African bishops are aware that, when there is a massive movement of people, the countries that receive these displaced people may feel threatened. All too often the belief is that newcomers compete for scarce resources and this brings immigrants and refugees to be driven away, resented, or despised. The African bishops pointed out that ordinarily,…
Read moreOn last 27 April, in La Rioja, Bishop Angelelli, together with two priests and a layman, was beatified: all four were killed during the time of the dictatorship because of their preferential option for the poor. A bishop must always “turn one ear to the Gospel and the other to the people”. The Argentine Enrique…
Read more0nce upon a time, the bat and the bush-rat were great friends. All day long they would go hunting in the bush together, dodging between the tall grasses and the stunted trees, and finding good things to eat. When evening came, they would take turns to cook the meal and then eat it together. But…
Read moreThere are areas of Africa where it is difficult to work as a journalist. A journalist risks being jailed or even killed. Nevertheless, the number of investigating teams reporting on conflicts and revealing corruption and criminal trading is on the increase. They are not deterred even when threatened. A man is assassinated. A Ghanaian journalist.…
Read moreWhy be involved It is more profitable to participate actively and wisely in choosing our leaders so that candidates who share our values stand better chance of being elected. In fact, not participating in the election is already a choice of the outcome: a choice of who speaks on our behalf and a choice for…
Read moreCriticisms force governments to place restrictions on the Internet. Serious violations of human rights and grave consequences for local economies. At the same time, systems for by-passing the controls are proliferating. A method of closing down the Internet was implemented on a large scale in Egypt during the Arab Spring of 2011. Now it is…
Read moreGlobally, in 2017, there were around 258 million international migrants, approximately 3.4% of the world population. Only 35% was from the south to the north of the world. The same trend was encountered in Africa: more than half (19,359,848 about 53.4%) of Africa’s international migrants in 2017 have remained on the continent, while 16,906,580 (46.5%)…
Read moreOn his knees before President Salva Kiir and the Vice-Presidents Designate who are to open a new government this month of May: “Peace is possible, let the armistice be respected. The people are worn out by past conflicts”. With some difficulty, he bent down before the political leaders of Sudan and kissed their feet. Pope…
Read moreA voice that radiates all the moods and colours of Africa. She is one of the brightest stars of contemporary pop. A rather limited description in that her music is a combination of the Gospel music she grew up with and the soul music of the masters, the real old jazz-blues and danceable funky, with…
Read moreSister Nathalie Kangaji has never been ready to accept injustice. She has been fighting for ten years as coordinator of the Legal Aid Center (CAJJ) in Kolwezi, in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), for the rights of the most disadvantaged who are facing multinational corporations, including Swiss based Glencore, acting in…
Read moreAfrican migration patterns do not happen in a vacuum. Rather, they are situated within major trends on the global stage that have also affected the continent, namely climate change and environmental degradation and conflict. Environmental changes or disasters have also been associated with permanent migration. There have been attempts to relocate populations from areas that…
Read moreIt doesn’t take much to make young people missionaries. Even those who are most frail, limited and troubled can be missionaries in their own way, for goodness can always be shared, even if it exists alongside many limitations. A young person who makes a pilgrimage to ask Our Lady for help, and invites a friend…
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When asked how a farmer’s daughter who became a Catholic nun ended up as one of Brazil’s most influential refugee advocates, Sister Rosita Milesi, 79,…
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Vusi was an honest man and a hard worker. He had cleared a large piece of moorland and turned it into a beautiful fertile field. He…
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On 24 November, the Solemnity of Christ the King, on the occasion of World Youth Day in the Particular Churches, in St. Peter's Basilica the traditional…
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