Cardinal Sarah

Cardinal Robert Sarah has urged the new Archbishop of Conakry to root his ministry in prayer, sacrifice and fidelity to the truth, warning that “to be a bishop is to die”. During Archbishop François Sylla’s installation Mass in Guinea, the cardinal also called for unity among priests and continual Eucharistic adoration within the Church Cardinal Robert Sarah has urged the new Archbishop of Conakry to root his episcopal ministry in prayer and fidelity to the truth as Archbishop François Sylla formally took possession of Guinea’s metropolitan archdiocese. Preaching during the installation Mass at the Cathedral of Sainte Marie in Conakry on 9 May, Cardinal Sarah told the congregation that the burden of the episcopate could not be carried without discipline and spiritual devotion. Recalling his own years as Archbishop of Conakry, a post he held from 1979 until 2001 before entering the Roman Curia, the cardinal said he would regularly withdraw for periods of fasting and prayer and encouraged Archbishop Sylla to do likewise. “You will not be able to bear this heavy burden if you do not fast, if you do not pray, if you do not make sacrifices, if you do not do penance,” His Eminence said. The former prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments warned against any understanding of episcopal office as a position of prestige or authority for its own sake, saying that the vocation of a bishop was inseparable from suffering and personal sacrifice. “To be a bishop is not to show off, nor to selfishly enjoy the tremendous authority of the Episcopacy,” Cardinal Sarah said. “On the contrary, to be a bishop is to die, it is to accept suffering.” Addressing Archbishop Sylla directly, His Eminence added: “To be a bishop is to drink the cup of the Lord every day, to suffer and die for others, to love and remain attached to the truth.” Cardinal Sarah also spoke of the need for humility and unity within the clergy, urging the new archbishop to remain close to his priests, especially those with whom he might experience difficulties. “The second task, dear Monsignor François, is to love your priests, especially those who make you suffer,” he said. He called for continual prayer and Eucharistic adoration within the archdiocese, adding: “A Church that does not pray will not survive.” In his address at the conclusion of the Mass, Archbishop Sylla emphasised the role of the Church in promoting peace and unity in Guinea at a time of political and social uncertainty. “Together, we are called to work for peace, fraternity and social cohesion in our country,” he said, adding that religious leaders had “an important role to play in promoting peace, unity, fraternity and the hope of a better tomorrow in respect for institutions”. The archbishop also appealed for greater unity among Catholics and said the Church must remain outward-looking in its mission. Referring to “divisions”, he said the faithful were called to form “one people united in Christ’s prayer”. He added that Christians must respond to what he described as an “identity crisis” affecting society through “the coherence of our witness”. Archbishop Sylla concluded by asking the faithful to pray for him as he began his ministry, saying he hoped to become “a shepherd according to His heart, at the service of the unity of His people, peace among men, and the joy of proclaiming the Gospel”. He also said the Church must continue to reach those on the margins of society and go forward “without hesitation, without repulsion, and without fear”. Archbishop Sylla succeeded Archbishop Vincent Coulibaly on 28 February after Pope Leo XIV accepted the latter’s resignation on health grounds. His appointment had long been expected after he was named coadjutor archbishop in May 2024 with the right of succession. A native of Siboty in the Archdiocese of Conakry, the 54-year-old prelate studied philosophy and theology in Mali before continuing his studies in Switzerland and Rome. Archbishop Sylla was born on 9 April 1972 in Siboty in the Archdiocese of Conakry and studied at the minor seminary in Kindia before undertaking philosophical and theological formation at the Saint Augustin de Samaya Major Seminary in Bamako, Mali. After his ordination to the priesthood on 21 November 2004, he served as parish vicar at Conakry Cathedral before continuing his studies in Switzerland, where he obtained a master’s degree in comparative law of religions at the Faculty of Theology of Lugano. He later studied canon law at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, receiving a doctorate in the discipline in 2013. Returning to Guinea, he served as chancellor of the Archdiocese of Conakry, judicial vicar and president of the metropolitan tribunal, while also leading the Union of Clergy in Guinea between 2018 and 2022. From 2020 until his episcopal appointment, he served as rector of the Benoît XVI Major Seminary in Kendoumayah. Pope Francis appointed him coadjutor archbishop of Conakry in May 2024 and he received episcopal consecration the following month at Conakry Cathedral. Photo credit: “ Cardinal Sarah preaching ” by Lawrence OP , CC BY-NC-ND 2.0