Martyr in Congo

Chapter 3. Working in the Lord's Vineyard

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Parma, September 1962: from left, Frs. Arrigoni, Carrara, and Veniero ready to leave for Congo

In a letter to his family dated January 1, 1962, Father Louis Carrara informed his parents of his destination to the missions: “I have great news to share with you: I have finally received my destination to Congo! Be happy and rejoice with me! Just one year after my ordination I am leaving for the missions, to work in the Lord’s vineyard among the most needy!”.

Another eight months passed before his actual departure: in those days, priests were ordained during the final year of Theology, and Louis had to complete the course and the remaining exams before leaving for Congo.

He arrived in the diocese of Uvira, on September 12, 1962. Christianity had first set roots in some parts of Congo almost 500 years before, though it had subsequently disappeared. When the Portuguese arrived in 1483, they concentrated their evangelizing efforts on the reigning dynasty which became Christian in 1491. At the end of the 16^th century, when the slave trade was becoming a real and proper industry (and the Portuguese were supplying ever greater numbers of people for work on the plantations in Brazil), the kingdom of Congo was transformed into an inter-tribal battle ground.

In 1660, after a vain attempt at driving out the Portuguese, the kingdom of Congo was practically destroyed as a political entity and social aggregation. In the following centuries, especially in the second half of the 19^th century onwards, the situation of the country, and of Africa in general, was substantially identified with the European colonization.

At the end of the 19^th century, Congo became a colonial territory as a result of the personal initiative of King Leopoldo II of Belgium. At the Congress of Berlin in 1884, Leoplodo II was recognized as the Sovereign of the Independent State of Congo. The new country became a Belgian colony in 1908. When the First World War broke out,  Congo was at the center of the Anglo-Belgian operations that led, first to the conquest of Cameroon and, thereafter, to the defense of Rhodesia. After the First World War, Rwanda and Urundi were added by mandate to the list of dependent territories.

I have finally received my destination to Congo! Be happy and rejoice with me! Just one year after my ordination I am leaving for the missions, to work in the Lord’s vineyard among the most needy! Fr. Louis Carrara

During the Second World War, Congo had remained faithful to Belgium and it was the European country’s only sovereign base after the German occupation of Belgium; in February 1941, on the eve of the recognition of the exiled Belgian Cabinet, an agreement was reached with Great Britain to share its rich mineral deposits.

In 1960, Congo was producing 75% of the world’s industrial diamonds, 75% of radium, 60% of cobalt, 15% of diamonds for jewelry, 15% of tin, 8% of copper, 3% of zinc, 2% of gold. In spite of these rich resources, which were mainly concentrated in the region of Katanga, 80% of the population (about 11 million people) were living in conditions of extreme poverty.

1960 was also the year of independence for Congo, two years after the birth of the Franco-African alliance of 1958 which favored independence. Nevertheless, Congo was completely unprepared for independence: it had no political, administrative, technical or economic frameworks, and its social network was held together only by tribal ties. The political parties, with the exception of the Mnc (National Congolese Movement) led by Patrice Emery Lumumba, were organized on a tribal basis. A few days after independence, the motley Congolese army, led by J.D. Mobutu, revolted. The Belgians, who were in favor of a secession of the rich region of Katanga, feud of the mineral company Union Minière, used this uprising as a pretext to re-establish an armed presence in the region in order to maintain control of it and exploit its resources. A short time afterwards, the province of Kasai also proclaimed secession.

By then, the head of state, Kasavubu, and prime minister, Lumumba, were in open conflict and the country was thrown into a state of total disarray. Asked to intervene, the United Nations sent a contingent of armed forces which failed in its attempt to restore peace. A factual agreement between Kasavubu, Mobutu and M. Ciombe, leader of the Katanga, led to the downfall of Lumumba who had fiercely defended the independence and unity of Congo. In February 1961, Lumumba’s death was made public: he was apparently killed by the followers of Ciombe. In August of the same year, C. Aduala formed a government and the United Nations hoped that order would be established in the country once again.

The General Secretary of the United Nations, D. Hammarskjold, went on a personal visit to Congo, but he was killed in a mysterious plane crash on November 17, 1961. In the same month, a tragedy occurred in Kindu, in the province of Kivu: 13 Italian aviators on a United Nations operation were massacred by the Congolese rebels. After having dumped food and other means of sustenance, the entire crew was assailed and killed inside the airport. According to some rumors, parts of the unlucky victims’ bodies were then sold at the local market. A monument was erected in front of Rome’s Fiumicino international airport to commemorate the incident.

In spite of the barbarous killings, the UN initiative was not suspended. On the contrary, it intensified its diplomatic efforts with Ciombe’s illegal government, but to no avail. The deadlock was finally broken in January 1963 by Onuc, an international body, which put an end to the secession of Katanga, following armed occupation of the entire province and its capital Elisabethville. The following eighteen months were crucial in the Congolese crisis.

This was, in fact, the period in which the new prime minister Adula, who left the stage in June 1964 when the UN contingent withdrew, tried to resolve the most urgent problems: internal peace process, the stability of the government, and economic rehabilitation. In an attempt to re-launch the economy, Adula opened negotiations with Nigeria, the EEC and various Western countries with a view to obtaining economic assistance and loans. In spite of his efforts, the new prime minister did not succeed in preventing the Lumumba inspired opposition from becoming an endemic guerrilla presence in vast northwestern areas of the country.

Father Louis Carrara carried out his missionary activity in this period and in this context. The events in which he played an active role must be read and interpreted against the backdrop of this local and international scenario.

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