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He said: “The Government of Sudan set themselves the target of getting Christianity out of the country by the year 2000. We have foiled their plan … so far.”
Later, I asked him to explain his comments. He said: “It seems that they do not realise the degree to which people, especially in the south of the country, have embraced their faith. Even now, the poverty and suffering does not make them lose their faith.”…
"…However, that evening as he celebrated with family and friends after the Mass, his parish priest was gunned down – missionaries were an easy target for anti-colonial forces. It was a key moment in the little boy’s decision to join the seminary. He was ordained aged just 22 – requiring a special dispensation from Rome beforehand.
Within weeks of his ordination in 1963, all missionaries were expelled from Sudan after General Abboud’s military regime seized control. Barely a handful of priests were left behind in Fr Gabriel’s Diocese of Wau, the centre of the Bahr el Ghazal region…"
"…That the conflict was over religion became more explicit when, a few months later, the ailing Numeiry Government imposed Shari’ah in the north.
These blows to the Christian community in Sudan have determined Archbishop Zubeir’s course ever since.
Now, as then, he battles to protect the rights of Christians, preaching a gospel of forgiveness and lobbying government officials so that his faithful are recognised as exempt from Shari’ah.
Although the civil war officially came to an end 18 months ago, the situation remains so tense that one false move could cause the south to teeter over the brink into war…Churches continue to be targeted; and it is the Christian areas of the shanty towns that often fare worst – they are the ones who are forced further out into the desert and whose lack of food and housing is most severe.
Cardinal Zubeir’s main hope for such communities remains the ‘Save the Saveable’ Schools project he founded.
Sustained opposition from the Government has completely failed in its efforts to weaken his resolve to keep the schools running; all this despite a lack of funding, which raised fears of his imprisonment as teachers waited to be paid. "…"He says of the militant forces influential within Sudan’s regime: “To drive us out still remains the objective of our oppressors.”
Showing that his brand of Catholicism has nothing to do with idealistic naïveté, the Cardinal’s sceptical attitude towards the government defines his attitudes to the Darfur crisis.
He is convinced that the
genocide in Darfur is at the very least backed by the Government and is furious at the inaction of the international community.
He said: “The international community has got to be firm. There is nothing worse than the UN saying they are going to take action but then not carrying it out. They must do everything short of armed conflict.”
catholicweekly.com.au/article.php?classID=3&subclassID=9&articleID=319&class=Features&subclass=A%20conversation%20with
Later, I asked him to explain his comments. He said: “It seems that they do not realise the degree to which people, especially in the south of the country, have embraced their faith. Even now, the poverty and suffering does not make them lose their faith.”…
"…However, that evening as he celebrated with family and friends after the Mass, his parish priest was gunned down – missionaries were an easy target for anti-colonial forces. It was a key moment in the little boy’s decision to join the seminary. He was ordained aged just 22 – requiring a special dispensation from Rome beforehand.
Within weeks of his ordination in 1963, all missionaries were expelled from Sudan after General Abboud’s military regime seized control. Barely a handful of priests were left behind in Fr Gabriel’s Diocese of Wau, the centre of the Bahr el Ghazal region…"
"…That the conflict was over religion became more explicit when, a few months later, the ailing Numeiry Government imposed Shari’ah in the north.
These blows to the Christian community in Sudan have determined Archbishop Zubeir’s course ever since.
Now, as then, he battles to protect the rights of Christians, preaching a gospel of forgiveness and lobbying government officials so that his faithful are recognised as exempt from Shari’ah.
Although the civil war officially came to an end 18 months ago, the situation remains so tense that one false move could cause the south to teeter over the brink into war…Churches continue to be targeted; and it is the Christian areas of the shanty towns that often fare worst – they are the ones who are forced further out into the desert and whose lack of food and housing is most severe.
Cardinal Zubeir’s main hope for such communities remains the ‘Save the Saveable’ Schools project he founded.
Sustained opposition from the Government has completely failed in its efforts to weaken his resolve to keep the schools running; all this despite a lack of funding, which raised fears of his imprisonment as teachers waited to be paid. "…"He says of the militant forces influential within Sudan’s regime: “To drive us out still remains the objective of our oppressors.”
Showing that his brand of Catholicism has nothing to do with idealistic naïveté, the Cardinal’s sceptical attitude towards the government defines his attitudes to the Darfur crisis.
He is convinced that the
genocide in Darfur is at the very least backed by the Government and is furious at the inaction of the international community.
He said: “The international community has got to be firm. There is nothing worse than the UN saying they are going to take action but then not carrying it out. They must do everything short of armed conflict.”
catholicweekly.com.au/article.php?classID=3&subclassID=9&articleID=319&class=Features&subclass=A%20conversation%20with
