Burkina Faso bishop discusses Islamist insurgency’s toll
December 19, 2025
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CWN Editor's Note: A bishop who administers two dioceses in Burkina Faso spoke of the toll wrought by Islamist insurgents there.
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,” said Bishop Théophile Naré, quoting Tertullian. “The key word is resilience: persevering in prayer, hope, and doing good.”
“If the enemy was thinking of snuffing out Christianity, it’s wasting its time: Christianity in Africa is spreading,” he added. The prelate recounted an incident in August when the women of a parish formed a human shield around their parish priest to protect him from an attack during Mass.
Burkina Faso, a West African nation of 23.0 million (map), is 56% Muslim, 26% Christian (16% Catholic), and 17% ethnic religionist.
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