“Dear friends and confreres, we owe this house that we are about to inaugurate to God; let us come together to pray together that He may bless it, that the Virgin Mary may also find her dwelling place there, and that the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ may be observed there forever, He who is the Master of true peace for the inhabitants and visitors of this house, for centuries and centuries,” said Archbishop Gervais in his opening prayer.
At the event, Archbishop Ngoyagoye expressed gratitude at being granted a retirement home.
In his speech, he thanked Archbishop Gervais for allowing the construction of the house, “for having brought it to completion and for having made it available to the beneficiaries.”
The 76-year-old Burundian Archbishop also announced that what had just been realized was a dream he had harbored for a long time, even before his retirement date, when he was still Archbishop of the same Archdiocese.
Bishops in Burundi have observed that from the earliest Christian communities to the present day, the Social Doctrine of the Church has always regularly reminded the faithful of the need to respect the dignity of those who have become senior citizens.
“If this applies to all those who have received the Gospel, then it is clear that the diocesan family must pay particular attention to the dignity of those who have stopped their ministry because of their advanced age, in this case Bishops who withdraw from their active ministry because of advanced age or health reasons,” the Bishops have expressed in a message on CECAB website.
They have added, “Canon Law therefore requires the Bishops' Conference to ensure that Bishops who have resigned from their ministry receive a suitable and dignified maintenance, considering, however, that this obligation falls primarily on the Diocese they have served.”
