Paul Samasumo – Vatican City

“Fear runs down the spine of many of our people today. The crackdown on dissent is unprecedented. Is this the Zimbabwe we want? To have a different opinion does not mean to be an enemy. It is precisely from the contrast of opinion that the light comes. Our government automatically labels anyone thinking differently as an enemy of the country: that is an abuse,” said the Bishops in a Pastoral Letter released Friday. The letter is signed by all the country’s Catholic Bishops.

Suppression of people’s anger leads to a profound crisis

The Bishops add, “The call for demonstrations is the expression of growing frustration and aggravation caused by the conditions that the majority of Zimbabweans find themselves in. Suppression of people’s anger can only serve to deepen the crisis and take the nation into deeper crisis.”

The Government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has widely been criticised for human rights abuses that have seen the country’s police and military unleashed on activists, journalists as well as the public. Several observers, such as Amnesty International, -all paint a climate of fear and brutal repression; forced disappearances, arrests, street abductions, and torture of the government’s critics.

#ZimbabweanLivesMatter

The government’s crackdown on peaceful protests has given rise to the hashtag, #ZimbabweanLivesMatter, inspired no doubt by the global movement, #BlackLivesMatter.

Among those still detained, in Zimbabwe, are Hopewell Chin’ono, an awarding-winning journalist. Also, in detention together with many others is Jacob Ngarivhume, leader of Transform Zimbabwe. The two high profile detainees have been charged with inciting public protests and violence.

Lawyers from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said detainees were being held in inhuman prison conditions.

Earlier, Zimbabwean President Mnangagwa, appeared to rebuff South Africa’s attempts to mediate and help ease the country’s crisis. Zimbabwe’s Catholic Bishops describe the failure of South Africa’s emissaries to meet with Church and civil society as regrettable and probably an opportunity missed.

A leadership that blames everyone but itself

According to the Bishops, the country’s political leadership needs to take full responsibility and stop blaming others for the country’s misfortunes.

“It is not clear to us as your Bishops that the national leadership we have has the knowledge, social skills, emotional stability and social orientation to handle the issues that we face as a nation. All we hear from them is blame of our woes on foreigners, colonialism, white settlers, and the so-called internal detractors. When are we going to take responsibility? While our neighbours in the region are strengthening their democratic institutions, we seem to be weakening ours,” reads the Pastoral Letter, in part.

During COVID-19, where does a nation turn to?

“In the face of growing numbers of COVID-19 infections, where does the nation turn to? With the necessary tools in short supply in our hospitals, we notice with wounded hearts, that government officials seem to have more PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) than our nurses and doctors,” observe the Bishops.

The march is never ended

“We make an urgent plea to peace and national building through inclusive engagement, dialogue and collective responsibility for transformation. We are also conscious that the COVID-19 pandemic will expose us to new challenges for the foreseeable future. Indeed, as John Lewis (the African American politician and civil rights leader) realised, the march is never ended, but together we will overcome,” said the Zimbabwe prelates.

By Lydia O’Kane

Over the past few months’ people around the world have had to adapt to a different way of living, working and also praying due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

But it hasn’t stopped the four-day annual French National Pilgrimage to Lourdes getting underway.

On Wednesday, the 147^th edition of the pilgrimage began with Holy Mass in the Church of St Bernadette.

The event, which is organised by the Congregation of the Assumptionists, runs from the 12-16 August and has as its theme: “Going to the Source of Love”.

Although the pilgrimage is going ahead, this edition will not see the vast crowds of previous years due to social distancing restrictions.

The sick are not alone

Fr Vincent Cabanac is director of the French National Pilgrimage. He explained that despite the difficulties regarding the pandemic, this year’s pilgrimage is a “rendezvous” they wanted to maintain.

This year, there will be a delegation of just 500 pilgrims who will be present at the event. But other pilgrims will be able to follow all the main events online, and those who are sick will also be able to be part of the pilgrimage via radio and television.

We don’t want the sick to “feel alone”, said the National Director, and that is why there will be this digital connection from them to the Sanctuary.

