The Bishop of Kolda, Bishop Jean-Pierre Bassène, the college of priests, and the faithful of the diocese greeted with enthusiasm and joy the news of Pope Leo XIV's appointment of a coadjutor bishop. The website of the Union of Senegalese Clergy (UCS) recounts the joy this appointment has generated within the Catholic community of Kolda, quoting the Vicar General's statement announcing the date of the coadjutor bishop's episcopal ordination. He will be the future pastor of the vast Diocese of Kolda, which covers two administrative regions.

"Habemus episcopum! We have a bishop!" This exclamation from Father Séraphin-Raphaël Ntab, Vicar General of the Diocese of Kolda, reflects the enthusiasm sparked by the appointment of Father Joseph Francis Badji as coadjutor bishop. Forty-eight hours after the papal announcement of January 10, 2026, expressions of joy are multiplying as preparations are underway.

In his statement dated January 12, the Vicar General revealed a crucial piece of information: the episcopal consecration will take place on Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Kolda, the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday. "Giving thanks to God for the wonderful gift He has given us of a coadjutor bishop," Father Ntab also revealed the motto chosen by the future prelate: "Humilitas fiduciaque" (Humility and trust), according to the UCS editorial staff.

This choice paints a spiritual portrait of the newly elected bishop. A formator at the Jean-Marie Vianney Interdiocesan Major Seminary in Brin for over twenty years, the future bishop has always prioritized humility in his guidance of seminarians. This trust in God will now guide his pastoral mission, reports the website of the clergy of Senegal.

Bishop Jean-Pierre Bassène, the first Bishop of Kolda, was the first to express his gratitude. "The Lord has visited his people, Alleluia!" he proclaimed in his message to the faithful that same day. The 74-year-old prelate celebrated this gift offered by "Holy Church, Our Mother, through the Holy Father Leo XIV." Without delay, he issued a call to action: "the entire diocesan family" must prepare itself "in prayer and shared responsibility," according to the UCS editorial team.

This preparatory momentum is rapidly taking shape. The Vicar General invites everyone "to be ready for further requests for the success of this great Church event." Kolda, which has known only one pastor since its creation in 1999, is about to experience a historic turning point.

At the regional level, the reception was equally warm. The Episcopal Conference encompassing Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, and Guinea-Bissau formalized its reaction by letter. Its Secretary General, Father Augustin Thiaw, writing on behalf of President Bishop Paul Abel Mamba, informed priests, religious, and lay people of this appointment.

The members of the Conference "give thanks to God for this appointment and rejoice especially with the Diocesan Family of Kolda." They convey their "fraternal congratulations" to Bishop Bassène, seeing in his future coadjutor "a brother, a collaborator." This fraternal communion is also expressed in intercession: the bishops "pray for the new Bishop, that God may grant him a fruitful and sanctifying episcopal mission."

The profile of the newly elected bishop reflects a desire for continuity. A priest of the diocesan clergy of Ziguinchor, he shares the same spiritual roots as Bishop Bassène, Ziguinchor being the "mother" diocese from which Kolda was separated. His background as a teacher and his deep roots in the Casamance region inspire confidence in the local Christian communities.

This appointment is part of a carefully managed succession process. A coadjutor bishop has the right of automatic succession. When the see becomes vacant, he becomes the titular bishop without a new papal appointment. This procedure ensures a smooth transition in a territory covering 21,011 km², encompassing the Kolda and Sédhiou regions, and comprising 12 parishes.

April 11, 2026 will mark the entry of the new prelate into the episcopal college. This celebration will bring together bishops from the region, priests, religious, and the faithful.

The Diocese of Kolda is preparing to receive its future coadjutor with dignity, bearing its motto: humility and confidence.