Religion: The Basilica in the Bush

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Like St. Peter's, which the Protestants of 16th century Europe scorned as a scandalous extravagance, Our Lady of Peace is being maligned as an unseemly expense in a country with an annual per capita income of $650. Demands a devout Ivory Coaster: "Why build a church for God while there are so many unemployed and near starving?" The regime counters that the church was paid for entirely by private funds provided by Houphouet-Boigny and his sister and was built on land owned by the President.

Houphouet-Boigny considers the basilica a gift not only to Africa but also to the Vatican. Though he discussed the project in an audience with Pope John Paul II last April, the Pontiff will not come to dedicate the church in September. (If he ever does visit, John Paul will stay in a huge residence built especially for him, complete with swimming pool, 20 rooms and a 40-room mansion for his entourage.)

Ivory Coast officials want the Vatican to provide the $1.5 million in estimated annual maintenance costs. Rome, however, was not consulted on the undertaking and thus feels no financial responsibility, though it may help supervise an international fund for the extraordinary edifice. Confides a Vatican official: "The size and expense of the building in such a poor country make it a delicate matter. But it is a project close to the President's heart, and he sees it as an experience of faith. We want to respect that."

Although bishops and priests in the Ivory Coast are reluctant to say much about the grandiose building, some parishioners fervently defend it. One man insists it is a gift to God "in thanks for all the years of peace that we have enjoyed." Says a young religious instructor: "We give it to the entire Christian world with the little that we have, despite our poverty. This is the way Ivorians think." Under the shadow of the colossal dome, Antoine Bakou, 29, hoes his yam patch and reflects quietly, "It is a good thing for us to have the basilica because we Africans walk in the divine presence."