HOLY FATHER VISITS THE CATHEDRAL OF COTONOU

VATICAN CITY, 18 NOV 2011 (VIS) - This afternoon, the Holy Father travelled by popemobile to the cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy in Cotonou, where numerous faithful were waiting to greet him.

  Benedict XVI paused for a moment of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament then went on to visit the tombs of two former archbishops of Cotonou, Isidore de Sousa and Christophe Adimou. Following the "Te Deum" and a greeting by the current archbishop, Msgr. Antoine Ganye, the Pope pronounced his address. "They were heroic workers in the vineyard of the Lord", he said referring to the two deceased prelates, "and their memory lives on in the hearts of Catholics and innumerable other citizens of Benin. These two bishops were, each in his own way, pastors full of zeal and charity. They spent themselves, without counting the cost, in the service of the Gospel and of the people of God, especially the most vulnerable. You know well that Archbishop de Sousa was a friend of the truth and that he played a decisive role in your country's transition to democracy".

  "I invite you to meditate for a moment on [God's] infinite mercy. The history of salvation, which culminates in the incarnation of Jesus and finds its fulfilment in the Paschal Mystery, is a radiant revelation of the mercy of God", which "consists not only in the remission of our sins" but also "in the fact that God, our Father, redirects us, sometimes not without pain, affliction or fear on our part, to the path of truth and light, for He does not wish us to be lost. ... Looking back upon the personal history of each individual and of the evangelisation of our countries, we can say together with the Psalmist, 'I will sing of thy steadfast love, O Lord, for ever'".

  The Holy Father continued his remarks: "The Virgin Mary experienced to the highest degree the mystery of divine love. ... By her 'yes' to the call of God, she contributed to the manifestation of divine love in the midst of humanity. In this sense, she is the Mother of Mercy by her participation in the mission of her Son: she has received the privilege of being our helper always and everywhere. ... In Mary, we have not only a model of perfection, but also one who helps us to realise communion with God and with our brothers and sisters. As Mother of Mercy, she is a sure guide to the disciples of her Son who wish to be of service to justice, to reconciliation and to peace. ... Let us not be afraid to invoke her with confidence, she who ceaselessly dispenses to her children abundant divine graces".

  Benedict XVI then prayed to Our Lady to intercede to obtain peace for child victims of hunger and war, for the sick and the afflicted, for sinners, for Africa and for all humankind.

  The ceremony concluded with the praying of the Our Father and the Salve Regina, after which the Holy Father travelled by car to the apostolic nunciature.
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