Speeches 2005-13 31207
31207
Dear Brother Bishops,
“God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1Jn 4,16). With fraternal greetings I welcome you, the Bishops of Korea and the Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, and I thank the Most Reverend John Chang Yik, President of the Episcopal Conference, for the kind sentiments expressed on your behalf. I warmly reciprocate them and assure you, and those entrusted to your pastoral care, of my prayers and solicitude. As servants of the Gospel, you have come to see Peter (cf. Gal Ga 1,18) and to strengthen the bonds of collegiality which express the Church’s unity in diversity and safeguard the tradition handed down by the Apostles (cf. Pastores Gregis ).
The Church in your countries has made remarkable progress since the arrival of missionaries in the region over four hundred years ago, and their return to Mongolia just fifteen years ago. This growth is due in no small part to the outstanding witness of the Korean Martyrs and others throughout Asia who remained steadfastly faithful to Christ and his Church. The endurance of their testimony speaks eloquently of the fundamental concept of communio that unifies and vivifies ecclesial life in all its dimensions.
The Evangelist John’s numerous exhortations to abide in the love and truth of Christ evoke the image of a sure and safe dwelling place. God first loves us and we, drawn towards his gift of living water, “constantly drink anew from the original source, which is Jesus Christ, from whose pierced heart flows the love of God” (Deus Caritas Est ). Yet Saint John also had to urge his communities to remain in that love, for already some had been enticed by the distractions which lead to interior weakness and eventual detachment from the communio of believers.
This admonition to remain in Christ’s love also has a particular significance for you today. Your reports attest to the lure of materialism and the negative effects of a secularist mentality. When men and women are drawn away from the Lord’s dwelling place they inevitably wander in a wilderness of individual isolation and social fragmentation, for “it is only in the Word made flesh that the mystery of man truly becomes clear” (Gaudium et Spes GS 22).
Dear Brothers, from this perspective it is evident that to be effective shepherds of hope you must strive to ensure that the bond of communion which unites Christ to all the baptized is safeguarded and experienced as the heart of the mystery of the Church (cf. Ecclesia in Asia ). With their eyes fixed on the Lord, the faithful must echo anew the Martyrs’ cry of faith: “we know and believe the love God has for us” (1Jn 4,16). Such faith is sustained and nurtured by an ongoing encounter with Jesus Christ who comes to men and women through the Church: the sign and sacrament of communion with God and of unity among all people (cf. Lumen Gentium LG 1). The gateway to this mystery of communion with God is of course Baptism. This sacrament of initiation, far more than a social ritual or welcome into a particular community, is the initiative of God (cf. Rite of Baptism, 98). Those reborn through the waters of new life enter the door of the universal Church and are drawn into the dynamism of the life of faith. Indeed, the profound importance of this sacrament underscores your growing concern that not a few of the numerous adults received into the Church in your region every year fail to maintain a commitment to “the full participation in liturgical celebrations which is … a right and obligation by reason of … Baptism” (Sacrosanctum Concilium SC 14). I encourage you to ensure, especially through a joyous mystagogia, that the “flame of faith” is kept “alive in the hearts” (Rite of Baptism, 100) of the newly baptized.
The word communio also refers of course to the Eucharistic centre of the Church as Saint Paul eloquently teaches (cf. 1Co 10,16-17). The Eucharist roots our understanding of the Church in the intimate encounter between Jesus and humanity and reveals the source of ecclesial unity: Christ’s act of giving himself to us makes us his body. The commemoration of Christ’s death and resurrection in the Eucharist is the “supreme sacramental manifestation of communio in the Church” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia EE 38) whereby local Churches allow themselves to be drawn into the open arms of the Lord and strengthened in unity within the one Body (cf. Sacramentum Caritatis, 15).
Your programmes designed to highlight the importance of Sunday Mass should be infused with a sound and stimulating catechesis on the Eucharist. This will foster a renewed understanding of the authentic dynamism of Christian life among your faithful. I join you in urging the laity – and in a special way the young people in your region – to explore the depth and breadth of our Eucharistic communion. Gathered every Sunday in the Lord’s House, we are consumed by Christ’s love and truth and empowered to bring hope to the world.
Dear Brothers, consecrated men and women are rightly recognized as “witnesses and artisans of that plan of communion which stands at the centre of history according to God” (Vita Consecrata VC 39). Please assure the men and women Religious in your territories of my appreciation of the prophetic contribution they are making to ecclesial life in your nations. I am confident that, faithful to their essential nature and respective charisms, they will bear bold witness to the specifically Christian “gift of self for love of the Lord Jesus and, in him, of every member of the human family” (ibid.,3).
