October 2012 - Familia Comboniana 701

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

INTERCAPITULAR ASSEMBLY

The Intercapitular Assembly was held from 2 to 22 September at the Rome Generalate: for twenty days the Comboni circumscription superiors and the members of the General Administration worked together. By means of reports and interventions, they took in hand the present-day themes affecting the Institute and the mission: the Ratio Missionis, the Code of Conduct, the Total Common Fund, the Amalgamation of Circumscriptions, the Rule of Life, the Criteria for Personnel Appointments and the preparation of the next General Chapter.

The Assembly was opened on the morning of 2 September by the superior general, Fr. Enrique Sánchez González, who spoke of the Intercapitular as a “special gift” enabling us to give an account of all we have lived, to retrace the journey accomplished, to organise our immediate future and to enrich ourselves with the experience that each member carries within himself. He defined it as “an opportunity for all of us to feel responsible for the entire Institute”.

The Mother General of the Comboni Sisters, Sr. Luzia Premoli, sent a message to the General Council expressing her closeness in prayer to the Comboni Missionaries gathered for the Intercapitular.

The First Week

Monday 3. Fr. Josep Maria Abella Batlle, 63, Superior General of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Claretians), guided the reflection with his address on “Mission and Consecrated Life Today”.

Tuesday 4. The Superior General began by presenting the progress made by the Institute during the past three years. The days from 4 to 6 September were devoted to the reading of the reports from the General Council (GC), the General Secretaries and those in charge of certain offices and those of the circumscriptions, continent by continent.

During the afternoon, reports were presented by the General Secretaries: Fr. Mariano Tibaldo – Evangelisation; Fr. Jorge Oscar García Castillo – Mission Promotion; Fr. Arlindo Ferreira Pinto – Coordinator of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC)/The Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM) and the Comboni Institute website.

Wednesday 5. Reports were presented by: Fr. John Baptist Opargiw Keraryo, General Secretary for Vocations promotion and Basic Formation; Fr Claudio Lurati, General Secretary for Finance; Fr. Umberto Pescantini, Secretary General of the Institute and by Fr. Danilo Cimitan, Coordinator of Ongoing Formation.

Thursday 6. The day began with the Eucharist celebrated in continental groups: a suitable opportunity to bring to the table of the Lord the geographical and human situation of each of the places where Comboni Missionaries are present. The morning was devoted to the reports from the sub-continents of Anglophone Africa/Mozambique and those of the continents of the Americas/Asia and Europe.

Friday 7. The work of the Assembly consisted in reflection on the theme of “continentality”. Bro. Daniele Giusti, the general assistant, gave a brief historical summary of how the theme emerged and a synopsis of the results of the “questionnaire on continentality”.

Saturday 8. A day of rest and relaxation. In the morning, most of the participants visited the city of Orvieto and its beautiful Duomo and then moved on to the church of St .Christina in Bolsena where they celebrated Mass.

Second Week

Monday 10. The second week of work opened with the presentation of the document of the Ratio Missionis (RM), as was requested of the ad hoc Commission by the XVII General Chapter, 2009.

Tuesday 11. During the morning sessions, Fr. John Baptist Keraryo Opargiw, General Secretary for Basic Formation, presented three themes from which the Intercapitular Assembly was expected to draw conclusions: the Missionary Service of scholastics, before or after theological studies, the Continentality of the Scholastics and Inserted Scholastics.

Wednesday 12. On the subject of the first theme of the day – the Code of Conduct (CC) – Fr. Enrique Sánchez G., Fr. Danilo Cimitan and Fr. Alberto Pelucchi contextualised the present CC and informed the Assembly as to developments in the Church today.

The second theme – The Total Common Fund (TCF) – was thoroughly explained by Fr. Claudio Lurati, General Treasurer of the Institute. He clarified both what the TCF is and what it is not. He also explained that “the TCF, while including new technical aspects in its administration, is above all the choice of a more evangelical lifestyle and options such as simplicity and sobriety, self-limitation in the use of goods, the choice of structures that are smaller, more simple and more within the possibilities of the people and the search for self-sufficiency in order to reduce dependence upon help from abroad”.

