CRUX: ACN Outreach Director on Church in Ethiopia and Eritrea
IN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA, the Church has been suffering. Over the past two years, over 30 churches have been attacked in Ethiopia – half burned to the ground – leaving over 100 people dead. In Eritrea, where Catholics make up just about 4 percent of the population, Church-run schools and hospitals have been forcefully shut down by the government.
The pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has launched an appeal to help its efforts in the two Horn of Africa countries.
“Both Ethiopia and Eritrea are suffering from poverty and economic instability,” said Edward F. Clancy, the director of outreach for ACN.
“In Ethiopia, although Christians are a majority there has been a spate of violence against Christians and Christian institutions over the last two years. The violence has been due to a mixture of ethnic, political and religious differences, but nonetheless, it has caused more instability and fear,” he explained. “In Eritrea, the totalitarian government has gone after Christian institutions and lately those of the Roman Catholic Church to lessen the impact that the Church has on Eritrean society.”
