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Catholic Church in Benin
“Be a channel of communication, peace”: Vatican Secretary of State to Apostolic Nuncio to Burkina Faso, Niger
The Vatican Secretary of State has called upon the Apostolic Nuncio to Burkina Faso and Niger, whom he ordained Bishop, to serve as “a channel of communication, fraternity, and peace” for the Church and society in the two neighbouring countries.
Benin-born Former Vatican Culture Secretary Dies at 83, Eulogized as “great theologian”
Bishop Barthélemy Adoukonou, a native of Benin and former Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture at the Vatican, has passed on at the age of 83. Bishop Adoukonou passed on shortly after midnight on Monday, October 27, at the University Teaching Hospital in Cotonou, the Local Ordinary of Cotonou Catholic Archdiocese who doubles as the President of the Episcopal Conference of Benin (CEB) announced in a statement. “A great theologian, educator, and man of faith, Bishop Adoukonou devoted his entire life to the service of God, the Church, and culture,” Archbishop Roger Houngbédji says in the October 27 statement. Archbishop Houngbédji notes that as former Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Bishop Adoukonou “worked with intelligence and passion to foster dialogue between faith and reason, between the Gospel and African cultures.” “His teaching, wisdom, and deep love for the Church have profoundly influenced generations of Priests, women and men Religious, intellectuals, and lay faithful,” the member of the Order of Preachers (OP/Dominicans) says. He further says the late Bishop’s passing “leaves a great void in the life of the Church and the intellectual world, but his radiant witness remains a precious spiritual and cultural legacy.” “We commend his soul to the mercy of the Lord, in the firm belief that Christ, conqueror of death, welcomes him into the joy of His Kingdom,” Archbishop Houngbédji says, and adds, “Funeral arrangements will be communicated at a later date.” Bishop Adoukonou served as rector of Saint-Paul di Djimé Major Seminary in Benin from 1977 to 1984; professor of fundamental theology at the Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA) in Abidjan Ivory Coast, from 1978 to 1982. From 2000 to 2009, Bishop Adoukonou served as Secretary of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA). In December 2009, he was appointed Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture and was ordained Bishop in October 2011. The founder of the Movement Le Sillon Noir (Mewihwendo), which he animated from its inception in 1970 until 1999 also served as member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, now the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. He was also a member of the International Theological Commission for two five-year terms. In another statement issued October 27, the Rector of the Catholic University of the Congo (UCC) described Bishop Adoukonou as an “undisputed and indisputable master of the inculturation of the Christian faith in Africa.” Fr. Léonard Santedi Kinkupu recalled that the late Bishop Adoukonou, who was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university’s Faculty of Theology, “was one of the pioneers of African theology.” “The Theological School of Kinshasa pays a vibrant tribute to this master,” Fr. Santedi says, adding that his 1977 doctoral thesis, Foundations for an African Theology: An Essay on a Christian Hermeneutic of the Dahomean Vodun, written under the supervision of Professor Joseph Ratzinger – later Pope Benedict XVI – “remains a masterpiece in theology and a major contribution to the essential and ever-demanding dialogue between faith and culture.” Fr. Santedi extends his condolences “to the biological and religious family of the deceased, as well as to the entire African academic community,” and commends his soul “to your fervent prayers.” “May the Lord welcome him into His Kingdom and grant him the reward promised to the good and faithful servant,” the UCC Rector implores.
Apostolic Nuncio for Burkina Faso, Niger Says New Mission is “a challenge as well as grace”
The representative of the Holy Father appointed on August 15 for Burkina Faso and Niger has described his new mission as both a challenge and a grace.
Benin’s Catholic Bishops Urge Dialogue, Peace Ahead of 2026 General Elections
Members of the Episcopal Conference of Benin (CEB) have called on all political actors, civil society organizations, and citizens to work for peace, dialogue, and unity ahead of the country’s 2026 general elections.
