John Paul II: It’s Legitimate To Appreciate Teachers Of Vodu (Feb. 1993)

Vodu (also called Voodoo) is an African-derived pagan religious tradition that worships many “deities” and spirits, while claiming to acknowledge a Supreme Being who cannot be approached by men.  For this reason some call Vodu “hierarchical polytheism” or monotheism practiced through a polytheistic cult.  Practitioners of Vodu make sacrifices to, build shrines for, and invoke many “deities” and spirits, including the serpent god, the earth god, the war god, the sea god, the thunder god, and others.  Their offerings include animal sacrifices.  Their ceremonies often include magical practices, witchcraft, curses, drumming and overt demonic possession.  Their ceremonies sometimes involve sexual imagery and nudity (e.g. the Lègba cult).  Vodu is obviously an extremely wicked pagan religious tradition that sadly invokes demons and is under the control of the Devil (1 Cor. 10:20).  Vodu is the biggest religion in Benin (a country in West Africa).  It’s also prominent in Haiti.  Here’s what Antipope John Paul II said to people in Benin who represent this demonic tradition – a religion that, according to Christian teaching, invokes demons and keeps people in bondage to Satan.

John Paul II, To Vodu Representatives of Benin (West Africa), Feb. 4, 1993: “You have a strong attachment to the traditions handed on by your ancestors.  It is legitimate to be grateful to your forebears who passed on this sense of the sacred, belief in a single God who is good, a sense of celebration, esteem for the moral life and for harmony in society.  Your Christian brothers and sisters, like you, appreciate what is beautiful in these traditions because like you, they are sons and daughters of Benin.  However, they are equally grateful to their ‘ancestors in faith,’… The Church considers freedom of religion an inalienable right…”

John Paul II tells people in Benin who represent the demonic cult of Vodu that it’s “legitimate” to be “grateful” to those who instructed them in it.  According to John Paul II, it’s good that people were raised to invoke demons and engage in demonic practices, including witchcraft and worship of the “serpent god”.  His statement constitutes an endorsement of Vodu and its devilry.  His words present Vodu as a good thing for which people should be thankful.  It’s another outrageous blasphemy and a manifestation of apostasy.  John Paul II also describes the “traditions” of Vodu as “beautiful”, and he claims that they have “esteem for the moral life”. 

Also note that while endorsing Vodu, John Paul II mentions their “belief in a single God”.  That’s another example of John Paul II’s demonic cunning.  He deliberately failed to mention that they sacrifice to, invoke and worship many “deities” and spirits.  The “single god” they acknowledge is actually not the object of their worship and is considered by them to be distant.  John Paul II’s agenda was to endorse evil and false religions, but in a sly fashion.  John Paul II purposefully endorsed Vodu (and its worship of demons) in order to blaspheme the Most Holy Trinity.  In the same address, John Paul II teaches the heresy of religious liberty.  He was an apostate antipope.