Paralyzed

 

 

Paralyzed
A few weeks ago, the bishops of Central Africa published a very beautiful message. Amidst the situation of war and tensions, which we are experiencing, the word of the Bishops is practically the only one taken somewhat seriously and constructively.

In this message, the bishop started with a reading from the Gospel of Luke. While Jesus was surrounded by the crowd, 4 people arrived with a paralyzed man on a stretcher.  They couldn't get to Jesus, who was in the house. Their trust in Jesus was so great that they got up on the roof, uncovered a piece of it and dropped the stretcher in front of Jesus. Who, naturally and in the face of so much faith, healed him.

The Bishops see in the paralyzed man an image of Central Africa, which is unable to rise, and which needs the courage and faith of all to rise again. For those who would like to take a look, here is the message from the bishops: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zcbgp1u8toz8z5x/Message%20des%20Ev%C3%AAques%20-%20Janvier%202021.pdf?dl=0

In recent weeks the situation has not changed and is still very serious. Today, Thursday, January,28th  I had planned to go to Bouar but right before leaving, they informed me of probable clashes between the army and armed groups, and I had to cancel my trip.

Unfortunately, the number of refugees in the churches and the convents continues to increase, and the situation is likely to last for a long time, because no one wants to take a step back and very few put the common good before their own interests.

Even today, from Bouar, they told me that the number of refugees continues to increase. There are now more than 17,000! Thank God there are still some that try to do something good, but thanks also to all those who are taking action, in Central Africa and in the world, to lend a hand. It is true that man can be very bad, but, thank God, he can also be very good!

Even here in Baoro the situation remains tense. Some semi-rebels have set up barriers on 3 roads to the entrance to the city. They too, like the police in "normal" times, say they do it for the safety of the city. In reality, like the police in "normal" times, they do it to ask for money.

Last Friday I was invited to a meeting with the (few) remaining authorities. The themes of the meeting were: the reopening of schools and the elimination of barriers. Also present were representatives of the semi-rebels, who finally seemed to accept some form of communication. But in the following days the barriers were still here ...

The schools instead reopened, although with much caution.  In the city there are students, but many of the teachers are absent. In the villages, however, teachers are present, but there are very few children (due to fear, but also due to the dry season).

So we resume the work of mediating, even with the religious leaders of the city. On Tuesday we met with Catholics, Protestants and Muslims, and we shared concerns about the situation. Let us pray, work and plan for a moment of prayer on Sunday, January 31, right in the center of Baoro. We will pray for Peace and for the country.

We don't want to be paralyzed forever!

 

Formazione dei Catechisti
Formation des catéchistes

Convento dei Carmelitani - Saint Elie Bouar
Couvent des Carmes - Saint Elie Bouar

Barriera illegale
Barrière illégale

Convento dei Cappuccini - Saint Laurent Bouar
Couvent des Capucins - Saint Laurent Bouar

 

 

The cry of 6,400 people, actually of 14,000. Rather…

 

The cry of 6,400 people, actually of 14,000. Rather…

Last Friday I went to Bouar.

60km with no cars or trucks on the road. Upon arriving in Bouar, I found a few soldiers near their camp (and I hoped they were regular soldiers, because they were dressed and armed in the most diverse ways). I passed into the city center (where all the shops were closed) and arrived at the Cathedral. Here there were about 3,000 people who fled their homes (because the rebels were scattered throughout the various neighborhoods).

Rebel militias faced the army, and as always, it was the poor people who lost out! In Africa it has been said that when 2 elephants fight, it is the grass that gets crushed.

Many people left their homes and reached various churches and convents: the Cathedral, the parish of Fatima, the Capuchin convent of St. Laurent and that of the Carmelites of St. Elie.

The issue is serious, also because on Sunday January 17th there were other fights, and the number of refugees doubled, from 6,400 to more than 14,000 people!

Some UN bodies and agencies have been working hard, but the situation has been very difficult: we need to think about water, hygiene, sanitation, food, weather, and the wave of children who make up most of the refugees.

