He went on to challenge the political leadership of the country to live up to its responsibility to maintain peace, and added, “As long as we continue to nurture discriminations based on ethnicity, region, or religion, peaceful elections will remain a utopian dream.”
The Catholic Church leader, who was created Cardinal during the December 7 Consistory revisited the national motto, “Unity, Discipline, Work” and urged his compatriots to embody these principles as a pathway to national reconciliation and peace.
“For 65 years, these words should have guided us toward a reconciled and peaceful Ivory Coast. Now is the time to revive their meaning,” he emphasized referring to the West African country’s motto.
Reflecting on the theme of the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, “Pilgrims of Hope”, Cardinal Dogbo urged Ivorians to foster hope by engaging in building a nation founded on peace.
“Let us grant each other peace. It is more precious than elections, more precious than all the wealth in the world. This peace depends on you, on me, on all of us,” he said.
The 63-year-old Cardinal, who started his Episcopal Ministry in July 2004 as Bishop of Ivory Coast’s Katiola Catholic Diocese identified three virtues that he said are crucial for building a peaceful society, including communion, justice, and law.
True communion stems from respecting diversity, including minority voices, and caring for the vulnerable, he said during the December 27 Eucharistic celebration, and added, “Ignoring the weak or dismissing their voices is a barrier to communion, and therefore to peace.”
Justice and law, Cardinal Dogbo noted, are essential to the reign of God. “Without justice and respect for the law, there can be no true communion. Those in positions of power are called to exercise their authority by embodying these values,” the Ivorian Cardinal emphasized.
Justin Assalé is a Catholic journalist from Ivory Coast. He holds a diploma in communication and advertising. Working for Ivory Coast’s national Catholic radio, he is a correspondent of ACI Africa in Francophone West Africa.
