Pope Benedict XVI recieves new ambassador from Ivory Coast
Pope Benedict XVI received Letters of Credence from Ivory Coast’s new ambassador to
the Holy See, Joseph Tebah-Klah on Friday. Joseph Tebah-Klah is the first ambassador
from Ivory Coast to begin his mission to the Holy See since the brief but intense
civil war that erupted in his country earlier this year after the outgoing president
Laurent Gbagbo refused to relinquish power after his political opponent, Alassane
Ouattara, defeated him in internationally-certified elections.
In remarks to
the Ambassador, Pope Benedict offered his prayers for the president and for the whole
country asking God to guide and support their efforts to make progress on the path
to a lasting peace. The Holy Father went on to discuss the need to continue the real,
concrete commitment to national healing and social cohesion, and welcomed the establishment
of a Commission for Truth, Dialogue and Reconciliation, encouraging the Commission
to work diligently and impartially. Pope Benedict also encouraged Ivory Coast’s political
leadership to engage resolutely on the path to a transparent and equitable governance.
“To achieve the common good,” said Pope Benedict, “one needs discipline, justice and
transparency.” He also called on politicians to make every effort to ensure that the
country's wealth equitably benefit all citizens.
Another central concern of
Pope Benedict’s remarks to the ambassador was the challenge of achieving peace and
justice in a religiously diverse society such as Ivory Coast, which is roughly 1/3
Christian with 1/3 Muslim, with a great number of practicing devotees of traditional
religions. Quoting his first encyclical, Deus caritas est, Pope Benedict said, “The
State may not impose religion, yet it must guarantee religious freedom and harmony
between the followers of different religions. For her part, the Church, as the social
expression of Christian faith, has a proper independence and is structured on the
basis of her faith as a community which the State must recognize. The two spheres
are distinct, yet always interrelated. (n.28)”
The Holy father pointed to
the proper functioning of schools and other educational institutions as essential
to meeting the goal, and said that the Church, far from wanting to replace the state,
can through its many institutions in the areas of education and health care, provide
comfort and care for the soul – “and this aid,” he said, “is often more necessary
than material support especially when it comes to heal so many wounds of body and
soul.”
Noting that the new ambassador’s assumption of his duties coincides
with the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between
Ivory Coast and the Holy See, Pope Benedict expressed his best wishes for the success
of the ambassador’s mission, and asked God to bestow generous blessings on the ambassador
and all the Ivorian leadership and people. Listen