A Rwandan priest ministering to prisoners convicted of genocide has said that the mystery of Good Friday speaks to the immense suffering endured by the Tutsis people.
With the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda and Good Friday both falling today (7th April), Father Théogène Ngoboka highlighted how the feast pointed to an answer about the problem of pain
He said: “During the genocide, many Rwandans who were strong believers asked where God was. Above all, there was a well-known Rwandan adage saying: ‘God spends his day in other countries and always comes back to spend the night in Rwanda’.” Amidst the hardships of life, many wonder why God remains silent. But the answer can be found in the mystery we celebrate on Good Friday. It is a sign of God's presence with his suffering children, a symbol of life's triumph over death, and a promise of a brighter tomorrow through Jesus Christ. Even in the darkest moments, we can find hope and inspiration in this powerful message of
love and resilience.
Father Ngoboka, the Director of Cyangugu Diocese’s Justice and Peace Commission, ministers to 1,300 prisoners in Rusizi prison sentenced for crimes connected with the genocide and helps those who have served their sentences to return to society. Father Ngoboka stressed that they continue to support prisoners and victims for six months after they return to the community.
He said: “Reconciliation is not automatic. Trust must be built. It’s a long journey."
Aid to the Church in Need has worked with Father Ngoboka’s Justice and Peace commission, sponsoring psycho-spiritual training for 120 priests and religious reaching out to families across
three dioceses in need of trauma counselling.
Read more here.
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ACN Prayer
Good Friday around the world
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Altar and Cross of Calvary inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem. Click the link below to see more images from around the world.
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Each Good Friday, Christians from around the world mark the Passion of Our Lord. We are all his people, one family in Christ. This Good Friday, wherever we are, in thanks for his life-giving sacrifice, let us unite in prayer and offer him our heartfelt devotion. Wishing you a blessed Triduum.
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