{"id":55263,"date":"2025-08-17T15:51:58","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T15:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/president-ndayishimiye-asks-pope-leo-to-grant-burundi-a-cardinal\/"},"modified":"2025-08-17T14:51:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T14:51:03","slug":"president-ndayishimiye-asks-pope-leo-to-grant-burundi-a-cardinal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/president-ndayishimiye-asks-pope-leo-to-grant-burundi-a-cardinal\/","title":{"rendered":"President Ndayishimiye asks Pope Leo to grant Burundi a cardinal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>He made the appeal on Friday, August 15, 2025, during the official inauguration of the Mugera Basilica, dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua and attended by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State. Located in Gitega Province, Mugera Parish has been elevated to the status of a minor basilica, the first of its kind in Burundi.<\/p>\n<p>President Ndayishimiye expressed gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for choosing Mugera as the first Basilica under his papacy, and invited him to personally celebrate Mass there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have come to receive the gift from our father, Pope Leo XIV, who has granted Mugera Church the title of Basilica. We invite him to come and bless it at a time he finds suitable\u2014let him come to his home,\u201d the President said.<\/p>\n<p>He added that a papal visit to Burundi would include a Mass at the new Basilica. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom today, this Basilica is his home. Mugera Church has long been a symbol of faith for all Christians, welcoming even Protestants. It is a place for all Burundians. We are deeply grateful to the Pope for this gift,\u201d Ndayishimiye said.<\/p>\n<p>The President emphasised the significance of the Basilica for national unity and called on Burundians to contribute to its development. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the first Basilica under Pope Leo XIV. We hope it will become a place where we meet God\u2014a space of peace, reflection, and inspiration to build our country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He further urged the Pope to consider granting Burundi a Cardinal to oversee the Basilica. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile the Basilica has been conferred, a Cardinal is still needed to shepherd it. We hope that all who pray here will feel at home, as Saint Peter once guided his followers. This will be a hub uniting Christians across the region,\u201d the President said.<\/p>\n<p>The Mugera Parish was founded in 1908 during the reign of King Mwezi Gisabo by missionaries Father Van Der Burgt and Father Van Der Wee. In 1922, as Burundi became an independent Vicariate, Mugera became the seat of its first Bishop, Monsignor Julien Louis Gorju, making it the country\u2019s first cathedral.<\/p>\n<p>Mugera, formerly known as \u2018Mu mana za Mugera,\u2019 also produced the first Burundian priests, Father Patrice Ntidendereza and Emile Ngendagende, who were ordained in 1925.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-92739 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gyeyyt7xkaakjju-bbef4.jpg\" alt=\"President Ndayishimiye said that the Mugera Basilica will serve as a place for Burundians to come together and connect with God.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-92737 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gyatqhjw0aaorg4-fa16b.jpg\" alt=\"Located in Gitega Province, Mugera Parish has been elevated to the status of a minor Basilica, the first of its kind in Burundi.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-92738 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gyatqojxmaafnab-a3591.jpg\" alt=\"Various officials attended the ceremony.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-92735 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gyatqm2wmaaobhs-ad13f.jpg\" alt=\"Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, signs the documents officially declaring Mugera Church a minor basilica.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-92736 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gyatqjiwiaafveq-6879e.jpg\" alt=\"President Ndayishimiye signs the documents officially declaring Mugera Church a minor basilica.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-92734 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gybmqyfw4aamfym-c96ef.jpg\" alt=\"President Ndayishimiye was accompanied by his wife.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-92732 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gyape21wkaazrzl-e5a1b.jpg\" alt=\"President Ndayishimiye asked Pope Leo XIV to grant Burundi a cardinal.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-92733 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gybmq0sxmaeladj-23654.jpg\" alt=\"Thousands of people gathered at Mugera Church to witness the elevation of the parish to a minor basilica.\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Evariste Ndayishimiye has called on Pope Leo XIV to visit Burundi, celebrate a historic Mass, and grant the country its first Cardinal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000092741,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-55263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default 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