(ANS – Benguela) – An Italian member of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) has called for improved security at churches and parish residences after being seriously injured during an attempted robbery at a Salesian community in Angola’s Diocese of Benguela. Fr. Luigi de Liberali was attacked on the night of January 7 when an assailant attempted to break into the Salesians of Don Bosco residence.
In an interview with ACI Africa on Monday, January 12, the pastor of Our Lady of Navigators Parish in the Diocese of Benguela said the attack nearly claimed his life and highlighted the urgent need for preventive security measures.
Recounting the incident, the 73-year-old Catholic priest said, “I left the religious house after dinner, about 200 meters from the office, and found a masked man waiting for me. He came straight at me and struck me on the head with a metal rod. I thought I was going to die right there,” Fr. Luigi recalled.
The assailant used a crowbar and a metal pipe, inflicting a deep head wound that required six stitches, as well as bruises and abrasions on various parts of Fr. Luigi’s body.
“The attack lasted only five minutes, but it was enough to leave me seriously injured. I shouted for the guards, but they were far away. He fled by jumping over the wall, leaving behind the tools he had intended to use to break into my office,” the Salesian priest said.
Now recovering, Fr. Luigi—who has spent 17 years on mission in Angola—admitted that he lives in fear, especially at night.
“The environment is somewhat dark. The walls are not very high, and there is no barbed wire everywhere. Now I am afraid to go to my office at night because some young people are already accustomed to jumping over the walls,” he said.
He also pointed to a troubling pattern of attacks against the Catholic community he serves. “Just this month, we have recorded three incidents—one at the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, another against the Daughters of Africa Sisters in Calombo, and now this attack on me. Unfortunately, this violence is spreading across Angola,” he noted.
According to Fr. Luigi, some young people see churches as easy targets because of offerings, mobile phones, and other valuables kept by religious communities, creating a climate of insecurity for both clergy and the wider community.
“There must be enforcement of the law and respect for institutions. Only then can Angola be a safe country, where citizens, schools, and churches do not live under constant threat,” he said.
Fr. Luigi added, “We need greater security in churches and parish residences. Society must help educate young people and provide opportunities so they do not resort to violence.”
Source: ACI Africa