Ivory Coast in Africa was once famous for its trade in ivory. However, it gained notoriety as a hub for the slave trade. The personal tragedies of thousands of people—men, women, children, and entire families—has left a lasting mark on the collective memory of the African people who were kidnapped, often by their own neighbors, and then sold to the Americas. On September 10, 1990, during the ceremony of the consecration of the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, Pope John Paul II remarked that he wished the basilica to become a center promoting justice and peace and reconciliation “on the continent so severely afflicted by divisions and terrors, but at the same time, the continent animated with great hope.” The Pope stressed that Ivory Coast as well as the entire African Continent definitely needs peace and reconciliation. That is why we should strive to bring reconciliation among all its inhabitants by real and peaceful dialogue. Building up relations of trust between the human and religious communities is very important and a necessary condition for dispelling fear of others and rediscovering the benefit of living side by side. Mutual trust, which must always inspire and imbue the social, political and economic life of a country at all levels, should be rooted in the promotion of the universal moral values such as respect for human rights and a sense of the dignity of every person. Ivory Coast was officially consecrated to the Virgin Mary by Pope John Paul II for the first time in 1980 during his initial visit to the country. The Pope reaffirmed this consecration for a second time on September 10, 1990, during the inauguration of the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro. The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro is considered one of the largest Catholic churches in the world, accommodating 18,000 worshipers.