Pope to visit Benin, November 2011

Pope Benedict XVI has accepted an invitation to visit the African nation of Benin, in November 2011. The purpose of the visit, which will last three days, is mainly pastoral and falls within the framework of the Jubilee year marking 150 years since the evangelisation of Benin.
During the visit, the Holy Father will also present bishops from nations throughout the African continent, his post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation from the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, held in the Vatican in October 2009. This document, which will develop the theme of the Synod - "The Church in Africa in Service to Reconciliation, Justice and Peace" – and will be a pastoral guideline for the Church in Africa in the coming years.
The visit will also be a happy occasion for the Pope Benedict, to "remember the unforgettable and beloved Cardinal Bernardin Gantin”, worthy son of Benin with whom the Pope " had the providential opportunity to share many years of service to the Apostolic See. "

The announcement of the papal visit to Benin brings to four the number of apostolic journeys of the Holy Father for 2011, after that of Croatia scheduled for April, Madrid, Spain in August, and Germany in September.