AFRICA: BISHOPS CALL FOR ACCEPTANCE OF REFUGEES

Fides Service REPORT - "On the eve of this important day for our brothers and sisters who have been forcibly displaced, the Catholic community celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, a good place to reflect on our attitudes as communities to refugees", said His Exc. Mgr.Frank Nubuasah, Apostolic Vicar of Francistown, Botswana, and "Liaison Bishop for the Migrant and Refugee Working Group of the SACBC " (the Bishops' Conference which brings together the Bishops of South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland).
On 20 June, the 10th World Refugee Day (previously known as Africa Refugee Day) will be celebrated. "It is a Day – Mgr. Nubuasah writes in a message sent to Fides – that not only serves to raise awareness of the plight of refugees, highlights the injustices that the human community has done to its members, but also celebrates the positive contributions of refugee and migrant communities".
Mgr. Nubuasah takes as example the perfect communion of the Trinity as a model for human relationships: "In the Trinity, we have a perfect community of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in loving relationship with one another, and working together to share their love with the world. It is a community of relationships which all human communities and their relationships should imitate "
With this example, the Apostolic Vicar of Francistown, asks the Catholic communities of Southern Africa to search their soul as to how the refugees living in their Countries are welcomed: "Is our relationship between us and the refugees a perfect imitation of Communion between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? "
"As refugees and other displaced people continue to experience lack of love and suffer injustice, we implore you to create communities that imitate the Most Holy Trinity, reciprocating love and compassion", says the Apostolic Vicar of Francistown.
"As the world commemorates World Refugee Day, we, your Bishops, urge you to support refugees. We urge you as followers of Christ, to oppose the evil of xenophobia threatening to divide the community of human beings. Each person should do whatever he or she can to unite against this wickedness of xenophobia and endeavour to build communities of love", concluded Mgr. Nubuasah.

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