Archbishop Crotty extols work of his diplomatic mission
Archbishop Michael Crotty, native of Mitchelstown, this week praised the benefits of his diplomatic mission to Burkina Faso and Niger.
Archbishop Crotty, who hails from Ballygiblin, was speaking at an event to welcome the naming of a street after Pope emeritus Benedict XVI (Pope Benedict) in the country’s capital, Ouagadougou.
With a population of over 20 million people, Archbishop Crotty holds the title of Apostolic Nuncio to the country. The role of apostolic nuncio is that of diplomat and representative of the Pope in the country. Archbishop Crotty arrived in Burkina Faso in October 2020.
Burkina Faso, a land-locked country in north-west Africa, is in a state of conflict since 2015, when the country became subject to a spate of deadly jihadist attacks. One key aspect to Archbishop Crotty’s work in the country is around peace efforts in the war ravaged area.
Archbishop Crotty declared this week that having a diplomatic mission was both a statement and a commitment “to deepen and strengthen bilateral relations, and there is no better way to do so than to be physically present.”
“Indeed, in the nine months since my arrival here in Burkina Faso, the greatest joy for me in being Pope Francis’ representative is to make him present wherever I go, a presence made possible by Pope Benedict XVI who established this diplomatic mission of the Holy See to Burkina Faso and Niger here in Ouagadougou,” he commented.
The Mitchelstown native delivered Pope Francis’ message of condolence to the Bishops’ Conference of Burkina Faso and Niger (CEBN) at the beginning of June. The Pope was responding to recent violence in the region of Sahel, where attacks by armed men on June 5th led to the deaths of at least 160 people.