Being Caritas, we organize ourselves to do what we can. Many friends are working hard to support us, organizations (more sisters than friends now!) are helping us: Caritas Germany, Caritas Internationalis, Siriri.org. Here is the first intervention program:

Area	Product	Unit	Quantity	Unit Price	Total	Euros
Food	Rice	kg	6000	420	2.520.000	€ 3.847
Food	Oil	litres	40	25.000	1.000.000	€ 1.527
Food	Boullion	bags	500	1.000	500.000	€ 763
Food	Coffee	bags	4000	200	800.000	€ 1.221
Food	Sugar	kg	2000	1.000	2.000.000	€ 3.053
Hygiene	Bleach	litres	100	1.000	100.000	€ 153
Hygiene	Gloves	boxes	20	4.500	90.000	€ 137
Health	Masks	boxes	20	8.000	160.000	€ 244
Health	Soap	cartons	50	20.000	1.000.000	€ 1.527
Health	Paracetamol (acetaminophen)	boxes 1000	20	7.000	140.000	€ 214
Health	Coartem (for Malaria)	package	50	7.300	365.000	€ 557
Health	Loperamide	boxes 1000	20	7.000	140.000	€ 214
Hygiene	Building of Sanitation Centers	Units	20	50.000	1.000.000	€ 1.527
					9.815.000	€ 14.985

On Tuesday I left for Bozoum, to finalize the purchase of 6 tons of rice. We prefer to buy locally produced rice, so as to lend a hand to the local economy, which has been greatly affected by this war.

In Bozoum the situation is tense, but I managed to visit and shop, and left on Wednesday morning (unfortunately around 10 am they informed me that a young man was killed by the 3R rebels…).

In Bozoum they asked me about the Fair. I also passed quickly to visit the gardens, which are a splendor. In theory this weekend we should have been organizing the Bozoum Fair. For now it is not possible. Will it be possible to do it in a month? We do not know!

On Monday, January 18th the Constitutional Court declared the current president the winner of the elections. Out of 1,800,000 voters, only a third were able to vote ... But the announcement of the decision of the Constitutional Court did not satisfy either the rebels or the opposition, and therefore the tension and war continues.

Wednesday I returned to Bouar, and at 11 we had a meeting with the leaders of the various refugee sites, and we discussed the situation and the biggest problems (hygiene, food and safety). The problems are many, but Charity, Faith and Hope are stronger!

Will anyone hear the cry of so many people? Who, in one way or another, is responsible for this tragedy, and who will do anything to stop the violence?

Cattedrale - Bouar

Gli orti di Bozoum 2021
les jardins potager de Bozoum 2021

Fattura del riso: circa 3.600 euro
Facture du riz: en gros 3.600 euro

Bozoum

St.Elie

Formazione dei catechisti a Bawi
Formation des catéchistes à Bawi

We start well, and continue better!

 

La Missione di Baoro: casa delle suore, tetto della chiesa, campo da pallone, Centro Giovani e Auditorium
La Mission de Baoro: la maison des soeurs, la toiture de l'église. terrain de football, Maison des jeunes et Auditorium

 We start well, and continue better!

The situation in Central Africa continues to worsen.

In recent days, after having occupied almost all the  surrounding cities, the rebels have tried to enter the capital, Bangui. They fortunately have not succeeded, for now, thanks to the efforts of the Russians, Rwandans and Blue Helmet soldiers, as well as the army. But how long can they last?

Also, in Bouar, on Saturday, there was fighting between rebels and the army. For now, the rebels are quiet in the city, and the army and various soldiers of other countries are waiting ... But until when?

Here in Baoro it is quite peaceful. Every so often the rebels come by, shoot a little and then leave. For now there has been no major damage. But until when?

As always, it is the population, the simple people, the poor who pay for all this disruption. Since Saturday, about 6,000 refugees have poured into the various Missions in the city of Bouar. They are in the Cathedral, the convent of the Poor Clares, the Sisters of Charity, the convent of the Capuchins and in ours, the Carmelites. For now the situation is difficult but manageable, but if it gets worse, what can be done?

