There is a long-standing, ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between the Catholic Church and the government of President Félix Tshisekedi. Catholic bishops raised concerns about the 2023 elections and blamed the government for the instability and widespread violence in the country.

Now, the Attorney General of Cassation, Firmin Mvonde Mambu, wants Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kinshasa, prosecuted and silenced. He accuses the Cardinal of encouraging rebellion against the government and spreading false information. The Chief Prosecutor was also threatened that he would be considered an accomplice in the charges if he did not manage to prosecute the Cardinal.

Ambongo’s office refused Cardinal Fridolin’s entry to the VIP Lounge at Kinshasa airport. The Cardinal did not need the lounge for leisure but for an extra security measure, which is a routine procedure at the airport to give more protection to those whose lives are threatened. Since the Cardinal received numerous death threats, extra protection would have been desired.

In a previous interview in April, Cardinal Fridolin accused the government of the DRC of supplying the militias in Rwanda with weapons. The Tshisekedi government sees the Catholic Church, and especially Cardinal Fridolin, as a threat to their power and most likely will continue to try and persecute them.

Source: Bitter Winter

Photo: Wikimedia