As the Church values the precious gifts of the disabled, we must «promote a culture of life that constantly affirms the dignity of every person and works especially to defend men and women with disabilities, of all ages and social conditions…»

«I encourage all those who daily and often silently devote themselves to helping others in situations of fragility and disability…»

This was at the forefront of the Pope’s message commemorating this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities, observed on Dec. 3, on the theme: “Building Back Better: Toward a Disability-inclusive, Accessible and Sustainable post-COVID-19 World.”

In his text, Pope Francis decried the threat of the throwaway culture, and called for ‘rocks’ of inclusion and active participation.

“In virtue of their baptism,» Francis began reminding, «all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples. All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization.”

The Pontiff recognized that people with disabilities, both in society and in the Church, also wish to become active subjects of our pastoral ministry, and not simply its recipients. “Many persons with disabilities feel that they exist without belonging and without participating,» he said, noting much still prevents them from being fully enfranchised.

Our concern should be not only to care for them, but also to ensure their ‘active participation’ in the civil and ecclesial community, Francis said, noting this is «a demanding and even tiring process.» However, he expressed, it will gradually contribute to the formation of consciences capable of acknowledging each individual as a unique and unrepeatable person” (Fratelli Tutti, 98). Indeed, the active participation of people with disabilities in the work of catechesis can greatly enrich the life of the whole parish.

«Precisely because they have been grafted onto Christ in baptism, they share with Him, in their own particular way,» he said, «the priestly, prophetic, and royal mission of evangelizing through, with and in the Church.»

The presence of persons with disabilities among catechists, according to their own gifts and talents, is thus a resource for the community, and efforts therefore, he said, should be made to provide them with appropriate training.

«I trust that, in parish communities,» the Holy Father encouraged, «more and more people with disabilities can become catechists, in order to pass on the faith effectively, also by their own witness.

Recalling that worse than the pandemic itself would be squandering it, Francis noted that for this reason, «I encourage all those who daily and often silently devote themselves to helping others in situations of fragility and disability.»

Here is the Vatican-provided complete text:

***

Dear brothers and sisters,

This year’s celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an occasion to express my closeness to those experiencing situations of particular difficulty during the crisis caused by the pandemic. All of us are in the same boat in the midst of a turbulent sea that can frighten us. Yet in this same boat, some of us are struggling more; among them are persons with serious disabilities.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “Building Back Better: Toward a Disability-inclusive, Accessible and Sustainable post-COVID-19 World.” I find the expression “building back better” quite striking. It makes me think of the Gospel parable of the house built on rock or sand (cf. Mt 7:24-27; Lk 6:46-49). So I take this special occasion to share some reflections based on that parable.

1. The threat of the throwaway culture

In the first place, the “rain”, the “rivers” and the “winds” that threaten the house can be identified with the throwaway culture widespread in our time (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 53). For that culture, “some parts of our human family, it appears, can be readily sacrificed for the sake of others considered worthy of a carefree existence. Ultimately, persons are no longer seen as a paramount value to be cared for and respected, especially when they are poor and disabled” (Fratelli Tutti, 18).

That culture affects especially the most vulnerable, among whom are the persons with disabilities. In the last fifty years, important steps forward have been taken on both the civil and ecclesial levels. Awareness of the dignity of each person has grown, and this has resulted in courageous decisions to promote the inclusion of those experiencing physical and psychological limitations. Yet, on the cultural level, much still stands in the way of this trend. We see it in attitudes of rejection, due also to a narcissistic and utilitarian mentality, that give rise to marginalization that ignores the inevitable fact that frailty is part of everyone’s life. Indeed, some with even severe disabilities, despite great challenges, have found the way to a beautiful and meaningful life, whereas many “able-bodied” people feel dissatisfied or even desperate. “Vulnerability is intrinsic to the essential nature of humanity” (Address to the Conference “Catechesis and People with Disabilities”, 21 October 2017).

Consequently, it is important, on this Day, to promote a culture of life that constantly affirms the dignity of every person and works especially to defend men and women with disabilities, of all ages and social conditions.

2. The “rock” of inclusion

The present pandemic has further highlighted the disparities and inequalities widespread in our time, particularly to the detriment of the most vulnerable. “The virus, while it does not distinguish between people, has found, in its devastating path, great inequalities and discrimination. And it has only made them worse” (Catechesis at the General Audience of 19 August 2020).

