Cotonou, Benin, Oct 22, 2016 / 15:05 pm
The Holy See and the Republic of Benin have signed an agreement formally recognizing the legal status of the Catholic Church in the country, guaranteeing the Church's ability to carry out her mission in service of the common good.
Representatives from both the Holy See and the Republic of Benin gathered at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in Cotonou, the African country's largest city, Friday, Oct. 21, to seal the deal.
Called the "Framework Agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Benin relating to the Legal Status of the Catholic Church in Benin," the accord was signed by Archbishop Brian Udaigwe, nuncio to Benin, on the part of the Holy See, and on behalf of the Republic of Benin, Mr. Aurélien Agbenonci, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
According to an Oct. 22 Vatican communique, the agreement consists of a preamble and 19 articles, and "guarantees the Church the ability to carry out its mission in Benin."