Cardinal Kutwa encouraged the Deacons-elect to make prayer their guiding principle to live their intimacy with the person of Jesus Christ.
“Only sincere and trusting prayer allows you to maintain this link, which is vital for your life and future ministry. For Clerics like you, prayer is one of the fundamental choices that cannot be neglected under any pretext,” the Catholic Church leader said.
He continued, “We must find time for this essential practice: recitation of the office, personal and communal prayer, the rosary, and personal devotions are all bonds to be integrated into your schedule.”
Cardinal Kutwa also reminded the Deacons-elect that the Catholic Clergy’s identity is reflected in his attire.
“Dear sons, we have an identity to defend in a world where ‘Clothes don't make the monk.’ It is therefore up to us, the Consecrated, to show that even if this seems true, a monk can still be recognized as such without his clothes, and this is an obligation,” he said.
For Cardinal Kutwa, “The Priest must wear ecclesiastical attire worthy of the standards indicated by the Episcopal Conference and legitimate local customs. This means that when the attire is not a cassock, it must differ from the way laypeople dress and be in accordance with the dignity and sacredness of the ministry.”
He called on family members, and the Laity to support the Deacons-elect, saying, “Watch over your Deacons; help them! Let your critiques not be vain or sterile, bordering on slander. These Deacons are a treasure.”
Still addressing family members and other Laity, he described the Deacons-elect as “a treasure that the Lord places in your hands like eggs to hatch. Your responsibility is engaged just as theirs is. I urge you to respect and ensure respect for what they are becoming among you and for you. The Lord will reward you.”
Speaking on behalf of his fellow Deacons before the final blessing, Deacon Michaël Désiré Kouakou thanked the Local ordinary, Bishop Gaspard Bébi Gnéba, Cardinal Kutwa, all their formators, and family members.
“We give thanks to the Lord for all His blessings at this stage of our vocational journey. Indeed, it is not by our merit that we have been associated with the ministry of the Diaconate, and we commit ourselves to faithfully serve the Christian people in all humility,” Deacon Kouakou said.