For this reason, inclusion should be the first “rock” on which to build our house. Although this term is at times overused, the Gospel parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37) continues to be timely. Along the road of life, we often come across wounded people, and these can include persons with disabilities and particular needs. “The decision to include or exclude those lying wounded along the roadside can serve as a criterion for judging every economic, political, social and religious project. Each day we have to decide whether to be Good Samaritans or indifferent bystanders” (Fratelli Tutti, 69).

Inclusion should be the “rock” on which to build programmes and initiatives of civil institutions meant to ensure that no one, especially those in greatest difficulty, is left behind. The strength of a chain depends upon the attention paid to its weakest links.

As for ecclesial institutions, I reiterate the need to make available suitable and accessible means for handing on the faith. I also hope that these can be made available to those who need them, cost-free to the extent possible, also through the new technologies that have proven so important for everyone in the midst of this pandemic. I also encourage efforts to provide all priests, seminarians, religious, catechists and pastoral workers with regular training concerning disabilities and the use of inclusive pastoral tools. Parish communities should be concerned to encourage among the faithful a welcoming attitude towards people with disabilities. Creating a fully accessible parish requires not only the removal of architectural barriers, but above all, helping parishioners to develop attitudes and acts of solidarity and service towards persons with disabilities and their families. Our aim should be to speak no longer about “them”, but rather about “us”.

3. The “rock” of active participation

To help our society to “build back better”, inclusion of the vulnerable must also entail efforts to promote their active participation.

Before all else, I strongly reaffirm the right of persons with disabilities to receive the sacraments, like all other members of the Church. All liturgical celebrations in the parish should be accessible to them, so that, together with their brothers and sisters, each of them can deepen, celebrate, and live their faith. Special attention should be paid to people with disabilities who have not yet received the sacraments of Christian initiation: they should be welcomed and included in programmes of catechesis in preparation for these sacraments. No one should be excluded from the grace of these sacraments.

“In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples. All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization” (Evangelii Gaudium, 120). People with disabilities, both in society and in the Church, also wish to become active subjects of our pastoral ministry, and not simply its recipients. “Many persons with disabilities feel that they exist without belonging and without participating. Much still prevents them from being fully enfranchised. Our concern should be not only to care for them, but also to ensure their ‘active participation’ in the civil and ecclesial community. That is a demanding and even tiring process, yet one that will gradually contribute to the formation of consciences capable of acknowledging each individual as a unique and unrepeatable person” (Fratelli Tutti, 98). Indeed, the active participation of people with disabilities in the work of catechesis can greatly enrich the life of the whole parish. Precisely because they have been grafted onto Christ in baptism, they share with him, in their own particular way, the priestly, prophetic, and royal mission of evangelizing through, with and in the Church.

The presence of persons with disabilities among catechists, according to their own gifts and talents, is thus a resource for the community. Efforts should be made to provide them with appropriate training, so that they can acquire greater knowledge also in the areas of theology and catechesis. I trust that, in parish communities, more and more people with disabilities can become catechists, in order to pass on the faith effectively, also by their own witness (cf. Address at the Conference “Catechesis and People with Disabilities”, 21 October 2017).

“Even worse than this crisis would be the tragedy of squandering it” (Homily on the Solemnity of Pentecost, 31 May 2020). For this reason, I encourage all those who daily and often silently devote themselves to helping others in situations of fragility and disability. May our common desire to “build back better” give rise to new forms of cooperation between both civil and ecclesial groups and thus build a solid “house” ready to withstand every storm and capable of welcoming people with disabilities, because built on the rock of inclusion and active participation.

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 3 December 2020

FRANCIS

Pope Francis established the Global Prayer Network Foundation as a “legal, canonical and Vatican person,” for the purpose of “coordinating and encouraging this spiritual movement so dear to me, equipping it with an appropriate structure to the times we are living.”

The Chirograph indicates that the Pope’s Global Prayer Network, previously known as the Apostleship of Prayer, began in France at the initiative of Father Francois-Xavier Gautrelet. “It is based on the spirituality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and gathers the monthly prayer intentions proposed by the Holy Father to the Church.”

“A few years ago I instituted the Pope’s Global Prayer Network as a Pontifical Work to underscore the universal character of the said apostolate and the need we all have to pray increasingly and with sincerity of heart,” recalls the Holy Father in the text.

So today the Pontiff is equipping it with a structure that is appropriate to the times we are living, and he constitutes it as a “legal, canonical and Vatican person.”

Here is Pope Francis’ full Chirograph.

