Persecution of Christians in the Congo

I haven’t written much about this subject lately and for that I apologize to my tiny but loyal corps of readers. It’s not that I’ve ignored the problem of the continued persecution of Christians, but other, largely political, and certainly less important, issues have just grabbed my attention. That should not have happened, so today I thought, as an act of repentance, I should pass along news of some of the more horrendous persecution suffered by Christians in other parts of the world. Living here in the United States, where religious persecution is far more subtle, we can easily overlook the fact that elsewhere so many suffer so very much.

Today’s news comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a place largely ignored by most American news media. If you are geographically challenged, see the map I’ve included below. The DRC is a large Central African nation that has been plagued by Islamic terrorists who have brought death and destruction to many of the country's people. Bishop Paluku Sekuli Melchizedek of Butembo-Beni, a diocese in the north-eastern part of the country, not far from Uganda, stated that the terrorists have been wreaking havoc in the northern part of his diocese. 

In the bishop’s words, “Armed groups are destroying schools and hospitals. Teachers and pupils are being killed. They are even killing the sick as they lie in their hospital beds. Not a day goes by without people being killed.” 

He also indicated concern about the mental health of people who survive these attacks. “Many people are traumatized. Many have watched as their parents were killed. There are many orphans and widows. Villages have been burned to the ground. We are in a state of utter misery. The people cry because they have reason to, but they carry a seed of hope within them. They have a natural resilience that is strengthened by evangelization.”

The bishop realizes that the government can do little because it suffers from a problem common to many African nations: corruption and incompetence. “The state as such does not exist,” Bishop Melchizedek added, “The reach of the government does not extend into the east, be it out of weakness or complicity.”

When it comes to Islam, the bishop pulls no punches. “Islam is being forced on us. Mosques are being built everywhere, even though no one needs them. [They] do not look like the traditional ones we are familiar with. Anyone who has been kidnapped by these terrorist groups and managed to escape from them alive has told the same story. They were given the choice between death and converting to Islam.” He also resists those who suggest developing a relationship with the Islamists: “What kind of relationship should we have with this form of Islam, which is not only a religion, but also a political movement linked with terrorism?”

The next time you feel a bit put out by the challenges of daily life or are upset that your pastor still wants you to wear a mask at Mass, maybe instead you can offer a prayer for the suffering Christians of the diocese of Butembo-Beni and thank God for their courage and their faith in the face of persecution.

Of course, the other question we should ask is, "Why do we rarely hear about this persecution of Christians throughout the world?"