Ene 15 2013 The life of a nun in Africa: the courage of Carmen

• carmen

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  “Renamo, Renamo, Where is the blood of your brother Frelimo?”, told, or vice versa, paraphrasing the story of Cain and Abel. Everyone looked, silent, and some began to mourn. Wastes were. Who is without sin, Who did not kill, cast the first stone? Returned to sink in, to llorar ", recalls.

Introduction

Sometimes in this magazine again featured articles published in the newspaper El Mundo, I work as a correspondent in South Africa. I do it because I think they are stories that deserve to be known and, unfortunately, I am unable to write two times. One such story is that of Sister Carmen. (After, sorry, this long opening lecture, is her story that I think deserves to be read. Come if you want the paragraph that says "The life of Sister Carmen" or read this introduction on what I have learned from the Church and Africa in the past three years).

She looks at me and his voice tells me wicker: "No worries, God is always for you

One thing I want to explain about this post and that did not come out in the report. Sister Carmen is a convinced Catholic. All it does it for love of their God. Art thou believer?, I asked. "I guess not, I'm not practicing, I'm just a believer in culture. I'm one of those guys who in any case I only remember God in the bad times, when I have no one else to go to and need to order something that escapes my hands. I disagree with many things he says the Church ", context. She looks at me and his voice tells me wicker: "No worries, God will always be for you ". "You are wonderful", tell. She laughs and says: "I married God and asks God's love and dignity for other people".

I remember two years ago I wrote a story on wild chase that homosexuals have in Africa. He denounced the atrocities suffered in different countries. Then I called a radio program dedicated to the world of gay Barcelona to interview me. They had read part of the report, but I think not all. First question: "The Church helps homosexuals are not accepted in Africa, in?”. Me quedé callado tres segundos y contesté: "The Church in Africa has little to do with the ideas and values ​​that are propagated by Rome. Here are priests and nuns who are the only defense we have these groups (I put an example of Malawi in which an archbishop was expelled for defending homosexuals secure deaths). Here are the first to arrive and the last to leave. Many NGOs have already left for high-risk security areas and remain there even religious who leave their lives in healing the sick and caring for the needy. I think they do a fantastic job ", challenged.

Many NGOs have already left for high-risk security areas and remain there even religious

I did it for honesty, for justice. I am very critical of the Vatican, with many of its precepts and ideas, but this time in Africa helped me to admire many religious around here giving his life. Are Church, no son ONG, motivations are different but the result is similar. They are part of that religious institution criticized, fervent believers who came here, you Dicen, by word and faith in Jesus Christ. They do it for God, the same as that of the Holy Week processions, of Gothic cathedrals, meetings of bishops something already overweight. They are the same, although the differences are evident, have the same matrix: Catholic Church.

Life of Sister Carmen (Article of The World)

There are lives that seem strokes, complex drawings that seem impossible. People. Heroes. They do not see, do not know or know but do not want to see. Do not care. They. Made by the plural. Do not look back. Feel. Think. In other, in others. There are lives that deserve to be told. There lives like Sister Carmen: the peacemaker.

Mozambique reached ago 28 years. He lived two wars: the independence, short and cruel, and civil, long and cruel. Wars. Then she put her hands and heart. "I remember when we lived in a small mission, near the border with Zambia, surrounded by lions. Mozambican soldiers came and warned us: "Sisters, whatever happens today, not leave the mission, the roads will not even pick up sick ". They put mines because Portuguese troops arrived. I cried, I knew that people would die, there would be mangled bodies and I was safe. They do not. It was not fair that I was safe and they do not ", recalls. Then came the death, the horror, cures, the following, end.

I cried, I knew that people would die, there would be mangled bodies and I was safe

But Sister Carmen did not leave, dela stood amid barbarism spreading his love, his belief, his God. Time passed War, terrible, fierce, brothers against brothers, Door to door, violations, abductions, massacres ... and the time came for reconciliation. "We had to get the forgiveness of all, build a country that had faced hatred. The Church was basic in that work ", explains. "I was trained for a month, we formed in three groups, para la comisión de Justicia y Paz. We teach traditional forms of forgiveness, African rites, approach techniques. After that month we went to the villages to achieve peace ".