For your own part, I encourage you to ensure that Religious are welcomed and supported in their efforts to contribute to the common task of spreading God’s Kingdom. One of the most beautiful aspects of the Church’s history is surely her schools of spirituality. By articulating and sharing these living treasures with the laity, Religious will do much to enhance the vibrancy of ecclesial life within your jurisdictions. They will help to dispel the notion that communion means mere uniformity as they witness to the vitality of the Holy Spirit enlivening the Church in every generation.
I wish to conclude by briefly reiterating the importance of the promotion of marriage and family life in your region. Your efforts in this field stand at the heart of the evangelization of culture and contribute much to the well-being of society as a whole. This vital apostolate, in which many priests and Religious are already engaged, rightly belongs also to the laity. The growing complexity of matters regarding the family – including the advances in biomedical science about which I spoke recently to Korea’s Ambassador to the Holy See – raises the question of providing appropriate training for those committed to working in this area. In this regard, I wish to draw your attention to the valuable contribution made by the Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family Life now present in many parts of the world.
Lastly, dear Brothers, I ask you to convey to your people my particular gratitude for their generosity to the universal Church. Both the growing number of missionaries and the contributions offered by the laity are an eloquent sign of their selfless spirit. I am also aware of the practical gestures of reconciliation undertaken for the well-being of those in North Korea. I encourage these initiatives and invoke Almighty God’s providential care upon all North Koreans. Throughout the ages, Asia has given the Church and the world a host of heroes of the faith who are commemorated in the great song of praise: Te martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus. May they stand as perennial witnesses to the truth and love which all Christians are called to proclaim. With fraternal affection I commend you to the intercession of Mary, model of all disciples, and I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to you and the priests, Religious, and lay faithful of your Dioceses and Prefecture.
Dear Friends,
I offer a cordial welcome to you, the members of the joint international commission sponsored by the Baptist World Alliance and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. I am pleased that you have chosen as the site of your meeting this city of Rome, where the Apostles Peter and Paul proclaimed the Gospel and crowned their witness to the Risen Lord by the shedding of their blood. It is my hope that your conversations will bear abundant fruit for the progress of dialogue and the increase of understanding and cooperation between Catholics and Baptists.
The theme which you have chosen for this phase of contacts – The Word of God in the Life of the Church: Scripture, Tradition and Koinonia – offers a promising context for the examination of such historically controverted issues as the relationship between Scripture and Tradition, the understanding of Baptism and the sacraments, the place of Mary in the communion of the Church, and the nature of oversight and primacy in the Church’s ministerial structure. If our hope for reconciliation and greater fellowship between Baptists and Catholics is to be realized, issues such as these need to be faced together, in a spirit of openness, mutual respect and fidelity to the liberating truth and saving power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As believers in Christ, we acknowledge him as the one mediator between God and humanity (1Tm 2,5), our Saviour, our Redeemer. He is the cornerstone (Ep 2,21 1P 2,4-8); and the head of the body, which is the Church (Col 1,18). In this Advent season, we look to his coming with prayerful expectation. Today, as ever, the world needs our common witness to Christ and to the hope brought by the Gospel. Obedience to the Lord’s will should constantly spur us, then, to strive for that unity so movingly expressed in his priestly prayer: “that they may all be one… so that the world may believe” (Jn 17,21). For the lack of unity between Christians “openly contradicts the will of Christ, provides a stumbling block to the world, and harms the most holy cause of proclaiming the good news to every creature” (Unitatis Redintegratio UR 1).
Dear friends, I offer you my cordial good wishes and the assurance of my prayers for the important work which you have undertaken. Upon your conversations, and upon each of you and your loved ones, I gladly invoke the Holy Spirit’s gifts of wisdom, understanding, strength and peace.
Your Eminences,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters
It is a cause of great joy to me to welcome you on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Pontifical Oriental Institute, founded by the Pope who desired it, my venerable Predecessor, Benedict XV. That Pope's times were times of war, whereas he worked so hard for peace! Moreover, in order to guarantee peace he launched various appeals, and in 1917, the year your Institute was founded, he drafted a practical peace plan, a detailed project which unfortunately was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, in the space of a few months he set up three monumental works of incomparable value to guarantee peace within the Church: the Congregation for the Oriental Church, later renamed: "for the Oriental Churches"; the Pontifical Oriental Institute for the study of the theological, liturgical, juridical and cultural aspects that constitute knowledge of the Christian East; and the Codex Iuris Canonici.
