Bishop explains challenges facing Christians and tragedy of war in Sudan

Rome, Italy, Oct 24, 2008 / 16:58 pm

Bishop Antonio Menegazzo of El Obeid, Sudan spoke out this week about the damage being done to the country by its civil war and about the challenges facing the Christian minority that lives amidst growing violence. He called on international organizations to help find solutions to the 20 year-old conflict.

In an interview with the L’Osservatore Romano, the bishop said that the Church in Sudan is “very concerned about Darfur.  The war continues to affect innocent victims, and international organizations are not able to stop this endless wave of violence.”

“In the rest of Sudan as well, after 21 years of civil war between the north and the south, the injustices and suffering are not diminishing. Things have not improved even with the peace accords and the situation here is neither clear nor encouraging.  The UN and the European Union should pay greater attention to the problems of Sudan,” the bishop said.

Speaking about the situations Christians face in the country, Bishop Menegazzo noted that while there is a great hunger for God in many people in Sudan, this “has not penetrated deeply into the hearts and minds of many of our Christians: they have not been able to completely change their mentality, their culture is still not purified by the Word of God.”  

“Often we are unable to find a solution to their problems and they still easily fall back into their old ways,” he said.

“In Sudan,” he continued, “most of the catechumens do not know how to read or write, and therefore in order to prepare them for Baptism, catechists need to be able to explain the Word with posters, drawings or their own words. And here lies the great dilemma: poorly trained catechists, because few are instructed in how to help catechumens who want to be disciples of Christ. Many teach the catechism and the truths of the holy faith from memory, with a poor knowledge of the Holy Scriptures.”