CELEBRATION OF VESPERS AND MEETING WITH
THE BISHOPS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ADDRESS OF
HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
National
Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Dear Brother Bishops,
It gives me great joy to greet
you today, at the start of my visit to this country, and I thank Cardinal
George for the gracious words he has addressed to me on your behalf. I want to
thank all of you, especially the Officers of the Episcopal Conference, for the
hard work that has gone into the preparation of this visit. My grateful
appreciation goes also to the staff and volunteers of the National Shrine, who
have welcomed us here this evening. American Catholics are noted for their
loyal devotion to the see of Peter. My pastoral visit here is an opportunity to
strengthen further the bonds of communion that unite us. We began by
celebrating Evening Prayer in this Basilica dedicated to the Immaculate
Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a shrine of special significance to
American Catholics, right in the heart of your capital city. Gathered in prayer
with Mary, Mother of Jesus, we lovingly commend to our heavenly Father the
people of God in every part of the United States.
For the Catholic communities
of Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Louisville, this is a year of particular
celebration, as it marks the bicentenary of the establishment of these local
Churches as Dioceses. I join you in giving thanks for the many graces granted
to the Church there during these two centuries. As this year also marks the
bicentenary of the elevation of the founding see of Baltimore to an
Archdiocese, it gives me an opportunity to recall with admiration and gratitude
the life and ministry of John Carroll, the first Bishop of Baltimore – a worthy
leader of the Catholic community in your newly independent nation. His tireless
efforts to spread the Gospel in the vast territory under his care laid the
foundations for the ecclesial life of your country and enabled the Church in
America to grow to maturity. Today the Catholic community you serve is one of
the largest in the world, and one of the most influential. How important it is,
then, to let your light so shine before your fellow citizens and before the
world, “that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is
in heaven” (Mt 5:16).
Many of the people to whom
John Carroll and his fellow Bishops were ministering two centuries ago had
travelled from distant lands. The diversity of their origins is reflected in
the rich variety of ecclesial life in present-day America. Brother Bishops, I
want to encourage you and your communities to continue to welcome the
immigrants who join your ranks today, to share their joys and hopes, to support
them in their sorrows and trials, and to help them flourish in their new home.
This, indeed, is what your fellow countrymen have done for generations. From
the beginning, they have opened their doors to the tired, the poor, the
“huddled masses yearning to breathe free” (cf. Sonnet inscribed on the
Statue of Liberty). These are the people whom America has made her own.
Of those who came to build a
new life here, many were able to make good use of the resources and
opportunities that they found, and to attain a high level of prosperity.
Indeed, the people of this country are known for their great vitality and
creativity. They are also known for their generosity. After the attack on the
Twin Towers in September 2001, and again after Hurricane Katrina in 2005,
Americans displayed their readiness to come to the aid of their brothers and
sisters in need. On the international level, the contribution made by the
people of America to relief and rescue operations after the tsunami of December
2004 is a further illustration of this compassion. Let me express my particular
appreciation for the many forms of humanitarian assistance provided by American
Catholics through Catholic Charities and other agencies. Their generosity has
borne fruit in the care shown to the poor and needy, and in the energy that has
gone into building the nationwide network of Catholic parishes, hospitals,
schools and universities. All of this gives great cause for thanksgiving.
America is also a land of
great faith. Your people are remarkable for their religious fervor and they
take pride in belonging to a worshipping community. They have confidence in
God, and they do not hesitate to bring moral arguments rooted in biblical faith
into their public discourse. Respect for freedom of religion is deeply
ingrained in the American consciousness – a fact which has contributed to this
country’s attraction for generations of immigrants, seeking a home where they
can worship freely in accordance with their beliefs.
In this connection, I happily
acknowledge the presence among you of Bishops from all the venerable Eastern
Churches in communion with the Successor of Peter, whom I greet with special
joy. Dear Brothers, I ask you to assure your communities of my deep affection
and my continued prayers, both for them and for the many brothers and sisters
who remain in their land of origin. Your presence here is a reminder of the
courageous witness to Christ of so many members of your communities, often amid
suffering, in their respective homelands. It is also a great enrichment of the
ecclesial life of America, giving vivid expression to the Church’s catholicity
and the variety of her liturgical and spiritual traditions.