Thursday 13. The theme of the day was “The Amalgamation of Circumscriptions”. The Superior General of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa, Fr. Richard Baawobr, told of their experience of the process of restructuring. During the second morning session. Bro. Giusti gave a historical review of the Comboni journey accomplished between the Chapter of 1985 and the Chapter mandate of 2009 showing the numbers, the services, the needs and the difficulties involved in possible amalgamations within the Institute of the Comboni Missionaries. Fr. Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, General Assistant, presented the experience of amalgamations in other Institutes.

The afternoon session began with a period spent in comparing ideas and in debating in the Hall. Then, before the group-work began, Bro. Giusti, speaking on behalf of the GC, indicated some very pragmatic paths for reflection, both for the circumscriptions that have already decided or declared that they are somewhat prepared to amalgamate, and for those that had not yet agreed to do so.

Friday 14 and Saturday 15. The morning of 14 September was taken up with the presentation in the Hall of the reflections of the groups. The afternoon and the following day were left free for the GC to meet the circumscription Superiors individually.

Sunday 16. His Eminence Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, came to visit the Comboni Missionaries and presided at Holy Mass. After Mass there was a brief meeting in the Chapter Hall followed by a fraternal meal.

Third Week

Monday 17. The third week of work began with a presentation by Fr. Venanzio Milani on the activities carried out by the Commission for the Rule of Life (RL) of which he was the coordinator. Fr. Milani recalled the history of the RL from 1979 to 2009 – especially from the time when the RL appears with the two parts combined in one text: the constitutional part with 175 articles (any change to these requires the approval of the Holy See) and the directorial part with 529 articles (the approval of a Chapter is sufficient to change these). Bearing in mind that the year 2013 is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of the definitive edition of the RL, Fr. Milani made several proposals to be approved later by the circumscription Superiors.

In the afternoon Fr. Tesfaye Tadesse G. Informed the Assembly regarding the present personnel situation of the Institute and in particular about the criteria for assignments, stressing the importance of taking into consideration the general policy of the last General Chapter (CA ’09, 125.6): “There should be a balance between personnel and commitments in order to re-qualify mission according to priorities; to this end, if necessary, the number of communities and Circumscriptions should be reduced (clustering-fusion-union)”

Tuesday 18. With the purpose of verifying and evaluating the process being carried on and to plan for the next triennium, the Synthesis Commission – composed of Fr. Angelo Giorgetti, Fr. Girolamo Miante and Fr. Luis Alberto Barrera Pacheco – indicated the more interesting points that emerged during the Assembly. Some concrete reminders were given concerning what was said in the various reports and in the reflections on the main topics in the progress of the Institute: amalgamation of Circumscriptions, the Total Common Fund, the Code of Conduct, Formation, Continentality, the Ratio Missionis, the Rule of Life and the Assignment of Personnel.

In the afternoon, the work continued in language-based groups aiming at studying these points and identifying priority commitments for the next three years at the levels of the General Council, continents and circumscriptions.

Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20. The whole of Monday and Tuesday morning were devoted to preparing for the next Chapter in 2015. Fr. Mariano Tibaldo and Fr. Antonio Villarino presented the research they carried out together on the Statutes and procedures – from the preparation to the follow-up work of Chapters – followed by the Consolata, Xaverian and the PIME (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions) Institutes. In the afternoon the work was continued in language-based groups.

During the morning session there was also a long debate on the suggestions brought by the groups. The majority of the participants voted in favour of a monothematic Chapter (the themes suggested was “Being Comboni Missionaries during the epoch of The New Evangelisation”), to have a facilitator, to have the duration of the Chapter established in advance and to have the Chapter Statutes revised.

The final afternoon was spent in an exchange of ideas on some parts of the sector of JP. Fr. Moschetti spoke of the conclusions of the Comboni Forum on the Integrity of Creation carried out in June, 2012, in Rio de Janeiro, and of the upcoming World Social Forum (22-28 March, 2013) to be followed by the Comboni Forum (29-31 March, 2013) in Tunisia. Bro. Simone Bauce spoke briefly of the ongoing work of Comboni Province of Ecuador in the field of Justice and Peace.

The Capitular Assembly was concluded with a speech by the superior general, Fr. Enrique Sánchez G., who thanked everyone for their work during the three weeks and for the missionary service they are carrying out in the countries where we Comboni Missionaries are present. During the Eucharist, Fr. Enrique commented on five key words: fidelity, trust, urgency, hope and faith.