Thank you for your visit, dear friends! I greet you all with affection. In the first place, I greet Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, whom I thank for expressing the sentiments of all; I greet Cardinal Spidlík, the Prelates present, Fr Kolvenbach, Prepositor General of the Society of Jesus, the students and all the members of the Community of the Pontifical Oriental Institute. I extend my affectionate thoughts to all those who in these past 90 years have contributed to making your Institute respond ever better to the expectations of the Church and the world.
So it was that within the space of five and a half months Pope Benedict XV, with whom I feel a special bond, created the Congregation for the Oriental Churches - on 1 May - and the Oriental Institute - on 15 October. It was the Oriental Catholic Churches that were to benefit from them, enjoying a regime more consonant with their traditions under the gaze of the Roman Pontiffs, who never ceased to manifest their concern with gestures of effective support, such as, for example, inviting numerous Oriental-rite students to come here to Rome to increase their knowledge of the universal Church. Difficult periods have sometimes harshly tried these Ecclesial Communities, which remain close in spite of being physically distant from Rome, through their fidelity to the See of Peter. Yet their progress and staunch perseverance in difficulties would have been unthinkable without the constant support they could find in the Pontifical Oriental Institute, this oasis of peace and study, a meeting place for various scholars, professors, writers and editors, among the best experts on the Christian East. The Library, which is the jewel of this Institute, deserves special mention. It was founded by my Predecessor, Pius XI, a former librarian of the Ambrosiana and a lavish patron of the historical collection of the Pontifical Oriental Institute's library. This library is rightly famous throughout the world, as well as being one of the best libraries on the Christian East. One of my commitments is to enlarge it further, as a sign of the Church of Rome's interest in knowledge of the Christian East and as a means of eliminating possible prejudices that could damage the cordial and harmonious coexistence of Christians. Actually, I am convinced that the promotion of study also has effective ecumenical value, since drawing from the sapiential patrimony of the Christian East is an enrichment to all.
In this regard the Pontifical Oriental Institute constitutes an outstanding example of all that Christian wisdom can offer to those wishing to acquire an ever more exact knowledge of the Oriental Churches or to deepen that orientation in life according to the Spirit, who represents a subject on which the Christian East rightly boasts a very rich tradition. These are not only precious treasures for academicians, but also for all members of the Church. Thanks to the availability of a wide range of editions of the Oriental Fathers, today they are no longer treasures "under lock and key". It is the task of students at the Pontifical Oriental Institute to decipher and interpret them authoritatively, to work out dogmatic syntheses on the Trinitarian God, on Jesus Christ and on the Church, on Grace and on the Sacraments, to reflect on eternal life, of which we may have a foretaste in advance in liturgical celebrations.
Dear Professors, I express to you in particular my deep appreciation of all the good you do, dedicating your valuable time to your students. I thank the Society of Jesus with affection; for the past 85 years the Pontifical Oriental Institute has been entrusted to its academic competence and apostolic zeal. I warmly wish you every good, dear students who have come to Rome in order to share with so many others from every part of the world a direct contact with the heart of the universal Church. And my gratitude could not overlook a very important link; I am alluding to those who make an important contribution, although not directly involved in academic work: they are the friends who support the Pontifical Oriental Institute with their solidarity; the benefactors to whom we are so deeply indebted for the material progress of this institution; the personnel, without whom it would be impossible to assure its daily functioning. I say "thank you" to them all from the bottom of my heart and, as a pledge of the divine reward, I impart my Apostolic Blessing to you with affection.
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Saturday, 8 December 2007
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
At an event which has now become a tradition, we are meeting here at the Spanish Steps to offer our floral tribute to Our Lady on the day when the whole Church celebrates the feast of her Immaculate Conception. Following in the footsteps of my Predecessors, I also join you, dear faithful of Rome, to pause at Mary's feet with filial affection and love. For 150 years she has watched over our City from the top of this pillar. Today's act is a gesture of faith and devotion which our Christian community repeats from year to year, as if to reaffirm its commitment of fidelity to she who in every circumstance of daily life assures us of her help and motherly protection.
