Back to Burundi

Chapter 6

In front of the Church of Buyengero

e returned to Bujumbura on October 21, 1988, at the age of 58, ready to start again from scratch. He was sent to Gisanze with Father Luigino Vitella and Father Fiore D’Alessandri. He would remain there until 1991. He was once again in the thick of direct mission work, with the same generosity, availability, kindness and humility as always. In February 1991, he moved from Gisanze to Ruzo. In April 1992, he was sent to Bujumbura to take charge of the Xaverian house. Everyone enjoyed visiting that house where they received a warm welcome, a listening ear and good food.

The Xaverians who saw him at work in that period remember how he distinguished himself for his kindness and patience and his calm way of going about his duties. His was a demanding job: he had to provide for the hospitality of Xaverians, members of other religious congregations and, during the height of the troubles, look after the journalists who had come to cover the events in nearby Rwanda. He was liked and appreciated by everyone who came into contact with him.  

 A Man of Zeal

e is also remembered as a man of few words, notwithstanding his acute observation of people and situations. He became indignant at the many injustices that tormented Burundi. He got involved in heated discussions about the situation, making a critical analysis and suggesting solutions without ever falling victim to defeatism. He also stood out for his profound spirit of prayer and, though he never really achieved a good grasp of the local language, he won people over by his kindness. Some remember him as a saint. 

 “Oh, These Reporters!”

  journalist paid tribute to Father Aldo after his death in a newspaper article dated October 3, 1995: “Father Aldo Marchiol said he feared journalists as much as he did the devil. Nevertheless, in the hot humid climate of Burundi, the small country of equatorial Africa torn apart by ethnic violence, he soon became a solid reference point for the Italian journalists who had gone there last year to report on the genocide in nearby Rwanda. They will surely remember the 64 year old Father Aldo Marchiol, Xaverian missionary and veteran of the African mission, who made the extreme gesture of offering his life for the people he loved and served. 

They need to hear words of love and justice; they need some hope of resolving their material and, above all, their spiritual misery; in an atmosphere of slavery, they need to hear someone address them as children of God, people prepared to share their life with them and bear witness to the Gospel of Christ among them.
Fr. Aldo Marchiol

When we arrived in Burundi, Father Marchiol gave us what seemed to be a less than warm welcome, but it was all just an appearance. He had prepared our rooms and our places at table had been set. He would look at us as if we came from outer space to cause trouble, but he looked after us in every possible way, even acting as secretary and go-between with our offices in Europe, collecting faxes and taking telephone messages; he provided us with paper for writing our reports and had our currency exchanged at favorable rates; he provided us with maps and offered us so much useful information and tips on how to get by in Africa. We shall never forget his kindness and availability, in spite of the confusion caused by the presence of so many journalists causing chaos in his otherwise ordered and well organized world. He was, however, happy that we were publicly denouncing the situation in Africa, though he asked us to be discreet and not publish his name because he already had more than enough problems to deal with. 

 More death and refugees  

n June 1993, elections were held in Burundi and the Hutu majority won: Melchior Ndadaye became president and he wisely appointed some Tutsi ministers. He did even more and, in a gesture of peace, he allowed the deposed dictator Bagaza to return to Burundi. This proved to be a great mistake because Bagaza immediately began to plot against the president. The army rebelled on October 13 and killed the President, the Vice-president and their collaborators. The Hutu reacted and more bloodshed followed. Even the Christians, priests and nuns were divided along tribal lines. As a result of this conflict, 100,000 people, most of them Hutu, died and 800,000 refugees fled to nearby countries.

It didn’t stop there: on January 13, 1994, another Hutu, Cyprien Ntaryamira was elected President, but he was assassinated just three months later, on April 6.  Bagaza resumed his personal war against the Church: priests, nuns and seminarians were put to death, and two bishops suffered an attempt on their lives.

During the summer of 1994, Father Marchiol spent a period in Italy for some rest and medical attention. He returned to Burundi in December. On November 19, 1994, he gave an interview to a Catholic magazine of his native Udine. When asked about Burundi, he replied: “They are immersed in a world of hatred, injustice and vendetta. They need to hear words of love and justice; they need some hope of resolving their material and, above all, their spiritual misery; in an atmosphere of slavery, they need to hear someone address them as children of God, people prepared to share their life with them and bear witness to the Gospel of Christ among them. The problems between the two main ethnic groups have never been politically solved, and not even Christianity has come up with a viable solution to the conflict. The mutual injustice, violence and massacres have only led to more injustice, violence and massacres. The ethnic group that holds power looks after its own in all sectors of public and religious life, and has also staffed the army with people from its own background as a means of keeping the other group under control. This despotic use of power has sometimes made it difficult for the Church and the missionaries to denounce injustice”.