Rains triggered flooding and landslides in Rubavu, Rwanda, May 3, swamping residents homes. As the death toll from the flooding and landslides in neighboring Congo surpassed 400, Catholic bishops in the country expressed their deep sorrow and called for support.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in Congo, the country's Catholic bishops are insisting on measures to also fight Ebola, the deadly epidemic that has made a surprise return.
The coronavirus threat is but one more complication in the Sahel region, which faces a campaign by Islamist militants targeting Christian communities, especially in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
Signs of the Times: In announcing the appointment of 10 new cardinal electors, Pope Francis has improved the possibility that the next pope will continue his policies, but their appointments have also sent a message to the church about what should be the priorities of its leaders.
Catholic leaders in Congo have gathered more than 1.5 million signatures on a petition that demands local elections to curb corruption and strengthen democracy.
The Congo River basin, which spans six African countries, is coming under pressure, partly due to clearing of the forests for subsistence agriculture, large-scale farming, illegal logging and lack of clear reforestation policies.
Congo's bishops said territory in the east of the country is being ceded to violent extremists, who are using the lack of government control to massacre civilians and plunder resources.
Catholic church leaders in Congo have questioned the official outcome of the Dec. 30 elections, saying the officially published results "do not correspond with the data collected" by the church's 40,000 observers.
