Massacres Denounced at Christmas “have only worsened”: Chad’s Catholic Bishops Say “ready” to Facilitate Reconciliation

In their 2024 Christmas message, Chad’s Catholic Bishops denounced murders with impunity in the country, saying, “Massacres and killings have become alarmingly normalized, with little accountability.”

In their message in which they blamed the impunity on “the growing gap between the wealthy minority and the impoverished majority,” CET members also decried political abuses through selfishness, noting that in Chad, intimidation, false promises, and corruption often take precedence over truth, honesty, and justice.

As a way forward, Chad’s Catholic Bishops called on the government to ensure the realization of an atmosphere, where human rights, justice, and policies in place elevate human dignity.

“The role of the government is to respect fundamental human rights and freedoms. The action of the government must lead to respect for the dignity of human beings and to elevate man,” CET members said in their message titled, “Respect for Human Dignity for a Chad of Fraternity, Justice, and Peace”, which they issued on 13 December 2024 following their annual Plenary Assembly.

In their latest message dated July 5, Chad’s Catholic Bishops denounce “the bloody and recurrent intercommunal conflicts in recent years” that they say “are destabilizing rural communities, which form the backbone of the country’s economy.”

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Like in the December 2024 message, they reiterate the primary role of government to protect human life. “It is the duty of the State, by its sovereign authority, to take effective measures to protect all citizens and to restore peace and security in the affected regions,” they say. 

CET members further recall their December 2024 call for respect of human life as God willed it, saying, “As we emphasized in our 2024 Christmas Message, human beings are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26–27). As such, human dignity belongs to every person, under all circumstances, and regardless of their condition or situation.”

“In the name of human dignity, we cannot remain indifferent in the face of such unacceptable massacres, which spare neither women nor children,” they say, and referring to the continued loss of life in Chad, emphasize, “We strongly condemn these horrific and barbaric acts that shock human conscience and bring dishonour upon both the perpetrators and those who sponsor them.”

In their considered opinion, the reported massacres and related “deadly acts of violence reveal the absence of the State and, in some cases, the partiality of its representatives.”

For them, “Every life lost in these tragedies is an immeasurable loss for our society and a pressing call to protect the most vulnerable.”

As a way forward, the Catholic Church leaders say, “In the face of rising violence, we call for a true national dialogue to examine the deep-rooted causes of these conflicts.”

“True reconciliation and lasting peace require both truth and justice,” CET members say, alluding to the late Pope Francis' October 2020 Encyclical Letter on fraternity and social friendship, Fratelli Tutti (227-233). 

They express their spiritual solidarity with the people of God in Chad and “offer” themselves to facilitate national reconciliation.

“As we do every day, we continue to pray for our country and are ready to offer our contribution as the Church toward a reconciled Chad rooted in truth and justice,” CET members say in their July 5 message, which their President, Bishop Martin Waïngue Bani of the country’s Doba Catholic Diocese signed.

They extend their “sincere condolences to the bereaved families” and express their spiritual solidarity, saying they do “pray for the repose of the souls of the victims and for the healing of the wounded.”

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“We also pray for the conversion of the perpetrators,” Chad’s Catholic Bishops say in their message that begins with Genesis 4:9-10, “Where is your brother? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!”

Charles Muchiri contributed to the writing of this story

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