Archbishop Borgia who speaks Italian, English, Spanish and French was appointed as the 12th Apostolic Nuncio in Ivory Coast in October 2019.
After learning of his transfer to Lebanon, Catholic Bishops in Ivory Coast have expressed their appreciation to Archbishop Borgia for his “loyal services” to the Church in the West African nation.
“The people and faithful of Ivory Coast salute the loyal services of Archbishop Borgia and wish him well in his mission in the land of cedars,” members of the Episcopal Conference of Ivory Coast (CECCI) say in a statement issued September 24.
In his close to three years of diplomatic serive in Ivory Coast, Archbishop Borgia has collaborated with the members of CECCI in addressing issues of national interest, offering his counsel.
In January 2020, Archbishop Borgia invited Catholic Bishops in Ivory Coast to unite and to refuse “any personal involvement in political quarrels to the detriment of the common good”.
“It is important that you maintain constructive relations with the authorities of your country as well as with the various components of society,” Archbishop Borgia said during the opening of their 114th Plenary Assembly of CECCI in the Ivory Coast’s Diocese of Korhogo.
In September 2020, Archbishop Borgia lauded the excellent relations between Ivory Coast and the Holy See.
He said, “Since 1970, a significant diplomatic activity has been carried out, with the signing of conventions to strengthen bilateral cooperation, in mutual respect and to the benefit of the Catholic Church and the entire people of Ivory Coast.”
He described the official visit of President Ouattara to Pope Benedict XVI in November 2012 “as a concretization of the bilateral relations existing between the two states.”
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.
