Where God Weeps - the suffering church in focus

Christians in Algeria: witnessing in difficult times

In Algeria Christians make up only a tiny minority, and yet their exact numbers are difficult to establish. According to estimates there are up to 10,000 Protestants and up to 5,000 Catholics in the country - among a total population of 38 million. In the 4th Century no less a person than Saint Augustine - born in what was called at the time Numidia -  spoke of a Church that numbered several hundred dioceses at the time, yet today the situation of all Christians is extremely precarious.

By Reinhard Backes, ACN International

Anyone who does not belong to the Sunni Muslim majority in Algeria is constantly exposed to a degree of official arbitrariness. Although religious freedom is officially proclaimed in this, the second largest country geographically, in Africa, in practice it does not exist. Since 2006 there has been a law that punishes any form of evangelization and which covers the dissemination of religious writings, audiovisual media and any initiatives by Christians that "might undermine the faith of a Muslim".

This law is in fact a reaction to the conversion of numerous Muslims to Christianity. Against the background of the civil war of the 1990s, which according to many estimates claimed up 250,000 lives, many Algerians turned away from Islam and embraced above all the evangelical movements. Militant Islamic groups observed this with outrage, since for them Christians are already a thorn in their side. In order to appease these forces and in an effort to achieve some sort of stability, President Abd al-Aziz Bouteflika issued a decree in 2006 which effectively limited the religious freedom of non-Muslims.

Ever since then, Christians have been subjected to constant harassment. Their gatherings are monitored and they are banned from any public religious practices and restrictions have been placed on donations from abroad. Catholic Archbishop Ghaleb Bader of Algiers has not allowed himself to be intimidated by these measures, however, and has constantly renewed his demands for Christians to be granted the right to the free exercise of their religion. To the irritation of the government, he has frequently intervened at the highest levels, whenever Christians have been discriminated against or intimidated by lower levels of the state authority.

Archbishop Ghaleb Bader, who comes from Jordan, has been in office since 2008. He represents a Church that "is in essence no longer a local church", as he emphasized recently in an interview with staff of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Following Algerian independence in 1962, some 2 million Christians, overwhelmingly of French nationality, left the country, while only a few remained.

To be a witness of the Christ question

Today, Algerians who are Catholics number just a few hundred, while the majority of the Catholics living in the country today are foreigners, whether from Europe or Africa. They live mainly in the coastal region, in the dioceses of Algiers, Oran and Constantine. In the diocese of Laghouat, the largest in area, which covers the entire southern part of the country, there are only a handful of Catholics.

Yet, although they are but a tiny minority, the Catholics fulfil an important function, according to Archbishop Ghaleb Bader. "They witness to Christ, and thus to the continuing existence of His Church. This counts for a lot."

And while, undoubtedly, there continues to be difficulties with the authorities from time to time, the Catholics are still highly regarded by the majority of the people. "A Christian living among Muslims can make a big difference. He witnesses by example to something different", the archbishop added. "Our friendship and our service prompts our Muslim countrymen to ask themselves, why do the Christians do this?  Why do they live among us, even though they are in danger?"

To give one example, in 1996 the kidnapping and murder of seven Trappist monks made headlines around the world. To this day their monastery in Tibhirine, about 50 miles southwest of Algiers, lies empty. Archbishop Bader remarked, "I am again and again surprised by the reaction of the ordinary people. So far, we only use the monastery for retreats or other meetings, but the people in the surrounding area still ask me again and again, when will the monks return; quite simply, they are missed by them."

Despite his very limited financial resources, Archbishop Ghaleb Bader has some ambitious plans. During the time of the civil war, many churches and other Church properties were, in his own words, neglected. Urgent repairs were not carried out. Now this renovation work can no longer be postponed. Little by little, he hopes to repair the various buildings. "We aso owe this initiative to our Muslim neighbors, who are not particularly fond of such neglect", he explains.

Yet it is not first and foremost the money that is required but above all what the Church needs most is priests and religious orders who are willing to take on the many different pastoral tasks that are lacking. There is also a lack of healthcare staff, and especially the training of women. There is also a lack of educational opportunities, such as language courses among others.

Archbishop Ghaleb Bader of Algiers is deeply grateful for the sacrifices of all the priests and religious who have lived and worked for decades in Algeria. He remarks: "They never ask about their retirement, but simply offer themselves in the service of Christ and his Church".