There is growing concern after prosecutors in the Democratic Republic of Congo opened a judicial inquiry against Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo of Kinshasa for “seditious comments”. Prosecutors says his comments were likely to discourage soldiers in the east and encourage mistreatment by the rebels fighting them. Reactions to the announcement of the judicial investigation against Ambongo have been swift with both clergy, human rights groups, and opposition politicians rallying to his defence. The Catholic Church in the DRC has been a vocal critic of corruption, human rights abuses, and bad governance for decades. Many Catholics consider the government's investigation into Cardinal Ambongo as sacrilegious.
