By CISA
GRAND-BASSAM, JANUARY 26, 2021 (CISA)-The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Côte d’Ivoire (CECCI) has called for reconciliation, political dialogue, the return of political exiles, and the release of political prisoners as the country marks 125 years of evangelization.
“The time has come to give back joy to Côte d’Ivoire, to see its children gathered around it without obstacles of an ethnic, political and religious nature. This is the place to call for the return of political exiles, and the release of all political prisoners and of conscience, for the advent of this new Côte d’Ivoire,” reads a statement read out at the end of closing mass of the jubilee on January 24.
The jubilee Mass held at the St. Esprit Cathedral of Mockeyville in Grand-Bassam also marked the end of the 117th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Côte d’Ivoire (CECCI).
The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Côte d’Ivoire (CECCI) implored, “A new outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Ivorian soil for the conversion of hearts “following concerns of the prevailing socio-political situation in the country.
The archbishops of Abidjan, Jean-Pierre Cardinal Kutwa in his homily said one of the fruits of the jubilee will be to offer future generations an education at the service of integral human development.
“I humbly believe that one of the fruits of this jubilee will be to offer future generations an education in the service of integral human development,” he said, inviting the Church to “we must return to our fundamental mission: to pull every man out of his shadows through education by deepening the furrows dug on October 28, 1895 by Fathers Hamard and Bonhomme who began the evangelization trials by ‘education.”
“Today, it is for us, following our missionaries yesterday, to be our own missionaries today to sow widely what we ourselves have received, without looking at fatigue, because no one should escape, and no one should be forgotten,” he added.
Closing mass of the jubilee of the 125 years of evangelization was attended by member bishops of CECCI, His Excellency Archbishop Paolo Borgia. Apostolic Nuncio to Côte d’Ivoire and thousands of Ivorian Catholic faithful.
