Makeni, 25 November, 2025 / 9:02 PM
The Bishop of Sierra Leone’s Catholic Diocese of Makeni has exhorted Sierra Leoneans to jealously guard the peaceful coexistence of all faiths in the West African country, known as one of the places in West Africa where Christians and Muslims peacefully live together.
In his homily on Sierra Leone’s national Jubilee pilgrimage that brought together people from all faiths in the country, Bishop John Hassan Koroma launched a passionate call to action for a hopeful and peaceful nation, noting that Sierra Leone is a beacon of hope in “a world fractured by religious extremism”.
He said that the peace that people from all faiths in Sierra Leone enjoy is thanks to the Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone (IRCSL).
“Our nation’s beautiful history of harmony between Muslims and Christians is a beacon of hope in a world fractured by religious extremism, especially in our subregion. Thanks to the remarkable work of the Interreligious Council in this country. We must hold on to, and jealously protect this sacred legacy,” Bishop Koroma said at the pilgrimage that was held on Friday, November 21.
He added, “Let us see people of other faith expressions as brothers and sisters, not as disposables, but as indispensable partners in building a just and peaceful Sierra Leone.”
“Our unity is a testament that peace is the answer,” the Bishop said at the Church event that saw pilgrims from Sierra Leone’s four Dioceses of Freetown, Bo, Kenema, and Makeni converge in his Diocese.
The pilgrims walked from Mile 91 roadside stop off Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, to Yonibana, a distance of 74 kilometers, to participate in the event that was themed “Hope Does Not Disappoint, Peace is the Answer.”
Bishop Koroma acknowledged the diverse participation at the event, especially by people from other faiths, saying, “we are a mosaic of God’s people, a vibrant tapestry”.
The national pilgrimage was in response to Pope Francis’ declaration of 2025 as a Jubilee Year of Hope.
In his homily, Bishop Koroma called for national cohesion in Sierra Leone, saying, “We must consciously build a nation where everyone in a position of authority must learn the art of managing diversity, and every citizen… feels a sense of belonging, ownership, and equal opportunity.”
“Together, let’s wipe out stereotypes in our communities, parishes, and workplaces,” he said, and called on parents in Sierra Leone to teach their children that their tribe does not make them superior or inferior to anyone else.
The Bishop appealed to schools to emphasize national values alongside cultural appreciation, and journalists to report objectively and responsibly, “with an understanding that words can either heal or harm.”
Religious leaders, he said, must use the pulpit to promote unity, tolerance and peace, “not petty and parochial interests.”
Bishop Koroma appealed to the pilgrims to illuminate “the specific crossroads” of Sierra Leone, especially the abuse of drugs among youths disillusioned by lack of employment, and mounting poverty, amid what he described as the growing “scandal of politics for self-enrichment”.
The Sierra Leonean Church leader called for action to “flavor the lives” of youths getting hooked on drugs, especially “kush,” which has been declared an epidemic in the West African country.
“To a youthful population seeking escape in the false paradise of hard drugs, notably kush, we must collectively be the hope that preserves. Our duty is not just condemnation but active preservation,” Bishop Koroma said.
He added, “We must devise ways to flavour the lives of our young people with real alternatives. With quality education. With viable skills training. With pastoral care that tirelessly reaffirms their God-given dignity.”
The Bishop reiterated the message of Pope Francis that the Church must be “a field hospital”, binding the Sierra Leonean youths’ wounded hearts with “the balm of mercy and the tangible hope of a future.”
He noted that for young people hooked on drugs, peace is the answer, “for young people at peace with themselves and their future would have no need for the false peace of narcotics.”
The Bishop also exhorted Sierra Leoneans to endure hardship amid “multi-dimensional poverty, saying, “To our people weighed down by dehumanizing poverty, we must be a hope that flavors.”
He called on development agencies in the country to be more innovative, focusing not only on immediate relief but on sustainable empowerment.
Calling on responsible politics in Sierra Leone, the Bishop of Makeni called on Sierra Leoneans to “shine a glaring, unflinching light on the political mindset that sees public office as a shortcut or fast lane to personal wealth, entitlement, brute power, and a platform to divide our people along tribal and regional lines, rather than advancing the collective wellbeing of all Sierra Leoneans.”
“A leader who sows tribalism is an enemy of peace and an arsonist of national unity,” he said, and added, “Peace is the answer that demands integrity, servant leadership, the rule of law, and a politics that unites rather than divides.”
“We should consider politics as a space where leadership meets responsibility and where the needs of the people dictate the direction of governance. This is the recipe for meaningful peace and stability,” the Catholic Church leader said.
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Bishop Koroma also reflected on environmental degradation in Sierra Leone, and decried in particular the “reckless attitude” towards the environment.
He pointed out the country’s poor waste management which he said is “now choking drains in some towns.”
The Bishop condemned the dumping of rubbish along Sierra Leonean street corners, the indiscriminate deforestation, and the unchecked mining that he said is “disfiguring our land.”
“Peace is the answer that calls for ecological conversion, for living in harmony with God’s creation, ensuring a peaceful and sustainable home for our children now and those yet unborn,” he said.
The Bishop also condemned what he referred to as “the monster called tribalism” in Sierra Leone, saying, “Tribalism is a cancer that destroys the hope for a unified nation. It corrodes unity, breeds mediocrity and corrupt politicians use it as a shield against accountability.”
“Peace is the answer that embraces our diversity as strength, not as weakness – a diversity that spices our national life,” he said.
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