It is in this fertile soil,
nourished from so many different sources, that all of you, Brother Bishops, are
called to sow the seeds of the Gospel today. This leads me to ask how, in the twenty-first
century, a bishop can best fulfill the call to “make all things new in Christ,
our hope”? How can he lead his people to “an encounter with the living God”,
the source of that life-transforming hope of which the Gospel speaks (cf. Spe Salvi, 4)? Perhaps he
needs to begin by clearing away some of the barriers to such an encounter.
While it is true that this country is marked by a genuinely religious spirit,
the subtle influence of secularism can nevertheless color the way people allow
their faith to influence their behavior. Is it consistent to profess our
beliefs in church on Sunday, and then during the week to promote business
practices or medical procedures contrary to those beliefs? Is it consistent for
practicing Catholics to ignore or exploit the poor and the marginalized, to
promote sexual behavior contrary to Catholic moral teaching, or to adopt
positions that contradict the right to life of every human being from
conception to natural death? Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter
must be resisted. Only when their faith permeates every aspect of their lives
do Christians become truly open to the transforming power of the Gospel.
For an affluent society, a
further obstacle to an encounter with the living God lies in the subtle
influence of materialism, which can all too easily focus the attention on the
hundredfold, which God promises now in this time, at the expense of the eternal
life which he promises in the age to come (cf. Mk 10:30). People today
need to be reminded of the ultimate purpose of their lives. They need to
recognize that implanted within them is a deep thirst for God. They need to be
given opportunities to drink from the wells of his infinite love. It is easy to
be entranced by the almost unlimited possibilities that science and technology
place before us; it is easy to make the mistake of thinking we can obtain by
our own efforts the fulfillment of our deepest needs. This is an illusion.
Without God, who alone bestows upon us what we by ourselves cannot attain (cf. Spe Salvi, 31), our lives
are ultimately empty. People need to be constantly reminded to cultivate a
relationship with him who came that we might have life in abundance (cf. Jn
10:10). The goal of all our pastoral and catechetical work, the object of our
preaching, and the focus of our sacramental ministry should be to help people
establish and nurture that living relationship with “Christ Jesus, our hope” (1
Tim 1:1).
In a society which values
personal freedom and autonomy, it is easy to lose sight of our dependence on
others as well as the responsibilities that we bear towards them. This emphasis
on individualism has even affected the Church (cf. Spe Salvi, 13-15), giving
rise to a form of piety which sometimes emphasizes our private relationship
with God at the expense of our calling to be members of a redeemed community.
Yet from the beginning, God saw that “it is not good for man to be alone” (Gen
2:18). We were created as social beings who find fulfillment only in love – for
God and for our neighbor. If we are truly to gaze upon him who is the source of
our joy, we need to do so as members of the people of God (cf. Spe Salvi, 14). If this seems
counter-cultural, that is simply further evidence of the urgent need for a
renewed evangelization of culture.
Here in America, you are
blessed with a Catholic laity of considerable cultural diversity, who place
their wide-ranging gifts at the service of the Church and of society at large.
They look to you to offer them encouragement, leadership and direction. In an age
that is saturated with information, the importance of providing sound formation
in the faith cannot be overstated. American Catholics have traditionally placed
a high value on religious education, both in schools and in the context of
adult formation programs. These need to be maintained and expanded. The many
generous men and women who devote themselves to charitable activity need to be
helped to renew their dedication through a “formation of the heart”: an
“encounter with God in Christ which awakens their love and opens their spirits
to others” (Deus Caritas Est, 31). At a time
when advances in medical science bring new hope to many, they also give rise to
previously unimagined ethical challenges. This makes it more important than
ever to offer thorough formation in the Church’s moral teaching to Catholics
engaged in health care. Wise guidance is needed in all these apostolates, so
that they may bear abundant fruit; if they are truly to promote the integral
good of the human person, they too need to be made new in Christ our hope.
As preachers of the Gospel and
leaders of the Catholic community, you are also called to participate in the
exchange of ideas in the public square, helping to shape cultural attitudes. In
a context where free speech is valued, and where vigorous and honest debate is
encouraged, yours is a respected voice that has much to offer to the discussion
of the pressing social and moral questions of the day. By ensuring that the
Gospel is clearly heard, you not only form the people of your own community,
but in view of the global reach of mass communication, you help to spread the
message of Christian hope throughout the world.