* * *

The Pope’s Global Prayer Network, previously the Apostleship of Prayer, initiated in France by the Reverend Father Francois-Xavier Gautrelet, S.J., is based on the spirituality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and gathers the monthly prayer intentions proposed by the Holy Father to the Church.

A few years ago I instituted the Pope’s Global Prayer Network as a Pontifical Work to underscore the universal character of the said apostolate and the need we all have to pray increasingly and with sincerity of heart.

In order to coordinate and encourage this spiritual movement, so dear to me, equipping it with an appropriate structure to the times we are living, in virtue of the apostolic power in the Church and of the sovereignty in Vatican City State, taking into account canons 331, 114and 115, paragraph 3, 116 paragraph 1 and 1303 paragraph 1 n. 1of the Code of Canon Law and article 1, n. 1 of the Fundamental Law of Vatican City since November 26, 2000, <and> accepting the petition presented by the Pope’s Global Prayer Network,

I ESTABLISH

In legal, canonical and Vatican person the ”Pope’s Global Prayer Network” Foundation, with headquarters in Vatican City State, governed by the Statutes annexed to this Chirograph, approved today by me, which will come into force  on December 17, 2020.

Vatican City, November 17, 2020

Francis

The Cardinal Vicar writes to the families of the diocese and sends the text of the prayer to be recited at home. During the day of next Tuesday, the Franciscans of the Twelve Holy Apostles will be present in front of the monument behind Piazza di Spagna to support those who still want to go for a spontaneous homage to the Virgin Mary.

For this year’s celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Francis will be entrusting the city of Rome and its inhabitants, as well as the many sick people throughout the world, to the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But the act of devotion will be undertaken privately, according to a statement issued on November 30 by the Director of the Holy See Press Office.

 On Tuesday, December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be celebrated. In view of the day, the diocese of Rome invites to pray to the Virgin Mary in one’s home. In fact, the Cardinal Vicar Angelo De Donatis has sent a letter to families with the prayer of entrustment to Mary prepared for the occasion. Attached is the full text of the prayer.

“As you know, the feast of the Immaculate Conception is deeply felt by the Italians and, in particular, by us Romans — writes Cardinal De Donatis –, especially by our parents and our grandparents. So we propose to you for the 8^th of December to address a prayer of entrustment to Mary. In union with Pope Francis, we pray for ourselves, for the people that inhabit our city and for the end of the pandemic. We all put ourselves under the mantle of Our Lady and together with Her we cling to the Lord: we will feel fraternity grow with all and our strength will be renewed to stand and go forward.”

 In any case, during the day of next Tuesday, the Franciscans of the parish of the Twelve Holy Apostles assure their presence, as usual, near the column of Piazza Mignanelli, behind Piazza di Spagna, for all those that wish to go to render spontaneous homage to the Virgin Mary. As always, the first will be the firemen, in honor of the 220 colleagues that inaugurated the monument on December 8, 1857. At 7:30 in the morning they will go up to the top to lay their floral wreath on Our Lady’s arm. The column of cipollino marble is 12 meters high and was planned by architect Luigi Poletti. On the top stands the Marian statue in bronze made by sculptor Giuseppe Obici.

“It’s important that the firemen can truly carry out this gesture in the name of the whole city — reflects the parish priest of the Basilica of the Holy Apostles, friar Aniello Stoia –, a gesture that is charged with anticipation. Let us ask the Virgin to intercede so that we can be freed from this situation, and return to live serenely with our dear ones. It’s good to stay at home and not gather near the monument; however, if someone finds himself passing by, we, Franciscans, guarantee our presence and a blessing from afar.”

Held, among other things, in the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles is the oldest Novena to the Immaculate of Rome. At 5:45 pm from November 29 to December 7, the recitation of the Rosary begins and the singing of the Litanies, which is followed by the 6:30 pm Mass presided over every evening by a Cardinal. It concludes with the Franciscan hymn “Tota Pulchra.” Intervening today is Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. On Wednesday, December 2 it will be the turn of Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

On Thursday, December 3, instead, is the turn of new Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Franciscan, former Keeper of the Holy Convent of Assisi, who became a Cardinal in the Consistory of November 28. On the next day, Cardinal Beniamino Stella, Prefect of the Congregation of the Clergy, will celebrate the Mass. On Saturday the 5^th, the Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin will intervene. He will be followed on Sunday by Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, Major Penitentiary, while Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council of Culture will preside over the Mass on Monday, December 7. The conclusion on the 8^th <will be> with Cardinal Giovanni Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.

