The Catholic Church in Rwanda has for a long time come under heavy criticism for shielding priests suspected of taking part in the 1994 genocide against Tutsi that claimed more than a million people.
Most priests who fled the country and are accused of participating in the genocide have since gone and served in foreign churches mostly in Europe but observers say they can not be employed unless they are recommended by their superiors back home.
Jean Ndolimana is an expert and researcher on the Catholic Church in Rwanda. He blames this church for protecting these tarnished priests. The Catholic Church disputes this maintaining that most priests fled for their own reasons much like other Rwandans.
A research carried out in 1991 showed that 90% of Rwandans were Christians, over 60% of them Roman Catholics. The Catholic clergy was accused of mobilizing its followers to kill Tutsi who sought shelter in churches while others participated in the killings themselves.
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda has so far convicted and sentenced two priests for genocide, Athanase Seromba and Emmanuel Rukundo.
No comments:
Post a Comment