Catholic Bishops Declare Triduum Prayer for Peace in Burkina Faso, Niger amid Surge in Insecurity

They continue, “The blood spilled on the sacred ground of our villages and cities cries out for an end to all violence. It compels us to thoughts and actions aimed at ending evil and hatred.”

In their September 11 statement, Catholic Bishops in Burkina Faso and Niger provide directives on how the three-day spiritual exercise is to be organized.

The triduum is organized into three progressive stages, starting with the rosary, followed by silence and fasting, and culminating in the celebration of the Eucharist. 

Each of the three days has a theme, the Catholic Bishops explain.

On September 12 themed “Under the Mantle of the Virgin Mary,” the CEBN members say the focus is to be on “rosary, symbolizing the placing of all the suffering endured by our people under the mantle of the Virgin Mary.”

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“In all parishes and communities, in all institutions or families, at times chosen by the faithful and their pastors, let everyone gather to pray to the Virgin of Heaven, who is powerful in her intercession for humanity before her Son,” the Catholic Bishops direct.

CEBN members further explain that Friday, September 13 has been themed “On the Ashes of Repentance”, reflecting the “solemn silence of Good Friday before the lifeless body of the Son of God and the boundless sorrow of His Mother.”

“It is a day of silence, fasting, and repentance. Pastors are encouraged to generously administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation to as many faithful as possible. All Christians who are able are called to fast for the forgiveness of our sins and for the blood spilled like water on the sacred ground of our villages and cities,” the Bishops direct.

On September 14, the final day of the triduum themed “At the Foot of the Cross of Salvation”, CEBN members say is the “day of the cross that bore the salvation of the world.”

“All faithful who are able are strongly urged to participate in Mass and, together with the entire Church, to offer the sacrifice of the Eucharist for peace and life in our villages and countries,” they direct.

The Bishops implore, “May the peace of our God rise upon us like the morning sun; may peace finally come to our cities and villages, as well as to the entire region, a peace more precious to us than anything else.”

Burkina Faso and Niger have witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks in recent times, leaving hundreds of people dead.

On August 24, a terrorist attack in the town of Barsalogho, Burkina Faso, claimed the lives of over 150 people and many others wounded.

The August 24 terrorist attack, the third such incident in August and reportedly “one of the deadliest” in the history of Burkina Faso that has been grappling with Islamist terrorism since 2015, claimed the lives of 22 Christians.

According to an August 25 media report, residents of Barsalogho, a community about 30 km north of Kaya, the capital of the Centre-Nord region, were digging defensive trenches to protect themselves from terrorist attacks when more than 100 jihadists arrived on motorcycles and began firing automatic weapons at both civilians and soldiers.

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An Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group in West Africa known as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack that injured at least 140 people.

In an August 27 report, the Catholic charity foundation that supports the suffering people of God across the globe, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, quoted local sources as saying that the number of the dead was so high that it was not possible to bury all the victims over the past three days.

On May 24, 2024, terrorists reportedly executed soldiers and civilians in Boni, Niger, near the Burkina Faso border, and took hostages, with six being freed on August 15, 2024.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.