Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Dakar (Agenzia Fides) – The Bishops of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, and Guinea Bissau have launched an appeal to the government and the “active forces” of these nations, asking that they respect the common good of the institutions and human life.
The appeal was contained in the Final Message issued at the close of their second ordinary session of the 2008-2009 Pastoral Year of the interterritorial Bishops' Conference of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, and Guinea Bissau that was held June 2-5 in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. During the sessions, the Bishops examined the situation in their respective countries and expressed their concern for the political crisis in Guinea Bissau and Mauritania.
On June 28, Guinea Bissau is scheduled to hold early presidential elections, as a result of the death of the President “Nino” Vieira, who was assassinated in March by a group of soldiers who accused him of the plot to kill the Chief of Staff, who had been assassinated just hours beforehand (see Fides 5/6/2009). The electoral campaign was “upset” somewhat by the death of one of the candidates, Baciro Dabou (see Fides 5/6/2009), amidst unclear circumstances. In Mauritania, last September, a military coups overthrew President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. The international community, especially the African Union, has placed great pressure on the military to respect democracy and legality. Thanks to these pressures, on June 4 an accord was reached between the coup leaders and the various political forces in Mauritania, in an effort to form a government of national union that would lead the country to the Presidential elections scheduled for July 18.
Recalling the crisis affecting the region, the Bishops denounced the “behaviors and offenses that stain human dignity,” making an appeal to everyone to respect the common good and the state institutions.
On an ecclesial level, the Bishops reaffirmed the importance of the catechesis in the evangelizing mission of the Church. Bishop Jean-Noel Diouf of Tambacounda (Senegal), President of the Bishops' Conference, affirmed that catechesis is in need of a pedagogical and methodological updating. Thus, a 2010 Forum on Catechesis has been organized to take place in the Pedagogical Training Center in Mbour. The encounter will serve as an opportunity to reflect on the problems of religious education in schools and encourage teachers and principals to support catechesis, in Catholic, public, and private schools. Another one of the themes that was addressed was the training of future priests. The Bishops heard presentations from the Directors of the Seminaries of Sébikotane, Brin, and Ndiaffate.
The Bishops' Conference also mentioned the need to reconsider the activity of the Interdiocesan Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Thies (Senegal), whose role is the promotion of justice in the Church. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 12/6/2009)