Perpetual Professions

Holy Redeemer Guild

October             01 – 15 P             16 – 31 RSA

November          01 – 07 SS           08 – 15 TC             16 – 30 T

Prayer Intentions

October – That the example of St. Daniel Comboni, the great missionary animator, may inspire the entire Comboni Family to carry out the ministry of mission promotion to assist the local Churches in opening out to the ad gentes mission, and to solidarity and cooperation among the Churches. Let us pray.

November – That God may grant our deceased brothers and sisters, many of whom have fallen like so many grains of wheat in the furrow of the mission, the prize of the just and eternal peace. Let us pray.

Publications

Fr. Giovanni Taneburgo: Sentieri di luce. Cierre Grafica Publishers, 2012, 119 pp. Fourteen short episodes on the love of God for each of us when his initiative meets with our cooperation.

BRASIL NORDESTE

Fr. Dario wins against the iron giant

The giant conquered by the Comboni missionary Fr. Dario Bossi, a native of Varese, Italy, is the mining colossus Vale which a judge, Ricardo Macieira, ordered to suspend the work of enlarging the rail line of Caraiás: 900 km of railway from the iron mines of the company all the way to the port of São Luis through the state of Pará. “It is a project worth 28 billion dollars which – Fr. Dario explains on the phone –, with the opening of new large mines and the enlarging of the harbour, had been presented as a minor improvement thus avoiding the evaluation of the environmental factor and the consent of the population”. To give an idea of how ‘small’ the project was, the missionary adds: “Every day on this line there are 24 trains with 330 cars; doubling the project, they would have a train every 25 minutes, 58 each day. And since each train, with its load of iron, pollution and noise, is 4 km long and it takes 5 minutes to rumble by, this means taking away each day one fifth of the life of the people who live along its tracks.

Fr. Dario has supported the battle of the 27 municipalities, 100 communities in all that live connected to the railway. “First of all the place of the Quilombolas, the descendants of African slaves, who more than anybody else suffer the effects of this neo-colonialism that takes without giving anything in return.”

In his blog Fr. Dario wrote: “The river Pindaré runs slow and wide in winter among the villages of the deep interior of our Maranhão. Groups of families have settled on the land along the river: a small agrarian reform that breaks up like leopard spots the land of the fazendeiros. Near the shore there is another parallel flow, the railway of Vale that transports 300 thousand tons of mineral iron a day, all for export. This train of profit doesn’t stop, does not have obstacles. It overruns, it kills, it keeps people awake with its noise and it cracks the mud walls of the houses nearby.” So, when the work to double the railway began, he presented the case to the court together with the missionary indigenous council, the society of human rights of Maranhão and the Centre of Afro culture, with the blessing of the “Rede Justica nos Trilhos” (Justice on the Rails). The judge decided that the work had to be suspended immediately because the license given to Vale by the Environment Institute was not in order. And everything stopped. They are now waiting for the appeal. (Corriere della Sera – 8 August, 2012)

COLOMBIA

Communiqué from the Diocese of Tumaco (a brief extract)

Speaking in the name of the Diocese of Tumaco, we sympathise with the sorrow and consternation of the people and communities of this Pacific Coast of Narino where we are forced to live and survive in a situation of armed social conflict which has been going on for more than ten years and which, with its latest violent episodes, continues to erode the possibility of living life in dignity and peace.

We appeal to the national government... to the FARC-EP guerrillas… to all the illegal armed activists who, in the struggle for territorial and economic power, hold entire districts and communities hostage, to respect the ordinary daily life of the communities of the Narino Pacific Coast, to avoid involving the civilian population and, above all, to respect the sanctity of life.

The words of Jesus Christ who said “I came that they may have life and have it in abundance” (Jn 10,10) apply also to our Afro, indigenous and half-cast communities of the Narino Pacific Coast and require a community effort in order to walk together and move forward in the same direction.

Reflection from Tumaco by Fr. Daniele Zarantonello

We have been without electricity for some days now. The situation is worrying and difficult to understand. The communities are going ahead with the fidelity and single-mindedness of the early Christian communities.

We are working with passion: violence and exclusion are part of our history, not of our future. The “Week of Peace” is approaching when we will celebrate as a diocese from 16 to 22 September, 2012, with the theme “Pa’ tejer otra historia, hagamos memoria”. We commemorate not only the distant past but the recent past as well.

Nobody speaks of our situation. In Bogota nobody knows anything and those who do know see our complaints just as a marginal note.

