed to leave for Europe.
In the
meantime I returned to Bozoum, passing through Baoro and Bouar. It was almost
600 km, along the way I found two cows who decided to sit on a bridge, and
there was no way to make them get up and move.
After twenty minutes they decided they were ready and got up.
I
kept going, slowly, up to the house, like everyone else
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