Press reports indicate that the Holy See and Burkina Faso have finalized an agreement that guarantees the Church the possibility of carrying out her mission in the west African nation.
The accord, which entered into effect on Monday, September 7, was finalized after being signed at the Vatican on July 12, 2019.
A statement released by the Holy See Press Office notes that the agreement recognizes the “public legal personality of the Church and its institutions.”
The Holy See has made a great achievement by signing this agreement because this will enable the Church and State Burkina Faso to collaborate in a smooth way on the one hand, and will enable the Church to spread the message of love and peace as taught by Jesus Christ in Holy Bible, thus helping create a better world of tolerance and understanding.
President of the Episcopal Conference of Burkina Faso and Niger Bishop Laurent Birfuoré Dabiré of Dori Diocese referred to the mutual importance of this agreement by saying that the agreement will enable the Church and State to collaborate better and to be more effective in seeking the good of the people in general and of the Catholic faithful in particular.
The collaboration between the Catholic Church and Burkina Faso is a step in the right direction because it will serve the sublime interest of both the Church and the State of Burkina Faso by creating an atmosphere conducive to attaining the goodness of the people by helping spread peace at a time when several African countries have been wreaked by violence and bloody attacks against minorities.
Under the agreement, the two Parties, while safeguarding their own independence and autonomy, undertake to work together for the moral, spiritual, and material well-being of the human person and for the promotion of the common good,” the Holy See statement said.
The highlight of the agreement is that it gives greater visibility in the collaboration between the Church and State of Burkina Faso and clearly and maps out the path between both sides thus enabling the Church to act legally, be recognized, and protected.
With this agreement, the juridical status allows the Church to carry out acts of public life without hindrance and ensures that the evangelization will be much more sustained and re-launched.”
With violence rampant in several African countries, it is hoped that this agreement will serve as a starting point for similar agreements to be signed in the future with other Africa countries that will definitely help reinstate peace, stability and mutual understanding.
