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Catholic World News News Feature

Pope lauds Senegal's religious tolerance March 10, 2005

Cardinal Angelo Sodano welcomed a new ambassador from Senegal to the Holy See on March 10, and gave him a message in which Pope John Paul II called for new efforts to promote peace in Africa.

The new ambassador, Felix Oudiane, presented his diplomatic credentials to the Vatican's Secretary of State, who took the place of the hospitalized Pope John Paul in receiving them. In his message, signed from his room in the Gemelli Hospital, the Pope noted that "Senegal's commitment to seeking and consolidating peace in Africa is well known and appreciated by the international community." He commended Senegal's leaders for those efforts, adding: "Violence will never be a satisfactory solution for resolving disagreements between human groups."

"Africa has an urgent need for peace and stability," the Pope observed. He took note of the "promising results" of Senegal's efforts to promote peace within its borders and among its African neighbors. He remarked that Senegal has shown itself "particularly sensitive to the importance of different religions" among the population, and applauded efforts to span the differences between religious and ethnic groups.

In May 2004, when he welcomed Sengal's President Abdoulaye Wade to the Vatican, the Pope had made the observation that the African country's religious diversity helps to foster respect for different cultures. President Wade-- himself a Muslim, married to a Christian-- replied by announcing plans for a major international conference on Islamic-Christian dialogue, to be held in Dakar in December 2005.

Senegal's population is 95 percent Muslim, and 4 percent Christian. But the Senegalese government makes a point of emphasizing its tolerance for religious minorities, and mixed marriages uniting Christians and Muslims are not uncommon.