Pope Benedict XVI to Make Second Trip to Benin, Africa

By Francis X. Rocca
Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI will make his second papal trip to Africa on Friday (Nov. 18), visiting the West African country of Benin for three days, where he is likely to address economic justice, peace-building and interfaith dialogue.

During Mass at a stadium in the city of Cotonou on Sunday, Benedict will present Catholic bishops from across Africa with an authoritative papal document about the church's efforts to promote "reconciliation, justice and peace."

The document is based on a three-week synod of African bishops held at the Vatican in October 2009. That meeting ended with an unusually strong official statement that blamed violent conflict in Africa on "greed for power and wealth at the expense of the people and nation," and called on political leaders to "clean the continent of corruption."

Benedict will also speak to Benin's political, religious, business and cultural leaders at the presidential palace in Cotonou on Saturday. The Rev. Federico Lombardi, the chief Vatican spokesman, said the speech will touch on issues of concern to all of Africa.

While Catholics make up little more than a quarter of Benin's population, the country has long been a regional hub of missionary work, Lombardi said. A seminary in the city of Ouidah, which Benedict will visit on Saturday, has been a source of priests for nearby countries, including Ghana, Nigeria and Niger.

Ouidah is also an international center for the indigenous religion of Vodoun, or Voodoo, which is practiced by more than 17 percent of Beninese. Catholicism's relationship with traditional African religions is of particular concern to Benedict, who has warned against the danger of melding faiths in non-Catholic cultures.

Late last month at the Vatican, Benedict lamented to bishops visiting from Angola and Sao Tome and Principe that African converts to Catholicism often persist in "practices that are incompatible with adherence to Christ," including the "marginalization and even murder of children and elderly people, condemned by the false diktats of witchcraft."

Comments

[fsinsf]

03:27 PM on 11/16/2011

The Pope is pushing interfaith dialogue and peace building while condemning the religious practices of others?? Vodoun does not involve human sacrifice, why is the Pope even saying that they murder children and the elderly? WTF is wrong with him?

[busterggi]

03:04 PM on 11/16/2011

Spiritual guidance from a nazi. Not someone just called a nazi but a real party-member nazi.

Believers are pathetic.

Oh, don't forget to attend a witch-burning while you're there Ratzi!

[ThinkCreeps]

01:23 PM on 11/16/2011

Ever campaigning, Ratzinger opens a new assault: zombies against voodoo.

[fishnetdiver]

04:23 AM on 11/16/2011

"Turnest thou away from this vile and bl_oody false religion that is Voudoun! Instead come forth with me and learn a better way! Now drinkest thou the bl_ood and eatest thou the flesh of thy saviour who walks upon water and raiseth the de@d!"

[busterggi]

03:05 PM on 11/16/2011

'CHUDs for Jesus'

[Toutlaguerre]

10:39 PM on 11/15/2011

Sorry to be so distracted, but is he picking his bottom tooth or telling someone, " I'll call you later" ?

[ThinkCreeps]

01:19 PM on 11/16/2011

He's picking around in his cheek to see if he can find any crumbs of credibility.

[Doug Sandlin]

09:14 PM on 11/15/2011

I have a good friend who is a serious Voudou practitioner, and he's one of the coolest, most spiritual people I know.

He even did a mini-voudou ceremony at our recent yoga retreat (I don't smoke, and I even took a puff of the sanctified cigar - it was kind of cool, actually).

Plus, after the retreat, it was kind of fun to say to people who presume we just sit around silently with incense burning, "Yes, we allow caffeine. Yes, you can talk ... we're pretty open-minded ... we even had a voudou ceremony at our last retreat ....!"

I'll take genuine, spiritual voudou over fossilized Catholicism (not the only kind, of course) any day.

[annedyth]

05:09 PM on 11/15/2011

I see and feel nothings wrong with Voudon, per se, it works well for me!

[One more Thing]

09:44 PM on 11/15/2011

Anti-voudon sentiment being spread by the Vatican must stop! Fight for Voudon Liberty!!

[annedyth]

09:49 PM on 11/15/2011

One more Thing,
I agree with that!:)

[ThinkCreeps]

04:49 PM on 11/15/2011

It's a hostile takeover. Don't fall for it. Stick pins in him.

[ThinkCreeps]

04:48 PM on 11/15/2011

I'm sending more chicken bones immediately. The voodooers need help.

[xenubarb]

04:43 PM on 11/15/2011

Dear Papa Legba,

As lord of crossroads, I ask that you run the Popemobile off a suitable cliff.
As lord of communications, I ask that you stop his mouth and trip his tongue.

Do it for me, for the lulz! ktksbai!

[Rhonnybay]

04:27 PM on 11/15/2011

I was raised Catholic and I have a few friends who practice Vodoun. There are some African Americans who have chosen to study some of the traditions prior to the Europeans bring their bibles.

Even as a Christian, I find this so hypocritical. As I see some want to praise Catholicism in Africa, its also been its destruction. Islam and Christianity really haven't done much good to the Mother Continent.

[Veritas is Pro Life]

03:06 PM on 11/15/2011

We are so blessed to have such a holy man leading our Church. His courage and stamina are remarkable. Africa is such a strong source of priestly vocations, it is important that he visit them to encourage their faith journey. Veritas.

[ThinkCreeps]

06:05 PM on 11/15/2011

... and even better than that, Ratzinger's in his late 80's. In a few years we'll be free of him.

[Veritas is Pro Life]

08:56 AM on 11/16/2011

Not really, he is certain to die in a couple of years, but his prayers from heaven will impact us much more than his work here on earth. Maybe we will be fortunate enough to have Archbishop Dolan become Pope then, that would be great!! Veritas.

[SuperHeretic]

01:14 PM on 11/15/2011

The Pope is going to Africa!

Hooray!!!!

Now he can personally encourage the rumor that condoms are bad! Oh! By the way! Did you know that in Kenya they're actually burning people accused of witchcraft alive?! I bet you're just ecstatic over the return to the biblical fundamentals of not suffering a witch to live!

Gotta love that Bible! Good stuff! Keep this up and they'll even bring back slavery and public stonings! Who would have imagined that a former Hitler youth, pedophile sheltering, wizened old virgin would have had it in him to accomplish so much in life! With a resume like that, we all know you could only do good in the world.

Good Job Ratzy! May I call you Rat? In my heart I already do.

[ThinkCreeps]

02:54 PM on 11/16/2011

Go easy on those furry rodents. They've done nothing as bad as popenfester.

[Dragosurfer]

12:34 PM on 11/15/2011

What it comes down to is that people that believe in Voodoo do not give money to the RCC. I'm sure the Pope would be okay with other kinds of Voodoo if they would just give up some of their money. It's all about the money for the RCC.

[One more Thing]

09:49 PM on 11/15/2011

In Nevada they don't accept chickens in the collection plate??

[Dragosurfer]

12:30 PM on 11/15/2011

This is the epitome of hypocrisy coming from the RCC: "...meeting ended with an unusually strong official statement that blamed violent conflict in Africa on "greed for power and wealth at the expense of the people and nation," and called on political leaders to "clean the continent of corruption."

Right, because "greed for power and wealth at the expense of the people and nation," is the job of the RCC, and apparently, they do not like the competition.

[One more Thing]

10:03 PM on 11/15/2011

Right on.