Spotkanie Jana Pawła II z przedstawicielami afrykańskich religii tradycyjnych w Togo i w Beninie. Kontekst i możliwości dialogu
Encounter of John Paul II with Representatives of African Traditional Religions in Togo and Benin. Context and Possibilities for Dialogue

Summary/Abstract: During each pilgrimage Pope John Paul II encountered representatives of other religions or directed to them a message. In this paper the author analyzes two visits of the Pope: to Togo (1985) and to Benin (1993), during which the Pope met with representatives of vodun cults. The author points out that the circumstances, time and place influenced the importance of these meetings for the followers of traditional religions. For the followers of the vodun religion, it was a kind of legitimization of their beliefs on a par with Christianity, while for the Catholics it was an expression of tacit approval of their links with traditional religion. Nevertheless, the openness to the other, the recognition of their existential problems and social inequalities recognized in the attitude and message of the Pope, left a strong imprint on the minds of Togolese and Beninese, so that John Paul II’s visits will long remain a unique and extraordinary event in their history.

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