This Thursday, December 22, the bishop of Ajaccio for Corsica, Monsignor François-Xavier Bustillo, spoke before the elected officials of Upper Corsica in the solemn setting of the cathedral of Bastia. “I have been touring Corsica for 18 months, and I have been welcomed by the mayors and the authorities with great kindness”he explained at the beginning. “So I figured that once a year, just before Christmas and at the end of the calendar year, I might tell them a thank-you note. » For this reason Monsignor François-Xavier Bustillo, appointed on May 11, 2021, wanted to set up this annual meeting. ” A first “he was also satisfied. “We had never done this before in the region. »
First, the Spanish native then wanted to thank the elected officials for theirs “Engagement” with the Church. “There is a unique religious heritage in Corsica. To preserve and enhance it, therefore, it is necessary to establish a co-responsibility between the Church and the Municipality. Exactly, I appreciate the support of each municipality, there is a search for healthy complicity. » François-Xavier Bustillo also wanted to underline this theme “secularism in Corsica”. “I think there is a liberated secularism here, because it is neither politicized nor ideologised. I will never tell a mayor what to do and a mayor will never tell me what to do. There must be cordial contact, without being fusion or confusion. This is what I wanted to encourage. »