This expression of piety is at the same time an opportunity to offer to all who live in Rome or who are spending a few days as pilgrims and tourists, an opportunity, despite the diversity of cultures, to feel they are one family gathered around a Mother who has shared the daily efforts of every woman and mother of a family. She is, however, a completely singular mother, for she was chosen in advance by God for a unique and mysterious mission: to bring forth to earthly life the Father's Eternal Word, who came into the world for the salvation of all people. And Mary, Immaculate in her conception - this is how we venerate her today -, travelled her earthly pilgrimage sustained by undaunted faith, steadfast hope and humble and boundless love, following in the footsteps of her Son, Jesus. She was close to him with motherly solicitude from his birth to Calvary, where she witnessed his crucifixion, transfixed by suffering but with unwavering hope. She then experienced the joy of the Resurrection, at dawn on the third day, the new day, when the Crucified One left the tomb, overcoming for ever and definitively the power of sin and death.
Mary, in whose virginal womb God was made man, is our Mother! Indeed, from the Cross before bringing his sacrifice to completion, Jesus gave her to us as our Mother and entrusted us to her as her children. This is a mystery of mercy and love, a gift that enriches the Church with fruitful spiritual motherhood. Let us turn our gaze to her, especially today, dear brothers and sisters, and imploring her help, prepare ourselves to treasure all her maternal teaching. Does not our Heavenly Mother invite us to shun evil and to do good, following with docility the divine law engraved in every Christian's heart? Does not she, who preserved her hope even at the peak of her trial, ask us not to lose heart when suffering and death come knocking at the door of our homes? Does she not ask us to look confidently to our future? Does not the Immaculate Virgin exhort us to be brothers and sisters to one another, all united by the commitment to build together a world that is more just, supportive and peaceful?
Yes, dear friends! On this solemn day, the Church once again holds up Mary to the world as a sign of sure hope and of the definitive victory of good over evil. The one whom we invoke as "full of grace" reminds us that we are all brothers and sisters and that God is our Creator and our Father. Without him, or even worse, against him, we human beings will never be able to find the way that leads to love, we will never be able to defeat the power of hatred and violence, we will never be able to build a lasting peace.
May the people of every nation and culture welcome this message of light and hope: may they accept it as a gift from the hands of Mary, Mother of all humanity. If life is a journey and this journey is often dark, difficult and exhausting, what star can illuminate it? In my Encyclical Spe Salvi, published at the beginning of Advent, I wrote that the Church looks to Mary and calls on her as a "star of hope" (n. 49). During our common voyage on the sea of history, we stand in need of "lights of hope", that is, of people who shine with Christ's light and "so guide us along our way" (ibid.). And who could be a better "Star of Hope" for us than Mary? With her "yes", with the generous offering of freedom received from the Creator, she enabled the hope of the millennia to become reality, to enter this world and its history. Through her God took flesh, became one of us and pitched his tent among us.
Thus, inspired by filial trust, we say to her: "Teach us, Mary, to believe, to hope, to love with you; show us the way that leads to peace, the way to the Kingdom of Jesus. You, Star of Hope, who wait for us anxiously in the everlasting light of the eternal Homeland, shine upon us and guide us through daily events, now and at the hour of our death. Amen!".
I join the pilgrims who have gathered at the Marian Shrines of Lourdes and Fourvière to honour the Virgin Mary in this Jubilee Year of the 150th anniversary of Our Lady's apparitions to St Bernadette. Thanks to their trust in Mary and her example, these pilgrims will become true disciples of the Saviour. With their pilgrimages they offer the many faces of the Church to those who are seeking and who come to visit the Shrines. On their spiritual journey they are called to demonstrate the grace of their Baptism, to be nourished with the Eucharist, to find in prayer the strength for witness and solidarity with all their brothers and sisters in humanity. May shrines develop their vocation to prayer and to offering hospitality to people who desire to rediscover the path to God, especially through the Sacrament of Forgiveness. I also address my cordial greetings to all those, in particular young people, who are joyfully celebrating the feast of the Immaculate Conception, especially to the organizers of the lighting display of the city of Lyon. I ask the Virgin Mary to watch over the inhabitants of Lyon and of Lourdes, and I impart an affectionate Apostolic Blessing to them all as well as to the pilgrims who have joined the celebrations.
Your Excellency,
I am pleased to welcome you to the Vatican and to accept the Letters by which you are accredited Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Kuwait to the Holy See. I thank you most heartily for the greetings which you have brought me from His Highness the Amir Shaikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and I ask you kindly to convey to him my warm personal greetings, together with the assurance of my prayers for the continued prosperity of the nation and its citizens.
