The bishops said the authenticity of the messages "has neither been proven nor approved by the Church".

In fact, they said, most of the messages are "contrary to the teachings of the Church".

The bishops warned that some messages may disturb public order and create psychosis and fear among people.

The apocalyptic messages, which describe impending calamity for Ivory Coast and the coming of "the victory of God", call people to prayer and repentance.

In response, the bishops have invited the faithful to exercise "prudence and discernment".

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In February, Caritas Internationalis launched an appeal for €300,000 to support the emergency response. Through its national member, Caritas Côte d'Ivoire and the support of several international member organisations, Caritas has been helping tens of thousands of people in Ivory Coast who have been displaced by the clashes over the last months.

"Caritas is present in nearly all of the over 20 sites where displaced people have mainly gathered and is providing food and other much-needed aid such as household items, hygiene articles and protection", said Mr. Djoman, Director of Human Development at Caritas Ivory Coast.

In and around the capital Abidjan alone, Caritas is helping more than 20,000 displaced people, most of them women and children.

The different religious communities are currently providing shelter to roughly 25,000 displaced people. A lot of the aid from Caritas and partner organisations is also distributed through local Caritas offices in parishes.

Ivory Coast is a nation on an ethnic-religious fault-line with a predominantly agrarian Muslim north and a predominantly urbanised, industrial and administrative Christian and animist south.

According to Elizabeth Kendal of The World Evangelical Alliance President Alassane Ouattara is an Northern Muslim who played the race and religion cards for political gain.

Elizabeth says he has fuelled tensions and aggravated divisions during economically stressful times as Ivory Coast has been struggling under the weight of decades of mass Muslim immigration.

Ouattara has long sought the naturalisation of all immigrants which would mean an immediate Muslim majority in Ivory Coast. Those who object to that outcome are labelled 'Islamophobic', 'racist' and 'xenophobic'. Ouattara has the backing of Islamic states precisely because he is a Muslim prepared to play the Muslim-as-victim card for political gain.

Source
Assist News Service
chron world news
Caritas International

Photo Credit
boston.com

"I am in a hidden place. Violent fighting continues. We can hear massive explosions," Archbishop Jean-Pierre Kutwa of Abidjan told Fides in a phone interview before being cut off.

He was speaking to Fides from the centre of the Ivory Coast's administrative capital, where incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo is still barricaded in the presidential residence, which is currently being assaulted by the Republican forces close to President-elect Alassane Oattara.

Meanwhile, Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Ambrose Madtha told Aid to the Church in Need that mass graves have been discovered in two cities.

"There have been many killings (by the blows from heavy weapons, slaughter, people burned alive), there are kidnappings, looting, etc.", the Nuncio said. "Families are fleeing the violence and taking refuge mostly in churches."

The Diocese of Man (particularly the cities of Abidjan and Duékoué, where mass graves were discovered of hundreds of corpses) and the Archdiocese of Abidjan and Gagnoa are the most affected.

"The displaced people are really deprived of everything, because they were forced to leave everything in order to escape," said Archbishop Madtha. "They are lacking food, clean water, medicine and clothes. We are assisting these people by sharing with them the little that we have. But faced with the seriousness of the situation and their great need, we need help," he said.

Source

• ucanews.com
• Image: Abidjandirect

The internally displaced persons sought shelter at a church in Duekoue as the town became engulfed in fighting between forces backing Alassane Ouattara, the UN-certified and internationally recognized president, and the forces behind Laurent Gbagbo, who lost the poll but has since refused to step down from the presidency.

Late last week Pope Benedict sent Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson, the Ghanain head of the Vatican's justice and peace office to Ivory Coast to encourage a peaceful solution to the political chaos.

Benedict also appealed for a process of dialogue to get under way between the two political groups.

Amid the concern, the United Nations' peacekeeping mission in Cote d'Ivoire has deployed troops to a key town in the country's west to protect the civilians.

"The humanitarian situation is dramatic and every day that passes the suffering of the population increases," Hamadoun Toure, a UN spokesperson said.

Up to 1 million people have been displaced by the violence that has swept the divided country since the disputed election last November, and top UN officials have warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Cote d'Ivoire. Many people have fled to neighbouring Liberia, putting a severe strain on that country's resources.

Sources

• msnbc.com
• United Nations
• Image: Daylife