Italian
The 3rd Festival of “The Whole Human” was held in Rome, in the evocative setting of the Pio Sodalizio dei Piceni. Within the second ideal “place” of the event, dedicated to the theme of conflict, a touching panel titled “War and violence: the only inhumane (dis)order in the world? Where peoples (and Christians) suffer” took place.
ROME. From anti-Christian persecutions in Africa to the war in the Middle East, from religious freedom to the new forms of violence that permeate the contemporary world. It was one of the most intense moments of the 3rd Festival of the “Whole Human”, promoted by the Network “Say it from the Rooftops” at the Pio Sodalizio dei Piceni, the panel dedicated to “War and violence: the only inhuman (dis)order in the world? Where peoples (and Christians) suffer”.
Engaging in the discussion were Antonio Tajani, Vice President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna and President of the Italian Episcopal Conference; Monsignor Ettore Balestrero, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva; Monsignor Jules Boutros, Bishop of the Patriarchal Curia of Antioch of the Syrians and responsible for youth pastoral care in Lebanon; Matilde Leonardi, neurologist and lecturer at the Ukrainian Catholic University of Lviv; Shahid Mobeen, President of the Italian Council for Religious Freedom and Interreligious Dialogue; Marinellys Tremamunno, journalist and international analyst; Giovanni Orsina, historian and director of the Department of Political Science at Luiss Guido Carli; Luigi Crema, professor and legal expert in international law; and Emmanuele Di Leo, president of the international NGO Steadfast. The debate was moderated by Marco Invernizzi and Maria Letizia Cavuoto.
Among the speakers, Emmanuele Di Leo, President of the NGO Steadfast, offered a raw and passionate testimony about the dramatic reality of persecuted Christians in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Nigeria: “Last year we left with a question: homo homini lupus – man is a wolf to man – is that really the only way? Or can man choose to be a brother? This year that question almost finds an answer: ‘Welcome, my sister Vita.’ Because saying yes to life today, in many parts of the world, is an act of courage. Literally.”
On the sidelines of the meeting, we discussed with Emmanuele Di Leo some of the topics addressed during the panel, particularly the condition of Christian communities in the main crisis areas of sub-Saharan Africa, gathering direct testimonies gained during his fieldwork.
The story begins in Yelwata, in the Nigerian state of Benue, the scene of one of the most severe massacres in recent months.
“Armed militants surrounded the market where hundreds of displaced people had taken refuge. They entered shouting ‘Allahu Akhbar’, set fire to the houses with people inside, and opened fire on the crowd. Two hundred dead. Pope Leo XIV called it ‘a terrible massacre’.”
Then the description, almost cinematic, of the places: “I know those places. I have walked on those very streets: red dirt roads that stick to your shoes, that rise in clouds with every step. That same red dirt, on Sundays, fills with thousands of people who gather outdoors to pray and sing. They sing to God for hours. They sing with their whole body, with their hands, with their feet in the dust.”
A faith that continues to manifest itself despite the violence: “Now think that on those same streets, a few hours earlier, armed men, motorcycles, and rifles had passed. The same red dust. The same open sky, above burning houses.”
The complaint: “They are not ghosts”
“I also know the names of those who come to bring death: Boko Haram. ISWAP. The Fulani militias, which in central Nigeria are erasing Christian villages from the map. They are not ghosts. They have names, commanders, flags” bringing numbers that he describes as impossible to ignore: “According to the latest Open Doors report, in the world seven out of ten Christians killed for their faith in the last year died in a single country: Nigeria. Seventy percent. The total in recent years exceeds 5,600 victims, 124,000 displaced, and over 2,100 churches affected or burned.”
The crisis, however, is not limited to Nigeria: “In Mozambique and Congo, in four days, twenty-two Christians have been killed, many beheaded. In Burkina Faso, nearly two thousand civilians have died since 2023 and over a hundred churches have been destroyed. New reports of violence against religious minorities are coming from Ethiopia.”
For this reason, observe, the word “genocide” has returned to the international debate: «I am not here for the dispute over labels. But one thing is certain: in entire regions of sub-Saharan Africa, Christian communities that have lived there for centuries are disappearing. Not by choice. Out of fear. Due to violence.»
“Babel or Jerusalem”
Di Leo also recalls the recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas by Pope Leo XIV: “The Pope presents the crossroads between building Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem. A power that imposes itself by reducing the other to an obstacle to be eliminated, or a people that comes together to work united to raise the walls of fraternal coexistence.”
A reflection that, according to the president of Steadfast, perfectly describes what is happening today in war theaters. “The tools change – an algorithm, a rifle – but the fundamental choice remains the same: to dominate or to build together. What is happening in Nigeria, Mozambique, and Burkina Faso is Babel repeating itself with ancient means.”
Yet, he adds, there is another story: “There are those who, amidst the rubble, choose Jerusalem: the priests who remain, the mothers who still bring their children to church on Sundays.”
Proposals to Europe
Leo does not limit himself to the denunciation, he launches two operational proposals presented during the panel. The first concerns international cooperation: “Those who receive resources for their development must commit to protecting all their citizens, including religious minorities. Protection, and then we collaborate; no protection, and cooperation needs to be reconsidered.”
The second concerns the European Union: “Italy should take the lead in making a qualitative leap: transform the European Special Envoy for Religious Freedom into a figure with real political weight, full mandate, and dedicated budget. An empty office serves no one.”
Joel, the face of demand
The story continues with the meeting with Joel, a six-year-old girl living in an orphanage in Nigeria: «When I looked into her eyes, I saw something I still can’t explain well even now: in those little girl’s eyes, there was the gaze of an elderly person. A gaze that had seen too much».
He offers her a cookie and picks her up to protect her from the other children. Then comes the moment to leave: “I got into the car. She was still there, small, in the corner. But she was looking at me. Straight towards the window. And with her little hand, she waved goodbye.”
Since then, he confesses, that question has never left him: “Joel is the ‘sister life’ still waiting for a ‘welcome’. It’s the wolf-or-brother question written in the eyes of a six-year-old girl. And I haven’t been able to put that question away since that day.”
In his words, the reference to the theme of religious freedom and anti-Christian persecutions outside of statistics and within stories. Because, as Di Leo reminded us, “we are not here for conferences or statistics. We are here because somewhere, at this moment, there is another Joel waiting for someone.”
