Dr Aja Isatou Njie-Saidy, vice-president and secretary of state for Women’s Affairs on Friday, received Archbishop Cardinal Theodore Adrien Sarr of Senegal in her office at State House, Banjul.

Accompanied to State House by Patrick Robert Ellison (CSSP), the Bishop of Banjul and Pierre LM Sarr, liaison officer between the government and the Catholics in the country, Cardinal Sarr’s visit was meant to celebrate with the Gambian Catholic family of his nomination as Cardinal by Pop Benedict 16th, on 24th November, 2007, in Rome, Italy.

Speaking to journalists soon after his audience with Vice-President Njie-Saidy, Cardinal Sarr expressed deep appreciation at the warmed welcome accorded to him by both the Catholic and the Muslim communities in The Gambia. He stated that his visit is also meant to join the Gambian Catholic family in celebrating and thanking Allah for such a gift through Pop Benedict 16th.

“During my nomination as Cardinal, both Catholics and Muslims in Senegal, The Gambia and the entire West Africa were deeply touched. This manifested that we are the same, more particularly The Gambia and Senegal. I honoured the invitation of Bishop Ellison to visit The Gambia and celebrate with the population, as well as thank Allah as Cardinal is very important in the Catholic faith,” he said.

He then called for Muslim-Christian cordial relations, saying “we should be united, ensure peace. This is what God needs”. He then highlighted some issues in his discussion with Vice-president Njie-Saidy, including nurturing the continuous excellent Muslims-Christian relations.

For his part, Patrick Robert Ellison (CSSP), the Bishop of Banjul, described the visit as important to the Catholic community, noting that being a Cardinal is very important and a special privilege.. He stated that there are only 120 Cardinals in the whole Catholic church around the world. “So if an African and a Senegambian is nominated by Pop Benedict 16th as a Cardinal, both Senegal and The Gambia should be proud of it,” he said.

He then highlighted the relations that Cardinal Sarr has in The Gambia and described the visit as not only because he is a Catholic, but as a member of the Sarr family whose immediate family are also in The Gambia. He then stated that the visit will greatly strengthen the faith of the Catholic community, saying “Cardinal Sarr is a man of God, faith and deep conviction and someone who has great concern for Muslim-Christian relations”.

During his four-day visit, Cardinal Sarr was hosted to a reception, celebrated a mass at St Peter’s Church in Lamin, where he confirmed 60 young Gambians into the Christian faith. He also met the elders of the Supreme Islamic Council last Saturday and attended a celebration at the Cathedral Church in Banjul on Sunday before his departure yesterday.