Commemoration of genocide against Tutsi in 1994 at the 32nd
During the ceremony to commemorate the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rubavu, Bishop Habimana and pastors kneeled to ask forgiveness from a survivor who was expelled from an Anglican church in 1994.
During the 32nd commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi held in Rubavu District, Rwanda; the Bishop of the Kivu Diocese of the Anglican Church, Augustin Habimana, and the pastors who were with him knelt to ask forgiveness from a survivor of the Genocide, after a powerful testimony of how he was expelled from the church where he had taken refuge and begged for salvation.
The ceremony was marked by intense emotions following the testimony of Augustin Niyigena, who said that in 1994, when she was just 10 years old, she sought refuge in the Anglican church of Shwemu Parish, but the local pastor, Semuhirwa Lazard, turned her away rather than hide her.
Niyigena said that the incident left her deeply saddened and made her hate the church forever, because she felt that the place she should have found refuge was where she had turned.
She said: “I sought refuge in the church and asked them to let me in and hide, but the pastor turned me away. At that time, I felt there was no love or humanity.”
She continued that after being expelled, she spent a long time hiding in the bushes and mountains, until a woman who was a friend of their family helped her cross the border to Goma in the DRC, where she was rescued.
After hearing this testimony, Bishop Habimana and the pastors who were present at the ceremony immediately stood up and went before the survivor, knelt down and asked for forgiveness for what their colleague, who was the pastor of the church at the time, had done.
Bishop Habimana said that what happened was a shame for the church, because the person who was supposed to protect the lives of those who took refuge in him became a “bear” instead of a shepherd.
He said: “The shepherd who was supposed to protect his sheep abandoned them. We all stand in the place of Pastor Lazard, and we ask for your forgiveness.”
He added that the Genocide against the Tutsi left a bad impression on some churches, because there were religious leaders and Christians who participated in the killings or watched people being killed and did not help.
The President of IBUKA in Rubavu District, Mbarushimana Gerard, said that the Genocide against the Tutsi was in some places supported by religious leaders who preached it to the population.
He said that there were those who told Christians that the Tutsi should not live, which contributed to people being involved in the killings.
On the part of the Rubavu District administration, Mulindwa Prosper said that such actions have caused some to lose faith in religions, because where they expected help, some encountered hatred.
He reminded Christians that true faith must go hand in hand with human and Rwandan values, criticizing former religious leaders who failed to protect those under their care.
According to reports, Pastor Semuhirwa Lazard left Rwanda after the 1998 war and went to Goma in the DRC, where he is said to have founded the Episcopal Church.
You can also read “Themes in When the Sun Goes Down – A Deep Literary Analysis” This a combination of sixteen stories compiled by Goro wa Kamau and they are being asked literature in English in senior six in national exams. you can follow our newspaper “andikanews.rw“here or join our whatsap group by clicking https://chat.whatsapp.com/EsjoyIq1Ur26Zicfgr9yH7