Cotonou (Fides Service) - The Republic of Benin, with its 5.3 million people in a territory of 112,680 sq. km, is today one of the 'happy lands' of the African continent. Between 17th and 19th centuries slaves were the main exports of Dahomey as Benin was called until 1975. A former French colony, independent since 1960, in 1989 the country finally left behind 18 years of communist dictatorship. Evangelisation began in 1861 and the hierarchy was established in 1955, Catholics are about 25% of the population. The Catholic Church has always played an important role in moralising society along the difficult path to democracy, particularly under the leadership of Archbishop Isidore de Souza, who died in 1999. There are two metropolitan archdioceses, Cotonou and Parakou.
Despite the variety of ethnic groups, Fon, Adja, Bariba, Yoruba, Fulanim Somba and the presence of three main religious groups Traditional Beliefs 58%, Christianity 27% Islam 15%, Benin's people live together in peace although they face the many endemic problems common to the African continent related to underdevelopment. Many Dahomey customs including Voodoo were preserved by slaves taken to the Americas and they are still practised today by black groups in Brazil.
The local Church is committed to meeting the challenges posed by the third millennium and an ever changing society, safeguarding national unity and peace, support for the family, defence of life, promotion of Catholic education, increasing missionary awareness and commitment.
In the face of UN population policies promoting sterilisation and contraception en masse and of local customs such as polygamy which mortify the dignity of women, the rights of children and the are contrary to Christian matrimony, the Rome-based John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family ICAF opened a branch in Benin for west-speaking Africa ICAF. ICAF, which depends on the ICAF and on the Institute of Artisans of Justice and Peace IAJP, offers formation to promote a culture of life and support of the family. In recent years, like other African countries, Benin has known the scourge of child slave trafficking. The Bishops have courageously and openly denounced this crime, taking concrete measures to sensitise both the people and the judicial authorities.
As elsewhere also in Benin, Catholic dioceses and institutions are engaged in education and social assistance, with orphanages, schools of all grades, hospitals, dispensaries, homes for the elderly and professional training schools for girls as well as boys.
In the field of the media, Benin was the first country in Africa to open a Catholic radio station, Radio Immaculate Conception run by Jesuits and the Franciscan Friars of Immaculate Mary. The radio is an efficient means of catechesis and missionary activity. The country also has Catholic newspapers in French: La Croix du Benin, Marie au Monde and Pentecote d'Afrique.
In recent years the Bishops have encouraged missionary spirit sending a number of fidei donum priests to New Caledonia and Morocco. Moreover there are also Sisters from Benin working in Colombia. Vocations, to the priesthood and to the religious life, are flourishing, although discernment is still delicate and necessary. Doctrinal and pastoral formation for the numerous seminarians has to take into consideration the scarcity of formation staff. In August 2002 Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, a native of Benin, now outgoing Dean of the College of Cardinals in Rome, inaugurated a national Marian shrine at Dassa-Zoume, built mainly with funds from the Italian Bishops' Conference. This coming Sunday November 24, Solemnity of Christ the King, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples will preside, on behalf of Pope John Paul II, the closing Mass of the 1st National Eucharistic Congress. (Fides Service 22/11/2002)