On Sunday, October 6, as the second session of the Synod began, Pope Francis announced a council of churches in Rome to create 21 new cardinals. Coming from 18 different countries, the bishops will receive the cardinal's ceremony on December 8, 2024, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Among these new cardinals, three are from French-speaking countries: Monsignor Jean-Paul Fesco is Archbishop of Algeria, Monsignor Dominique Mathieu is Archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan, and Monsignor Ignace Bessie-Dogbo is Archbishop of Abidjan.
Monsignor Jean-Paul Visco: “I too am an Algerian who receives this honor.”
French Cardinal Jean-Paul Fesco is Archbishop of Algiers ©doctrine-chretienne.com
” I'm obviously gasping, because for a millisecond I couldn't imagine it. I feel the weight of this great and undeserved honor and the desire to continue progressing in the service of this Church, and to follow Pope Francis, who opens it to the world. » The new cardinal told Vatican media following the Pope’s announcement.
” Algeria will also be honored by this honor. I think it is important for Algerians, and I am Algerian. Therefore, as an Algerian, I also receive this honor bestowed upon me » he added.
Monsignor Jean-Paul Fesco is a French Dominican, originally from Lyon. He was 62 years old. He was initially a lawyer before being ordained a priest in 2001. He arrived in Algeria in 2002 to the Dominican Monastery of Tlemcen in the Oran Diocese, and was appointed Vicar General of this diocese in 2005, then a bishop in December 2012.
In 2021, Monsignor Visco was appointed Archbishop of Algiers, a diocese of about thirty priests and about fifty religious: This little church still makes sense. It has changed a lot since the 1990s and 2000s. But it remains faithful to the call of the Church, which is open to the society in which it is integrated, that is, the Muslim community. I think this is also a sign that Pope Francis wanted to give. »
Monsignor Dominique Mathieu in Iran: “Nothing is impossible with God”
Originally from Arlon, in southeastern Belgium, Monsignor Dominique Mathieu has been Archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan since January 2021. At 61 years old, he currently heads the only Catholic archbishopric in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which includes five Latin dioceses, 2,000 baptized people, But without priests or deacons.
Monsignor Dominique Mathieu during his episcopal ordination © Vatican Media
Monsignor Dominique Mathieu made his ceremonial profession with the Franciscan friars in 1987, and was ordained a priest in September 1989. He spoke several languages, and arrived in Lebanon in 2013 in the regional Custody of the Orient and Holy Land. ” It was a new time of spiritual deepening and religious study. The pressure of the Western world has given way to the hospitality, enthusiasm and deep-rooted piety of the Middle East. He says.
When Pope Francis appointed him archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan in January 2021, the Latin Church in Iran had not had a bishop since 2015, and the last foreign priest, an Irish Dominican, had left in 2018.
” Nothing in my training prepared me to become a bishop » He was approved after his appointment. ” But on the other hand, everything in my life has contributed to my current mission: self-control in difficult contexts and the search for new opportunities and possibilities. This can only be done by believing that nothing is impossible for God, because He remains faithful over time to His promise to help us, through the Holy Spirit, walk toward His Kingdom. »
Monsignor Ignasi Bessie Dogbo: “Being a Pope’s advisor opens your space, your eyes and your heart”
Installation Mass of Monsignor Ignace Bessie Dogbo in Abidjan © dioceseabidjan.com
Monsignor Ignace Bissy Dogbo is 63 years old and has been Archbishop of Abidjan since May 2024, the largest diocese in Côte d'Ivoire, with more than two million faithful.
Prior to this appointment, he was first Bishop of Katiola, in the center of the country, and then Archbishop of Korhogo in 2021. He was also President of the Episcopal Conference of Côte d'Ivoire (CECCI) from 2017 to 2023, and worked hard for dialogue and reconciliation in his country.
” I was in awe He told the Vatican media upon hearing the news. ” We are all in the service of the church. Therefore, if the Lord thinks that a person is closer to the Holy Father to give him advice and accept it from him, he cannot help but thank, and also thank the Holy Father for the trust. »
The Archbishop of Abidjan is counting on God’s grace and has received numerous letters from Catholics in his country: “ The entire country is happy and waiting to see what this can bring for nationwide cohesion and reconciliation “, he explains.” Being a Pope Counselor opens your space, your eyes, and your heart. »