Pastoral Activities in Several Villages in Benin’s N’Dali Catholic Diocese Suspended after Jihadist Attack
The Catholic Diocese of N’Dali in Benin has suspended pastoral activities in several villages after a recent jihadist attack.
Over 50 Soldiers Killed in Benin, Catholic Bishops Express Solidarity with Bereaved Families
Members of the Episcopal Conference of Benin (CEB) have expressed their spiritual closeness with families of 54 soldiers, who were killed in two separate attacks reportedly by Islamist militants in April.
Diversity “should never be a source of division”: Catholic Bishops Appeal for Calm ahead of Benin’s 2026 Elections
Members of the Episcopal Conference of Benin (CEB) have appealed for calm ahead for the West African country’s 2026 general elections.
Church in Benin to “welcome”, Venerate Relics of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus in 2025 Jubilee Year Celebrations
Members of the Episcopal Conference of Benin (CEB) have unveiled a list of spiritual activities planned for the Catholic Church in the West African country during the 2025 Jubilee Year celebrations, including a veneration of the relics of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.
“Work together to protect lives”: Catholic Bishops in Benin to Government, Civil Society amid Surge in Suicide Cases
Catholic Bishops in Benin are urging a unified response from the government, civil society, and the public to address rising social crises, including an alarming increase in suicide cases and other issues impacting the population.
Increased “cases of murder, suicide” Cause for Concern for Benin’s Catholic Bishops, Who Say Human Life is “inviolable”
Catholic Bishops in Benin have expressed concern about increased reported “cases of murder and suicide” in the West African country, and urged respect for human life.
Religious Leaders in Benin Urge Citizens to Remain Calm amid Contested Electoral Code
Religious leaders in Benin have urged citizens in the West African nation to remain calm following the country’s disputed parliamentary review of certain provisions of the electoral code as requested by the constitutional court on January 4.
Pray, Fast for “true peace”: Benin’s Catholic Bishops in Lenten Message
Catholic Bishops in Benin are inviting the people of God in the West African nation to engage in various forms of prayer and to fast during the Lenten season that begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14, for “true peace” in the country.
Bishops in Benin Appeal for “concrete actions, behaviors” to Foster Christian Unity
Catholic Bishops in Benin have appealed to the people of God in the West African nation to settle for lifestyles that contribute to the fostering of Christian unity in the country.
Five Issues of Concern Catholic Bishops in Benin Want Addressed for Peace “preservation”
Catholic Bishops in Benin have, at the end of their ordinary assembly, highlighted five challenges the people of God in the West African country are facing, which they want addressed for lasting peace.
Vatican Cardinal Advocates for Church-State “synergy” for Green Church Program in Benin
The Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD) has advocated for a Church-State “synergy” in the realization of the “Green Church Program”, an initiative of Benin’s Cotonou Archdiocese that “aims to bring about an ecological conversion among the faithful of the Catholic Church.”
“Breathe fresh air into the whole Church”: Vatican Cardinal to Benins’ Pastoral Agents
Michael Cardinal Czerny, who has been in Benin for a four-day pastoral trip, has used the image of “a lung” to remind the Pastoral Agents in the West African nation about their ability to “breathe” freshness into Universal Catholicism.
“Implement everything that promotes life”: Vatican Cardinal at Mass in Benin
There is need for followers of Christ to do everything in their power to foster life, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD), who has been in Benin for a four-day pastoral trip has said.
Catholic Archdiocese in Benin Aims for “ecological conversion” in “Green Church Program”
Benin’s Catholic Archdiocese of Cotonou is aiming to achieve “ecological conversion” through an initiative dubbed “Green Church Program”, an official in the Archdiocese has said.
Vatican Cardinal to Visit Catholic Hospital, Meet Bishops in 4-day Pastoral Trip to Benin
The Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD) is scheduled to be in the West African nation of Benin for a four-day visit that is to start on Wednesday, January 17.
Homosexuality “contrary to God's will since the creation of the world”: Bishops in Benin
Same-sex tendencies and practices are in contravention of the will of God from creation, Catholic Bishops in Benin have said.
