Catholic Archbishop Decries “distressing sights of misery” in DR Congo amid Insecurity

The Local Ordinary of Kisangani Archdiocese who doubles as President of CENCO recognizing the role of Catholic Bishops in addressing the challenges he highlighted, saying, “As shepherds and followers of Christ, called to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, we have a heavy responsibility.”

According to Archbishop Utembi, “blindness, indifference, and self-centeredness” are the root of all evil.

“Today, let us not close our hearts, but listen to the voice of the Lord; for us, this would mean not remaining indifferent to the suffering of our people,” the 65-year-old Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in January 2002 as Bishop of DRC’s Mahagi-Nioka Diocese said. 

Listening to the voice of the Lord, he added, “means not being preoccupied only with ourselves, our comfort, our interests; it means sharing, putting at the service of the poor, in humility, all that we may have of material goods, talents, power, qualities.”

“Let us pray to the Lord to give us his grace of discernment, that no wealth may close our hearts to his Holy Spirit and to our neighbor. Amen,” the Congolese Catholic Archbishop implored.