At least 64 people were brutally murdered in an attack on a Catholic parish in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in a religiously motivated massacre. The raid struck the parish of Saint Joseph of Manguredjipa in the village of Ntoyo, located in North Kivu province, in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Witnesses and officials say that machetes, firearms, and hammers were used in the slaughter\u2014many victims were hacked to death, others shot or bludgeoned. The attackers targeted worshippers gathered for a mourning ceremony, catching them unprepared. After the initial assault, some attackers set fire to homes and structures in the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Islamist militant faction known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) is being blamed. Originating in Uganda and now affiliated with IS-CAP (Islamic State\u2019s Central Africa Province), ADF has a record of targeting Christian communities in eastern Congo with extreme violence. In recent months, similar attacks have occurred: in Ituri province, at least 34 churchgoers were killed; in Komanda, dozens died during a vigil; in Lubero, more than 70 bodies were found in a Protestant church, many with hands tied and heads severed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Religious aid groups and church leaders have condemned the massacre and are urging international intervention. The Congolese bishops\u2019 conference has denounced the \u201codious massacres\u201d against the faithful, and Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has called for stronger efforts to protect civilians, defend religious liberty, and restore stability. Meanwhile, local authorities are attempting to bury the dead and fortify security, though militia operations in the region remain pervasive and difficult to curtail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bishop Melchis\u00e9dech Sikuli Paluku of the Diocese of Butembo-Beni offered prayers of consolation to survivors and bereaved families, invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary for comfort and guiding the faithful toward peace amid suffering.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At least 64 people were brutally murdered in an attack on a Catholic parish in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in a religiously motivated massacre. The raid struck the parish of Saint Joseph of Manguredjipa in the village of Ntoyo, located in North Kivu province, in the middle of the night. Witnesses and officials […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":265246,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[804,511,805],"tags":[12389],"class_list":["post-265238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-culture","category-foreground","tag-religious-persecution"],"yoast_head":"\n