"In Benin, the sacrament of marriage is a well-received pastoral reality; yet, there are cultural obstacles from which the family suffers, and this prevents some spouses from accomplishing their desires, for example founding the couple's life on faith in Christ." This was said by Msgr. Eugene Houndekon, Bishop of Abomey and Vice President of the Episcopal Conference, during the ad Limina visit of the Bishops of this African country at the Pontifical Council for the Family, on April 21st.
The 11-member delegation was welcomed by the Dicastery's President, Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia, and Secretary, Msgr. Jean Laffitte. During the meeting, each Bishop stressed the importance of the family as the foundation of society, a foundation that, unfortunately, especially in Africa, is under severe pressure from international organizations. It came to the fore that the main challenge to be addressed is polygamy. After a fruitful exchange with the President and the Secretary of the PCF, the Bishops of Benin decided to work together to produce new proposals for presentation at the next Synod, with the aim of giving a more precise response to polygamous families who want to embrace the Christian faith. There is, consequently, a strong will to better discern the extent to which these families can then be baptized and then receive communion, for this is a complex issue, very similar to that of the divorced and remarried faithful in Western countries.
Read Bishop Houndekon's intervention
