By Paschal Norbert
BISSAU, NOVEMBER 22, 2024 (CISA)- The Catholic Church in Guinea-Bissau led a National Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace, rallying its faithful to seek divine intervention in the face of escalating political and social crises .
In a nation plagued by decades of instability, the Catholic Church in Guinea-Bissau has risen as a voice of hope and reason. The Church leaders used the occasion to urge the country’s political leaders to heed the growing cries of its struggling citizens, many of whom are grappling with poverty, hunger, and systemic dysfunction.
Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1975, Guinea-Bissau has endured unrelenting political instability. The nation has suffered four coups and over a dozen failed attempts, leaving it mired in corruption, governance dysfunction, and economic stagnation. This fragile state is compounded by a semi-presidential system that often pits the executive and legislative branches against each other, further weakening the country’s ability to address its citizens’ needs.
President Úmaro Sissoco Embaló’s decision to dissolve Parliament twice in two years, most recently in December 2023, has amplified tensions. Allegations of coup attempts and subsequent delays in elections scheduled for November 2024, which remains postponed by the president, have only deepened the governance crisis, leaving Guinea-Bissau’s 2 million citizens in a precarious state.
In response to these challenges, the Catholic Church declared a day of prayer and fasting to inspire unity and call attention to the plight of the poor. In a report by Aid to the Church in Need, the clergy described the event as both a spiritual act and a moral call to action.
The National Day for prayer and fasting culminated in two major Eucharistic celebrations, one in the capital city of Bissau and the other in the Catholic Diocese of Bafatá. Addressing the congregation at the Bissau cathedral, Fr Davide Sciocco, Vicar-General of the Cathoolic Diocese of Bissau, invoked the words of the country’s first bishop, Rt Rev Settímio Ferrazzetta: “The truth shall set you free.”
“The situation is difficult. We need to pray, fast, and remember the motto of our first bishop, Settímio Ferrazzetta: ‘The truth shall set you free.’ The truth can free Guinea-Bissau,” said Fr Sciocco, during Mass at the cathedral, noting “The people are tired of division, fighting, violence, and brutality.”
In Bafatá, the Diocesan Administrator Fr Lucio Brentagani offered a sobering view of the nation’s hardships.
“There is a lot of hunger. Many patients cannot find healthcare professionals because they are on strike. Students want to go to school, but they can’t because the education system is a mess,” he lamented.
His homily included a direct appeal to Guinea-Bissau’s leaders, calling on them to “not close their eyes and their ears to the cry of help coming from poor people, from so many families who do not have enough to eat.”
Though Catholics represent less than 20% of Guinea-Bissau’s population, which is predominantly Muslim and followers of traditional beliefs, the Catholic Church plays a pivotal role in health, education, and advocacy for social justice. The Church’s efforts are particularly critical in a nation where terrorist groups and drug cartels exploit economic hardships to destabilize communities further.
According to ACN’s 2023 Religious Freedom Report, Guinea-Bissau enjoys relative interreligious harmony. However, concerns about radicalization and isolated attacks, such as the 2022 vandalism of a church, underscore the fragile peace.
As Guinea-Bissau prepares for the 2024 elections, the Church’s call for truth and justice takes on added urgency. The election, potentially a rematch between President Embaló and Domingos Simões Pereira, will test the nation’s ability to establish a stable and functional democracy.
For the Catholic Church, the day of prayer served as both a spiritual exercise and a public demand for accountability.
“This day reminds us that faith, unity, and truth are essential to building a better future,” said Father Sciocco.
