AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Laying of the first stone of the City of Peace: "the first visible sign of the financial autonomy of the Church", says the Bishop of Grand-Bassam

Thursday, 1 October 2020 local churches  

Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - "The City of Peace is the first visible sign of the financial autonomy of the Church", said His Exc. Mgr. Raymond Ahoua, Bishop of Grand-Bassam on 29 September, at the blessing and official opening ceremony of the construction works of the "City of Peace", on the site in front of the apartments, located near the headquarters of the Episcopal Conference, in Cocody Riviera, in the presence of various religious personalities and lay faithful.
Mgr. Ahoua who is President of the construction committee of the "City of Peace" thanked the living forces of the local Church for their contribution to the National Catholic Fund and urged everyone to continue to support the Church "in this search for communion and financial autonomy".
Speaking at the ceremony, Fr. Pierre Claver Yessoh, Secretary General of the National Catholic Fund, on behalf of His Exc. Mgr. Ignace Dogbo Bessi, Bishop of Katiola and President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Ivory Coast (CECI) expressed his gratitude to all the faithful for their financial contributions and their support to the Catholic National Fund which allows the realization of this first project. "This annual fundraising is expected to continue over time if we really want to achieve the goals of real solidarity", he added.
"The City of Peace" will include 8 identical buildings, each consisting of 4 apartments with 4 bedrooms, 32 apartments in total, 2 swimming pools for adults and children, 1 sports field, 2 sanitary blocks, 1 office and 73 parking spaces.
To help the financial autonomy of the local Church, CECI, at the end of its 97th plenary assembly held from 13 to 19 January 2014, had decided to create a national Catholic fund, as a tool for self-sustenance. The fund in a spirit of communion consists in the fact that every Catholic in the Ivory Coast, on the feast of Pentecost, contributes to a fundraising of at least 500 CFA francs.
Last year on the occasion of the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Fund, Sunday 17 February 2019, the contributions amounted to more than 1 billion and 657 million CFA francs (approximately 2 million 528 euros).
This year, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this fundraiser could not be held. (S.S.) (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 1/10/2020)


Share: