Fr Gigi, missionary kidnapped in Niger is free

Fr Maccalli with parishioners in 2017

Source: SMA, Fides

An Italian missionary who was kidnapped in Niger more than two years has been released, together with three others. The bells of Crema Cathedral rang out on Thursday night as the Italian government announced the release of Fr (Gigi) Pierluigi Maccalli and three other hostages who were being held in Mali.

Fr Maccalli, of the Society of African Missions, was abducted from his parish in southern Niger the night of 17th-18th September 2018.

He was released with Sophie Petronin, a 75-year-old French aid worker kidnapped in northern Mali in December 2016; Nicola Chiacchio, an Italian tourist kidnapped in Mali on 4th February 2019; and Soumaila Cisse, 70, a Malian politician kidnapped in March while campaigning for a seat in the National Assembly.

Italy's foreign minister Luigi Di Maio, tweeted that the four had been "kidnapped by a jihadist group".

News from Mali said the interim government, put into power after a coup in August, may have freed more than 100 suspected members of Islamic terrorist groups in exchange for the hostages' release.

Fr Antonio Porcellato, superior general of the Society of African Missions, said the order was informed at 10pm on 8th October.

"The joy of the whole SMA family is great and our gratitude to the Lord is even greater. We rejoice with the Maccalli family and with Fr Walter Maccalli, (Fr Gigi's brother.)

"We thank in a very special way the Italian foreign office and the crisis management unit that supported the family during the last two years and worked discretely and efficiently for the liberation," he said.

The missionaries, Fr Porcellato said the missionaries continue to pray for the other hostages who are still in the hands of the kidnappers. "We pray for the numerous victims of this blind violence that is hitting hard the Sahel, especially those who were attacked in Burkina Faso recently."

Archbishop Protase Rugambwa, secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, said the release of Fr Maccalli as the Church is preparing to celebrate World Mission Sunday on 18th October "is a great sign of hope for us, for Africa and for the universal Church."

"It is a sign and vibrant witness that the grace of Christ works and restores hope in situations marked by violence, conflict and pandemic," the archbishop said. "The release shows us that the grace of Christ is stronger than any difficulty and that we always must trust in him."

Bishop Daniele Gianotti of Crema said: "I want to read his liberation as a sign of trust and encouragement for all those men and women who witness to the Gospel of Jesus in the most exposed and difficult situations. I hope the liberation of Fr Gigi would be a promising sign of hope for all those others who are prisoners because of their faith and their struggle for truth, justice and reconciliation and that it would be a seed of peace and trust for Niger, which he loves so much, for the Sahel and for all of Africa," the bishop said.

Father Gigi has now returned to Madignano for a period of rest and quarantine with his family. One of the first people he spoke with on his release was his confrere Vito Girotto, with whom he worked until September 17, 2018 in the mission in Niger, where he was abducted.

Fr Vito said: "On Saturday I spoke to Father Gigi for about ten minutes, He called me and immediately asked me what the situation was like in his mission in Bomoanga. I replied that I had seen a short video on WhatsAapp which showed how the villagers were celebrating his release and praying, singing and dance in church. I told him that from the moment he was kidnapped until he was released, many prayed so that he would soon return to freedom,"

"I also had to tell him the less pleasant news, such as the closure of the Catholic primary school in N'Goula, the suspension of the literacy program in the entire Gurmancé region and my forced departure from Makalondi the night after his kidnapping, and I had to tell him the difficulties faced by the diocesan priest in reaching the missions we left due to a lack of security."

When Father Girotto asked about how he had experienced this time of imprisonment, Father Gigi replied: "praying." His kidnappers, he said, treated him well. They allowed him to listen to the radio since last May, and tuning in to Vatican Radio, the first thing he heard was the recognition of the heroic virtues of Mgr. De Brésillac, the founder of the Society for Africa Missions.

"During our conversation, I was much more excited than him. He told me he would do his quarantine in Madignano. I sent him the greetings from many friends who had asked me in Niger, Burkina, Burundi and Ghana to do so on their behalf. After all, I talked a lot more than he did because I had the feeling that he wanted to know everything that had happened after his abduction in Bomoanga and in the diocese of Niamey."

Fr Girottoy said that he was deeply happy and comforted by this phone call that he had been waiting for since Sunday, September 16, 2018, when they last spoke.