Catholic Culture
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Following the completion of a high-level diplomatic conference on
Somalia, the director of the Holy See Press Office has devoted his
weekly editorial to the plight of the troubled nation.
“It is a poor country, practically abandoned by the international
community to chaos and violence, which, in time, led to the growth of
piracy in the surrounding seas,” writes Father Federico Lombardi, SJ.
“War, famine, and poverty: the ancient scourges of humanity have raged,
and continue to rage, against a people that have lost the memory of
hope.”
“Catholics are a tiny minority--in many places there are none at all,”
he adds. “But they have given many beautiful examples of martyrdom, in
solidarity with the suffering people … With this spiritual heritage, we
long to participate in the work of reconciliation, peace, and
reconstruction in Somalia.”