During the night we sing to the tune of black resistance. At dawn we are called again to rise up and we rise up very day. They make take away our electricity but they cannot deprive us of the sun; and the light that shines on us is bomb-proof and they will never steal it from us. Faith belongs neither to the violent or the mean-minded; it belongs to the people of no importance who resist.

ITALIA

Missionary Parents’ Day

It was at San Tomio, in Vicenza, that the relatives of the Comboni missionaries from the diocese of Vicenza gathered on 12 August to renew a tradition kept alive while the house of Thiene was still open. This year they wished to continue this tradition to commemorate the sacrifice of Fr. Egidio Ferracin, a native of San Tomio, who was killed in Uganda 25 years ago. A number of Comboni Missionaries on holiday met with some members of the Province and their families for the occasion. Sr. Silvana Guglielmi was the most welcome representative of the Comboni Sisters.

Here is an extract from the testimony of Fr. Egidio Tocalli (August 1987): “We used to call you ‘Cheers’: you were, for us, the man with the perpetual smile. When you used to arrive at a chapel you used to shout and laugh, causing an explosion of joy. Whenever there was a serious problem in a mission or there was a difficult situation, the superiors immediately thought of you. They called you ‘the stop-gap’. You were a priest at the service of all: the poor, the afflicted and the sick. You were happy in your missionary vocation. You remind us that ‘there is no greater life than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’”.

Fr. Arrigo Grendele, Director of the Missions Office, brought the day to a close by sharing his joy in participating in this moment of brotherhood and delivering the greetings and good wishes of the Bishop of Vicenza who blessed and encouraged the initiative.

MOÇAMBIQUE

Two celebrations in memory of Brother Alfredo Fiorini

The Comboni Brother, Alfredo Fiorini, was remembered on August 24 in the course of two Eucharistic in places ten thousand km apart: one at Carapira, in Mozambique, where Bro. Alfredo, a doctor by profession, was killed; the other at Terracina, in Italy, in his native parish where he is buried. Both celebrations were presided over by the local bishops, Mgr. Germano Grachane of Nacala, and Mgr. Giuseppe Petrocchi of Latina. At both celebrations the prelates spoke of martyrdom and of witness, and, therefore, of a gift not only for the people or for a diocese but for all and for the universal Church. At Carapira, the Comboni Sister Teresa Dalle Pezze, 46, killed on January 3, 1985, in the same place where Fr. Alfredo was shot, was commemorated.

In Mozambique, after Mass, a large number of people went to the Industrial School of Carapira where they could admire a beautiful exhibition on Bro. Alfredo and Sr. Teresa prepared by the students and entitled “it is not a matter of courage, but of love.”

The Eucharist in Terracina was presided over by Mgr. Giuseppe Petrocchi, accompanied by 11 priests, six of them Comboni Missionaries from the Curia and from San Pancrazio. The parish church was full of people who after 20 years still remember this beloved son of their land. At the entrance of the church a photographic display illustrated the life of Bro. Alfredo. The bishop spoke of the history and the life of Bro. Alfredo from the point of view of its end, namely his martyrdom. “Alfredo is up there in the heavenly Jerusalem, said the bishop visibly moved, because he gave his life in such a splendid way, going to the least, to the poorest and neediest. Alfredo is a martyr and the proof of that is in this church, so full of people 20 years after his death”.

PERU-CHILE

Going back to Italy

Fr. Mario Mazzoni left for Italy on 28 July this year to the great disappointment of the many friends and acquaintances he made in all these years.

Fr. Mario was one of the first Comboni Missionaries to come to Peru in 1966. Ever since then he worked tirelessly in the parish of the Twelve Apostles at Chorrillos, at Trujillo and in Chile in Mission Promotion and as Director of the OMP in Peru. For some months now he had been accompanying some lay movements such as the Cursillos de Cristiandad, Encomi, the Missionary Family Easter (with the help of Siempre sin Fronteras), Missionary Tea and also helped many people to prepare for Baptism and Marriage.

Our very best congratulations and thanks go to Fr. Mario on his many years in Peru and for his example of great dedication and missionary life in the Province.

Twenty Five Years of Priesthood

On 22 July, at the parish of Christ the Missionary of the Father, Fr. Florentino Lafuente Hernández celebrated the Silver Jubilee of his priestly life. Among those present were some family members who had come from Spain, a large number of Comboni Missionaries, one of whom was Fr. Rogelio Bustos Juárez, the former Provincial, who had come from Mexico for the occasion and Mgr. Jaime Rodríguez Salazar, Bishop of Huánuco. The celebration took place in a festive atmosphere and great enthusiasm on the part of the faithful, bearing witness to good work that Fr. Florentino and the other members of the community are doing in the area. After Mass everyone, including the parishioners, many of whom were young people and children, took part in the meal and the entertainment that followed.

JPIC Meeting

On 10 and 11 August, a meeting took place on JPIC at the cultural centre of the Chorrillos-Lima parish of Christ the Missionary of the Father. It was organised by Fr. Juan A. Calderón Goicochea with the help of some lay people. The participants numbered about fifty and were mostly Comboni confreres and Comboni Sisters as well as lay people from the coastal communities.

The meeting began with prayer and meditation on the text of Moses and the burning bush (Ex. 3, 1-10). This was followed by speeches explaining the work of JPIC. For example, Fr. Luis A. Barrera Pacheco spoke of the interest and the commitment of our Institute in this work, mentioning some of the initiatives of the Province such as the pastoral care of the Afros and the natives of the forest. Then Sr. Brigitte spoke of the importance of approaching the Word of God knowing how to interpret the will of God and understanding the signs of the times. She invited those present to reflect on some Biblical texts which clearly indicate the responsibility of humankind towards all of creation, a responsibility which consists in taking care of it and respecting it. In fact, the committee for JPIC, run by Fr. Juan, is working on a project to prepare material for children, youths and adults on JPIC themes that may be used for catechesis in schools or meetings to raise awareness among the people on this issue.

PORTUGAL

Mission Days

The soul of mission is the unconditional and total giving of one’s life following the example and the mission of Jesus. The missionary and the Church are required to announce the Gospel to all in contemplation, fidelity and total dedication.

This was one of the conclusions reached at the last Mission Days carried out at Fatima from 14 to 16 September on the theme “Vatican II, 50 Years, Mission, Memory and Prophecy”. The meeting was attended by 300 people including Comboni men and women, diocesan clergy and a good number of lay people and young people connected to missionary Institutes and Dioceses.

The final text of the Mission Days refers to the 2010 Pastoral Letter of the Bishops: What I have done to you, do you also to one another. This is the document which best explains what the doctrine of the Ad Gentes Decree means in Portugal. The letter reaffirms the principles of Vatican II according to which the Church exists in order to evangelise, that the local Church is the protagonist of mission and that the work of the laity is essential.

Within the conclusions of the meeting there is also the suggestion that the final Sunday which concludes the Mission Days should “gradually become the National Mission Pilgrimage”.

SOUTH AFRICA

25^th anniversary of priestly ordination

On 3 September, Fr. Jude Eugene Burgers celebrated the XXV anniversary of his priestly ordination at his home parish of the Holy Trinity in the Archdiocese of Cape Town. The celebration was graced by the presence of Rt. Rev. Bishop Emeritus Edward Robert Adams who was Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Parish the year Fr. Jude joined the diocesan seminary –, nine Comboni confreres and Fr. Peters, a diocesan priest and now Parish Priest, who was his classmate in the seminary.

In a packed church, Fr. Jude, who presided over the Eucharist, thanked God, his parents and all the parishioners for bringing him up in the Catholic faith. He said, “Many people contributed to my vocational growth and commitment to the service of the poor and I am what I am because of the grace of God and your prayers. Continue to pray for me and for more vocations.” Fr. Jude is the only Comboni Missionary from the Archdiocese of Cape Town and in his homily he encouraged the parishioners to pray for vocations, especially to the missionary life. Fr. Vincent Mkhabela, the Comboni Vice-provincial, speaking on behalf of the Provincial Superior (who is presently in Rome attending the Intercapitular Assembly), thanked the family of Fr. Jude and the whole parish for giving Fr. Jude as a gift to God and to the Comboni Family. Immediately after the Eucharistic celebration, a good number of young people came forward standing in front of the altar in the form of a cross and sang a beautiful song. After the final blessing, all those present were led to the parish hall where different age groups sang their songs and where tea was served.

