At Perpetual Profession, Jubilee, Cardinal in Burkina Faso Urges Women Religious to Live “with joy, generous ardor”

“This love is absolutely free, personal, and unique,” he said, emphasizing that those called no longer belong to themselves, but to Christ.

Cardinal Ouédraogo explained that the evangelical counsels—chastity, poverty, and obedience—are a “radical response of love and total belonging to God.”

These vows, he said, are not simply personal disciplines but expressions of deep communion with God for the salvation of the world.

“In choosing perpetual chastity, the Sisters enter into an intimate union with Christ. In their poverty, they imitate the poor Christ, living a life detached from materialism, sharing with the poor and those in need. And through obedience, they freely surrender their will to God in imitation of Christ, obedient unto death,” the Catholic Church leader explained.

Cardinal Ouédraogo went on to reflect on the communal dimension of Religious Life, emphasizing that the words “mine” and “yours” give way to “ours.” 

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He reminded the FMM members that fraternal life is a “prophetic sign to a divided and individualistic world.”

“The true missionary is the saint,” the Cardinal said.

Turning to the missionary dimension of the Franciscan vocation, Cardinal Ouédraogo praised the Congregation’s commitment to the poor, particularly women, and their desire to embody the spirit of peace and fraternity of St. Francis of Assisi. 

“Your lives must be a humanizing presence among those who suffer, among those at the margins,” Cardinal Ouédraogo said.

Turning his attention to Sr. Kusiele Somda Fidélia and Sr. Méto-kaziile Hien Salomé  Betiere,-Lawn, who were celebrating  25 and 60 years of Consecrated Life respectively, the Cardinal encouraged them to see their decades of service not as personal achievements, but as testimonies of God’s enduring faithfulness.

“Your ‘yes’ to God continues to bear fruit for the Church, your congregation, and the world,” Cardinal Ouédraogo said.

He said, “Jesus Christ, not our founders, is the model. To live the perfection of charity is to make Him visible in our world through prayer, sacramental life, and daily witness.”

“Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and St. Francis of Assisi, may your total self-offering to God be fruitful—for your congregation, for the glory of God, and the salvation of the world,” Cardinal Ouédraogo implored.

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.