Peace is “far from being a tangible reality” in Ivory Coast, Cleric Reflects

The communique reads in part, “Faced with the dangers of infiltration and concerned about security of his faithful, his Eminence requests that this day of prayer be held exclusively within the Saint Paul Cathedral of the Plateau.”

According to Fr. Zagore, a member of the Society of African Missions (SMA), “It is sad to see our peoples continually being suppressed in the expression of their rights to have their voices heard. This situation is the very expression of the lack of democracy suffered by several African countries like Côte d'Ivoire.”

In his view, the hearts of his compatriots “are still heavy, full of hatred and quick to violence.”

Considering this state, the African missionary cleric cautioned, “as long as we have violence as a means of expression and governance, we will never succeed in building democratic states, states of rights in which the rights of peoples are expressed and respected in complete safety.”

The relationship between the Catholic Church in the West African country and the government is a strained one, with the latter accusing the former of taking sides on national matters.

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