Head of Catholic Church concludes official visit to Expo 2020 Dubai
His Eminence Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo thanked the African Union Commission for all its efforts to care for and protect the image and imagination of Africa.
The head of the Catholic Church in Africa (www.Vatican.va), His Eminence Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo, concluded his three-day official visit to Expo 2020 Dubai.
As President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) (www.SECAM.org), H.E. Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo is the highest representative of the Roman Catholic Church in Africa.
At Expo 2020 in Dubai, Cardinal Ouédraogo visited the African Union pavilion and the pavilions of South Africa, Burkina Faso and Senegal. He also visited the pavilion of the Holy See.
Please find below a statement from His Eminence Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo, President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM):
“Wherever Christians go, their pastors should be there too. It is therefore a duty and an honor for us, pastors of the Church of Jesus Christ, to go to Expo Dubai, whose theme “Connecting Minds, Building the Future” fits perfectly into the reflections from the synodal process initiated by Pope Francis for the universal church.
During our visit to Dubai, we had nothing to sell or buy. It was a meeting where we give and where we receive. A meeting of dialogue and fraternity. It is therefore with enthusiasm, gratitude and hope that we embarked on this trip to Dubai as a pilgrimage.
This visit, filled with enriching encounters, allowed us to thank and encourage the African Union Commission for all its efforts aimed at caring for and protecting the image and imagination of Africa. A wounded and sick imagination of a bruised continent where certain multinationals come to exploit resources and wealth, most often to the detriment of populations who are languishing under the weight of misery.
Although the Catholic Church works for eternal happiness, we often find ourselves on the front line to face and meet many social challenges, such as: education, health, protection of the environment, fundamental human rights, commitment to the poorest, reconciliation, justice, peace…
May the Blessed Virgin Mary Our Lady of Africa and Saint Joseph Protector of the Universal Church intercede for the Church Family of God in Africa and Madagascar and for the whole world that God loves.”
By APO Group for Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM)
