Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambican President Daniel Chapo met in Rome on Saturday with the Cardinal-Archbishop of Bologna, Matteo Zuppi, who is also the President of the Italian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Zuppi has longstanding connections with Mozambique. In the 1990s, he was one of the four mediators in the lengthy negotiations between the Mozambican government and the former rebel movement, Renamo, which culminated in the peace agreement signed in Rome on 4 October 1992.
The other mediators were Andrea Riccardi, the founder of the Sant’Egidio Community, the Archbishop of the central Mozambican city of Beira, Jaime Goncalves, and a representative of the Italian government, Mario Raffaelli
Many of the negotiating sessions were held in the headquarters of the Sant’Egidio Community. Subsequently, Sant’Egidio has played a key role in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Mozambique.
Chapo and Zuppi met on the sidelines of the funeral of the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis. According to a statement issued by Chapo’s office, during the meeting the Sant’Egidio Community expressed its willingness to continue supporting Mozambique, particularly in the areas of health, education, the fight against poverty, and the consolidation of a culture of peace.
Zuppi, said the statement, reaffirmed his deep commitment to Mozambique, and reaffirmed the desire of the Community and of the Catholic Church as a whole to support the Mozambican people.
Both men expressed their desire to strengthen the ties of friendship between Mozambique and the Vatican, stressing the importance of “permanent dialogue” as an instrument to confront today’s challenges and to promote fairer societies.
Chapo praised the role played by Zuppi in the peace negotiations. “For the Mozambican people, you are a living reference of hope, dialogue and reconciliation”, he said. “Your personal commitment, through the Sant’Egidio Community, was fundamental for peace and for opening paths of reconstruction and development for our nation”.
For their role in the mediation, Zuppi and Riccardi were made honorary Mozambican citizens.
The 70 year old Zuppi began his collaboration with Andrea Riccardi in the Sant’Egidio Community in 1973, and he was ordained a priest in 1981. Pope Francis appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop of Bologna in 2015, and he became a cardinal in 2019. Francis appointed him head of the Italian Bishops’ Conference in 2022.
Since the death of Francis, Zuppi’s name has been repeatedly mentioned as a possible future pope.
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