Bishop in Mali Says His Flock Are in Hiding

The Catholic Herald (UK) ^ | 1/17/13 | Jonathan Luxmoore

[marshmallow]

A Catholic bishop in war-torn Mali whose diocese lies in the path of Islamic insurgents said “people are hiding in their homes, unable to venture out”.

Bishop Augustin Traore of Segou, Mali, told the American Catholic News Service by telephone: “Although our churches are still intact, people are becoming afraid to enter them. Our entire Catholic culture will clearly be in danger if this conflict drags on.

“Until the havoc caused by the French bombing ends and the hostilities cease, no one will be in a position to know what has happened,” he said after noting that the country’s churches could face destruction if conflict continues.

Bishop Traore was speaking yesterday as French combat troops prepared to engage government rebels at Diabaly, 90 miles north of Segou.

Meanwhile, Helen Blakesley, regional information officer for Catholic Relief Services, said more than 200,000 Malians had migrated south since a March 2012 military coup, while a similar number had fled to Niger, Burkina Faso, Morocco and Algeria.

She said a tradesman from the rebel-held town of Tombouctou, or Timbuktu, a world heritage site, was renting rooms with 40 members of his extended family in Mali’s capital, Bamako, helped by CRS cash donations. She said the man told her more family members were arriving weekly.

[marshmallow]

Same stuff.........different country. Islamic outrage du jour.

[2banana]

The Bishop should be ARMING his flock...