“This persistent stigmatization of Catholic private education must be denounced, as it contradicts the cultural values that cement Senegal’s unique tradition of pluralism and harmonious living,” members of the Laity Council in Senegal say.
They call on the Prime Minister to “show more respect and consideration toward Catholic private education, which is based on evangelical values.”
“Threats are ineffective. The Church does not know fear. It walks in Truth, Justice, and Peace. The Church is republican, and in matters of education and training, it bases its actions on the Constitution. Its commitment in this regard cannot be weakened by a decree,” CNL members say.
They call on citizens to remain vigilant in the face of what they describe as “alarming signals” that they say “seem to ostracize the Catholic community and, in doing so, undermine social cohesion.”
“Christians in Senegal must not be treated as second-class citizens,” CNL members say, and urge the Government to “focus its efforts on action for the well-being of the Senegalese people, whose mandate it holds.”
In their statement, CNL members underscore the role Catholic schools have played in promoting equal access to education for all children, regardless of socio-economic or religious differences.
They say that Catholic private education remains rooted in the fundamental principles enshrined in the Constitution of the secular State of Senegal, which, in its Article 8, respectively guarantees the right to education and the right of every Senegalese citizen to be literate.
They encourage all Catholic private schools in Senegal to “remain steadfast in promoting the Christian values that underpin their educational mission.”
“This must be done in respect of the constitutional principles of equality, freedom, mutual respect, and the overall principle of living together,” Senegal’s Laity Council members say.
They say, “Senegalese of all backgrounds and faiths place their trust in Catholic private education. Nothing and no one should divert it from its essential mission: to form the whole person in love and charity, without any discrimination.”
