NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- A Roman Catholic nun has been sentenced to 30 years for helping militia kill hundreds of people hiding in a hospital during Rwanda's 1994 genocide, an official said Friday.

Theophister Mukakibibi was sentenced by a traditional Gacaca court for helping Hutu militiamen kill ethnic Tutsis seeking refuge from the slaughter in Butare hospital where she worked. She was jailed Thursday.

"She was responsible for selecting Tutsis and would throw them out of the hospital and the militia would then kill them," said Jean Baptiste Ndahumba, president of the local gacaca court in Butare town. "This nun was organizing people to be killed."

She would also hold regular meetings with Hutu extremist groups and denied food to Tutsis hiding in the hospital, he said by telephone. Some 20 people testified against her, Ndahumba added.

Some 100,000 people were killed in the southeastern prefecture of Butare during the massacre.

A number of Hutu Catholic and Protestant church leaders are alleged to have played significant roles in the east African nation's 100-day massacre. More than half-a-million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by the militia, orchestrated by the extremist Hutu government then in power. The genocide ended when Tutsi rebels toppled the government.

The gacaca courts are intended to speed up the genocide trials and are separate from Rwanda's conventional judicial system and an international genocide court. With nine judges from the local community, the traditional courts were also established to help heal divisions. They can impose life sentences.

Some 63,000 genocide suspects are detained in Rwanda, and justice authorities say that at least 761,000 people should stand trial for their role in the slaughter and chaos that came with it. The suspects represent 9.2 percent of Rwanda's estimated 8.2 million people.

A U.N. tribunal based in neighboring Tanzania tries those accused of masterminding the genocide. Three members of the clergy have appeared at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

In 2001, two Rwandan Catholic nuns were convicted by a Belgian court of aiding and abetting the mass murders. A Roman Catholic priest is on trial before Tanzania-based U.N. tribunal, accused of ordering the slaughter of 2,000 people who sought refuge in his church.

Rwanda's genocide began hours after a plane carrying President Juvenal Habyarimana was mysteriously shot down as it approached the capital, Kigali, on the evening of April 6, 1994. The leader was returning from power-sharing talks with Tutsi-led rebels.

The genocide ended after rebels, led by current President Paul Kagame, ousted the extremist Hutu government that had orchestrated the slaughter.

Source
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Yet another mass killing the Christian church and faith has strong connections with. It's truely terrible those people had to be hacked to death with machetes by savage animals.

Well after all, they were just a buncha pagans! It's not like they killed Christians....Boy can you imagine the catawauling we would be putting up with from the American Christians if that had been the case! I remember we have one of the Christian preachers here in Texas that they are trying to extradite to Rwanda to face similar charges and all of the Churches here are fighting it tooth and nail!

In this case the conflict actually was about racism.
Those of dark skin and rounder features were killing those of lighter skin and sharper features, seeing them as mixed breeds.

It is nothing like Darfur which is actually is over religion. There are enough religious conflicts in Africa without having to try to spin one which was not into one.

Then why did a member of Catholic heirarchy assist the Christian militia in killing the mainly pagan Tutsis, by throwing them out, into their arms?

Because of race.

(FYI - Tutsis were/are Jews, the same as the Ethiopians)

Maaako.. you're wrong... They're not pagans.. they're jewish. So while it was a matter of race and religion... it's not catholics killing pagans.. but catholics killing jewish.

Actually a little research shows that Tutsi and Hutu are genetically and culturally the same people...the major difference is historically Tutsi are herders (and the aristocracy) and Hutu are farmers... The two terms seem to be interchangable and a Tutsi can become a Hutu by simply farming and a Hu tu can do the opposite by becoming a herder! They are Christians (no Ethiopean Jews here), so the Nun was having a class exterminated not a religion or an ethnic group! Guess we were all wrong! Still the Nun (if she actually did such, deserves what she go).

Yep.

She got what she deserved.

And I bet she was extremely Self-Riouetous when she was caught

Ah uhm.. so you're going by the old world meaning for pagan then.

Religion permeates the entire world Bella there you go agian saying its not us, its not relgion its not our beleifs, its therir issue, look we are all in this together it is our issue,If not us then who is gonna care, how many times will we need to read these storys before we start to change the beleifs that cause this regardless of where it is, you filter through a seperatist construct my friend, imagine if we are all just one being a whole lot of things, would that engage your concern?????

