The Catholic Church in France has expressed its solidarity with the bishops of Congo Brazzaville, who say they are “surprised and worried” about the arrest and imprisonment of two human rights workers, Christian Mounzeo and Brice Mackosso, the latter secretary of the Commission of Justice and Peace of the diocese of Pointe Noire. In a message signed by Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, archbishop of Bordeaux and President of the French Bishops’ Conference, the French bishops share the “apprehension” of their Congolese colleagues in response to the “lack of transparency and irregularities of the judicial procedure, police searches and seizure of documents”. They confirm their “solidarity with your commitment of service to justice and peace” and press for “the release of the two persons being detained”.
