The Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli recounts the suffering and fear of the Libyan people, affected by the bombings and the division that has split the population in two. For the prelate the presence and activities of Christian community in Libya is of spiritual support to Muslims, who seek the intervention of the Pope to stop the war. The invitation of Mgr. Martinelli to pray during Holy Week for the suffering of the Libyan population Christian and Muslim.

Tripoli (AsiaNews) - "'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?', The words of Jesus on the Cross in the Gospel of Matthew express the suffering of the Libyan population in this tragic affair”, says Mgr. Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli. "Holy Week - he adds - lived in the light of Christian faith is a time that invites everyone to reflect and pray for the Lord to accept the suffering of the Libyan population Christian and non-Christian."  

According to Msgr. Martinelli, a month on from operation Odyssey Dawn, the population suffers not only bombings, but also a climate of division that has developed among Libyan people. "It is a time of great suffering - he explains - there is absolute silence in the city. Many villages are now empty. In Tripoli, you must wait in line to get gasoline, but basic necessities are still available. Many people are fleeing. They are afraid for their family, for their children, for themselves”.

The prelate stresses that the situation is very uncertain and even the Church has been forced to evacuate their staff in the cities hardest hit. Recently the sisters who work as nurses in the hospital of Yefrem returned to Tripoli.

In the suffering caused by war, the small Christian community, composed mainly of Filipino and sub-Saharan African migrant workers, is still very active and its presence is of spiritual support for Libyan Muslims. "On Friday - says Msgr. Martinelli -, some Muslim women came to the back of the church, to ask Christians to pray and seek the intervention of the Pope to stop the bombing and find a way to reconcile this human reality. "

Mgr. Martinelli still hopes in the reopening of a dialogue between the Gaddafi regime, NATO forces and insurgents. "Only diplomacy can resolve this situation - he says - war can not bend a man’s will. Indeed every possibility must be tried, especially dialogue with the regime. " According to the prelate, the international community and Italy are wrong to completely isolate Gaddafi, communicating only with the rebels, because it adds to division and hatred. "Not even considering the possibility of dialogue with the Libyan government - he said – is highly negative from the point of view of friendship and the future of Libya." (Sc)

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