Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ouidah (Agenzia Fides) - On 3 February in Ouidah, in the Basilica dedicated to the Immaculate Conception Benin born Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, emeritus Dean of the College of Cardinals in Rome, celebrated the 50th anniversary of his Ordination as Bishop. Present from Rome for the occasion Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples; Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops; Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, about 30 bishops from various west African countries, the entire Bishops’ Conference of Benin, as well as a number of bishops from France and Italy, numerous priests from Benin and Togo, and missionaries from various European countries. The Mass was broadcast live by Radio Immaculée Conception.
The celebration was evocative and moving, significant the speeches and messages including letters from Pope Benedict XVI and the French President Jacques Chirac. President Thomas Boni Yayi of Benin, present at the celebration with the President Eyadema of Togo, offered Cardinal Gantin a golden crucifix as a "symbol of immortality". The long Eucharistic Concelebration brought together the whole nation around one of the country’s most illustrious sons, faithful servant of the Church, entrusted with most important positions in the Roman Curia for 31 years. With wisdom and outstanding gifts for pastoral work and government in the fifty years as a Bishop faithful to his motto, Cardinal Bernardin Gantin lived "In tuo sancto servitio".
In his address for the occasion Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples spoke on behalf of the Congregation and he said how happy he was to join in the expressions of filial affection and admiration “a man whose figure and life story have been an ecclesial and missionary epiphany”. After recalling his own bonds of friendship with the African Cardinal, the prefect of Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples said he wanted to join the Blessed Virgin Mary with her Magnificat to the Lord “for all that the Lord has worked through the good and generous life of His Eminence Cardinal Gantin”. “When God plants a tree he tends to it carefully, it flourishes; it grows well and produces numerous good fruits - said Card. Dias -. When God planted a tree it grew to be ‘Gan atin’, a tree of iron! Today the tree of iron has become, through God’s grace, after fifty year of episcopate, a tree of gold! In your person, Your Eminence, the Lord has done great things for us”.
When Cardinal Gantin left Rome to return to Africa everyone missed his humanity, his sense of the priesthood: “As Secretary of Propaganda… to when you were Dean of the College of Cardinals, for everyone you were always a father, a confrere, an advisor, a friend, close to great and small. All who met you appreciated the signs of your thoughtfulness, the inexhaustible source of humanity, of kindness and humility”.
Cardinal Dias then said: “We all received much from your African spirit and your approach to the significance of the human person”, and recalling Cardinal Gantin’s service in Rome, he added: “your life story is that of a ‘son of missionaries who became a missionary’, an African missionary to Rome where you deepened your sensus ecclesiae. Your time in Rome traced a missionary furrow from Africa to the heart of Catholicity”. Cardinal Dias asked Cardinal Gantin to continue to accompany all with his paternal affection, his advice and his prayers: “We need this support if we are to continue as your heirs for mission”. “Celebrating your Golden Jubilee as a bishop we wish to say once again Your Eminence that for us you are a man with a great heart, an African missionary, a humble witness to the Gospel and faithful servant of the Church. This is for us a sign of certainty and symbol of hope”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 5/2/2007 - righe 45, parole 655)