December 1, 2020

* * *

Entrustment of Families to Mary

(Text inspired by Evangelii Gaudium, 286)

To You, O Mary,

Mother of the Church and Queen of the Family,

We entrust our family,

In this time of anticipation of Christmas.

You see our joys and our hopes,

Our sadness and our fears.

You, who transformed a stable for animals

Into a home for Jesus,

With some poor bands and a mountain of tenderness,

Help us to receive Him in the simplicity of our home.

You, who are the little handmaid of the Father that exult in the faith,

Help us to elevate our praise and gratitude to God

You, who are ever the attentive friend,

Let not the wine of Joy be lacking in our life.

You, who were pierced by the pain of the cross,

Understand all our sorrows. As Mother of all,

You are light of hope also in times of darkness,

You are the missionary who comes close to us

To accompany us in life,

Opening our hearts to faith with your maternal affection.

As a true Mother,

Walk with us,

Sing with us, and infuse incessantly in us

The closeness of God’s love.

We entrust to You grandparents, the elderly and the sick.

We entrust to You spouses, parents and children.

We entrust to you young people, youngsters and children,

We entrust to You those in grief and mourning,

We entrust to you the poor and those that are alone.

We are certain that with your presence as Mother,

Our home will always be full of trust

And will be able to be small Church

Where to recognize always the presence of God.

Hail Mary . . .

A member of an ancient Chivalric Order, who wanted to raise money for a Catholic charity following the Beirut explosion, walked more than 70 miles in temperatures that peaked close to boiling.

Not even a fracture deterred Ethan Bradley, 27, from completing the sponsored walk around the perimeter of Singapore Island, a task he accomplished in under 28 hours.

So daunting was the task that Ethan – nursing his arm in a cast – started hallucinating.

Ethan, who belongs to the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem, raised £1,000 for the work of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which is helping people devastated by the 4^th August blast in the Lebanese capital.

He told ACN: “After reading the news and seeing the horrible first-hand images and videos from social media of the explosion in Beirut, I was shocked to see the sheer level of destruction and terrible cost of human life.”

Ethan added: “I was determined to help.”

The blast killed more than 200 and left 300,000 homeless and, although Ethan injured his hand before the walk, he was adamant that he would carry it out.

He said: “By the time I had fractured my hand I already had a fair few donations…I didn’t want to let them down by canceling the walk or take potential money away from a good cause, and in all honesty canceling was never something that crossed my mind.”

Ethan, from Milton Keynes and working in Singapore as an English teacher, walked with three friends and said the high temperatures led to serious difficulties.

He said: “During midday, we had to walk across this desolate stretch of road…With the heat reaching 33/34 degrees [Celcius], no shade whatsoever and our water supplies running out, it was definitely a test of our morale…

“After about 16 hours of walking, I started hallucinating; I kept seeing dogs and temples everywhere. I would be sure that a curb would be a dog, or a bus station be a temple until I was about a meter away, and then it would transform back into what it really was.”

Ethan added: “A massive thank you to all those who sponsored me.

“Your support has been hugely appreciated and the money raised will make a real difference to the lives of those affected by the humanitarian disaster in Beirut.”

He went on: “If people still wish to donate that would be incredible!”

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) provided emergency aid following the blast and recently announced a €5million (£4.53m) aid package, mainly to repair church buildings.

• Ethan Bradley is still accepting donations in support of his walk. Please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ethan-bradley

The Standing Commission of the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela sends a message to the people of God in view of the legislative elections for the renewal of the unicameral Parliament, scheduled for December 6, reported Fides News Agency. In this context, she reaffirms what had already been declared: «far from contributing to the democratic resolution of the political situation that we are currently experiencing, they tend to worsen it and will not help to solve the real problems of the people».

At the same time, the Bishops re-launch the urgent appeal «to all those who dedicate their efforts to politics and to the various civil society organizations, to continue to make common efforts to restore the nation’s democratic rights». They, therefore, recall that all initiatives are necessary and important, such as popular consultation, as «people have full right to express themselves through the legitimate channels guaranteed by the Constitution, by expressing their opinion as an authentic social subject».

Faithful to their ministry as Pastors and as citizens of Venezuela, the Bishops invite «to a serious discernment that will lead us to seek a just, peaceful, democratic and negotiated resolution among all Venezuelans, to the multifaceted crisis that is affecting Venezuela». They, therefore, exhort not to be overwhelmed by discouragement. On the contrary, «we must continue to do everything possible and to work for the unity, peace, and prosperity of the nation, putting the common good first».

