AFRICA/NIGER - Fr. Luigi Maccalli still a prisoner: prayer and hope of many people continues

Thursday, 16 January 2020

SMA

Niamey (Agenzia Fides) - "In the courtyard of the mission of Bomoanga always kept in order, now there is no longer anyone to receive those who wanted to be listened to, comforted and an open hand to share the pain", writes Fr. Mauro Armanino, of the Society for African Missions, a confrere of Fr. Luigi Maccalli kidnapped on September 17, 2018 and still in the hands of unknown kidnappers. Despite the discouraging notes that are spreading due to the prolonged silence from that day sixteen months ago, when the missionary was taken from his mission in Bomoanga (see Fides, 18/7/2018), the prayer and hope of many people continues incessantly.
"A local lady who takes care of malnourished children said that Fr. Maccalli’s kidnapping represented the death of the community. She added that she is surprised at God’s 'failure to act' who, according to her, limits himself to 'watching',", notes Fr. Armanino. "Maybe he did not realize that from Niamey, passing through Bomoanga, the village where Pierluigi was kidnapped, there is a thin thread that has not been broken. A thread of fire and sand called hope". There are many confreres of the kidnapped missionary and the faithful in Niger, in Italy and in other parts of the world, who continue to pray and hope to be able to embrace Father Luigi Maccalli again soon. (MA/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 16/1/2020)


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