Lack of security, threats to those who help migrants,
robberies and violence are making Libya, especially Cyrenaica, a lawless land,
where armed Islamist gangs have taken the place of the police.
This situation
is a threat to the existence of the Catholic Church in the country. Instead of
taking appropriate measures, the government is urging churchmen and women to flee.
Because of "The
lack of security [. . .] most religious communities that came to work in public
health at the request of the Libyan authorities have been asked to leave the
country," said Mgr Vincent Landel, archbishop of Rabat (Morocco) and
President of the Episcopal Conference of North Africa.
Nuns, doctors
and nurses, mostly from the Philippines, have worked for years in Libyan
hospitals, taking care of the sick and the elderly. During the war, clinics and hospitals run by the religious were the only
ones operating.
Libya is
divided in two now, sources, anonymous for security reasons, told AsiaNews. "In Benghazi, the Church is under
constant threats and it is now almost impossible to work. The situation is very
risky."
Earlier this
year, several orders had to abandon their convents after 40 years of mission.
Now another wave might leave the whole of Cyrenaica without any Catholic
presence.
The situation
is at a breaking point, sources explained. The only place where one can still
work is Tripoli.
"The
city is safe for the moment," they noted. "This allows [health]
operators and the
Sisters of Charity to help the hundreds of migrants who come to the city
every
day, waiting to find the money to flee to Europe. Yet, we need to tread
very carefully because even in the capital, armed gangs roam the streets
and no one can be trusted. Migrants
are hiding in convents and private homes to avoid being robbed or
killed."