The 138th edition of the Marian pilgrimage of Popenguine, dedicated to Our Lady of Deliverance, took place on May 23, 24 and 25, 2026. It officially closed its doors this Monday at the end of the traditional closing ceremony.

Before an audience of government members, administrative, diplomatic, religious and traditional authorities, the Church's official message was particularly powerful. Delivered immediately after the grand Eucharistic celebration on Monday—presided over this year by Bishop Jean-Baptiste Valter Manga, the new Bishop of Ziguinchor and guest of honor at this year's event—the address by Bishop André Guèye of Thiès made a strong impression with its frankness.

Speaking on behalf of the Episcopal Conference, the prelate expressed his deep concern about a national social climate which he considers fraught with divisions and dissensions with political overtones, where partisan interests too often seem to take precedence over the legitimate aspirations of citizens for a better life and a true living together.

"Senegal needs the energy of all its sons and daughters more than ever to reinvent itself," the bishop stressed, calling for a frank, respectful and inclusive dialogue involving teachers, pupils, students, farmers, unions and workers from all sectors of activity.

Bishop André Guèye welcomed President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's stated commitment to upholding the republican tradition of dialogue, which he described as a fundamental "cultural foundation" of the Senegalese people. However, he urged the nation's vital forces to go much further, making dialogue a truly permanent, participatory, and constructive way of life, rigorously focused on the daily concerns of ordinary people.

Returning to the central theme of this 2026 pilgrimage, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God," the Churchman highlighted the deep anxieties of young people facing mass unemployment and social exclusion, as well as the dismay of the farming world in the face of recurring economic crises and increasingly uncertain wintering seasons.

Finally, the prelate praised the highly symbolic presence of delegations from Muslim brotherhoods and religious families in Popenguine. This unique model of Senegalese coexistence and interfaith dialogue between Islam and Christianity, he said, constitutes a precious treasure that the Church intends to preserve and strengthen, despite the current political and social turmoil.