Vatican City, Oct 21, 2009 / 01:28 am
The Seventeenth General Congregation of the Synod for Africa began in Rome on Tuesday with the reading of a letter from synod leaders who expressed their “deep sorrow” about the violent conflicts in Africa. The letter was read in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI and 217 Synod Fathers.
Addressed to the presidents of the bishops conferences of Sudan, Uganda, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, the letter expressed the Synod Fathers’ “deep sorrow” about the persistent war in Africa’s Great Lakes region.
The letter noted that hundreds of thousands of people, fearing for their lives, have abandoned their homes to seek refuge in nearby countries in “extremely perilous conditions.”
The Synod Fathers also lamented the “worrisome situation” of child soldiers, orphans, and those who are severely physically or mentally injured.