Bissau, 28 November, 2021 / 8:30 pm (ACI Africa).
The annual national Marian pilgrimage in the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau that had been scheduled to take place next month has been canceled, Catholic Church officials in the country have announced, citing a surge in reported cases of COVID-19.
In a Wednesday, November 24 report, the Apostolic Administrator of Bissau Diocese, Bishop José Lampra Cà, and Fr. Lucio Brentegani who is the Diocesan Administrator of Bafatá Diocese call on pilgrims to the Our Lady of the Nativity Sanctuary in Cacheu, to implore Mary’s intercession in their respective Parishes.
“Unfortunately, this year, due to the increase of cases of COVID-19 in Guinea-Bissau, after having spoken with the health authorities, we thought it was not safe to organize this national pilgrimage where many people gather,” the Catholic Church leaders say in the report by Vatican News Portuguese.
They add, “We understand that it is better that each community can celebrate this feast in Parishes.”
The pilgrimage to Cacheu, they note, is “very important for Christians, since it constitutes a kind of moral and spiritual nourishment, allowing the faithful to testify with integrity of life and perseverance over time, the authenticity and depth of their faith in Jesus Christ.”
