REPORT ON THE BURNING OF ‘MARIA IMMACOLATA’ CHURCH AND OF THE ADJACENT BUILDINGS IN BENGHAZI
17-20 February 2006

Mgr. Sylvester Carmel Magro ofm
Apostolic Vicar of Benghazi

The reaction in Benghazi to the cartoons regarding Mohammed the Prophet of the Muslims has been one of unexpected proportions to such an extent that it was beyond the control of the Security Forces.

On Friday 17th February, hundreds of young people attacked the Italian Consulate, setting ablaze, and reducing it to a heap of ashes the next morning. Among the tens of casualties, there were 11 dead. During the funeral held the following day, the angry crowd attacked the Law Courts and a police station.

Around midnight that same day, some youths tried to set on fire the exterior door of the Cathedral. The friars who were inside, Fr. Ronnie ofm, a Filipiono, and Fr. Antonio ofm, Polish, succeeded to put out the fire with the help of some neighbours.

The police were notified and two patrol cars stood on guard at the church entrance.
Everything appeared to have returned to normality so much so that the police themselves assured the friars that there was nothing to fear anymore.

The next day, Saturday 18th February, the two priests went out as usual to celebrate Holy Mass at the Nuns’ houses who work in the health centers of the city: the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Ivrea – two Italian communities with three Tanzanian sisters; and the Polish Sisters of the Sacred Heart.

The Bishop, Apostolic Vicar Mgr. Sylvester Carmel Magro ofm was out of the country for a meeting at Castelgandolfo. As soon as he was informed about the critical situation in Benghazi, immediately returned to Tripoli from where he took another flight to Benghazi. However, upon arrival, he was not allowed to reach the church. At the airport he was met by the Security and Protocol officials and accompanied to a safe place together with officials from the Italian Consulate. On the evening of the same day the whole group were evacuated to Tripoli.

At the airport, the Bishop was met by Fr. Daniel Farrugia and Dr. Joseph Cassar the Ambassador of Malta who kindly escorted him to St. Francis Cathedral in his own car.

That same evening of Saturday 18th February at about 7.30 pm, the church and the friars’ house in Benghazi were set on fire.

Hundreds of youths had surrounded the building and forced open the doors of the garage and the church. Once inside the building they set ablaze the liturgical vestments; smashed all cabinets and ransacked the whole place.

The same fate befell the house of the friars and the Bishop’s apartment: all the rooms were broken into, ransacked, looted and set ablaze.

The two friars who had remained inside, seeing that it was impossible to go out, and that they were no longer protected by the police who had left because they could not possibly control the huge crowd, sought shelter in a small garage adjacent to the church garden. From their hiding place they could follow what was happening in the cathedral through the fissures of the door; all the time invoking the mercy of God in their terror.

Thanks to God and the Immaculate Mother, after three endless hours, when everyone had left leaving behind devastation and ashes, they came out of their hiding place.

The Hospital Sisters had been looking for them. They had earlier been informed by the two priests of their whereabouts.

In the meantime, the 12 sisters of the three Communities of Benghazi, together with three sisters of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Child Jesus of El Merj and the two priests, were accommodated at the Uzu Hotel just outside Benghazi. Here they anxiously waited for the Security Police to evacuate also them to Tripoli.

On Monday 20th February 15 sisters and the two priests were transferred by plane to Tripoli. Bishop Sylvester, Fr. Daniel and other friars from Tripoli met them at the airport. Then they accompanied them to the church of St. Francis where Bishop Martinelli welcomed them and kindly accommodated them in the newly finished building adjacent to the church.

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The Ursuline Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mantova, and the Ursoline Sisters of Mary Immaculate, Indians, together with fr. Amado a Franciscan Filipino,remained at the Hospital in El Beida (200 Km from Benghazi).
The Sisters of the Holy Family of Spoleto together with the Salesian Don Taddeo, Polish, remained at the Hospital of Derna (300 Km).
The Indian Sisters of St. Anne and the Polish Franciscan Fr. Virgilio remained at the Hospital in Tobruk (500 Km).
Presently all are awaiting the green light from the Security to enable them to return to Benghazi and El Merj.

Mgr. Sylvester Carmel Magro ofm
Apostolic Vicar of Benghazi
25th February 2006

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Historical Outline:
“Maria Immacolata” church dates back to 1858. It was opened for worship in 1877 but had to be closed with the advent of the Revolution of 1969. Later in 1976, it was donated to the Catholic Community of Benghazi, as a sequel to the Islamo-Christian Congress held in Tripoli earlier that year.
After a much needed restoration work the small church was re-opened for worship on 8th December 1977.
Twenty years later in 1997, the Apostolic Vicar Mgr. Sylvester Magro celebrated the inauguration of his ministry in this church. This came as a result of the establishment of Diplomatic relations of Libya with the Holy See.
The new Bishop further added to and modified the church premises and the adjacent friary.
The new halls serve as a meeting place for prayer purposes for various groups and different Christian denominations.
These are mostly Africans, including a group for the Philippines and other groups from Pakistan.