Clearly, the Church’s
influence on public debate takes place on many different levels. In the United
States, as elsewhere, there is much current and proposed legislation that gives
cause for concern from the point of view of morality, and the Catholic
community, under your guidance, needs to offer a clear and united witness on
such matters. Even more important, though, is the gradual opening of the minds
and hearts of the wider community to moral truth. Here much remains to be done.
Crucial in this regard is the role of the lay faithful to act as a “leaven” in
society. Yet it cannot be assumed that all Catholic citizens think in harmony
with the Church’s teaching on today’s key ethical questions. Once again, it
falls to you to ensure that the moral formation provided at every level of
ecclesial life reflects the authentic teaching of the Gospel of life.
In this regard, a matter of
deep concern to us all is the state of the family within society. Indeed,
Cardinal George mentioned earlier that you have included the strengthening of
marriage and family life among the priorities for your attention over the next
few years. In this year’s World
Day of Peace Message I spoke of the essential contribution that healthy
family life makes to peace within and between nations. In the family home we
experience “some of the fundamental elements of peace: justice and love between
brothers and sisters, the role of authority expressed by parents, loving
concern for the members who are weaker because of youth, sickness or old age,
mutual help in the necessities of life, readiness to accept others and, if
necessary, to forgive them” (no. 3). The family is also the primary place for
evangelization, for passing on the faith, for helping young people to
appreciate the importance of religious practice and Sunday observance. How can
we not be dismayed as we observe the sharp decline of the family as a basic
element of Church and society? Divorce and infidelity have increased, and many
young men and women are choosing to postpone marriage or to forego it
altogether. To some young Catholics, the sacramental bond of marriage seems scarcely
distinguishable from a civil bond, or even a purely informal and open-ended
arrangement to live with another person. Hence we have an alarming decrease in
the number of Catholic marriages in the United States together with an increase
in cohabitation, in which the Christ-like mutual self-giving of spouses, sealed
by a public promise to live out the demands of an indissoluble lifelong
commitment, is simply absent. In such circumstances, children are denied the
secure environment that they need in order truly to flourish as human beings,
and society is denied the stable building blocks which it requires if the
cohesion and moral focus of the community are to be maintained.
As my predecessor, Pope John
Paul II taught, “The person principally responsible in the Diocese for the
pastoral care of the family is the Bishop ... he must devote to it personal
interest, care, time, personnel and resources, but above all personal support
for the families and for all those who … assist him in the pastoral care of the
family” (Familiaris
Consortio, 73). It is your task to proclaim boldly the
arguments from faith and reason in favor of the institution of marriage,
understood as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, open to the
transmission of life. This message should resonate with people today, because
it is essentially an unconditional and unreserved “yes” to life, a “yes” to
love, and a “yes” to the aspirations at the heart of our common humanity, as we
strive to fulfill our deep yearning for intimacy with others and with the Lord.
Among the countersigns to the
Gospel of life found in America and elsewhere is one that causes deep shame:
the sexual abuse of minors. Many of you have spoken to me of the enormous pain
that your communities have suffered when clerics have betrayed their priestly
obligations and duties by such gravely immoral behavior. As you strive to eliminate
this evil wherever it occurs, you may be assured of the prayerful support of
God’s people throughout the world. Rightly, you attach priority to showing
compassion and care to the victims. It is your God-given responsibility as
pastors to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust, to foster
healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern to
those so seriously wronged.
Responding to this situation
has not been easy and, as the President of your Episcopal Conference has indicated,
it was “sometimes very badly handled”. Now that the scale and gravity of the
problem is more clearly understood, you have been able to adopt more focused
remedial and disciplinary measures and to promote a safe environment that gives
greater protection to young people. While it must be remembered that the
overwhelming majority of clergy and religious in America do outstanding work in
bringing the liberating message of the Gospel to the people entrusted to their
care, it is vitally important that the vulnerable always be shielded from those
who would cause harm. In this regard, your efforts to heal and protect are
bearing great fruit not only for those directly under your pastoral care, but
for all of society.
