LETTER OF A SIMPLE CATHOLIC PRIEST

Principio del formulario

 I want in this occasion to publish this letter of a priest, who gives us some brush-strokes of catholic priests, so hated, so attacked, by that so many journalists who never have taken into account these words from the Gospel. “LET THE ONE THAT IS CLEAN OF SIN THROW THE FIRST STONE”. They never give this any consideration

 Letter of a simple priest who the New York Times is not going to publish April, 2010.

 Loved brother  journalist: I am a simple catholic priest. I feel happy and proud of my vocation. It is now twenty years that I live in Angola as missionary. It gives me a great pain that persons who would have to be signals of the love of God, are a dagger in the life of innocents. No word  justifies such acts. There is no doubt that the Church it cannot be, but of in the side of the weak ones, the defenseless. Therefore all the measures that are taken for the protection, prevention of the dignity of the children will be always an absolute priority I see in many means of information, mainly in your newspaper the extension of the subject in morbid form, investigating in detail life of some pederast priest That appears in some a city of The USA, of the decade of the 70,more than 40 years ago another one in Australia in the 80´s,  other recent cases… Certainly all condemnable. They are seen as average and sensible journalistic presentations, others amplified, full of preconceptions and hatred.

Being peculiar the little news and disinterestedness by thousands and thousands of priests who are consumed in the dedicated work in favor of millions of children, adolescents and most underprivileged in the four angles of the world! fodder, and your  means of information do not show any interest. We  have had to transport ourselfs, by ways mined in 2002, to attend many children undernourished from Cangumbe aLwena (Angola), because nor the government or the ONG's arranged solutions. We were not authorized, but did bury tens of small deceased between the displaced ones of war and those that have returned; that we have saved the life to thousands of people in Moxico by means of the unique aid station in 90.000 km2s, as well as with the distribution of foods and seeds; that we have given the opportunity of education in these 10 years and schools to more of 110,000 children… it is not of your interest, to publish that with other priests we have had to aid the humanitarian crisis of near 15,000 people in quarterings of the guerrilla, after its surrender, because never were received the foods from the Government and the ones from UN never arrived. It is not in the news that a.priest of 75 years, the P. Robert, by night crosses the city of Luanda curing to the boys of the street, taking them to a house of welcome, so that they decontaminate of gasoline use, that alphabetizes hundreds of prisoners; that other priests, like P. Stefano, have houses of passage for the boys who are struck, mistreated and even violence and they look for a refuge.

Either that Fray Maiato with its 80 years, passes house through house comforting sick ones and desperate. It is not news that more of 60.000 of the 400,000 priests, and monks have left their earth and its family to serve their brothers in a leprosy hospital, in hospitals, fields of refugees, orphanages for children accused of wizards or orphans of parents who passed away with AIDS, in schools for the poorest, in centers of professional formation, centers of attention to zero positives… or coverall, in parishes and missions giving motivations to people to live and to love.

It is not news that my friend, the P. Aurelio Marks, to be saveing  youngsters during the war in Angola and has transported, them of Kalulo a Dondo and when-returning to its mission has been machine-gunned in the way; that the brother Francisco, with five ladies catechists, have gone to help a the more recondite rural areas and have died in an accident in the street; that tens of missionaries in Angola have died for wanting to give sanitary aid, by a simple malaria; that others have jumped by the airs, because of a mine, visiting its people.

In the cemetery of Kalulo there are the tombs of the first priests who arrived a the region to spend 40 years. It is not in the news the time of the life of “a normal” Priest a day, its difficulties and joys consuming without noise his life to please a community in wich he serves. The truth is that we did not try to be in the news, but simply the good news that without noise began at night of Passover.

A TREE MAKES MORE NOISE WHEN IT FALLS THAT A FOREST THAT GROWS. I am not trying to make a vindication of the Church and the priests. A priest is neither a hero nor a neurotic. He is a simple man, that with his humanity wants to follow Jesus and to serve his brothers. He has miseries, poverties and fragilities like in each human being; and also beauty and kindness like in each creature… To insist on form obsessed and persecutory in a subject losing joint vision creates offensive cartoons of catholic priesthood in which I feel like victim. Only one thing I request friend journalist, look for the Truth, the Good and the Beauty  that will make of you a nobleman in your profession.

 In Christ, P. Martin Lasarte sdb