Porto Novo

In Porto Novo the Catholic Church is profoundly ecumenical and interreligious. Indeed, Catholics and Protestants celebrate together special days in honor of Mary. On Epiphany day, the non-believers can enter the church, where they often prostrate and act like supplicants. (1)

A Lourdes Grotto was inaugurated there in 1954. The feast of December 8 (Immaculate Conception) is especially celebrated, sometimes with lights, garlands, singing and dancing, some other times with drums concerts, and at night there is a continuous candle-light procession, folowed by Catholics, Protestants, non-believers and Muslims alike. (1)

To sing and dance in the presence of the Virgin Mary who brings us Jesus is exactly the same as living the Gospel, particularly the moment of the Visitation (Lk 1: 39-44, 56).

At the time of Mary's visit to Elizabeth, John the Baptist « leaped » (Lk 1: 41) in the maternal womb: he literally « jumped for joy, » like David and his people danced before the Ark of the Covenant (2 Sam 6: 2-16).

« Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and exclaimed in a loud voice (in Greek anaphonéô)... » (Lk 1: 41-42) - the Greek verb "anaphonéo" expresses a shout of joy, or a song, or a liturgical acclamation.

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(1) Cf. Attilio GALLI, Madre della Chiesa dei Cinque continenti, Ed. Segno, Udine, 1997