Cabinda, 20 June, 2024 / 5:22 pm (ACI Africa).
Bishop Belmiro Cuica Chissengueti of Angola’s Catholic Diocese of Cabinda is decrying increased cases of targeted attacks on Church facilities.
Speaking to journalists Tuesday, June 18 in his Episcopal See, Bishop Chissengueti highlighted recent multiple incidents of robbery in Rectories and at least one Convent, and urged authorities in the Southern African nation to address the security challenge.
“In recent times we have experienced some violence against our institutions. In the last four months, the community of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny in São Bento has been robbed four times,” he lamented.
The Angolan-born member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans/Holy Ghost Fathers/CSSp.) added, “A little less than three weeks ago, the Priests’ House of the Holy Martyrs Parish was also robbed; and last night, St. Augustine Parish was robbed, a Parish built with much sacrifice and whose sacristy and other spaces were violated.”
He appealed to authorities to take action to protect Church facilities. He said, “We want to ask our authorities, who are responsible for our security, to take the necessary measures to prevent such acts. We know that security is the responsibility of the State.”
