Church in Burkina Faso Upbeat about Planned Visit of Vatican Secretary of State

Ouagadougou, 14 February, 2025 / 9:35 am (ACI Africa).

The Catholic Church in Burkina Faso has lauded the four-day planned visit Pietro Cardinal Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, describing it as a great measure of friendship and fraternity.

Speaking at a press conference in the nation’s capital Ouagadougou on Wednesday, February 12, Archbishop Laurent Birfuoré Dabiré, the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Burkina Faso and Niger (CEBN) said the visit is a significant mark of consideration for the country and the local Church.

The February 14-18 official visit coincides with the closing celebrations of the 125th anniversary of evangelization in Burkina Faso under the theme “The Church, Family of God in Burkina Faso: 125 Years of Evangelization, Assessment of Pastoral Options and Perspectives for a New Beginning.”

Archbishop Dabiré urged citizens and people of goodwill to offer a warm welcome to the Vatican official, saying, “His visit is a great mark of consideration for us. Given our current context, you know that Burkina Faso is often advised against as a destination. His coming is a sign of consideration, friendship, and fraternity.”

He said Cardinal Parolin “will be able to witness our realities firsthand and advocate for our country’s cause.”

“Financial institutions can provide money, but some can advocate for your cause. He, for example, can be the voice of Burkina Faso in certain decision-making spheres,” the Burkinabe Catholic Archbishop said.

Archbishop Dabiré, who was installed as Local Ordinary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso following his December 2024 transfer from the Catholic Diocese of Dori further said Cardinal Parolin’s visit “will also highlight Burkina Faso, give it more visibility, and strengthen collaboration between Burkina Faso and the Holy See through diplomatic representations and many other things beyond what we can see or know.”

He urged the people of God in Burkina Faso to make Cardinal Parolin’s stay unforgettable.

“Beyond being a figure of the Church, he also comes as an authority of a sovereign state, the Vatican, and as the representative of a head of state, Pope Francis. Like other political and diplomatic authorities who visit our country, Cardinal Parolin is coming to visit the people of Burkina Faso and its leaders,” he said.

Archbishop Dabiré added, “He comes as a man of peace and a bearer of a message of peace from Pope Francis. Our country, Burkina Faso, is known for its hospitality. We are therefore invited to demonstrate this by giving Cardinal Pietro Parolin a warm welcome.”

Also speaking during the February 12 press conference, the Local Ordinary of Ouagadougou Archdiocese, Archbishop Prosper Kontiebo noted that welcoming the Vatican Secretary of State to Burkina Faso is a significant challenge given the socio-political context of our country, marked by a security and humanitarian crisis.

“Our country, along with other #AES states (Mali and Niger), faces many challenges, including security issues. Being able to host such a prominent figure is very important for both our country and our Church Family. It is more than just a matter of honor and privilege,” Archbishop Kontiebo said.

He said the visit is an “opportunity to tell the whole world that, beyond the security and humanitarian crisis, our country is a welcoming place, far from what is said and thought about it.”

The visit of Cardinal Parolin to Burkina Faso will be marked by several activities.

During his stay in Burkina Faso, in addition to presiding over the closing mass of the jubilee in Yagma, Cardinal Parolin is set to hold meetings with the highest authorities of Burkina Faso, including the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the President of the Transitional Legislative Assembly.

He is also set to meet with members of CEBN, religious leaders (Protestants and Muslims) and traditional leaders.

The program also includes discussions with social pastoral structures of the Church Family in Burkina Faso including Caritas Burkina Faso, Saint Thomas Aquinas University, and Paul VI Medical Center.

Cardinal Parolin is to meet with Priests, Consecrated Persons, representatives of the laity, as well as young people in vocational discernment (students of the Saint John Major Seminary in Wayalghin and delegations from the major seminaries of Koumi and Toécé).

The papal envoy will also have a time of communion with internally displaced persons.

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.