Folks. You quite simply do not know what you are talking about in this situation.
Racism is racism and it does not need another source to be what it is.

The early quick identification of who to kill was done by race. Tall, light skinned, and sharp features meant death.

If you want to stick to it being about religion then you are going to have a time factoring in Nelson Mandela sending some of his Bantu militia in to help support the slaughter. He was not exactly a pillar of support for the Catholic church to say the very least.


(FYI - The Tutsi had public Jewish rituals and celebrations up into the early 1900s, some conducted at a national level. There is no way to pretend they did not do this and that they were not Jews.)

Indeed Bella the source doesn't matter the solution and the addressing of it does so on that note what do you intend to do to do your part, besides say in as many ways as you can you don't care????????

I agree Bella. Although a nun was involved doesn't mean that religion had anything to do with it. Racism plays a big part in war and killings as religion does and in this one then it was racism and not religion.

Hey.. guess my link on the matter ment nothing huh? Because you know everything!! Even though it backed up your claims only somewhat. It was however, part racial.. and part religious. It's a two part reason. The Tutsi does blame the Catholic church helping the Hutu because they are jewish.

It was more than one nun and other church leaders helped aid the massive slaughter as well.

So yeah, yet another brutal massacre aided by religion.

I can't even think or picture of the people having their limbs being hacked from them with such hatred, the screams and the war crys of the savages as they went from person to person... Women, little children and men... chopping them to pieces while the church leaders sat by and cheered them on. Truely disgusting.

I don't believe this was a religous matter. I don't care if they were christians, pagans, or buddist-it was not about religion. Obvisouly the nun and the religous leaders set out to get rid of these people as a whole and not for they're beliefs. Look at all the preachers that were kkk leaders back in the early to late 1900's. They were hanging and killing people not of their white color because of they're color-they were racist. So yes I do admit that alot of christians thruout history have been racist. But yet it was also alot of white people that helped the black people stand to take a fight. But you also don't have to be white to be racist.
This massacre was done for the same reason the kkk's killed others not of they're white color and for the same reason Hitler killed Jews. Because it was over racism. Hitler was a racist if there ever was one.
It wouldn't matter what it was over-if a chrisitian is tied with a massacre then it gives you and other so many reasons to run christians down.
Just because it was religous leaders that helped organize the massacre doesn't mean it was over religion cuz alot of religous leaders have killed in the name of racism. If you look at the religous leaders that have killed people-then you will see that probably the biggest percent was over racism and not religion!!

Rubbish.

The Inquisition was about religion.
The Burning of hereticswas due to religion.
The Forced conversions of millions from Africa to Asia to the Americas was due to religion.

The slave owners claimed a right to own slaves based on their religion.

Yes it isn't the sole motivator for many attrocities.

But it has to be acknowledged that it IS a motivator. To often people try to ignore all of these things.

And to those who say that these things were done only in the NAME of their god...

You give to charity only in the name of your god. You help strangers only in the name of your god. You have no more a way of knowing if you are doing that which god wishes then those who placed the Witches on the Stake.

Grant ya Religion can be a motivator is alot of things. But in most cases it hasn't been. Hitler killed millions in the name of racism cuz he definetly wasn't a christian. KKK Leaders/Church Leaders killed in the name of racism though by God they thought they were doing the right thing but they obvisouly werent true christians to have thought that. They killed people if they're skin wasn't white.
Yes religion can play a role but in most cases like this one-it was done over racism.

And why were they prejudiced towards that particular race? Well, their ancestors had seen in the bible that Jehovah not only condoned slavery but even advocated it, awarding the virgins of a town that the Israelites had conquered to the warriors to be their sex slaves! Using this permission granted by their god through his “holy scripture”, these Christian Southerners bought African slaves and treated them as draught animals. When those people were released from their bondage, their former Masters did not see them as equals, but as sub humans; little better than animals. These preachers felt that they were doing God’s will; and living in the modern South, I can tell you that there are many white preachers that still advocate similar treatment to any person that doesn’t follow their blood-soaked god!

If you are referring to the Civil War, slavery was only an excuse...Just as the attack of the North Vietnamese gunboats was an excuse for the Vietnam war...


Seeing as how over a period of 2000 years Christians have massacred others over and over again, it is only natural to think poorly of the religion. Massacres such as this and the ethnic cleansing in the Balkans serve to demonstrate that Christianity has not changed one iota over the millennia...it is as violent and evil now as it was during the witch burnings!

