Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Burkina Faso has an area of 286,451 km2 and a population of 13 million inhabitants. The country, which until 1984 was called Upper Volta, is located in northwest Africa. It is bordered to the north by Mali and Niger and to the south by Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Ivory Coast.
Various different ethnic groups are present there. The majority group are the Mossi (50% of the population), followed by several other groups: Peuhls, Bellas, Gourmantchés, Foulsés, Dogons, Bissas, Kussasés, Yaambas, MoBas, Yarsés. The official language is French.
History
The territory of the present state was ruled by the Mossi since the twelfth century. Their reign lasted into the nineteenth century, starting with the colonial occupation. A French colony in 1919, in 1958 it assumed the name of Upper Volta, as the country is among the three branches of the Volta River. In 1960, the country proclaimed independence. The country's recent history is characterized by a series of coups, the last in 1987, when, following the assassination of Thomas Sankara (the President, who in 1984 renamed the country Burkina Faso, which means "Republic of the Earth of the Upright and Righteous"), Blaise Compaore declared himself head of state.
Political situation
Burkina Faso is a semi-presidential republic with a constitution inspired by that of the Fifth French Republic, which in addition to the House of People's Representatives, calls for a second chamber consisting of social, religious, and traditional professionals. All kinds of people are represented: trade unions, youth, women, traditional leaders, and those engaged in promoting human rights.
The power is in the hands of President Compaore, reelected for the third time in 2005, and the party he founded, the “Congrès pour la Démocratie et le Progrès” (CDP).
Economy
The country is mainly agricultural. The largest item of export is cotton. However, a recurring drought is forcing an increasing number of peasants to migrate to the capital, Ouagadougou, to Bobo-Dioulasso, or to the neighboring Ivory Coast.
The Catholic Church
The evangelization of Burkina Faso began in 1900, thanks to the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers), who established their first mission in Koupéla. A year later, in 1901, they settled in Ouagadougou. In 1925, the first minor seminary was opened at Pabre and in 1933, the major seminary in Koumi was opened. In 1942, the first local priests were ordained, including Fr. Paul Zoungrana, Missionary of Africa, appointed Archbishop of Ouagadougou in 1955, created Cardinal in 1965, and who died in 2000.
On September 4, 1955, the hierarchy was established, and Ouagadougou became the Metropolitan See. On January 20, 1956, the Diocese of Koupéla was erected, being the first ecclesiastical circumscription of French-speaking Africa to be entrusted to the diocesan clergy. The Servant of God John Paul II visited the country twice, in 1980 and 1990. In 2000, they celebrated the centenary of evangelization, in conjunction with the Jubilee of the Redemption.
Some data on the Catholic presence in the country: Catholics are 1,809,000, distributed in 13 dioceses with 155 parishes. There are 19 bishops, 662 diocesan priests, 154 religious priests, 229 professed brothers, 1,401 religious, and 10,428 catechists. The Catholic Church runs 38 kindergartens with 2,643 pupils, 108 elementary schools with 23,014 pupils, and 58 junior high and high schools with 19,876 students. The Catholic Church also runs 12 hospitals, 58 clinics, a leper colony, 13 care centers, and 33 orphanages (taken from the most recent Church Yearbook). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 20/3/2010)
