Cardinal Czerny undertakes pastoral visit to Benin
By Antonella Palermo
The Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Michael Czerny, is visiting Benin from 17 to 20 January.
Last June, he had travelled to the Republic of Congo, known as Congo-Brazzaville, as papal representative on the occasion of the celebration of the 140th anniversary of the evangelisation of the Congo.
Saint Jean hospital: quality care at sustainable costs
Africa is at the centre of the Cardinal’s upcoming commitments. Over the next few days, he will be in the city of Cotonou, where he will visit the non-profit Saint Jean De Dieu Hospital, a health care facility that assists the population with various medical services.
Created in 1963 by the religious sisters of the Congregation Saint Joseph of Lyon, it first passed under the management of lay people after the sisters’ departure in 1986; it is currently run by priests appointed by the archbishop of Cotonou. Today, it is an accredited area hospital and has also managed to buy a 43-hectare piece of land in Sèhouè.
This hospital aims to facilitate access to quality care at an acceptable cost for people who are less well-off or who live far from the city. There are several wards, including the newly built maternity ward, two operating theatres (only one of which is functioning), and two reanimation wards.
Meeting with bishops and religious, and a round table on ecology
As part of the Cardinal’s pastoral visit, there will also be two working meetings to address the challenges of the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Togo and the bishops of Benin.
In addition, the Cardinal Prefect will participate in a meeting with episcopal social commissions and religious congregations working locally in the social field.
On 19 January, Cardinal Czerny will preside at Mass in St. Michael’s Church in Cotonou, with more than 5,000 faithful expected to participate.
A round table on ecology will close the visit to the country, an important appointment considering that Benin is among the countries most exposed to deforestation and drought, which in turn lead to clashes between herders and farmers.
European aid for humanitarian development and security
From an internal security perspective, Benin is attempting to respond to the presence of jihadist militias in West Africa.
As reported by Africa Express, the US Army Corps of Engineers in Europe has been responsible for the construction of a reinforced boat facility and some humanitarian assistance projects, in particular the renovation of schools and health centers, in remote regions in the north where violent extremist organisations operate.
In total, the European Union has allocated 255 million euros in “macroeconomic stability” economic aid to Cotonou over the last five years, mainly along three strategic axes: human development, green digital growth, and a prosperous and secure society.
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