Appointed by Pope John Paul II as Apostolic Nuncio to Burundi in August 2000, the Irish-born Papal diplomat was assassinated in December 2003, while serving in Burundi.
“It is with deep emotion that I set foot on this monument, at this place where an event took place that marked a sad page in the history of Burundi and a painful stage in the relations between the Holy See and the country,” Cardinal Parolin said.
Highlighting the late Apostolic Nuncio’s dedication, he said Archbishop Courtney “lived his mission intensely by remaining close to the weakest.”
He emphasized that “the Holy See has never ceased to ask the Burundian state that the full truth be shed on this matter.”
The Cardinal also blessed the foundation stone for a health center to be built in his memory, as well as the first stone of a new Major Seminary to be established in the Catholic Diocese of Ruyigi.
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On August 15, Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Cardinal Parolin presided over Holy Mass for the elevation of the St. Anthony of Padua Parish —located within the territory of the national Marian shrine of Mugera, part of the Archdiocese of Gitega—to the status of Minor Basilica.
During the Mass, Cardinal Parolin issued an appeal to “overcome personal interests, so that people around the world may focus on serving the common good.”
On August 17, during Mass at the Sanctuary of Mont Sion Gikundo, the same venue that welcomed St. John Paul II during his Apostolic visit in 1990, Cardinal Parolin recalled the martyrdom of Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui, the Congolese martyr Beatified in Rome on June 15.
“To be disciples of Christ is to be ready to face all kinds of adversity for him and in his name. The martyrs, who refuse every compromise by offering their lives for God or for their neighbour, leave us with clear examples in this regard,” he said.
The Vatican Secretary of State added, “These models and examples are not always far from us, as shown by the recent beatification by Pope Leo XIV of the young Floribert Bwana Chui, martyred in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, on July 8, 2007.”
Bwana Chui, he recalled, “refused to compromise with the forces of corruption, choosing honesty at the risk of his life.”
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.
