Surprises!

 

L'Oubangui à Ngombe

Surprises!

This week we experienced the beautiful surprise of the new pope, Leo XIV.

Thursday the 8th, a little after 5:00 p.m. I turned on the television, and I saw that they were announcing the white smoke!
I quickly spread the news to those nearby, and we waited, together with a Polish Franciscan and a Central African priest, while the bells of the cathedral rang, along with those of St. Peter's in Rome, Notre Dame in Paris and many churches around the world.
We observed St. Peter's Square, which was a spectacle of people full of joy.
While we waited, the television (a French network) tried to fill the minutes with interviews with various people.
Finally, when Cardinal Mamberti announced the name of the new pope, there was a moment of panic! We didn't understand his surname well, and we didn't even know his nationality! Even the television remained silent for a few minutes... until we were able to discover that he was born in the USA, and was a missionary for more than 20 years in Peru, and he is an Augustinian.
When he finally appeared on the Loggia, it was a nice surprise.
We listened to him carefully, we tried to see the details of his face, to understand the emotion and feelings he was experiencing.
It was a nice surprise!
About ten days ago, I wrote that the few communications we had, with the terrible internet connections, helped us not to waste too much time on chatter and hearsay of who was to be pope.
When Leo XIV appeared, I realized that all the predictions, once again, have also gone up in smoke, thanks to the wind of the Holy Spirit.

Analysis, biographies, research: all (or almost all) futile!
The cardinals acted quickly, and this was a beautiful sign of how beautiful and young our Mother, the Church, is. While the media was discussing right and left, progressives and conservatives, the Cardinals chose the successor of Peter.
There are many surprises!
He was born in the USA: a lively Church accustomed to living in a religious culture, but which often views Catholics with suspicion…
He was a missionary in Peru for many years. It is wonderful that the Pope is a missionary!
He is a son of Saint Augustine: an exceptional saint, whom I love very much, and who 1,600 years ago was conquered by Christ, and let him incarnate in his life, in his thoughts and in his actions.
The first words he spoke, simple but full of emotion, with faith and attention to what the world needs most: Peace be with you all!
The Lord gave us a nice surprise with this election! I really believe that we too must listen to what the Holy Spirit tells us, without making too many analyses and projections, but putting ourselves to work and to pray for this young and beautiful Church. Young and beautiful because of Christ. Young and beautiful because it's a missionary!

Saturday the 10th I left, together with Monsignor Aguirre. The road was beautiful, and in just over 3 hours we arrived at Bema, a parish 100 km south of Bangassou, on the banks of the Oubangui River, which originates right here from the confluence of the Uele and Mbomou rivers.

On Sunday the 11th we were in Tomunga, a village 15 km away, where we inaugurated the new church, dedicated to Our Lady of Victories. A beautiful celebration, which concluded 3 years of work.
On Monday the 12th we moved further away, to Tingombe, where we inaugurated another chapel, this one more modest.
On Tuesday afternoon I went to Ngombe, a village a dozen km away. Here the community asked for a new church, but I proposed to extend the existing chapel.

On Wednesday in Bema we celebrated the Jubilee of Hope: we began with a short pilgrimage, which took everyone in front of the church: here everyone passed and crossed themselves with holy water, a sign of repentance and conversion, before entering.  Then, during the Mass, we administered Confirmations to 50 young people.
In the afternoon we took the road back, under a heavy rain, which transformed the road into a river.

The situation in the East, especially in Zemio, remains very tense. Hundreds of people are still taking refuge in the churches in the area. Meanwhile, with the priests in Zemio and Obo, we are trying to talk to the rebels and the army, but the solution is very distant, also because the Government completely ignores the problem, and relies on violence for the solution.

Let's hope and pray!

 

Tomunga

Tomunga

Tingombe

Giubileo a Bema
Jubilé à Bema