Abidjan, 28 November, 2019 / 2:35 am (ACI Africa).
In line with the recommendations of Pope Benedict XVI's Post-synodal Exhortation Africae Munus in which he called on the Church in Africa to organize a day of prayer for reconciliation, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ivory Coast (CECCI) is organizing an eight-day prayer event in all the dioceses of the country to pray for peace and reconciliation in the West African nation, beginning Advent Sunday, December 1.
"During these eight days of prayer, we are invited to become aware of the need for reconciliation among Christians in order to work for the common good of the people of Ivory Coast, and to be seeds of unity and peace for the men and women of our time,” the Secretary General of CECCI Fr Emmanuel Wohi Nin has been quoted as announcing in a message posted on the website of the Archdiocese of Abidjan in Ivory Coast.
Rather than setting aside a single day for reconciliation as suggested by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in Africae Munus, Fr. Nin has justified the extension of the event in his country to eight days by referencing “the particular context of Ivory Coast, whose political atmosphere is worrying.”
"Pope Benedict XVI had encouraged African bishops to work for reconciliation, justice and peace in Africa,” the Ivorian cleric has recalled and explained in reference to the application of this recommendation to his country, “It was therefore one of the activities of this process that was the responsibility of the bishops, to organize every week a day of reconciliation.”
According to the Secretary General of CECCI, “The Bishops want to continue to form consciences, especially with the teaching of the Church's social doctrine on questions of justice, peace, elections, transparency and of course a pastoral letter could appear by January 2020.”
