AFRICA/BENIN - Opening of the Jubilees of the Pontifical Mission Societies: all the baptized must become aware of their missionary identity

Monday, 17 January 2022 pontifical mission societies   local churches  

Porto Novo (Agenzia Fides) - "To make all the Catholic Christians of Benin live the four commemorations of the PMS in 2022": this is what Father Cosme Tayéwo Adjomale, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Benin, declared during the opening of the four Jubilees, which took place on Saturday January 15 in the parish of Saint-Joseph in Grand-Popo, a parish symbol of one of the places which welcomed the first missionaries in Dahomey land. The representatives of the ten dioceses of Benin, accompanied by their directors and chaplains, were present at the opening Mass of the Jubilees, presided over by His Excellency Monsignor Mark Miles (Apostolic Nuncio in Benin and Togo), in the presence of the Bishops Aristide Gonzallo, from the diocese of Porto-Novo, President of the Episcopal Commission for Missions and Pontifical Mission Societies, and Victor Agbanou, from the Diocese of Lokossa, President of the Bishops' Conference of Benin. Priests, men and women religious, political authorities, security agents and law enforcement agencies were present to experience this unforgettable day.
The joy of the Bishops present did not remain hidden for long. They showed this in their various speeches without forgetting to invite all the Christians of Benin to live the mission fully and to invoke in their lives the intercession of the Founders of the four Societies. At the end of the Mass, also Fr. Cosme Tayéwo Adjomale also expressed his joy in a short speech and addressed his words of gratitude to everyone. After having made the history of the four Societies that make up the Pontifical Mission Societies, the 5th National Director of the PMS of Benin showed the importance of these different Jubilees for Benin as favorable moments of grace, so that all the baptized in Benin become aware of their missionary identity; and the way to follow, according to him, is daily missionary animation. We recall that the following anniversaries are celebrated this year: the 400th anniversary of the founding of Propaganda Fide (1622-2022), the current Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith by Pauline Jaricot (1822-2022); the 150th anniversary of the birth of Father Paolo Manna, founder of the Pontifical Missionary Union (1872-2022); the 100th anniversary of the recognition of the three Societies (POPF, POSI and POSPA) as Pontifical Societies on May 3, 1922 by Pope XI. (E.G.) (Agenzia Fides, 17/1/2022)


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