Christina, Lorena and the Bloodthirsty Crowd
In a small village in Papua New Guinea, a woman named Christina is fighting for her life. She has been accused by the villagers of being a witch. Several men have tied her up and set her on fire. The crowd is shouting and chanting, encouraging them to abuse Christina. Among the several hundred people, there is only one person who opposes the general madness - a Swiss nun, Lorena Jenal, from the Franciscan Sisters of Divine Providence. She shouts at her tormentors to release the poor woman who has done nothing wrong. But they do not listen to her. The sister is also beaten, and Christina is burned with a hot iron. After a while, however, the attackers lose their nerve and release their victim. Sister Jenal takes her to the hospital, where she tries to help her after the trauma.
This all happened not hundreds of years ago, but on August 10, 2012. And you can read this story on the website of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Over the course of 40 years, 74-year-old Sister Lorena Jenal has saved over 250 people accused of witchcraft from violence and death. Pope Francis is to meet her in early September during his trip to Papua New Guinea.
Witchcraft Accusations in 45 Countries Around the World
Yes, accusations of witchcraft are still being made against women, but also men and children in many places around the world. The German organization Missio, which works with Sister Jenal, has prepared a map of 45 countries around the world (on every continent except Europe) where acts of violence related to accusations of witchcraft occur. Witch hunts are a common phenomenon, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia and Oceania. The organization has also documented similar cases in Mexico, Peru and Bolivia.
In some parts of Africa, albinos are generally suspected of witchcraft or killed for the purpose of obtaining their body parts as “magical” artifacts. Accusations of witchcraft can also be used to “solve” property disputes, punish someone for having an affair, or blame someone for a bad harvest or other misfortune. Missio estimates that witch hunts are a growing problem.
According to the website of the Bishops’ Conference of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, one such horrific incident occurred on Easter Sunday in the southern highlands of Papua New Guinea. While local Catholics were attending mass on Easter Sunday (“The diabolical irony cannot be ignored,” commented Sister Lorena Jenal on the coincidence), the other villagers captured three women: Magdalena, Rika, and Cindrela, and then tortured and burned them. They were accused of causing the death of an elderly man with asthma and kidney failure through witchcraft.
Six women from a village in the Mendi diocese in Papua New Guinea were more fortunate, accused of causing the unexpected death of a boy. Things were moving a bit slower here, so a diocesan commission consisting of six people, including the parish priest and the bishop, managed to reach the village. They found a crowd gathered in the square and metal plates already heated up, on which the "witches" were to be placed.
"In such situations, we often deal with three groups of people. The leaders, who sanction what is happening, remain somewhat in the background. The group that actually carries out the torture and murder are usually young men, often under the influence of marijuana. Finally, there are spectators who, by their presence, provide silent support for what is happening - sometimes out of fear," Bishop Donald Lippert reports on the website.
A heated exchange of words ensued. Finally, one of the men who intended to kill the "witches" pointed out that this was a spiritual problem. The priest replied that spiritual problems should be solved in church. He made them understand that what they were planning to do was the work of Satan. The discussion was long and heated, but the attackers eventually backed down and released the women.
"Violence related to witchcraft accusations occurs all the time and is something that the Church, working with people of good will, must confront and eradicate from Papua New Guinea once and for all," we read on the diocesan website.
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