Ya I'm from the South too!! I tell my bf that I can still remember colored people being shot in they're car driving on the road. This type of violence still goes on-so I'm definetly not denying it does.
And what I meant by the 'alot of white people that helped the black people stand to take a fight.' is that in the predjudice days when it was really bad then alot of white people did still stand up for those that weren't of they're white race. They stood up for them and those that did helped develop the minds of alot of southerners to accept those not of they're color.
Non-christians are just as violoent as christians. But not all are in either belief. You must always remind yourself of that.

Non-Christians may be violent, but hey... At least they aren't fooling themselves that they're fighting for a church or doing such disgusting, horrible acts against mankind because in turn their God will forgive them - a free pass, instead of justice that society has demanded.

Yes, thank you christian faith for giving our child rapists, serial killers, mass murdering leaders, and really anybody that is too horrible for society a thought to make them look and think that it's no big deal because Jesus will forgive them no matter what.

Through that, the christian faith supports criminals in society. I mean, if they do a crime against another no big deal... Just ask for forgiveness and then go outside and shoot a little baby... Make another trip in to ask for forgiveness. A loophole that is dangerous to society. I don't want someone to kill my family or even me with the knowning they'll get forgiveness in the end so they'll be free and clear.

Are you saying you have never done anything wrong and wanted to take it back and ask for self forgiveness?? Cuz I think everyone has at one point or another.
Grant ya I have known some people that are on and off they're knees at the altar like the church is gonna be no more. I just merrily go about my business and worry about what I am doing wrong and what I can learn from watching others treat God like that. Grant ya I have made God plenty of promises and took them back and have been on my knees a couple of times asking for forgiveness but I have since that 2nd and last time vowed I wouldn't unless I was 100% sure that this was what I wanted to be for me.
There are bad people no matter what they're beliefs are.

I'd say no, but then I'd be lying. I've confessed my sins before to the priest. I was raised Roman Catholic.



Yeah, there are bad people no matter what but when you know you're going to get a free pass in the end of it all, what does it matter that you kill someone or rape someone? It doesn't. With that mentality is a dangerous one for a society that wants to be safe at night from the things that go thump.

Its not so much about religion or race, its about ignorance. The savages that did this were/are ignorant, plain and simple.

True Arty-they are ignorant. I'm pretty certain that I will get called non christian for this even though there is no reason for anyone to say that to me.
I just don't see how anyone could possibly do this. Can you imagine a nun coming up to you and throwing you in the street only to get butchered and watch as your family was going before or behind you. Sort of like Hitler did to the millions of people & families that he burnt and slaughtered. This is a sad sad world but we as individuals can make it a better world by learning to not be ignorant to others and spread love rather than hatred and controversy.

Not every church that calls itself Christian is really obeying Christ!!! Not every church that calls itself Christian is really Christian.

The Jesuits had secretly prepared World War II, and Hitler's war
machine was built and financed by the Vatican to conquer the world for
Roman Catholicism, Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco were to be the
defenders of the faith. They were set up to win and conquer the world,
and set up a millennium for the pope. Behind the scenes, the Jesuits
controlled the Gestapo. All this is fully documented in THE SECRET
HISTORY OF THE JESUITS, sold by Chick Publications. You can buy
it at this website if you want to read it.
http://www.chick.com/catalog/books/0191.asp

Read what the press of the Spanish dictator, Franco, published
on the 3rd of May, 1945, the day of Hitler's death. It said, "Adolf
Hitler, son of the Catholic Church, died while defending
Christianity." It goes on to say, "Over his mortal remains stands his
victorious moral figure. With the palm of the martyr, God gives Hitler
the laurels of Victory."

Hitler himself stated, "I learned much from the Order of the
Jesuits. Until now, there has never been anything more grandiose, on
the earth, than the hierarchical organization of the Catholic church.
I transferred much of this organization into my own party."

Walter Schellenberg, former chief of Nazi counter-espionage made
this statement: "The S.S. organization had been constituted by Himmler
according to the principles of the Jesuit Order. Their regulations and
the Spiritual Exercises prescribed by Ignatius of Loyola were the
model Himmler tried to copy exactly. Himmler's title as supreme chief
of the S.S. was to be the equivalent of the Jesuits' 'General' and the
whole structure was a close imitation of the Catholic Church's
hierarchical order."

