Card. Bernardin Gantin

"When Vatican II started, I had just recently turned forty years old. I had first been auxiliary and the Archbishop of Cotonou, in my country. Therefore I was in full vigor. I had a certain maturity, human, pastoral, spiritual and missionary. But, I must confess that on October 11, 1962, when I participated in the opening of the Council along with the bishops of all the world, under the auspices of the Pope, with that first ceremony when we wore the sacred paraments in the great hallways of the Vatican, then that descent along the solemn and historic stairway, and the crossing of Saint Peter's square, then I felt myself really small, tiny...And the feelings that I experienced when for the first time I learned of the convocation of the Council, admiration, surprise, trepidation, hope, all this returned to flourish in my heart. I had tears in my eyes. I asked myself: "My God, where am I? what can I do?" I was aware of my littleness in front of the Pope, in front of the bishops. I had never seen so many bishops together, of all ages, of all languages. I thought: "Here I must keep quiet, and listen." Just as in Africa, when the great get together, and the small just look, listen and keep quiet...A grand day. Also because it was a Maryian day, the feast of the Maternity of Mary. A day lived by the Holy Spirit, by the Virgin Saint Our Mother. We Africans are very attached to our mother, to our mothers. And this has helped deeply-root us more strongly to our land, which for us is also our mother, who will always welcome us, for eternity. That is what I felt that day. I was happy, but I had fixed in my mind one idea: I mustn't speak; I was small, I had to receive something from the Council. And everyone, my Country, my Church, all of Africa would have received something extraordinary. A wait, therefore. A grand wait."

(From: Testimoni del Concilio- "Witnesses from the Council" by Gian Franco Svidercoschi)