In the message, the Bishops underline that «the Venezuelan people certainly yearn for a peaceful change of the situation, a change for which they want to express themselves through the vote, under fair, equitable and equal conditions for the parties. Otherwise, turning our backs on each other, without recognizing and accepting each other, any result will strengthen the confrontation more than the sincere search for a solution in which everyone has a part. Without meeting each other, without mutual recognition and without authentic dialogue, no solution leading to well-being and fraternity can be found».

The Bishops invoke the intercession of Venerable José Gregorio Hernández and Our Lady of Coromoto, the loving Mother who accompanies us and who, «has given us the wonderful gift of the great liberator of all humanity, whose birth we will celebrate next Christmas, Jesus, the Lord».

The Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff is one of just 100 UK charities – including seven in Wales – to be awarded £100,000 under Barclays 100×100 UK COVID-19 Community Relief Programme to support local communities suffering food poverty as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Barclays launched its 100×100 UK COVID-19 Community Relief Programme to support COVID-19 relief work in local communities. The program, which forms part of their wider COVID-19 Community Aid Package, focuses on supporting UK charity partners who are meeting the immediate needs of people in our communities, including low-income families, those facing financial hardship, isolated elderly people, and key workers.

The charity has been providing emergency food parcels and crisis support to the most marginalized in communities since the start of the pandemic. Working closely with volunteers the diocese has responded to the urgent need to address food poverty across south Wales and Herefordshire. Over £50,000 in COVID-19 support has already been distributed to food banks, parishes, and Catholic schools in direct response to the crisis. This is part of a wider set of community response measures being led by Catholic dioceses across the UK.

Responding to the award, Archbishop George Stack said:

“We can all agree that no one should suffer from food poverty at any time, perhaps especially during this ‘Season of Plenty’ as the advertisers remind us. We in the Archdiocese of Cardiff are only too well aware that this Christmas is going to be a particularly difficult time for many families this year. In this regard, it is our privilege to be able to support those in need with the generous help provided by Barclays and our many other supporters.”

He added:

“Those who serve their community are often called ‘unsung heroes’. It is my hope that our volunteers, who have done so much to support others at this time, appreciate that collectively they are undertaking a ‘heroic’ effort combatting the effects of the pandemic. I want to thank all volunteers – known and unknown – for everything they are doing in support of others.”

Nigel Higgins, Barclays Chairman, said:

“COVID-19 has created an unprecedented social and economic impact in the UK, with many experiencing greater hardship due to the crisis. Incredible charities, such as the Archdiocese of Cardiff, have been playing a vital role in the UK’s response to the pandemic, ensuring urgent help reaches those most in need of support.

“As a bank, we have been doing all we can for our customers, clients, and colleagues, and we hope that by partnering with the Archdiocese of Cardiff and many other charities across the UK, collectively we can ensure that as many people as possible in the communities in which we live and work are supported through this crisis.”

St Michael’s Primary School, Newport, recognized early on that the pandemic was going to have a dramatic impact on families. Peter Landers, the Chair of Governors, said:

“Many of our parents have significant financial challenges. The COVID-19 crisis has made things worse, especially for hard-working families who were just getting by before the lockdown.

“Both the financial and spiritual support of the Catholic Church has been greatly appreciated at this difficult time.”

Funding will allow the Archdiocese of Cardiff to expand its existing food poverty relief work with schools like St Michael’s as over £100,000 worth of digital supermarket food vouchers to be distributed in the run-up to Christmas and beyond.

With many of the charity’s foodbanks struggling to cope with local demand, exacerbated by the need to socially distance, the ability to send vouchers electronically will prove a major advantage.

The project will support over 8,000 vulnerable individuals. Working closely with schools and other charities, 3,200 disadvantaged households across 11 local authorities will be identified and supported in time for Christmas.

Donate

To donate to the Archbishop’s Food Voucher Christmas Appeal, visit rcadc.org/donations

The struggle for control over the northern Ethiopian province of Tigray has escalated into a bloody conflict. The fighting has now spilled over into the neighboring country of Eritrea, a country with which Ethiopia had made peace after a decade of armed conflicts. Observers warn of a new humanitarian catastrophe on the Horn of Africa. The UN Refugee Agency reported that 11,000 people alone had fled to neighboring Sudan to escape the fighting in Ethiopia.

Tobias Lehner of the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) spoke with Prince Dr. Asfa-Wossen Asserate about why conflict has broken out and what chances there are for a peaceful resolution. He is the great-nephew of Haile Selassie, the last Emperor of Ethiopia, and came to Germany in 1974 as a political refugee. Prince Asserate is a management consultant for the Middle East and Africa, a bestselling author and political analyst.