Franz von Papen, another powerful Nazi, who was instrumental in
setting up the concordat between Germany and the Vatican had this to
say: "The Third Reich is the first world power which not only
acknowledges but also puts into practice the high principles of the
papacy." If you are not aware of what a concordat is, a concordat is
an agreement between the Vatican and a government. As far as the
Vatican is concerned, that government that signed the concordat has
now become a part of the government of God, and the Vatican fully
intends to stabilize that government, give it divine protection, and
give it international protection.
The above writings are excerpts from the book SMOKESCREENS, by Jack T.
Chick
copyright 1983
You can read the whole book SMOKESCREENS, online for free, at this
website:
http://www.chick.com/reading/books/153/153cont.asp


The Jewish holocaust was a Roman catholic inquisition that was done
under cover of the Nazi party. When the Vatican saw that Hitler was
losing the war in Russia in Autumn of 1942, the Vatican changed to the
allies side and denied any involvement with Hitler.
Adolph Hitler said, "I reject that book by Rosenberg. It was written
by a protestant. It is not a party book... as a catholic I never feel
comfortable in the evangelical church or its structures... as for the
Jews, I am just carrying on with the same policy which the catholic
church has adopted for fifteen hundred years, when it has regarded the
Jews as dangerous and pushed them into ghettos, etc., because it knew
what the Jews were like. I don't put race above religion, but I do see
the danger in the representatives of this race for church and state,
and perhaps I am doing christianity a great service." ( "The Nazi
Persecution of the Churches," by J. S. Conway, pp. 25, 26, 162)
Adolph Hitler was catholic until the day of his death.
Former Pope orders persecution of Jews:
"We decree and order that from now on, AND FOR ALL TIME, Christians
shall not
eat or drink with Jews; nor admit them to feasts, nor cohabit with
them, nor
bathe with them. Christians shall not allow Jews to hold civil honors
over Christians, or to exercise public office in the State. Jews
cannot be merchants, Tax Collectors, or agents in the buying and
selling of the produce and goods of Christians, nor their Procurators,
Computers or Lawyers in matrimonial matters, nor Obstetricians; nor
can they have association or partnership with Christians. No Christian
can leave or bequeath anything in his last Will and testament to Jews
or their congregations. Jews are prohibited from erecting new
synogogues. They are obliged to pay annually a tenth part of their
goods and holdings. Against them Christians can testify, but the
testimony of Jews against Christians in no case is of any value. All
and every single Jew, of whatever sex and age, must everywhere wear
the distinct dress and known marks by which they can be evidently
distinguished from Christians. They cannot live among Christians, but
in a certain street, separated and segregated from Christians, and
outside which they cannot under
any pretext have houses"
[Pope Eugenius IV, A.D. 1442, Bull. Rom. Pont., V.67]
The Jewish holocaust was a Roman catholic inquisition that was done
under cover of the Nazi party.
For documented historical proof of this, go to these websites:
http://www.reformation.org/holocaus.html#Contents
In Yugoslavia during the war, it was convert to catholicism or die for
the Greek Orthodox and the Jews that were living there.
http://www.chick.com/catalog/books/0191.asp
Buy the book, THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE JESUITS, by a French
historian, Edmund Paris and read documented proof that the Vatican put
Hitler into power and financed Hitler's war machine. Germany was
bankrupt at the time.
Heindrich Himler, the Gestapo chief had an uncle that was a Jesuit
priest and also a high ranking member of the Gestapo. A catholic
priest named father Tiso was hanged by the neck as a war criminal with
his Cassock on, because he supplied the first contingent of Jews to be
gassed at Auschwitz. - Reference:
THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE JESUITS. The Vatican hid 1000 catholics of
Jewish descent at the Vatican for the duration of the war. This was
for propaganda purposes so that they could also say that they helped
the Jews. But these were catholic Jews. It was the non-catholic Jews
that the holocaust was aimed at killing. Some wealthy European Jews
were trying to buy Jerusalem and parts of palestine from the Brittish
at that time. But the Vatican wanted Jerusalem because Christianity
started there. So the Vatican ordered Hitler, a faithful Roman
Catholic, to destroy the non catholic Jews of Europe to stop them from
buying Jerusalem and parts of palestine.