They came to the small towns where Frelimo and Renamo troops had fought house to house. There they waited more atrocious stories of the human condition. "We prepared before the visit. Brought food. Notables gathered to: Regulus (chief), doctor, professor, policía… y después reuníamos a la gente durante una semana donde les explicábamos los cambios, New Democracy coming, respect for women and the need to forgive. “Renamo, Renamo, Where is the blood of your brother Frelimo?”, told, or vice versa, paraphrasing the story of Cain and Abel. Everyone looked, silent, and some began to mourn. Wastes were. Who is without sin, Who did not kill, cast the first stone? Returned to sink in, to llorar ", recalls.

Many told me that they could not forgive, the man had killed his father, or raped their women

"Many told me that they could not forgive, the man had killed his father, or raped his wife and sisters or any kind of barbarism. It was there, near him, the old enemy. All the war had returned to their homes and now lived together ". "Do we want to return to war again? The blood of those who have died are saying enough is enough ", I explained. Callahan, cried, accepted. "I can not forget, but I can try to forgive ", I said some. O heart or will forgive the horror. Then, we held hands and prayed the Our Father ", explains. Week after week, village after village, plural world building that she always understood.

Then, When the storm abated somewhat and life was pushing through the cruel past, Sister Carmen continued to struggle in every corner of the country for dignity. "It was a town waste. Dignity have been known. Restore dignity to the people of God is a right ". Then started working and denounce the injustices of this world foreshortened: una compra ilegal de terrenos por importantes empresas hoteleras en las que se desposeía a sus dueños con engaños y en el que el líder de la protesta aparecía muerto; theft of the village police, which led him to organize a mass demonstration in Beira where called "Police watch over us" and that the governor met with her urgently to demand that a religious does not enter into the mud of politics. "The governor told me that the Church has to teach people not to steal, but not to make statements. I kept silent until he finished his long speech. The miré to the disputed: “La Iglesia es la voz de los que no tienen voz” y él se levantó se marchó. The list of events in which she has acted is as long as the injustices they see their eyes. "If you need to call ministers to denounce what they see".

La Iglesia es la voz de los que no tienen voz” y él se levantó se marchó

Now, his 79 years, penalty has been left almost as driving your car of miracles with which traveled the country in search of others. "I'm older and do not want to hurt anyone, even though sometimes I drive it ". His energy is still intact and now fights especially the rights of women. "I have a project I'm dunk, a shelter for orphaned by AIDS. It is an exciting project and I'm raising money for him wherever I can ", explained without that have affected the folds of time and desire, with the same energy with which that mission came to Northern ago 28 years. You are creating there a hairdresser to give a future profession as some girls who she says openly that "I got from certain death".

Addition, leverages his catechesis to explain Mozambican women have the right to decide. "Do not eat eggs because they believe they have not become pregnant or are banned for the same reason eating chicken feet. All are beliefs imposed by men, eating a chicken leg at lunch and another at dinner, while they do not eat ", says. "I speak, I say it's a lie and even sometimes I make cakes with eggs they eat without knowing. Then tell them that takes egg and some cry, I say they do not get pregnant until weeks after they are already in a state of good hope and understand that everything is a hoax ".

Do not eat eggs because they believe they have not become pregnant

It ends the meeting with Sister Carmen. We agreed that in March I'll stop by his orphanage, blush with flattery, recalls with a laugh that the Spanish ambassador to Mozambique earlier gave a certificate signed by the King he thinks is the Order of Merit of Isabel the Catholic, but does not know. Get on your car, is dismissed as a late arrival to the shops in Maputo and says, "I have yet to do some shopping for the orphanage". It is the peacemaker.