(December 23, 2011) According to the head of the Catholic Church in Libya Christmas
is the opportunity to bring the message of peace to the tormented land, a peace which
must be witnessed in daily life, through action and prayer. Vicar Apostolic of Tripoli,
Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli shared his thoughts on Christmas with AsiaNews
agency. He was to visit the Filipino Catholic community of Misurata on Friday.
The community, made up of mainly nurses and doctors, is among the few foreigners who
remained in Libya for the entire period of the war. Bishop Martinelli, said that
after the death of Muammar Gaddafi, the situation has improved, but lamented that
revenge attacks still continue between the rebels and the Gaddafi loyalists. The
bishop explained that for safety reasons, the Christmas celebrations in Tripoli will
take place in the late afternoon. He said tht many Christians participated in Advent
celebrations despite the fear.