I am a protestant that believes that the catholic
church is not a real Christian church and never has been. The catholic
church has much paganism from the ancient Roman religion mixed with
Christianity, all mixed together. Catholicism is not a real Christian
church.
Catholic Cardinal Newman admits in his book that; the "temples,
incense, oil lamps, votive offerings, holy water, Holidays, and
seasons of devotion, processions, blessings of the fields,
sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (of priests, munks and nuns),
images, and statues... are all of PAGAN ORIGIN." The Development of
the Christian Religion Cardinal Newman p.359
There is a catholic cardinal admitting to much paganism in the
catholic church.
It is not a real Christian church.

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Peter was the rock and Peter was the 1st Pope of the Catholic Church…you that have turned against the “Bride of God” are truly the followers of Satan! Of course my friend Mythra says you are all followers of Ahriman (the evil god that Satan was copied from), Protestants and Catholics both!
Incidentally, I can’t believe that you referenced that idiot Jack Chick! If anyone is not a Christian, it is him.

antiageing is Jack Chick... =(

Now that is scary!

Indeed

thank you. that as a real answer. It is a shame and disgrace. this is the same internal racism that was taught in the U.S. the reason why we had house nergos and field negros.
It was done to undermine the unity of the collective. make us not trust each other. It is still that way with my brothers and sisters. We call it being color struck.

Perhaps then we should kick down the walls of the Vatican first because they're really not Christians?

How about all these Churchs that are nice to homosexuals? OH MY GOD! They're not Christians!

The list goes on and on...

Fact still remains that leaders of the Catholic church here aided in a savage and inhuman slaughter of innocents. Just another genocide badge for the religion's sleeve.

Matthew 16:18 is misinterpreted by the Catholic Church.
Jesus had just asked Peter who He (Jesus) was, and Peter replied, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus said to Peter: "And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter (Petros, meaning a little pebble or moveable stone). And upon this rock (Petra, huge boulder or bedrock) I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt 16:16,18) Jesus used a play on words; in essence He was saying, Peter, you are a pebble, but upon this bedrock foundation I will build My church. The bedrock foundation is Peter's statement that he made, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
In I Corinthians 3:11 it says, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church. The true church is founded upon Jesus Christ the Rock; not Peter the pebble.

Psalms 18:31 For who is God except the Lord? or who is a rock except our God?


1 Corinthians 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is
laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Christ, not Peter, is the only foundation of the church upon which men
must build.
[As a matter of fact, in the last days of saint Augustine, (one of the
catholic church's early fathers) he said regarding this scripture,
"Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church", - St.
Augustine said Christ was the Rock; he agreed with the protestants.
Jerome and Augustine disagreed on every point yet both are called
early roman catholic fathers of the church. Information taken from the
book, FIFTY YEARS IN THE CHURCH OF ROME, by Charles Chiniquy, former
catholic priest. You can read the book online at this website:
http://www.biblebelievers.com/chiniquy/index.html

Now, if he had named him Petras, he would have bestowed a feminine name upon Simon. When it comes to names; Latin, like the romance languages that evolved from it, uses O to indicate male and A to indicate female. Yes, Jesus made a play on words (since it is more than probable he didn’t speak Latin, I should say the author of Matthew made a play on words) using the male name Petros (which translates rock or sturdy as a rock) to indicate that Peter would be the founder of Jesus’ Church. That was a good attempt to explain away an embarrassing belief though!
You rant about how the Catholic Church is evil and has done so much evil, yet your protestant denominations are descended directly from the original and has done as much evil over the centuries (albeit less centuries) if not more evil than did the Church built on the Rock (Peter)!

That's not really the case. There is no genetic difference between a Tutsi and a Hutu. Nor is there a language difference. The 1994 Rwanda genocide was a social class and political cleansing. Such stereotypes were pervasive within Rwanda but they have no bearing on the facts. The majority Hutu were farmers and the Tutsi were the ruling class that redistributed land and took it from tribal lineages and required patronage, then the Hutus took control and forced the Tutsi out causing a civil war when they tried to return. The civil war was resolved but the Hutu nationalist party drummed up hatred for the Tutsi and decided that the Tutsi should be wiped out. The president's plane being shot down (probably by order of Paul Kagame himself) caused all hell to break loose. That's a very trunacated version obviously. Displaying that it was more political than racial though, is the fact that thousands of moderate Hutus were killed for not agreeing with the governments actions.