Lomé — "I cannot give up my fetishes, but I want all my children to become Christians." Taking up the words of a priest of the traditional divinities in Akrassikro, Ivory Coast, Father Silvano Galli, who recently returned to the seminary of Lomé, where he is in charge of the year of preparation to enter the Society of African Missions, tells Fides about his approach to the new seminarians.

"This year there are seven aspirants - he writes -. They arrived on October 31 and I had the opportunity to meet them. Some aspects of their path have impressed me. Some of them have parents who follow the traditional religion, but have accepted that their son follows this new path. Several of these young people on the way were accompanied by diocesan priests. And it was these diocesan priests who referred them to the Society of African Missions, stressing the esteem, consideration, trust and appreciation that the SMA enjoys in the diocese and in the country.

"All the young people have a university education," notes the missionary. "Some are already graduates, others have agreed to interrupt their university course to begin their new journey with our community."

"Therefore, we are together on the journey. As the SMA basic document on formation underlines, we have in mind the four fundamental areas: the human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral dimensions. We want to prepare missionaries who have a strong and personal experience of God, with a secure identity, capable of dialoguing with the world of today, in all areas, without prejudice or fear."