COMECE: Card. Hollerich (president) to Bishops of Nigeria. Solidarity and support to population, stop violence

The Bishops of Europe stand with the brother Bishops of Nigeria. In a letter sent by the President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) Card. Jean Claude Hollerich, they assure that “COMECE will advocate for intensifying the EU assistance and cooperation with the Nigerian authorities and institutions, including Churches and religious communities, in order to combat violence and persecution, and to improve the stability and prosperity of Nigeria”. On 19 May, COMECE had already called on the EU and the international community to increase their efforts in terms of diplomacy, political mediation and economic support in order to “stop the violence in Nigeria, bring criminals to justice, support the victims and promote dialogue and peace”. Card. Hollerich also expressed solidarity to the Catholic Church in Nigeria which is “living a situation of continuous attacks by terrorists, insurgents and militias, that in some cases reaches levels of genuine criminal persecution”, a statement from COMECE reads. “My thoughts and my heart are with the many young people who are forced to leave the country because of violence and lack of socio-economic prospects”, the President of COMECE stated. All of these people who “escape violence and seek asylum”, the “victims of trafficking enslaved in our own countries” and “all displaced persons seeking for a safer place to live” need to be welcomed, protected, promoted and integrated, Cardinal Hollerich recalled.
Valentina Bombelli