Five Issues of Concern Catholic Bishops in Benin Want Addressed for Peace “preservation”

They appeal to the perpetrators of these “heinous acts” to seek conversion since “human life is sacred and inviolable.”

CEB members encourage the authorities, parents and educators at various levels “to be on their guard.”

They call upon those inclined to greed for easy gain to “abandon these paths of death once and for all, and return to the path of life.”

The Catholic Bishops in Benin also decry the lack of “love for work”, saying that the virtue does not seem visible among young people in the country.

They reference to the September 1981 Encyclical Letter on human work by Pope St. John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, saying that “it is through work that man must procure his daily bread and contribute to the continual progress of science and technology, and above all the constant cultural and moral elevation of the society in which he lives in communion with his brothers and sisters.”

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“We appeal to all the sons and daughters of our country to cultivate the sense and love of work well done, the principal foundation of all development,” CEB members say.

They add, “Building our nation is our common responsibility. And it is together, through a collective commitment, that we will succeed in plugging the perforated jar, the symbol of our national unity.”

“Let us rid ourselves of the brambles of laziness, mediocrity, meanness, defeatism, fatalism, the spirit of negativity, self-deprecation, hatred and injustice,” the Catholic Church leaders say. 

They further express concern about the “alarming increase” in road accidents in the country.

The Catholic Bishops say that “life is a precious gift from God, and that everyone has a duty to preserve his own and that of others, in accordance with the teaching of Pope John Paul II's encyclical Donum Vitae.”

While CEB members invite all citizens to a “collective awareness”. they call on authorities and security forces to “play their part in preserving lives.”

In their January 19 statement, Catholic Bishops in Benin express concern about “deviant and self-destructive behaviours” that they say “are increasingly observed among young people.”

“These include alcohol and drug abuse, moral depravity, and noise pollution, especially at night. Not only do these scourges compromise the physical, mental and moral well-being of our young people, they also jeopardize their future,” the Catholic Church Bishops lament.

They remind young people that they are the “present and future of the nation.”

CEB members call for “concerted action on the part of families, educators and authorities at various levels, to offer better support to this precious segment of our society.”

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“We lay particular emphasis on the importance of education that respects natural, moral and spiritual laws to strengthen the ethical foundations of youth, guiding them towards healthy and beneficial life choices,” CEB members say in their January 19 statement.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.