Prince Asserate, in the shadows of the US elections, the long-smoldering ethnic conflict has escalated into a military conflict. How could this happen?
The ones to blame for this conflict are the militias of the TPLF (editor’s note: Tigray People’s Liberation Front), who, in early November, attacked a military base of the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defence Force in Tigray at night, killing a large number of soldiers. Ethiopia had to react. That was what triggered this war.

And what are the underlying reasons?
I have been warning that this could happen for over 30 years, that the ethnicization of politics would inevitably lead to ethnic cleansing. That is what is happening right now. Ethiopia is the only nation in the world that calls itself an “ethnic federation”.

Responsible for the current catastrophe is the constitution that was forced upon the Ethiopians in the early 1990s by the TPLF. It is imperative that this apartheid constitution is replaced by a new one, which finally will turn Ethiopia into the country that most Ethiopians have wanted for at least 50 years: a democratic federalist state.

Therefore, this conflict is not about the Tigray people as a whole, but specifically about the TPLF?
It is only about the TPLF, a Marxist group whose role model before the fall of the Iron Curtain was the regime in Albania. Their central viewpoints have not changed.

For 27 years, the TPLF ruled Ethiopia with an iron hand and in adherence to racist criteria. Two years ago, the group fell from power in the capital city. Its followers then retreated to their homeland of Tigray, where they supported and furthered anything that targeted the Ethiopian state – including the killings of Christians in the southern part of the country.

Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic state. The Tigray are one of about 120 ethnicities. Could this turn into a maelstrom that could potentially destabilize all of Ethiopia – and with it the entire region?
That is what is being reported by western media. I don’t agree. If the TPLF and their allies no longer hold any influence, then the greatest enemy of the Ethiopian union has been conquered. We Ethiopians can then live in peaceful coexistence, as we have been doing for thousands of years.

Is this conflict purely an ethnic one or does it also have a religious component?
The fighting going on at the moment is not motivated by religion. Tigray is the most Christian of all the Ethiopian provinces. Aksum (editor’s note: the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire, which later gave rise to Ethiopia) is particularly important as the root of Ethiopian culture and its entire civilization. Both the country’s first church and first mosque were built in Aksum.

However, you did just mention attacks against Christians that also involved the TPLF, today’s warring faction. What happened?
The incident happened during the summer in the homeland of the Oromo people (editor’s note: the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia; the group is majority Muslim). The Islamic Front for the Liberation of Oromia and the OLF-Shene (editor’s note: Oromo Liberation Front) targeted Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and downright slaughtered them. Today we know that the TPLF supports both of these groups financially, politically, and with weapons. The TPLF has no interest whatsoever in Ethiopian culture or in religion. For them, these are reactionary phenomena.

Many people had pinned their hopes on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who himself is an ethnic Oromo and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in establishing peace with Eritrea. Has he failed at handling the ethnic tensions in his country?
No. Abiy Ahmed is doing what is necessary to protect the integrity and sovereignty of Ethiopia. Ultimately, that is also his duty. Every state has the right to use any means necessary to maintain its territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

https://youtu.be/UZRPfAdRGvc

The conflict is also affecting Eritrea. The TPLF confirmed that missiles were fired into the neighboring country from Tigray. How will this affect the peace process between Ethiopia and Eritrea?
Ethiopia and Eritrea are fighting the TPLF together. Who would have believed this would ever be possible? The old problems between Ethiopia and Eritrea have been overcome. This peace will last.

The majority of Ethiopians are Christians; the country is one of the oldest Christian states in the world. Which role can or should the Church play in this conflict?
When thousands of Ethiopian Christians were killed in the summer, the Orthodox Churches in Europe were the most vocal in condemning what had happened. By contrast, the western Churches were very reserved in their reaction. I very much hope that western Church leaders will not follow in the lead of the secular governments, who apply a so-called “Realpolitik” in their dealings with Africa and bend their knees even to authoritarian regimes. That cannot be the path chosen by the Christian Churches. Instead, it is imperative that they raise their voices in criticism wherever the laws of Christ are not being followed – and help wherever possible.

For many years, Aid to the Church in Need has supported numerous projects, particularly those benefitting the small Catholic minority in Ethiopia. The primary focus has been on the construction and renovation of churches, the education and further training of priests and religious, the training of catechists, and the realization of pastoral programs in the communities, particularly pastoral care for young people.