Ivory Coast Catholics on the right track, says the Bishops

 

From the Net

Despite the football festive mood in Ivory Coast, the Archbishops and Bishops of Ivory Coast respected their traditional plenary Assembly every January.

It was the 124^th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Ivory Coast known as “Conférence des Évêques Catholiques de Cote d’Ivoire”, CECC.

The plenary assembly of the Ivorian prelates, representing 4 Archdioceses and 11 Dioceses, took place from 22^nd January to 28^th January 2024. It was held in Katiola Diocese.

This was the first plenary meeting attended by the new Apostolic Nuncio Mgr. Mauricio Rueda Beltz since his nomination by Pope Francis on 16^th June 2023.

The CECC made clear a call to civil responsibility and ethical leadership in the church as well as in the political realm. The bishops underlined the fact that there exist leaders who foster personal interests and not a common good. They requested all leaders to work towards the interests of the people they serve to ensure a harmonious development.

They were satisfied to note the impact of the church in the Ivorian society. There is a gradual growth from the dependant-church towards a self sustaining church. “The Church’s contribution in the construction and development of this country needs not to be illustrated. The church has played and continues to play a very important role in the promotion of human dignity and a constant call for the transformation of the Ivorian society”, reiterated Bishop Marcellin Yao Kouadio, the CECC Chairman and Bishop of Daloa Diocese.

The prelates informed the clergy, the faithful and the entire Ivorian nation of the two important events to be celebrated in this year.

First is the 90^th Anniversary of Ordination of the Late Mgr. René Kouassi, the first Ivorian priest. He was ordained on 1^st may 1934 in the Immaculate Conception, Dabou parish. With this regard, the Bishops call for a national pilgrimage of all Ivorian priests to Ably (Yamoussoukro Diocese) the native village of the Late Mgr René. This spiritual exercise is to be held in the fifth month of this year. Equally, a Spiritual and Sabbatical center will be constructed in his honor. Second is the 50^th Anniversary of the creation of the Ivorian Episcopal Conference, the CECC.

They gave their experience of the Visit Ad Limina Apostolorum, which took place in the month of September 2023. This pilgrimage to the Holy See, Rome where lies the tombs of St Peter and St Paul is equally a sign of communion and commitment with the Pope. It takes place every five years.

In matters Synode and Synodality, keeping in mind that the Church is neither a political nor a Non-Governmental Organization, the CECC affirmed that the faithful, inspired by the Word of God and the Church’s Tradition, should assume their prophetic mission by virtue of their baptism and help the clergy in all aspects of human development.  

This article was published online by CISA:

https://cisanewsafrica.com/ivory-coast-bishops-call-for-ethical-leadership-detail-golden-jubilee-celebrations-of-cecc-in-first-plenary/

Consolata Missionaries in Ivory Coast towards the Fifth Conference

 

From Consolata Ivoire

The Consolata Missionaries in Ivory Coast had their Annual Assembly from 22^nd January until 29^th January 2024 in San Pedro.

This is an extraordinary encounter of these eleven Missionaries from six different nationalities (Italy, Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Argentina), working in three different dioceses across Ivory Coast (Odienne diocese, San Pedro diocese and the Archdiocese of Abidjan), to make ways for their forthcoming Fifth Conference.

In the Consolata Missionary Institute’s tradition, just after the General Chapter, an every six year meeting of delegates to update the charism in a designated place, each group, delegation or region sits to actualize the fruits of the General Chapter according to their context. This is what they call, Conference.

Since its humble beginnings 28 years ago, the delegation of the Consolata Missionaries in Ivory Coast is having their fifth Conference this coming month of April 2024.

This year’s Assembly begun with a recollection animated by Fr. John Baptist Okaro, IMC Rector and a member of the Delegation Council.

In his exhortation entitled “All for the Gospel”, scripturally inspired from the First letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 9 verses 16 to 23, Fr. Okaro, dwelt on three major points.

Primo, he outlined what “All for the Gospel” meant for him.

“All for the Gospel” is a five faced reality. First, it means to leave oneself be guided by the Holy Spirit just as the Apostle Philip did, Acts of the Apostle 8: 26-40.

Second is to have Christ in the center of one’s life. Third is to move out and encounter the other. Fourth is the three aspects of Ad Gentes (that is Ad Pauperes -to the poor; Ad vitam -for life and Ad Extra -to the extremities of the land). Finally, the Fifth is the holiness of life.

He further requested all the members to find personal or individual meaning to these significant words of St Paul.

Secundo, he underlined some contemporary challenges one would face in living the Gospel as a religious and above all as a missionary. These include individualism, favoritism, lack of creativity or comfort with the status quo, Syndrome of Jonas, closed within failures or achievements, among others.

Tertio, he went ahead to give some orientations or way forward despite the challenges in responding to this noble vocation. Two of them came out clear. First, one should have a memory or history of his first encounter with Christ, the roots of his missionary calling. Second, one should nurture the spirit of going elsewhere, move towards other unknown realities of life.  

After a day of spiritual recollection and the evaluation of the Continental Conference held in Bunju, Tanzania from 4^th December until 9^th December 2023, by Fr Matteo Pettinari, IMC, the missionaries, guided by the Preparatory Commission, embarked on a heavy mental work of presenting and analyzing the Acts of the 14^th General Chapter, which was held in Rome in the months of May and June 2023. This was then followed by the evaluation of the Acts of the 4^th Conference held in San Pedro from 16^th to 20^th April 2018.

 

This article was published in the following websites:

https://consolataafrica.org/en/consolata-missionaries-in-ivory-coast-towards-the-fifth-conference/

 

https://cisanewsafrica.com/ivory-coast-consolata-missionaries-build-up-to-fifth-conference-in-april/