Libya: Catholics are ‘trapped and helpless’ in Tripoli, says priest
September 10, 2014
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Catholics in Tripoli, Libya’s capital, fear they will be kidnapped if they leave their homes, according to the vicar of the city’s Franciscan community.
Three years after NATO intervention helped bring about the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, the city is now under the control of Islamist militias.
“There's much lawlessness now, and we have no protection or security,” Father Amado Baranquel said in an interview with Catholic News Service. “Most Masses are having to be celebrated in private houses and apartments like in ancient times.”
Bishop Sylvester Magro, the apostolic vicar of Benghazi, said that in his region, “it’s been quiet, in a welcome respite from the earlier violence.”
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Posted by: jg23753479 -
Sep. 11, 2014 7:42 AM ET USA
Ever notice that "extremism" seems to thrive in Mohammedan lands and communities the way mushrooms do on a badly drained lawn? Why is it that the "authentic Islam" so dear to our Western politicians and prelates just never seems to prevail?
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Posted by: Minnesota Mary -
Sep. 10, 2014 6:49 PM ET USA
And how did these Christians in Libya fare before the U.S. knocked out Gadaffi? It seems to me that every time the U.S. pushes for regime change in countries around the world, they go from bad to worse. Our State Department makes too many mistakes for them to be accidental.
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Posted by: Defender -
Sep. 10, 2014 4:44 PM ET USA
Sounds familiar...we go in and then we leave without a thought of who will fill the power vacuum after we've gone (especially after we tell the world when we're leaving).
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Posted by: Texas2Step -
Sep. 10, 2014 4:01 PM ET USA
The terrible situation of Christians trapped in regions taken over by Islamic extremists is heartbreaking, doubly so because beyond prayer there is little we can do. I do not diminish the power of prayer, but reading these reports leaves me feeling helpless. Are there underground channels for sending aid? Any sent directly would be stolen by jihadists or governments. I pray for them daily, and make a special point of praying for them at weekly Adoration, but I want to do more. Frustrating!
