Catholic Bishops in West Africa Concerned about “high cost of living”, Call for Solidarity

“We encourage the Diocesan Caritas to be ever more attentive and closer to the most needy populations,” CESMCVGB members say in their collective message dated November 13. 

They also express concern about the “tense social and political climate in their respective countries.”

The Catholic Church leaders caution especially politicians about the “dangers of division, slander and violence.” 

They remind all citizens of the “duty of honesty, loyalty and respect towards their fellow citizens and militants.”

In their November 13 collective statement, CESMCVGB members say “no to violence, to the manipulation of consciences and opinions” and invite citizens of the four West African countries to “put the general interest of the nation first.”

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They call on young people “to the responsible and respectful (in their) use of social media.”

On insecurity in their respective nations, CESMCVGB members decry “a progressive rise in multiform violence, sometimes due to ideologies that advocate exclusion and intolerance based on religion, origin, culture, ethnicity or political affiliation.”

The Catholic Bishops in Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau call on the population to “be more open, tolerant and to engage in dialogue; the authorities to be vigilant and to promote justice, equity, peace and social cohesion.”

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.