Handing over of the parish of Mount Frere

On 9 September, the Province of South Africa handed over the parish of the Sacred Heart in Mount Frere to the diocese of Kokstad. The parish, which had been served from 1892 to 1989 by the Franciscans (OFM) and by the Comboni Missionaries from 1990 to 2012, was for the first time being served by a local priest, now the new parish priest. The bishop, Mgr. Stanislaw Jan Dziuba, the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Kokstad, presided over the Eucharist.

The celebration of the handing over was prepared by Fr. Mariano Pérez, the last Comboni parish priest of Mount Frere. In a church filled to capacity, the people sang and danced to express their joy and their sadness. In his Homily Bishop Dziuba thanked all the Comboni Missionaries who selflessly worked in Mount Frere to bring the Good News of Christ to that community. He mentioned the names of all the Comboni Missionaries who worked in Mount Frere and thanked them for their total dedication in serving the people of God in this part of the country. After the celebration of the Eucharist, Fr. Robert Ochola read the message sent from Rome by the Provincial Superior, Fr. Jeremias dos Santos Martins. On that same day, the Comboni community of Mount Frere was officially closed.

SOUTH SUDAN

Anniversary of the death of Fr. Barnaba Deng

The 47^th anniversary of the martyrdom of Fr. Barnaba Deng occurred on 23 August of this year. He was a Southern Sudanese Comboni Missionary of the Dinka tribe. After finishing his theological studies in Italy, he was ordained in 1962 by Cardinal Montini of Milan, who later became Pope Paul VI.

He was then assigned to work in his own country, which at that time was part of a united Sudan, in the diocese of Wau, under Bishop Ireneo Dud. His assignment came in a period when the Sudanese government of Khartoum intensified a systematic policy of oppression, Islamisation and Arabisation of the South. The authorities even went so far as to make Sunday an ordinary working day, while Friday, the Moslem day, became the only rest day for all citizens whatever their creed. In all schools, Arabic was introduced as the only language for instruction. They were also irritated by the presence of the foreign missionaries and accused them of instigating the Southerners to demand separation from the North. In 1964 they decided to expel all the foreign missionaries.

This was the situation in which Fr. Barnaba Deng found himself when, after only three years as a priest, he was too called to bear witness to Christ. On 23 August 1965, in fact, he was brutally beaten and his chest was opened by the bullet of a soldier who was determined to silence the voice of this young priest who had intervened to defend a woman who was being beaten by the soldiers. He knew that he was risking his life by defending her and yet he did not hesitate to do so.

Brother Valentino Fabris celebrates his ninetieth birthday

Brother Valentino Fabris was 90 years old on September 17. He attributes his long and healthy life to the good genes of his family and moderation in food and work. He said he always loved working with the people instead of killing himself in order to become famous.

Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro of Juba, himself a Comboni Missionary, said during the Mass of thanksgiving that Bro. Valentino was unique in South Sudan for his age and for the long years he lived in the country. He added that Bro Valentino proves that old age does not make people useless because it is still the age of God.

Bro. Valentino arrived in Sudan just before Christmas of 1948 and ever since has been in South Sudan and Sudan, except for seven years when he was in Italy helping in the formation of Brothers. For 57 years, Bro Valentino has been helping people to have a better life and develop the country by teaching basic skills. Now he is in charge of maintenance and guests at the Provincial House in Juba.

Comboni Family petitions for death penalty abolition

The Comboni Family has written a letter to the Bishops and heads of diocese in South Sudan and Sudan asking them to take steps towards abolishing the death penalty in South Sudan’s permanent Constitution, following Pope Benedict’s plea in Africae Munus, n. 83: “Make every effort to eliminate the death penalty.”

The letter asks the bishops to write to South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit asking for a moratorium on executions; to write to the Constitutional Review Commission petitioning to leave the death penalty out of the permanent Constitution; and to ask Justice and Peace local commissions to partner with humanitarian and civil society groups for the abolition of death penalty.

Let us pray for our beloved dead

THE FATHER: João, of Bro. Francisco J. R. Amarante (MZ).

THE BROTHERS: Alfons, of Fr. Josef Uhl (DSP); Antonio Filippo, of Fr. Giuseppe Narduolo (BS).

THE SISTERS: Maria, of Fr. Sebastian Hopfgartner (DSP); Marie, of Fr. Donatien Atitse Kokou (ET).

THE COMBONI MISSIONARY SISTERS: Sr. M. Orazia Di Stefano; Sr. Giuseppina Maria Corna; Sr. Marisa Orueta Ortiz.