Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rabat (Fides Service)- “The archdiocese of Rabat owes a debt of gratitude to the Church in Benin” writes Archbishop Vincent Landel of the diocese of Rabat, capital of Morocco in the diocesan bulletin Ensemble at the end of a visit to Benin. “Four years have passed since the first Benin priests arrived in our Church to bear witness to God’s love for all men and women”.
Archbishop Landel recalls that the idea of sending priests to Rabat “was an initiative of Archbishop Isidore De Souza, archbishop of Cotonou, capital of Benin, who paid a visit to our Church in 1999 and returned to his country promising the send one of his priests to help us. Sad to say three days after his return from Morocco the Archbishop died suddenly. Cardinal Gantin showing deep affection for our Church supported the pastoral project and Fr. Ephrem and Fr. Aristide are for us a living heritage of that great Bishop”.
It was archbishop Assogba his successor who completed archbishop De Souza’s project. Although he retired I realised how important the sending of his priests to Morocco was for him and for the Church in Benin” says the Archbishop of Rabat who also met with Cardinal Gantin. “I had the joy of conversing with him: I realised that our Church and our country Morocco were very dear to his heart, since King Hassan II called him to be a member of the Royal Academy”.
“At the same time to understand better the experience of Benin consecrated people, students and migrants I wanted to meet the country and the local Church to examine future prospects” writes Mgr Landel who was amazed to see the vitality of the Benin Church and society: “I was especially impressed by the essential role of women: even the woman of pensioner's age goes to the market to open her little shop!”
Morocco has many students from Benin and Mgr Landel explains that one of the purposes of his visit was to “see how we can give better help to these students. Reflecting with the bishops of Benin we decided to launch a number of forms of collaboration and accompaniment. Is not this the beauty of the Church: reciprocal help in order to live better on both sides of the Sahara?”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 30/3/2006 righe 32 parole 388)
