Kabul (AsiaNews) – For 23 years, the parish priest of the only Catholic church in Afghanistan dreamt of only one thing: give Afghan children a school that was as good as those Western children enjoy. Last month, his dream came true when he cut the ribbon inaugurating the 'Peace School', a facility that provides adequate schooling to about 500 elementary school level boys and girls from the village of Tangi Kalai, 20 kilometres from Kabul. 

The 66-year-old Barnabite Father, missio sui iuris superior for Afghanistan, told AsiaNews how his dream became reality.

The school was inaugurated on March 24, Holy Thursday, but that, Father Moretti explained, "was a coincidence; a very significant one since Providence's help was boundless."

It is a public school under the supervision of the Ministry of Education but was built exclusively with private donations Father Moretti and his "fellow Barnabites collected in Italy".

"Half of the money came from Recanati [Father Moretti's home town in Italy's Marche region] and some came from Pope John Paul II. None came from big organisations or institutions", he said.

Father Moretti, who is in charge of the church inside Italy's Embassy in Kabul, said the "whole village, i.e. fathers and children (except for women who are not legally allowed to attend) came" for the inauguration.

"The girls sang a religious song that was followed by a prayer from the local mullah and the ritual handover of the school's key to the village leader".

Soldiers from coalition forces in Afghanistan to help stabilise the situation were also present.

"The soldiers made an important contribution to the school," Father Moretti explained. "The area in which the building is located is under the protection of German troops. The Americans gave us furniture when we didn't have money. The Italians levelled the ground and started building the sport facilities".

The 'Peace School' has nothing to envy from Western schools: wide spaces, well-lit classrooms, school material for one year, something rare in a country where "writing books and pens are worth gold," he said.

The Barnabite Father said he chose to build the school outside the city to show that village children "are not second class".

"Now my mission is done," he said, "but I can't stop dreaming. My dream is that this school will always be a source of builders of peace"

He is confident that "local authorities will know how to manage wisely what we have built and spread values of mutual respect and peace".

At the end of the interview, Father Moretti, who from 1990 to 1994 was the only Catholic priest in Afghanistan, said that Christian witness in this country "continues to bear fruits".

"From the beginning of the year till Easter, I baptised two young Americans. This is an important signal to the international community".

The turnout at Easter celebrations is another sign of hope for Catholics in the country. "In 2003, we were about ten; this year, the church was always full during Holy Week. We were about 100". (MA)