Benin: a special law on religious associations expected by mid-2027

Patrice Talon spoke to leaders and faithful of the Church of Celestial Christianity gathered in the Paris region as part of the reunification process of this faith. The former President of the Republic, now President of the Senate, acts as a facilitator of this process initiated several months ago.

During the meeting, he indicated that a specific text was already in preparation. “There is a text that is in preparation, which will be voted on by the middle of next year 2027 at the latest,” he said, according to The New Tribune. This future law must take into account the particularities specific to religious organizations.

However, Benin already has new general legislation on associations and foundations. Law No. 2025-19 of July 22, 2025 governs their creation, operation and control, and notably established a Register of associations and foundations. Existing structures were invited in 2026 to comply with this new system.

The reform announced by Patrice Talon would therefore target more specifically associations of a religious nature, for which the State wishes to have a framework adapted to the issues linked to the organization of worship, their recognition and internal conflicts.

Public order at the heart of the future system

Patrice Talon justified this development by the need for the State to prevent tensions that could arise within religious organizations. “We have a duty to ensure public order,” he explained, referring to conflicts likely to result in violence or loss of life.

This concern already meets certain provisions of the association legislation currently in force. The 2025 law notably requires associations to respect laws and regulations, to contribute to peace and living together, and prohibits them from certain forms of incitement to violence.

The President of the Senate, however, believes that a specific text is necessary to further clarify the status of religious organizations and allow the administration to determine precisely which structures can claim to be a recognized faith.

This approach should have direct consequences for the Church of Celestial Christianity, whose reunification process benefited from significant involvement from the Beninese state. Patrice Talon recalled that the public authorities had accompanied the discussions between the different trends, attended the validation of certain texts and took note of the commitments made during the process.

The Church of Celestial Christianity directly concerned

A committee was set up to define the criteria to officially identify what could be considered in Benin as belonging to the Church of Celestial Christianity. The conclusions of this work must serve as a frame of reference for the different components of the Church.

Patrice Talon warned that structures that do not comply with the chosen framework may no longer be authorized to use the attributes, symbols or name of the Church of Celestial Christianity. He presents this intervention by the State as a consequence of its involvement in the reunification process and its responsibility in matters of public order.

The former head of state has been carrying out consultations between the main sensitivities of the ECC for several months. In June, the High Council for the Implementation of Reunification was installed in Cotonou with 34 members. In July, the different components had also made progress on the creation of a single diocese and the harmonization of several aspects of religious governance.

The Saint-Ouen meeting had the precise objective of involving the French dioceses and the diaspora in the process. More than 300 leaders and faithful were expected to discuss with the facilitator the directions already decided and the next steps.

A reflection that could go beyond Benin

Patrice Talon also claimed to have discussed these issues with several African leaders. According to him, some states on the continent are also considering clarifying the status and organization of religious denominations to respond to similar concerns related to public order.

He did not identify the countries concerned, specifying that these developments would be noted later. The President of the Senate nevertheless believes that several governments could, in the long term, define more precisely the criteria applicable to declared and registered religions.

In Benin, the timetable is more advanced. If the indications given in Paris are respected, the project should be submitted to the legislative process no later than mid-2027. However, its detailed content, the criteria for recognition of faiths and the exact powers granted to the administration have not yet been made public.