The coming year marks the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kuwait and the Holy See. I willingly take this occasion to express my hope that these good relations will be further consolidated. Your country, which has overcome the devastating effects of violence and war, continues to play an important role in the delicate process of reconciliation which offers the only sure hope for a resolution of the many complex problems affecting the Middle East. Kuwait’s democratic Constitution, which reflects the nation’s heritage of cultural and religious values, is guided by the principles of justice, respect for the rule of law, and the protection of fundamental human rights. These principles, which are ultimately grounded in the inviolable dignity of the human person, must everywhere find juridical recognition and concrete application if genuine freedom, integral development and peace are to reign among the nations and peoples of the world.
In this regard, I greatly appreciate Your Excellency’s reference to your country’s acknowledgement of the importance of interreligious and intercultural dialogue for the promotion of peace. Such dialogue – and I think here with satisfaction of the increasing contacts between Muslims and Christians – is essential for overcoming misunderstandings and forging solid relations marked by mutual respect and cooperation in the pursuit of the common good of the whole human family. Children, in particular, need to be educated in the authentic values underlying their own culture and in a spirit of openness to other cultures, respect for others and commitment to peace. In a world where intolerance, violence and oppression are all too often proposed as the solution to disagreements and conflict, there is urgent need of a “human ecology” (cf. Message for the 2007 World Day of Peace, 10) capable of extirpating these evils and sowing those virtues which will foster the growth of a truly humane culture of honesty, solidarity and concord.
Kuwait’s national life is characterized by the presence of significant minorities, including a high number of resident foreign workers. Their presence in your country is itself a source of enrichment and a constant incentive to establish the conditions necessary for peaceful coexistence and social progress. I cannot fail to mention in this regard the many Catholics living and working in Kuwait, who can freely worship in their own churches. Your nation’s Constitution rightly upholds their religious freedom. This fundamental right, grounded in the inviolable dignity of the person, is fittingly considered the cornerstone of the whole edifice of human rights. I express my appreciation of the cordial relations which the Church enjoys with the civil authorities, and my confidence that, as the Catholic community in Kuwait continues to grow, those authorities will readily assist them in meeting the urgent need for new and more adequate structures for worship and assembly.
Kuwait’s Catholics have sought to contribute to the development of the larger society, not least through their educational institutions. These, though few in number, are fully committed to forming the minds and hearts of their students in an environment emphasizing sound spiritual values and inculcating respect for the dignity and beliefs of others. It is my hope that, in freely carrying out their proper mission, including the formation of young Christian students in their faith, these schools will help to strengthen the fabric of society by preparing their students to cooperate in building a future of solidarity and hope for coming generations.
Your Excellency, as you now undertake the mission of representing the State of Kuwait to the Holy See, please accept my personal good wishes for the success of your important work. Be assured that you may always count on the offices of the Holy See to assist and support you in the fulfilment of your high responsibilities. Upon you and your family, and upon all the beloved people of Kuwait, I cordially invoke the abundant blessings of the Almighty.
Your Excellency,
I am pleased to accept the Letters by which you are accredited Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Seychelles to the Holy See. I recall with pleasure your visit last year in the company of President James Alix Michel and I am most grateful for the greetings which you have brought from him. For my part, I gladly reciprocate with the assurance of my heartfelt prayers for your beloved country and all its people.
Seychelles has been blessed by Providence not only with great natural beauty and a sound economic life, but also with the social harmony and cohesiveness born of shared values and a strong commitment to solidarity in the pursuit of the common good. Your nation can indeed be grateful for its high standard of living, the fruit of the vision and sacrifice of many generations of citizens. Within the broader context of the African continent, Seychelles is well known for the quality and extent of its educational system and the breadth of its network of health services, available to all citizens. This impressive infrastructure offers great promise for the future of the nation, since it provides a firm foundation for continued economic growth and also, even more importantly, for the realization of the deepest hopes and aspirations of the younger generation.
In this regard, I am grateful for Your Excellency’s reference to the importance of acknowledging and fostering those spiritual values, born of your nation’s Christian roots, which have been decisive in shaping the present of Seychelles and which offer a sure foundation for its future. The Church in Seychelles is rightly proud of its contribution to the life of the nation, particularly through its historic commitment to the education of the young and to the training of the faithful in the virtues essential for integral human development and the building of a free, just and prosperous society. The Catholic community wishes to persevere in this commitment, and, in a spirit of sincerity and respectful cooperation, to work for the promotion of the common good through the preaching of the Gospel, the work of forming consciences in sound religious and moral principles, and the provision of charitable assistance to all, without regard to race or religion.
