Amid anguish and poverty under M23 rule, Goma bishop sees renewed Christian life
March 19, 2025
» Continue to this story on L'Osservatore Romano (Italian)
CWN Editor's Note: Seven weeks after the fall of Goma, the capital of DR Congo’s North Kivu province (map), to rebels of the March 23 (M23) Movement, the city’s bishop spoke with the Vatican newspaper about the anxiety and poverty in the city.
“Security issues remain worrying, with kidnappings, murders and the inability to sleep at night because of armed bandits who enter homes to extort money and loot,” said Bishop Willy Ngumbi Ngengele. “The banks have closed, and no financial institution is operating anymore. The population, especially the merchants, is deprived of means of subsistence.”
The prelate described a renewed spirit of devotion and charity amid great “fear and anguish”:
- all of the churches in Goma were full on Ash Wednesday, he said, “despite the difficult security and economic situation”
- among the faithful, he sees a “spirit of solidarity, especially towards the poorest, especially those displaced by war”
- the diocese has launched evangelization campaigns “addressing difficult issues such as love for the enemy, forgiveness, and sharing; these campaigns are having great success”
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