Survivors of violence in DRC share heartbreaking stories with 杏MAP导航 Francis
By Christopher Wells
Survivors of the ongoing conflict in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo shared stories of brutal violence, including mass killings and mutilation, abduction and lost relatives, serial rape and sexual slavery, and displaced people living in overcrowded and unsanitary refugee camps.
But amid the horrors of war and natural disasters, those who took part in Wednesday鈥檚 afternoon meeting with 杏MAP导航 Francis also spoke of forgiveness and hope, with one survivor expressing the hope of all: 鈥淲e want to leave behind this dark past and be able to build a beautiful future.鈥�
'I am close to you'
In his own remarks, the Holy Father said, 鈥淲e continue to be shocked to hear of the inhumane violence that you have seen with your eyes and personally experienced.鈥�
杏MAP导航 Francis had originally intended to visit the eastern part of the country, but ongoing security issues made such a trip impossible. Instead, the 杏MAP导航 told the people of the region, 鈥淚 am close to you: your tears are my tears; your pain is my pain,鈥� adding, 鈥淭o every family that grieves or is displaced by the burning of villages and other war crimes, to the survivors of sexual violence and to every injured child and adult, I say: I am with you; I want to bring you God鈥檚 caress.鈥�
He went on to condemn, 鈥渋n the name of God 鈥� the armed violence, the massacres, the rapes, the destruction and occupation of villages, the looting of fields and cattle 鈥� as well as the murderous, illegal exploitation of the wealth of this country, and the attempts to fragment the country in order to control.鈥�
Listen to the cry of their blood!
The 杏MAP导航 made a heartfelt appeal to all people, and especially those that are fomenting war in the Democratic Republic of Congo: 鈥淟isten to the cry of their blood, open your ears to the voice of God 鈥� and to the voice of your conscience: put away your weapons, put an end to war!鈥�
He then asked what we can do and where we can begin in order to promote peace. He proposed, in response, 鈥渟tarting again with two ways of saying 鈥榥o鈥� and two ways of saying 鈥榶es鈥�.鈥�
No to violence and resignation
First, he said, we must say 鈥渘o to violence, always and everywhere,鈥� without exception. At the same time, he insisted that saying 鈥渘o鈥� to violence means more than avoiding acts of violence; it involves eliminating the roots of violence, including 鈥済reed, envy, and, above all, resentment.鈥� Addressing the survivors present at the meeting, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥淚 would like to ask everyone to behave as you, our courageous witnesses have suggested to us: Have the courage to disarm the heart.鈥�
杏MAP导航 Francis went on to call everyone to say 鈥渘o鈥� to resignation. 鈥淚 once more invite all those living in the Democratic Congo not to give up but to commit themselves to building a better future,鈥� he said.
Yes to reconciliation and hope
The Holy Father then spoke about the two ways of saying 鈥測es,鈥� beginning with saying 鈥測es鈥� to reconciliation. Once more addressing the survivors, praised their desire to commit themselves 鈥渢o forgiving one another and to rejecting war as a means of resolving differences.鈥�
The prophetic voice of Christianity, he said, 鈥渕eans responding to evil with good, to hatred with love, to division with reconciliation.鈥� All these things, he continued, 鈥渁re more powerful than evil 鈥� because they transform reality from within, instead of destroying it from without.鈥�
Finally, the 杏MAP导航 highlighted the 鈥渄ecisive 鈥榶es鈥�, the yes to hope.鈥� Hope, he said, has a source, like a wellspring: Jesus. 鈥淲ith Jesus, evil no longer has the last word over life,鈥� he said, pointing again to Jesus triumphing over death and the grave.
鈥淏rothers and sisters of the east of the country, this hope is meant for you, and you have a right to it,鈥� he said. Yet, he continued, it is also a right that must be earned 鈥渂y patiently sowing peace day after day.鈥� To sow peace is good for us, he explained, adding 鈥渋t sets us free from narrow concern for personal gain and gives us a reason for living each day; it seasons our lives with liberality and makes us more and more like God, the patient sower who sows seeds of hope.鈥�
Sowers of peace
He then thanked and blessed those who have worked, and even given their lives to sow peace, saying, 鈥淭hey were sowers of hope, and their sacrifice will not be lost.
The Holy Father then concluded his address by emphasizing once again his closeness to the people of the East, and blessing all of them. 鈥淢ay Jesus, our May Jesus, our brother, the God of reconciliation who planted the tree of life of the Cross in the heart of the darkness of sin and suffering, the God of hope who believes in you, in your country and in your future, bless you and comfort you.鈥�
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