Return to Bangassou

 

 

Return to Bangassou

 

After the short passage to Cameroun for the orders, I quickly returned to Central Africa.

On Monday 30 June, I arrived in Bangui (the flight was 2 hours late), and the next day, Tuesday, I flew back to Bangassou, where I arrived around 10am.

Arriving in Bangassou is like arriving home, and resuming various activities (from moving the generators to visiting the orphans, from preparing the next meetings to meeting with seminarians and priests...).

Today, Sunday 6 July, we celebrate the Jubilee of Families in the diocese.

I celebrated it in Tokoyo, the second parish of Bangassou.

Here some of the families from the various communities gathered, and here I celebrated Mass, at 7.30am.

Three couples celebrated their wedding today: Chantal and Jerome, Marie Solange and Christophe, and Alphonsine and Justin. Not exactly young, but nevertheless very serious in their commitment. A marriage that also becomes a testimony, particularly for the youngest.

Even in Central Africa, the sacrament of marriage is received with difficulty. Here, in addition to the changes and the lack of responsibility, there is also the burden of the dowry: the man must 'reward' his wife's family, with fabrics, clothes, beer, food... And the amount of this dowry far exceeds the groom's possibilities (ranging from 300 euros to over 5,000 euros, in a country where the income is less than 400 euros a year, for those who have a job!). This results in them starting to live together, and with every child that is born there are threats from the bride and her family, for the husband to pay at least part of the dowry. And this drags on for years....

This morning's celebration is therefore meant to be an invitation to know and live the adventure of marriage, where man and woman love each other, as St Paul says, 'as Christ loves the Church'!

Gli sposi
Les mariés