BUKAVU, Congo, DEC. 3, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Archbishop Charles Mbogha Kambale of Bukavu encouraged the war-weary Congolese to follow the example of Blessed Marie Clementine Anuarite Nengapeta.
«In our life today we should aim at three qualities: courage, fidelity and charity. To meet the challenge to make our society more humane we must follow the example of Anuarite,» the archbishop said on Wednesday, the 40th anniversary of the woman religious’ martyrdom.
In a note to the Missionary Service News Agency, the archbishop highlighted the importance of the example of this religious for the population of Congo.
Sister Anuarite was killed on Dec. 1, 1964, by guerrillas of the so-called Simba rebellion, who kidnapped her together with other members of the Sisters of the Holy Family.
She was born in Wamba on Dec. 29, 1939. She died in Isiro, and is buried in that town’s cathedral. The Pope proclaimed her blessed in Kinshasa on Aug. 15, 1985.
The anniversary of Sister Anuarite’s death highlights the figure of «a consecrated woman who, out of fidelity to her vocation and respect for her dignity, accepted suffering to the point of giving up her life in martyrdom,» the archbishop’s message continues.
For the prelate, the anniversary of Sister Anuarite’s death represents an occasion to appeal to Congolese society — going through a difficult phase of political transition and still «marked by a culture of violence, death, and no respect for human rights» — for reconciliation and peace.
In view of the 2005 elections, Archbishop Kambale calls for mobilization for «just and transparent elections, a vote of conscience that will give the country honest and responsible leaders, first step for the reconstruction of a proper and strong nation.»
The process of national transition began in June 2003 with the formation of a government of national unity. It includes all Congolese parties and guerrilla movements, and its mission is to prepare for the 2005 elections.
Since 1998, the war in Congo, one of the worst in Africa, has cost 3.5 million lives. The powers of the Great Lakes area are fighting for control of enormous natural resources in this central African country of 58 million people.
Fides sources in Bukavu warned about the existence of threats of war. For several days, the Rwandan government has stated that it wishes to intervene in Congo to disarm the Hutu militias — responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide — which have sought refuge in eastern Congo, particularly in the provinces of North and South Kivu.
