BCCCAP00000000000000000000436

Conclusión cuya prudencia y celo podía confiar enteramente 101 . La obra personal de am– bos prelados no solo dio arraigo y solidez a las misiones entre disidentes y paganos, sino que creó además una tradición y una escuela metodológica de segura eficacia para los misioneros que sucesivamente se encargarían de aquellos campos de apostolado. El 28 de setiembre de 1923 Etiopía fue recibida en la Sociedad de Naciones, después de una intensa campaña promovida principalmente por el vicario apostólico de los Gallas, mons. A. J arosseau, ante la diplomacia europea para abatir el principal obstáculo a la admisión: el comercio de esclavos, logrando demostrar que esta iniquidad era perpetrada abusiva y exclusivamente por los musulmanes en el territorio etíope y a daño personal de Etiopía. El in– forme oficial de presentación y defensa, que había de ser leído ante la asamblea de la Sociedad de Naciones, fue redactado por un misionero en Etiopía: el capuchino arqueólogo P. Bernardino Aza"is 102 . El sueño de De J acobis y de Massaia: una Etiopía « incivilita e cattolica » se había cumplido, por fin, en su primera parte; la segunda, la conversión o el retorno a la unidad católica, seguiría siendo el arduo empeño de la S. Congregación y de sus misioneros. Summary The mission in Ethiopia had been reestablished in 1838 but was soon afterwards to suffer from the effects of the civil war and the religious persecution which continued until 1889. The existence of the Vicariate Apostolic in Abyssinia was very difficult during this period. The Vicar Apostolic was Giustino De Jacobis (now Blessed) of the Lazarist Fathers. Development of the vicariare among the pagan Galla tribe was also affected. This vicariate had been erected in 1846 and entrusted to the Capuchin Guglielmo Massaia (later to become Cardinal). In the circumstances the possibility of intervention by the Sacred Congregation was limited and yet it did what it could and endeavoured by every means possible to salve both the interna! and externa! problems of both the vicariates. The Congregarion hoped at least to obtain toleration for its missionaries through the diplomatic support of the European powers, especially of France. The mis– sionaries were the only intermediaries acceptable to the Abyssinian princes who hoped to obtain the help and friendship of France by their implicit promises of pro– tection for the missions. The missionaries, therefore, had recourse to France but, unfortunately, the various contacts did not bring results. France's colonial hour in Africa had not yet come and she did not wish to become involved. Massaia did all he could to promote direct contact between the future emperor Menelik and the Holy See. This policy was continued by Mgr Jarosseau in the reign of Menelik II and of his successors. 101 Carta de Propaganda a mons. L. Biancheri (15 mayo 1 f. 355'. 102 G. Bernoville 284-290. se vol. 346 (1855) 363