"From Fr. David Marriott "
Parishes of St. Columba of Iona ">St. Bride.
"FEBRUARY 2011"
A few days ago, I was present surveillance a whole plight of little birds: contradictory varieties, but I cannot lecture them inaccessible very well: they were out in a backyard intake their gear of seeds which my establish had quietly spotted for them. But the way they went about this nosh-up was different: it involved so much angst-ridden looking with brute force them preceding every quick peck at the origin, and hang around, hang around rushed flights inside the donate trees and erase, preceding they deemed it unharmed to return to their throw.
Adherence these natural world brought me to contemplate on the way we can be real lacking the hold to choke our milieu every few account, that we be real in a far safer place than that of the birds: even time we all, natural world and humans, expel to be real in the exceptionally place on earth! And the consistency that organize is this indispensable fissure is that we fix embraced the principles of law and the genial society: with a spot for the position of the other: be that neighbour, group together, friend, or doom. And in the societies of the 'West', we asset supply soaring honor that the principles of the very genial society that brings us this organization is the upshot of the teaching of the Christian optimism and the principles inherent therein.
After that I tartan my e-mail, everywhere a annotation was waiting which demonstrated that as we supply honor for our freedoms, others, other Christian brothers and sisters, be real a life haughty normal of that which I had observed in the birds: they are, they fix to be, frequently on barricade, frequently on your guard, frequently watchful of the disbeliever within their own community. If you read the "Economist" of January 15th 2011, organize is an present detailing the implication of rape as a weapon of war: and the burdensome ramifications of this. The e-mail I traditional complete this present far, far haughty real: these are gallop I fix met, who fix honoured my consider it to their town: the little community of Fizi in Sud-Kivu, Broadminded Republic of Congo.
On the 1st January 2011, an proprietor of the Congolese air force, 'Amani Leo' battalion, sat using up in Fizi. He called out to a emerald boy, that the boy necessitate go and bring him a weird living thing whom he had seen in a turn bottom by: he explained that he pleasing to pile with her. The emerald boy objected: arguing that this was not a prostitute, that the living thing was a connubial living thing, mother of a group in the community. Enraged by this act in response, the proprietor ordered his celebrity barricade to run the emerald boy.
Before the armament was adroit to secure out the pointer the proprietor and armament were decrepit by a group of the emerald boy's friends: they were rich in loot the rifle from the armament, and thus proceeded to bump the proprietor and the armament with immoral consequences.
That early evening, the senior officer of the 'Amani Leo' battalion, who was in Fizi-Centre at the time, ordered his armed services to seize their archenemy by downfall with knives any and all gallop that they found in the neighbourhood of the commencement of hostilities. This was the night of the 1st - 2nd January 2011.
You necessitate be watchful that the name 'Amani Leo' is Swahili for organization in our engagement.
The armed forces in this contingent fix been recruited in the established from a original mutineer group - 'CNDP' ("Congr`es majesty stream la d'efense du peuple") of Laurent Nkudabatware (Laurent Nkunda): these troops interleave hang around Rwandan Tutsi who fix been brought in to battle the Iterahamwe (Hutu) armed forces, themselves absconder from the Rwandan argue, in both North and South Kivu provinces.
As all may insist the hold to take out the probability of an armed armed forces terrorizing your community and region, excitedly looking to a return to organization and arrangement and the possible establishment of property in mining and crop growing that this would bring: few can portion the site everywhere the very air force you hold to rely on for protection are themselves instigators of hooligan acts of terror.
In all cases the ones who be distressed are the weird population: immovable between two malicious armies, everywhere organize are no ends to malevolence and passion. These interleave the gallop of the borough of St. Paul, Fizi whom I fix met: four go ago they welcomed us at the pass to the community with singing part and a soaring procession: they to be had gifts, as well as a attractive goat: they looked to build up a new church, a symbol of a return to organization and good governance: they notorious this remote Christmas setback in the jungle with brute force their community, too hung-up to return to home and create, humanitarian honor for the be born of Christ in the shadows, in secret places, being the powers of evil stalked the paths and byways of their community.
I fix been told some sad stories which fix been strew about the church in Congo, "L'Eglise Catholique Anglicane du Congo". Gift are, for obligated, elements which hold to be improved: but is this not true of all of us? None of this takes not on from the accusation for the gallop of the villages, of the towns assume Fizi: everywhere dull gallop assume you and me try and be real out their lives in optimism and accordance, but discrete us, indigence be frequently on the witness for the providing of evil, for the attacker who impulsion torment, injure and rout them with little or no compunction: quadrangle assume population little natural world you can witness facade your kitchen window!
Can you help? In Canada, the Africa Nature at St. Columba or, in the USA, the Messenger Crew of St. Paul (http://www.anglicancatholic.org/MSSP Flyer 2009.pdf) impulsion notice that any wealth contributed impulsion be sent in full to the church in Congo. (Shift 'Congo' on your cheque.)
Fr. David R. Marriott SSC
"Charm Send YOUR Help (CHEQUES Directly TO ST. COLUMBA OF IONA) TO: "
"
The Africa Nature, St. Columba of Iona, c/o Fr. David Marriott, 304-9821 140th Path, Surrey BC, V3T 5R7
Or to:
The Africa Nature, St. Columba of Iona, c/o Mr. D. Whitworth, 11070B Ray Wheel Road, Halfmoon Bay BC V0N 1Y2 TAX RECEIPTS Decision BE ISSUED.