If they are to achieve their
full purpose, however, the policies and programs you have adopted need to be
placed in a wider context. Children deserve to grow up with a healthy
understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships. They
should be spared the degrading manifestations and the crude manipulation of
sexuality so prevalent today. They have a right to be educated in authentic
moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person. This brings us back to
our consideration of the centrality of the family and the need to promote the
Gospel of life. What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography
and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available
today? We need to reassess urgently the values underpinning society, so that a
sound moral formation can be offered to young people and adults alike. All have
a part to play in this task – not only parents, religious leaders, teachers and
catechists, but the media and entertainment industries as well. Indeed, every
member of society can contribute to this moral renewal and benefit from it.
Truly caring about young people and the future of our civilization means
recognizing our responsibility to promote and live by the authentic moral
values which alone enable the human person to flourish. It falls to you, as
pastors modelled upon Christ, the Good Shepherd, to proclaim this message loud
and clear, and thus to address the sin of abuse within the wider context of
sexual mores. Moreover, by acknowledging and confronting the problem
when it occurs in an ecclesial setting, you can give a lead to others, since
this scourge is found not only within your Dioceses, but in every sector of
society. It calls for a determined, collective response.
Priests, too, need your
guidance and closeness during this difficult time. They have experienced shame
over what has occurred, and there are those who feel they have lost some of the
trust and esteem they once enjoyed. Not a few are experiencing a closeness to
Christ in his Passion as they struggle to come to terms with the consequences
of the crisis. The Bishop, as father, brother and friend of his priests, can
help them to draw spiritual fruit from this union with Christ by making them
aware of the Lord’s consoling presence in the midst of their suffering, and by
encouraging them to walk with the Lord along the path of hope (cf. Spe Salvi, 39). As Pope John
Paul II observed six years ago, “we must be confident that this time of trial
will bring a purification of the entire Catholic community”, leading to “a
holier priesthood, a holier episcopate and a holier Church” (Address to the
Cardinals of the United States, 23 April 2002, 4).
There are many signs that, during the intervening period, such purification has
indeed been taking place. Christ’s abiding presence in the midst of our
suffering is gradually transforming our darkness into light: all things are
indeed being made new in Christ Jesus our hope.
At this stage a vital part of
your task is to strengthen relationships with your clergy, especially in those
cases where tension has arisen between priests and their bishops in the wake of
the crisis. It is important that you continue to show them your concern, to
support them, and to lead by example. In this way you will surely help them to
encounter the living God, and point them towards the life-transforming hope of
which the Gospel speaks. If you yourselves live in a manner closely configured
to Christ, the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep, you will
inspire your brother priests to rededicate themselves to the service of their
flocks with Christ-like generosity. Indeed a clearer focus upon the imitation
of Christ in holiness of life is exactly what is needed in order for us to move
forward. We need to rediscover the joy of living a Christ-centred life,
cultivating the virtues, and immersing ourselves in prayer. When the faithful
know that their pastor is a man who prays and who dedicates his life to serving
them, they respond with warmth and affection which nourishes and sustains the
life of the whole community.
Time spent in prayer is never
wasted, however urgent the duties that press upon us from every side. Adoration
of Christ our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament prolongs and intensifies the union
with him that is established through the Eucharistic celebration (cf. Sacramentum
Caritatis, 66). Contemplation of the mysteries of the Rosary
releases all their saving power and it conforms, unites and consecrates us to
Jesus Christ (cf. Rosarium Virginis
Mariae, 11, 15). Fidelity to the Liturgy of the Hours ensures
that the whole of our day is sanctified and it continually reminds us of the
need to remain focused on doing God’s work, however many pressures and
distractions may arise from the task at hand. Thus our devotion helps us to
speak and act in persona Christi, to teach, govern and sanctify the
faithful in the name of Jesus, to bring his reconciliation, his healing and his
love to all his beloved brothers and sisters. This radical configuration to
Christ, the Good Shepherd, lies at the heart of our pastoral ministry, and if
we open ourselves through prayer to the power of the Spirit, he will give us
the gifts we need to carry out our daunting task, so that we need never “be
anxious how to speak or what to say” (Mt 10:19).
As I conclude my words to you
this evening, I commend the Church in your country most particularly to the
maternal care and intercession of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of the United
States. May she who carried within her womb the hope of all the nations
intercede for the people of this country, so that all may be made new in Jesus
Christ her Son. My dear Brother Bishops, I assure each of you here present of
my deep friendship and my participation in your pastoral concerns. To all of
you, and to your clergy, religious and lay faithful, I cordially impart my
Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of joy and peace in the Risen Lord.
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Copyright 2008 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana