CIBITOKE, August 6 (ABP) – The envoy of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, visited the Congolese refugee transit center in Cishemere, Cibitoke commune, Bujumbura province, on Sunday, August 3, 2025.
During the visit, the Pope’s envoy was accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio to Burundi, Dieudonné Datonou, the President and Vice-President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Bonaventure Nahimana, six bishops, the coordinator of ONPRA, the Deputy Representative of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and other public and Catholic figures.
The purpose of this visit, according to Cardinal Michael Czerny, was to show the closeness of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to these Congolese asylum seekers, sending them his blessing and words of encouragement. Cardinal Czerny personally presided over the Sunday church service at the Cishemere refugee transit center.
In his homily, based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke 12:13-21, he urged the faithful to beware of greed, as a person’s life does not depend on their possessions, even in abundance. He took the opportunity to thank the Burundian government for welcoming more than 77,000 Congolese refugees and encouraged UNHCR and other actors involved in the sector.
Cardinal Czerny called on Christians to strive to serve rather than to accumulate. He stated that “those who do not live to serve, do not serve to live.”
He emphasized that the selfish accumulation of material goods, as mentioned in the Bible, is reflected in the ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which have forced thousands of Congolese to flee their country, leaving their possessions behind to seek refuge in Burundi, where they face numerous challenges.
The Pope’s envoy stressed that in the region and beyond, some actors trample on the weak, especially children, to gain wealth and material interests.
Nevertheless, in God’s eyes, it is senseless to amass wealth without restraint while leaving behind dust and violence. According to Cardinal Czerny, one must open their heart and mind to God to become a maker of peace.
During his visit to Cishemere, the Pope’s envoy did not come empty-handed. He brought aid consisting of food and non-food items; sugar, oil, and soap; for the 1,128 refugees currently living at the Cishemere transit center.