GHANA: SECAM President Grateful for Support During His Sickness, Calls for Unity in Fighting COVID-19
Philippe Nakellentuba Cardinal Ouédraogo, the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences for Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), (file picture)
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Days after testing positive for COVID-19, President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences for Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Philippe Nakellentuba Cardinal Ouédraogo has sent a message of appreciation to all people of good will during this time when he is hospitalized and has asked for unity in the fight of this pandemic.
“I would like to thank my closest collaborators in the Archdiocese, my Presbyterium, the Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Burkina/ Niger, the Nunciature, the Religious and all my Christians for their very effective and affective concern for me,” the Cardinal said and continued, “I also express my deep gratitude to the State and private medical professionals who have selflessly taken care of me.”
Cardinal Ouédraogo who is President of the eight member Regional Conferences organization SECAM, acknowledged messages of concern and prayers from all people of good will.
“An immense crowd, near and far, of faithful, relatives, friends and acquaintances including Catholics, Muslims, Protestants and followers of the traditional religion, customary, political and administrative authorities have expressed their support towards me by telephone and messages, some by proposing remedies for my illness, others by organizing novenas of prayers for me.”
He added, “In the face of all these expressions of solidarity and compassion, I can only but exclaim: who am I to deserve such great and kind attention, physical, material and spiritual support? Thank you to everyone and may the Lord to keep us always united to one another in such appointments of life!”
The Church leader who has been hospitalized for nearly two weeks, has promised to pray for those affected with COVID-19 and many others in different needs as he unites his prayers with the sufferings of Christ for God’s intervention.
In the message addressed to the Clergy, the Christians and Non-Christians alike, the SECAM Presidents has also asked for unity and collaboration of all people in the fight of COVID-19 pandemic so as to save lives.
“I would like, from the bottom of my heart as a pastor, to launch a great cry for a profound impulse of solidarity at the local, regional and international level for those sick of Covid-19,” the Cardinal stated in the statement dated Sunday, April 5.
“There is an urgent need for adequate means to save the many human lives affected,” he said adding “One finger does not pick up flour,” teaches us an African proverb. “Let us therefore unite to drive this dreadful scourge with its unfortunate consequences out of our country and out of the world.”
Writing from his hospital bed, Cardinal Ouédraogo who is the Local Ordinary of Burkina Faso’s Ouagadougou Archdiocese opened his statement with the prayer of abandonment by Blessed Charles de Foucauld as a sign of faith, trust and surrender to God, and made his devotion, “Father, I surrender myself to you. Do with me as you will. Whatever you do with me, I thank you, I am ready for everything, I accept everything; as long as your will is done!”
He recalled joining the many infected patients of COVID-19 saying, “Beloved brothers and sisters, in the morning of Monday, March 30, 2020, I received from the doctors the positive result of my test done 48 hours before. I thus joined the countless crowds of patients confined all over the world for treatment. It doesn’t just happen to others!”
He concluded, “With Him we will achieve victory! Since He died and rose again and is still alive, Hallelujah! Let us remain constantly in humble and fervent prayer!”
As of Friday, April 10, 1,220,574 infected cases had been recorded globally, with 376,500 recoveries and 102,741 deaths.
