Catholics From Mali

"My concern is that the candidates have said nothing about what sort of society must be built in Mali, nothing about long term prospects. I realise however that even the most advanced democracies these sort of questions are difficult to tackle. I think however that the level of instruction of the people must be raised and the education system improved so that, on a long term basis, it is possible to raise the level of political debate and create a more advanced democracy."

"We must explain that we are animated by the Spirit of the Gospel: we do not want to impose our faith but we do want to announce it. The Church is not a non governmental organisation it is at the service of the Proclamation of the Word."

"I believe that the religious have two main tasks. On the one hand, as Ezekiel says, to behave like sentinels, not spies: when there is a threat we must warn and try to solve the problem before it explodes, it is a very big responsibility and if there are so many problems it means that the sentinels did not carry out their job well. Then we must be intercessors and when there is hostility between two groups, families or people, we have to mediate in truth. It is also essential to always keep prayer alive for the Country and for the protagonists so that God converts the heart. Now, it can be said, that the heart of many is of stone, it is up to us to make it flesh. Religions here seek a common line to promote peace."