These days we are trying, when there are no major risks, to reopen schools. The young people of our Mechanical School have resumed their courses, and also some students of some other less populated schools (the kindergarten "Il Germoglio" and the nuns' school here in Baoro, some village schools, and our schools in Bozoum). But ... until when?

These days, looking at the collapse of a country that is heading towards yet another disaster, I make this reflection: a person from Central Africa, if he is under 30, has never known anything but wars, coups d'etat, violence.

And then I reread Psalm 11, which says:

When the foundations are shaken,
what can the righteous do?

But the Lord in the holy temple,
the Lord has the throne in heaven.

His eyes are open to the world,
his pupils scan every man.

The Lord examines the righteous and the wicked,
he hates those who love violence.

He will make it rain on the wicked
embers, fire and sulfur,
burning wind will be their lot;

Righteous is the Lord, love the right things;
upright men will see his face.

Courage!

La Missione di Baoro: casa dei padri, atelier meccanica, scuola meccanica, aule catechismo
La Mission de Baoro: la maison des Pères, atélier méchanique, école mécanique, salles de catéchisme

Casa delle suore
Maison des soeurs

Asilo "Il Germoglio" di Baoro"
Ecole Maternelle de Baoro

Parrocchia di Baoro
Paroisse de Baoro

 

 

Let's get off to a good start!

 

Ribelli a Bozoum
Les rebelles de 3R à Bozoum

Let's get off to a good start!

2021 has begun, here in Baoro, quite quietly. Due to the presence of the rebels, there was no music or dancing. Here in the parish we celebrated a Mass to give thanks on the afternoon of December 31, praying and hoping! The night passed quietly, and in the morning the news spread that the rebels had left the city.

The Parish of Baoro is dedicated to the Child Jesus, and the feast is celebrated on the day of the Epiphany. Saturday afternoon there was a beautiful procession that crossed various neighborhoods, and ended in the church where we blessed the children. This year, surprisingly, the Bishop of Bouar was also with us.

While the festivities continued in the city, on Sunday morning I took the car, hoping not to have any bad encounters, and I went to Balembe, a village 48 km away. Here I celebrated Mass in a small chapel covered with palm leaves.

In the afternoon there were some games here in the parish.

There is a lot of tension in the air, also in part to the expected provisional results of the presidential and legislative elections, which took place on December 27.

The elections did not go very well. In many cities it was not possible to vote due to rebels who were shooting, in order to intimidate the population. In other cities, the completed ballot papers were burned by other rebels. In actuality, only 38% of those entitled actually voted.

The results were announced on Monday evening, with the current president being re-elected, as expected, despite the very low number of voters.

We feared major riots at the announcement of these results, but for now everything is quite calm, at least here in the area (but on January 7th, in Bouar there were clashes between rebels and the army, with gunfire from 10am to 3pm).

On Tuesday morning I took advantage of the calm to go to Bozoum, occupied since December 18 by the rebels of the 3R group. I passed through Bouar, where I picked up the Bishop, and around 9 we were in Bozoum.

We visited the communities of the Fathers and Sisters, and then we went to meet the rebels, who have settled right at the entrance to the Mission, very close to the schools. They welcomed us warmly, with some weapons. Since they were relaxed, taking turns smoking from a hookah, we took the opportunity to speak with them.  We asked them to change locations so that the children and young people can go to school.

While the bishop went to greet the Blue Helmets (where the local and state police have taken refuge ...), I went to the city. I was impressed by the warmth of the people, who were happy to see me. At the market they welcomed me with applause, and this allowed me the opportunity to encourage everyone, and to invite them to send their children to school.

When we left, in the early afternoon, we passed by the rebels, who actually moved somewhere else!

There is hope!

Balembe

P.Stefano

Mercato: banco della carne
Marché, le boucher