AFRICA/MOROCCO – “ALHAMDULILLAH”: Christians and Muslims work side by side, together for the same cause”

AFRICA/MOROCCO – “ALHAMDULILLAH”: Christians and Muslims work aspect by aspect, collectively for a similar trigger”

Tuesday, 19 September 2023

Marrakech (Agenzia Fides) – “On Sunday, September 10, within the parish of the Holy Martyrs in Marrakech, in the course of the Mass celebrated by Archbishop Cristobal Lopez Romero, the Lord’s Prayer was recited in Arabic as an indication of solidarity with the Moroccan folks,” writes Lucia Valori, member of the Parish of the Holy Martyrs in Marrakesh. In current days, along with the Catholic group of the Moroccan capital, she has been serving to the victims of the earthquake that hit the El Haouz area on September 8 (see Fides, 11/9/2023). Lucia, who can be president of the Italian affiliation “Med-mari e deserti”, which promotes intercultural dialogue, experiences on her experiences over the previous few days.
“Late within the night of Friday, September eighth, the ‘Crimson Metropolis’ additionally shook for greater than 30 seconds,” she writes. “I dwell with my husband, a Moroccan, in a fourth-floor residence within the trendy Gueliz district. We rushed out of the constructing onto the road, satisfied that we might discover a devastated metropolis, so robust was the earthquake. As an alternative, we quickly found that the town had held up effectively regardless of the nice terror. We spent the night time within the automobile, in a panic, however the subsequent day life in Gueliz had returned to regular.” “As an alternative the medina, within the Previous City, the opposite soul of the town of Marrakech, well-known for its historic buildings, sadly suffered collapses, particularly in sure areas such because the Jewish Quarter (Mellah). Some folks have misplaced their properties and their companies, but additionally because of the presence of vacationers, who didn’t depart the town, however quite the opposite instantly provided their help, a sure normality shortly returned.”
“Monumental harm with numerous fatalities has sadly occurred within the space of the epicenter”, the report continued, confirming that the demise toll is over three thousand. “Quite a few villages within the Excessive Atlas Mountains, primarily Inhabited by the Berber inhabitants, native to Morocco, whose homes are made from straw and clay, have been razed to the bottom. Human tales of unimaginable ache, but additionally of nice dignity and acceptance. It’s touching to see so many individuals who, with tears, within the face of the devastation round them, are nonetheless in a position to elevate their eyes to Heaven and say ‘ALHAMDULILLAH’, or ‘thank God’.
“Morocco is a rustic recognized for its hospitality and welcoming spirit. And the individuals who dwell in these mountainous areas are notably pleasant and type,” stated Lucia Valori. “The villages devastated right this moment made the landscapes of the Excessive Atlas much more lovely, camouflaged within the colours of the mountains. Though they aren’t crossed by the traditional vacationer routes, I too have walked this path many occasions. The faces, particularly these of the previous folks and youngsters, stay in my coronary heart.” An unimaginable chain of solidarity was instantly created, along with the institutional assist provided by so many international locations”, confirms Lucia Valori. “There have been assortment factors for necessities in every single place, transport autos with items have been continuously going backwards and forwards between Marrakesh and the earthquake villages. The Catholic Church instantly took motion. Archbishop Lopez, who can be President of Caritas Morocco, got here to Marrakech to help the inhabitants and go to the earthquake areas along with the native Caritas consultant. Along with representatives of different Christian denominations current in Morocco, he despatched a touching message of closeness and solidarity to his Muslim brothers and sisters who’re so severely affected.” “The parish of Marrakesh with its parish priest Father Manuel Corullon, Caritas and lots of lay volunteers are working laborious to assist the earthquake victims and the various orphans,” the report continues. “Morocco has a protracted historical past of coexistence with different monotheistic religions “The Catholic Church has two archdioceses: Rabat and Tangier, and the Catholic devoted dwelling listed here are largely foreigners and immigrants. Right here interreligious dialogue is vigorous, fixed and takes place day by day amongst our Muslim brothers and sisters”. “In these very painful days for our nation, I used to be reminded of a really vital sentence that was learn a while in the past in a really lovely e book ‘The desert is my cathedral’ by Bishop Claude Rault, through which the prelate spoke of his experiences within the Diocese within the Algerian Sahara. Bishop Rault writes: ‘An interreligious dialogue that neglects the human terrain, the online of relationships, stays theoretical and has no affect on the lives of believers and society. Solely a shared ardour for humanity is able to creating bridges between us and provides which means to our variations.” “This tragic occasion has made the connection between Christians and Muslims even stronger and extra vital”, concluded Lucia. “We work collectively aspect by aspect, everybody does what they’ll, everybody has the identical spirit and is dedicated to the identical trigger”. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 19/9/2023)

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