A Catholic Priest from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Fr. Apollinaire Cibaka Cikongo has disclosed that many Priests in the Country have gone missing for years, without any trace or news about them.
Speaking in a meeting with Rome Reports Premium, Fr. Cikongo explained that many times politicians are behind it.
“There are priests in the Church of the Congo who have been missing for years. We don’t know where they are and many times politicians are behind it. They use the media; they call you every day. Many times, you receive messages on your phone that say, ‘Tomorrow we will take your blood”, he said.
The Congolese priest explained that in 2017 the army occupied the seminary for four months. During that time, the seminarians had to escape. Churches were also looted.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo which is the second largest country in Africa, Catholic institutions provide more than half of medical services, and the education of the masses also depend on them.
Priests work in areas of tension, with ethnic conflicts, poverty, political instability, providing pastoral care of the faithful who are mostly forced to leave their homes.
“In this situation of violence, the Catholic Church is the only institution from the West, from colonization, that works. Despite its difficulties and failures, in many places, without the Church, there is no future.”
Fr. Cikongo expressed strong hope that the Church will continue to stand and be close to all those who suffer injustices in Africa.
“Aid to the Church in Need helps us stay strong when the Church often receives threats”, he added.