Despite the horrific events plaguing the people of Burkina Faso, Christians believe in responding to them with love and faith, Bishop Laurent Birfuoré Dabiré, has said.
The Bishop of Dori, also the President of Burkina Faso’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference, offered this perspective in his recent interview with sources, as the nation continues to make headlines for the scores of lives taken by ongoing terrorism and violence. A week ago, about 170 people, including women and children, were “executed” in attacks on the villages of Komsilga, Nodin, and Soroe in Yatenga province.
A public prosecutor reported the news on Sunday, appealing for witnesses to help find those behind the attacks of the three villages. It was not known what terrorist group were behind these attacks.
On Sunday, February 25, 2024, there were two attacks on worshipers of different faiths.
At about 5 am, at a mosque in Natiaboani in eastern Burkina Faso, dozens of Muslims were killed during prayers, when armed men entered on a shooting rampage.
In another attack, fifteen people were killed and several others injured at a Catholic church in Essakane, a village in the country’s northern region, just a few hours later, when terrorists opened fire on the praying congregation. In the interview, Bishop Laurent Dabiré confirmed to sources, the great difficulty of promoting peace and stability in this dangerous context, highlighting the need for all to know that the violence is not just against Christians, as evidenced by the deadly attack the same day against Muslims.
“The terrorists’ strategy,” the Prelate suggested, is to “instrumentalize religions to create confusion in the nation” and “pit different communities against each other,” in order to “give the impression that there is a religious war underway.”
“I can assert with certainty,” he said, “that there is no ongoing persecution of Christians.”
The Bishop has been calling for peace, faith, and hope, and has also been appealing to his faithful to continue living Christian charity, “without falling into the temptation of responding to violence with violence.”
“We Christians,” Bishop Dabiré said, “have no other way to live: we must base our lives on the Gospel. Our relationship with others must be based on brotherhood, friendship, and mutual help.”
“We must avoid it being said that we belong to a religion that meditates revenge,” he said, adding that this “is not true.”
The Prelate also expressed gratitude to the Holy Father for his sorrow over the recent attacks.
“The closeness of the Holy Father,” Bishop Dabiré said, “gives us courage and strength and invites us to persevere.”
“When our faithful hear that the Pope is informed of their suffering,” he continued, “they are truly heartened” and feel “a great stimulus to move forward.”
During his Wednesday General Audience and in an earlier telegram of condolences, Pope Francis expressed his sorrow and solidarity with the people of the African nation, as he condemned the violence.