PRIEST TO THE NEW YORK TIMES: "I AM HAPPY AND PROUD OF MY VOCATION"
Letter from a missionary in Angola
LUANDA, Monday, May 24, 2010 (ZENIT.org). - "I'm just a Catholic priest. I am happy and proud of my vocation. I live for twenty years as a missionary in Angola. " So begins a letter to the Uruguayan Martin Lasarte Salesian missionary sent to the New York Times no response. In it, explained the work quiet for the most disadvantaged in most of the priests of the Catholic Church, however, "not news".
In the letter sent to ZENIT by Father Martin Lasarte said that the April 6 sent to the Daily News and since then has obnetido response. It expresses his feelings in the wake that have attracted media abuse by some priests while surprising how little interest in the media raises the daily work of thousands and thousands of priests."It gives me great pain that people should be signs of God's love has been a dagger in the lives of innocents. No word as to justify such acts. There is no doubt that the Church can not but side with the weak, the defenseless. Thus all measures be taken for the protection, prevention of the dignity of children will always be a top priority, "he says in his letter.However, he adds, "is a curious little story and lack of interest by thousands and thousands of priests who are consumed by millions of children, adolescents and disadvantaged in the four corners of the world.""I think your source of information is not interested that I had to be transported by road in 2002 undermined many malnourished children from Cangumbe to Lwena (Angola) because neither the government and NGOs were available were not authorized, you had to burying dozens of small deaths among war refugees and returnees, who have saved the lives of thousands of people in Moxico by one medical station at 90,000 square kilometers and with the distribution of food and seeds, we have the opportunity education in schools 10 years and more than 110,000 children ... "he says."It is of interest, he adds that other priests have had to relieve the humanitarian crisis of nearly 15,000 people in the barracks of the guerrillas after their surrender, because the food did not reach the government and the UN."And then lists a series of actions, often at risk or loss of life, by colleagues who are ignored by the media."It's not news that a priest of 75 years, Father Robert, in the evening tour the city of Luanda healing the street children, leading them to a shelter, so that detox from gasoline, which alphabetizes hundreds of prisoners ; that other priests, like Father Stefano, having houses of passage for kids who are beaten, abused and even raped or seek shelter. Nor Maiato Frei with 80 years pass from house to house sick and comforting the deseperados "."It's not news that over 60,000 of the 400,000 priests, men have left their land, their family to serve his brothers in leper colonies, hospitals, refugee camps, orphanages for children accused of witch orphans of parents who died with AIDS in for the poorest schools, training centers, care centers or HIV-positive ... especially in parishes and missions by motivating people to live and love. ""It's not news that my friend, Father Mark Aurelius, to save young men during the war in Angola, has Kalulo transported to Dondo and returning to his mission has been gunned down in the road, that Brother Francis, with five women catechists, to go to help the most remote rural areas have died in a road accident, dozens of missionaries in Angola have died from lack of health relief for a simple malaria, others have jumped in the air, to Because of a mine, visiting his people. In Kalulo Cemetery are the graves of the first priests who came to the region ... None of them 40 years. ""It's not news to accompany the life of a priest 'normal' in their day to day in their difficulties and joys silently consuming his life for the community it serves.""The truth is that we try to be news, but simply to bring the Good News, the news that began quietly in the night of Passover. More noise a falling tree that grows a forest, "he stresses."I do not intend to make an apology for the Church and priests, he adds -. The priest is neither a hero nor a neurotic. It's a simple man, whose humanity seeks to follow Jesus and serve his brothers. There is misery, poverty and frailties as in every human being as well as beauty and goodness in every creature ... "."Insisting on a persecutory obsessed and losing a topic overview creates truly offensive cartoons of the Catholic priesthood in which I am offended," he says.He concludes:
"I only ask journalist friend, seek truth, goodness and beauty. That will make noble profession. "
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