AFRICA/NIGER - "The churches burned in January will be protected at Easter, but then discrimination will continue as before", says a missionary

Niamey (Agenzia Fides) - "Saint John in Yantala burnt on January 17, Saint Paul in Haro Banda, destroyed on January 17, Saint Gabriel in Garbado, reduced to ashes on January 17 and Sainte Thérèse in Bani Fandou, charred on January 17", says To Agenzia Fides Fr. Mauro Armanino, of the Society of African Missions (SMA), from Niger where in January most of the ecclesiastical structures were destroyed by the crowd with the pretext of some cartoons deemed "blasphemous" published by the French magazine Charlie Habdo (see Fides 21/01/2015).
"The faithful will feel protected for a day, within the courtyard where there will be armed police in uniform. The rest of the day will be spent quietly and maybe even the day after, recognized as a public holiday in Niger, but then discrimination will continue as before", said Fr. Mauro. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 01/04/2015)