Bishop of Pemba: “Wreckage is all that’s left”
Bishop António Juliasse of Pemba, in northern Mozambique, visited the communities who have suffered attacks by Islamist terrorists and thanked ACN for the pontifical charity’s support to the local Church in Cabo Delgado, which has been suffering from an insurgency since 2017.
“As pastor of the diocese I feel great pain for not being able to visit all the Christians, due to lack of security. But when the local Christian leaders told me, through the priests, that it was now possible to reach some regions, I departed immediately, and I was warmly welcomed in an atmosphere of joy and hope,” said the Bishop of Pemba, in northern Mozambique, following a recent visit to several communities who have been attacked by Islamist terrorists over the past few years.
In a message sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop António Juliasse spoke of the people’s joy at his visit, as well as the deep pain felt over the years for not being able to meet these communities more often.
During his pastoral visit, Bishop António Juliasse was able to travel to the communities of Nangololo, Litingina, Imbuho, Chilinde and Mueda, all of whom have, since 2017, been suffering because of the insurgency carried out by Islamist militias claiming allegiance to the Islamic State (IS). The insurgency has mostly affected the province of Cabo Delgado, in the far north of Mozambique, which corresponds to the Diocese of Pemba, and is thought to have caused around 5,000 deaths over these years and internally displaced up to one million people.
“We managed to celebrate Mass and administer the Sacrament of Confirmation in the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Nangololo, which will celebrate its centenary in November this year. This parish has been a centre of evangelisation in the northern part of the diocese. It was originally founded by Monfortine missionaries, but since then other missionaries and diocesan clergy have served it,” the bishop explained to ACN.
Besides a church, the mission in Nangololo included classrooms, a clinic, a radio station, training centres and a well, but during an attack in 2020 almost everything was destroyed by the insurgents. Nonetheless, the faithful gathered with the bishop in the ruins of the mission to celebrate Mass. “Everywhere I went we celebrated Mass this way, in the open, among the ruins of the churches which had been destroyed and vandalized, like in Nangololo,” Bishop Juliasse continued, adding “it is very painful to see the ruins of buildings which, for so long, were an expression of people’s faith. Now, not much is left besides the wreckage.”
The insurgency has led to a general atmosphere of fear and also to a serious problem of hunger. “Everywhere there is fear and uncertainty about the future. There is still great suffering. Many people are still living in camps for the internally displaced, though with less humanitarian assistance nowadays. Without safety, people are afraid to go and work their fields, which are often a few kilometres away from the villages, as they are afraid of being attacked, and that means that production is low, which leads to hunger, because people don’t produce enough food, and also because the other services don’t work properly. So, the situation is still very complicated,” Bishop António Juliasse told ACN.
Nonetheless, hope prevails. “It is through faith in God and the hope that one day this war will end, that these people manage to endure their suffering,” the bishop explained. “My experience during this visit was comforting, because despite the great difficulties people are living with, they are strong in the Faith, and the Lord has blessed them with His grace. Even in their great poverty, they are very generous amongst themselves. I was not expecting any sort of collection, given their state, but I was given plenty of produce, as an expression of a people who welcome their pastor and want to share with him the little that they have. I was deeply moved by this.”
ACN has been supporting the Church in Pemba for many years. Projects with the local diocese include provision of fuel and financial support for priests, but also assistance for the internally displaced by the conflicts, subsistence aid for 60 women religious and 17 priests, funding of formation for 48 seminarians and spiritual support for victims of terrorism. The pontifical foundation has also helped fund and produce radio programmes, which are a crucial means of evangelisation in this context.
“I am so grateful to all those who support us and allow us to be close to the people,” the bishop said in his message. “Aid to the Church in Need has helped our priests in this way, so that they can provide spiritual support to those who suffer, and I would like to express my thanks to all those who have contributed, making this possible. Thank you very much!” he concluded.
