Basilique de l'Immaculée Conception
The Basilique de l'Immaculée Conception (Eng .: Basilica of the Immaculate Conception ) is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Ouidah in the south of the Republic of Benin . The minor basilica is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and belongs to the Archdiocese of Cotonou .
history
In 1884 an apostolic prefecture was established in Dahomey . In Ouidah, the largest settlement in Dahomey, the efforts of the missionaries led to Christianization: in 1898 the number of Catholic believers was estimated at around 2,500. The first church was planned in 1898 under François Steinmetz , then head of the mission.
After the creation of the Apostolic Vicariate Dahomey in 1901, the mission received symbolic land from the French colonial administration. A few decades earlier, many Christians had been imprisoned in the heart of the Agori district at the seat of the representative of the Dahomey kings. While digging the foundations, the human remains have been found at the bottom of a deep well nearly seven meters away. This is where today's high altar stands.
The foundation stone of the cathedral was laid on August 30, 1903. On May 9, 1909, the cathedral was consecrated with a large celebration , which was accompanied by almost 4000 people, Christians and Vodounsi , with several prelates from the region. Originally the patronage of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was planned, but the cathedral was then consecrated to the Immaculate Conception , the cult of Mary came with the Portuguese in 1648, which is reminiscent of a marble slab in the basilica.
The seat of the Apostolic Vicariate was moved from Ouidah to Porto-Novo in 1954 , followed by the establishment of the Diocese of Porto-Novo the following year. On November 9, 1989, the former cathedral was raised to the rank of a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II . The basilica was built by Pope Benedict XVI. visited during his apostolic visit to Benin in November 2011.
architecture
The architecture of the basilica is characterized by the neo-Gothic style . The single-nave building is 58 meters long and 14 meters wide and is divided into five bays , which are illuminated by high glass windows over which there are still oculi .
The interior follows the traditional design of medieval churches with a narrow transept and a rectangular apse . The wall behind the main altar houses a monumental cross and a statue of Our Lady of Ouidah . The clad roof, supported by a metallic structure, rises to almost 17 meters. The bell tower stands centrally above the main entrance and remains unfinished with a flat cap.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b La basilique de Ouidah: 100 ans, pp. 10-11
- ↑ Basilique de l'Immaculée Conception on catholic.org
- ↑ Benedict XVI. meets priests in Benin and visits the grave of a friend on domradio.de
Coordinates: 6 ° 21 ′ 38.3 " N , 2 ° 5 ′ 5" E