Kinshasa, 19 July, 2024 / 9:49 pm (ACI Africa).
The Secretary General of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) has distanced Catholic Bishops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from the leader of an opposition party, who allied himself with several rebel movements, including the M23.
A video recording of Mr. Corneille Nangaa speaking during Mass at a Parish in the town of Rutshuru in DRC’s Catholic Diocese of Goma went viral on social media on July 14. As a result, claims that the Catholic Church is collaborating with rebels emerged.
Mr. Nangaa is the former chairman of DRC's Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). He created the Alliance Fleuve Congo party and allied himself with several rebel movements, including the M23, which took up arms against the government in November 2021.
In the video recording, Mr. Nangaa is featured says, “I thank the Lord for allowing us to pray together today. It is a great honour for my humble self to benefit from your warm welcome today. My personal posture does not count, for I stand before the Lord God and before you all in all humility.”
He added, “Today, I have had the divine grace to commune with all of you in this magnificent fraternal Eucharistic celebration. I thank God and I thank you. I am your servant; I am your child; I am your father; and I am your brother.”