Although COVID-19 has changed the format of this gathering, there is still a rich array of events over the course of the four days. The programme includes the recitation of the Rosary, concerts, processions, vigils and testimonies.

Restrictions in place

For health reasons, and to respect physical and social distancing, bathing is not possible at the Sanctuary at present. But Fr Cabanac points out that in a symbolic gesture, people will be able to come to the baths and will be able to wash their face and hands.

Visit of Cardinal Parolin

At the invitation of the organizers of the national pilgrimage, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin is visiting the Shrine at Lourdes to preside over Mass for the Feast of the Assumption on August 15.

He had been invited to the shrine before the coronavirus outbreak. 

This is the Cardinal’s third visit to Lourdes since become Vatican Secretary of State. In 2017 he visited the Shrine as Pope Francis’ representative for the World Day of the Sick; and in 2018 for the St Francis de Sales Days.

Speaking about Cardinal Parolin’s presence at Lourdes, Fr Cabanac said, “It is a very important sign for us that the Cardinal visits.” With his presence he is giving an expression of encouragement that is faithful and humble.

“The Cardinal,” said the Assumptionist Priest, “is giving a strong message of prayer not only for France but for the world, presenting his intention here in the Grotto of Massabielle and this visit will be very important for us, for France and for the Church.”

By Vatican News

On September 27, the Church will mark the 106^th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

The first observance of the Day was in 1914, just a few months before the outbreak of World War I, when Pope St Pius X called on all Christians to pray for migrants. In 2005, Pope St John Paul II announced that the World Day would be celebrated throughout the Church on the second Sunday after Epiphany; in 2018, at the request of various Bishops’ conferences, Pope Francis moved the celebration to the last Sunday in September.

In his Message for this year’s commemoration, Pope Francis writes, “God did not want the resources of our planet to benefit only a few. This was not the Lord’s will! We have to learn to share in order to grow together, leaving no one behind.”

Eric’s story

This week, the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development has published its fourth video in a communications campaign to help spread Pope Francis’ message.

In the video, Eric Estrada Buenaño tells about his experience as an internally displaced person in Venezuela.

“I became a displaced person for several reasons,” he explains: “lack of drinking water and domestic gas, and insecurity.” He notes, too, that his home state “is remote and has always had problems with guerillas, lawlessness, organized crime and kidnappings.”

Like a second family

Eric has found a home with a new family, who have given him a place to live, shared their food, and helped him find work. “They are like a second family to me,” he says, “and [they] have assisted me enormously.”

“They have helped me grow in faith,” he adds.

Sharing makes us more human

Drawing on his own experience, Eric says, “There are people who need our help. Sharing makes us more human, strengthens our faith in God, and makes us feel like His children.”

But sharing, he says, is about more than simply sharing material resources: “It is also about sharing our life experience, our joys, love, a word of encouragement.”

“Everything that we can give will do good; somehow, it will help someone,” Eric insists.

By John Car – Athens, Greece

The Greek foreign minister, Nikos Dendias, was scheduled to meet U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday to seek Washington’s support in its struggle against Turkey’s oil exploration efforts off the coast of Crete.

Athens already has the fervent backing of France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, plus Israel and Egypt.

Officials in Athens on Friday hailed the establishment of diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates as boosting the Greek position.

Oil-prospecting dispute

Greek naval units also continued to shadow a Turkish oil-prospecting ship, the Oruc Reis, in the East Mediterranean, west of Cyprus.

Athens claims the ship is infringing on Greece’s maritime economic zone, which it negotiated with Egypt just last week.

Greece’s Defense Ministry denied claims that a Greek frigate was damaged in a vaguely-defined incident at sea. Turkish frigates are escorting the Oruc Reis, raising the potential for a clash. 

The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has warned that Greece will not cede an inch of its maritime economic space. He says the Oruc Reis is in clear defiance of International maritime law.

Diplomatic front

Greek and French naval and air units have been war-gaming in the region over the past few days. 

So far, Greece has been fighting purely on the diplomatic front. But whether the tussle with Turkey over seabed resources will result in actual shooting is impossible to predict at this point.