Pope Leo XIV Urges Catholic Bishops in Ivory Coast to Nurture Unity, “prophetically proclaiming the Gospel”

The Holy Father also asked the Catholic Church leaders in the West African nation to convey his “Fatherly affection to all the faithful entrusted to your care.”

“I hold your beloved country and its Christian communities in my heart, with their joys and their sorrows,” he said, and implored, “May all discover that they are loved by God.”

Pope Leo XIV also expressed his spiritual closeness with “families, of those who suffer,” and that he remembers in his prayers in a special way “Priests, as well as the Women and Men Religious,” thanking them for their “commitment and witness.”

The 127th plenary assembly taking place in the Catholic Diocese of Grand-Bassam from May 19-25 is to have delegates reflect on the Church’s journey, prayer, and strengthening acts of synodality.

In his address during the May 20 event, CECCI President noted that the Bishops would be “listening to one another, listening to our local Church, and finally listening to society through the signs of the times.”

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“This call to listening and responsibility resonates particularly in our country, where the pursuit of peace and stability remains a priority,” Bishop Marcellin Yao Kouadio of Ivory Coast’s Daloa Diocese said.

Bishop Kouadio emphasized the importance of responsibility and the duty of accountability, a requirement, he said, “applies to everyone, regardless of their role within the Church.”

Ahead of the Presidential election scheduled for October in the West African nation, the CECCI President urged citizens to “be builders of peace”, reminding them that “human life is sacred.”

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.