AMECEA: AMECEA Chairman Expresses Solidarity With Eritrean Bishops Over Government Seizure of Catholic Health Facilities
Rt. Rev. Charles Kasonde,AMECEA Chairman and Bishop of Solwezi Diocese in Zambia.
AMECEA Chairman and Bishop of Solwezi Diocese in Zambia, Rt. Rev. Charles Kasonde, has joined the Catholic bishops of Eritrea in expressing deep concern and condemning Government’s seizure of at least 22 health facilities belonging to the Catholic Church which occurred on 12 June 2019 in the country.
“I hereby extend my heart-felt message of solidarity to you and the entire Catholic family in Eritrea over the confiscation of the health institutions owned by the Catholic Church, which follows the Eritrean Government’s directive,” reads his solidarity message to the Catholic Bishops of Eritrea dated 20th June 2019.
He also assures the Eritrean bishops that all bishops in the AMECEA region are praying for the Church in Eritrea until an amicable solution is reached between Government and the Eritrean bishops.
“May the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ nurture you with the hope and give you the necessary courage and stamina to stand strong in defense of the rights of the Church and God’s people in Eritrea,” the message continues.
Bishop Kasonde’s solidarity message comes in the wake of the news that reached AMECEA Secretariat; that recently the Government of Eritrea, through a letter to the Ministry of Health, has ordered the Catholic Church to handover all her health facilities to Government and forced the heath workers at the facilities to sign a document for transfer of property.
On June 13, 2019, a letter from the Council of Eritrean Catholic hierarchy which is jointly signed by all the Catholic bishops in the country condemned the Government act as “unreasonable” and “inappropriate”.
They are wondering how Government soldiers and police could order the doctors in the Catholic health facilities to surrender the facilities and bully them together with the patients who were receiving health services without engaging the Church authorities.
According to CSW, a human rights organization specializing in freedom of religion dated 19th June 2019, the seizure of the Catholic health facilities and arrest of some Orthodox priests could be Government reaction following the Catholic bishops’ pastoral letter dated 29 April 2019 which called for Eritrean Government’s commitment to “resolute and historical change” considering the history of immense suffering of the Eritrean citizens.
In expressing the solidarity of the AMECEA bishops, Rt. Rev. Kasonde prays that God may protect “all our brother Bishops” and the entire Eritrean Church.
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