UGANDA 1/6/2004 22:13 CARDINAL MARTINO AMID EX CHILD SOLDIERS, CLERGY AND STAFF AND PATIENTS AT LACHOR HOSPITAL Church/Religious Affairs, Standard Former child soldiers, religious and lay representatives of the archdiocese of Gulu and æuests?of various sorts in the hospital at Lachor comprised three important moments in the programme of Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, during a visit to the northern Ugandan city today. The cardinal visited two centres for children who used to serve in the LRA (Lordæ Resistance Army), the armed rebel movement that has tormented the civilian population in the northern districts for almost 18 years: Gusco (Gulu Save the Children Organisation) and æorld Vision? here he met a young mother, who explained tearfully that she had given birth to four children while serving in the ranks of the LRA, but that she had been obliged to leave two behind when she escaped. The co-ordinator of Gusco explained to the cardinal that the centre has taken in 2,000 children over the last two years, while there are around 15 new arrivals each day. Over 70 priests, missionaries and representatives of the local clergy then met with Cardinal Martino in the home of the archbishop of Gulu, Monsignor John-Baptist Odama. He said: æhen you help your brothers and sisters in need, such as those who re-emerge from the forest, you are truly evangelising? Earlier he met with lay people, who described the terrible conditions in the camps for displaced people and told him that the Ugandan army also abuses minors by recruiting them into its ranks and training them at a young age. Monsignor Paul Bakyenga, archbishop of Mbarara, intervened during the meeting with religious representatives, saying that he had asked to meet with the Head of State to discuss the war in the north, but that he was still waiting to be called. Cardinal Martino ended the meeting by inviting everyone not to wait for peace from others, but æo carry out gestures of peace and teach others to do the same? Accompanied by the apostolic nuncio, Pierre Christophe and the archbishops of Gulu and Mbarara, the cardinal then went to the hospital in Lachor founded by the deceased Corti couple, whose compound offers nightly shelter to thousands of people fleeing possible rebel attacks on their villages: around 5,000 a night until two weeks ago, while following an upsurge in violence by the rebels they are not thought to number 10,000. The cardinal prayed on the tombof Piero and Lucille Corti, and then on that of Doctor Matthew Lukwiya and of 12 nurses who died during a violent Ebola epidemic in 2000. speaking to 80 or so staff members at the hospital, the cardinal said: æou are the ones who are caring for the suffering body of Christ? Introducing the cardinal to the children who had come to spend the night in Lachor, Monsignor Odama said: æhe Pope sent him here to tell you that he is sad about the conflict in north Uganda? æhat time do you go to bed??the cardinal asked the children, telling them that he would have preferred to see them at home and to pray for peace and for those with the power to establish it. Finally the cardinal returned to the home of the archbishop of Gulu, where he will spend the night, before setting off for Kalongo and Kitgum tomorrow.[LC]
