Ivory Coast: cardinal denounces ritual sacrifice of children

April 02, 2018

The leading prelate in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) denounced the abduction and ritual sacrifice of children.

Preaching to nearly 5,000 people at the Chrism Mass during Holy Week, Cardinal Jean-Pierre Kutwa of Abidjan said that “only the Blood of Jesus is capable of saving us … Know that you will render an account for the blood that you pour out.”

Since the beginning of the year, there have been three confirmed cases of child sacrifice in the West African nation. A five-year-old child was killed after a witch doctor promised that a child sacrifice would make the murderer extremely wealthy.

In Yopougon, a city of 1.1 million, over 1,000 parishioners took part in a march in which they asked the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for an end to the killings.

The nation of 24.2 million is 43% Muslim, 17% Catholic, 12% Protestant, and 4% animist, with 19% professing no religion.

 

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Further information:

• A Abidjan, le cardinal Kutwa dénonce les enlèvements d’enfants (La Croix)
• À Yopougon, en Côte d’Ivoire, prêtres et laïcs marchent contre les rapts d’enfants et sacrifices humains (La Croix)