On this occasion I cannot fail to express my appreciation for the cordial relations existing between the Republic of Seychelles and the Holy See, marked as they are by reciprocal trust and ready collaboration. I likewise express my gratitude for the Government’s efforts to support religious education at the primary level and to contribute to the building of new churches and educational structures. This commitment is a concrete sign of the relationship of trust and responsible cooperation which has long existed between the civil authorities and the Catholic community in the service of the young, who represent the hope of society. The nation has, in fact, made the needs of the young and their sound formation a notable priority, and this will surely bear rich fruit as the young men and women of today gradually take their place as the responsible citizens and leaders of tomorrow. I have great confidence in the youth of Seychelles, and through you I send all of them my affectionate greetings and my hearty encouragement to persevere in cultivating the virtues of honesty, fidelity and generous service to others which not only bring personal happiness and deep fulfilment, but also create a society of ever greater fraternity, freedom, justice and peace.
Among the greatest resources of Seychelles is its strong family life, grounded in the mutual love of husband and wife and strengthened by the gift of children. As the first cell of society, the family rightly looks to society for the encouragement it needs in its irreplaceable mission. I can only encourage the efforts being made by all people of good will, in every sphere of national life and policy, to “guarantee and foster the genuine identity of family life” (cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 252), by promoting and defending this fundamental institution, acknowledging and meeting the challenges faced by young families, and supporting parents in their responsibilities as the first educators of their children. The future of the state depends in large part on families that are strong in their communion and stable in their commitment (cf. ibid., 213).
Your Excellency, as you now begin your mission on behalf of the Republic of Seychelles, please accept my personal good wishes for your demanding work. Know that the various offices of the Holy See are ready to assist and support you in the fulfilment of your duties. With these sentiments I cordially invoke upon you, your family, and all the beloved people of Seychelles God’s richest blessings of joy and peace.
Your Excellency,
It is a pleasure for me to welcome you to the Vatican as I accept the letters by which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Namibia to the Holy See. I thank you for the greetings and good wishes which you have expressed on behalf of your President, Mr. Hifikepunye Pohamba, and I would ask that you kindly convey to him and to the Namibian people my own cordial greetings and the assurance of my prayers for their peace and well-being.
Having attained independence in 1990, Namibia is one of the world’s youngest nations. Yet the history of her people stretches back much further, encompassing periods of great trial and suffering as well as moments of remarkable success. Your Excellency has kindly expressed appreciation for the Church’s steadfast presence throughout this history. Arriving in the territory in the latter half of the nineteenth century, Catholic missionaries, in addition to establishing places of worship, also founded numerous schools and hospitals, many of which are still serving the Namibian people today. The work of these institutions gives witness to the “duty of charity” which has always been at the heart of the Church’s mission (cf. Deus Caritas Est ).
As you have indicated, authentic love for one’s neighbour must be expressed in tangible ways. Yet in the public realm, it is often difficult to ascertain precisely what will be most conducive to the good of our brothers and sisters. Such discernment calls for a long-range vision. This has been the impetus for the many initiatives your country has undertaken to enhance the quality of life of all Namibians by concentrating in a special way on authentic human development. Indeed, the quality of human life cannot be measured solely in terms of consumable goods. The Church shares the conviction that societies must embrace man’s “full range of material needs” as well as his “intellectual, moral, spiritual, and religious life” (Gaudium et Spes GS 64). I pray that as Namibia implements its strategies for economic and social development, it keeps its sights set on an integral vision of man in his bodily, spiritual and social dimensions.
Namibia’s vision for the future recognizes the urgent need to bring the troubling spread of infectious disease to a halt. The tragic toll which HIV/AIDS has had in Southern Africa has been particularly alarming. In this regard, I assure the people of your country that the Church will continue to assist those who suffer from AIDS and to support their families. The Church’s contribution to the goal of eradicating AIDS from society cannot but draw its inspiration from the Christian conception of human love and sexuality. The understanding of marriage as the total, reciprocal and exclusive communion of love between a man and a woman not only accords with the plan of the Creator, it prompts the most effective behaviours for preventing the sexual transmission of disease: namely, abstinence before marriage and fidelity within marriage. It is for this reason that the Church dedicates no less energy to education and catechesis than she does to health care and corporal works of mercy. Mr. Ambassador, I encourage the leaders of your nation to legislate in a way that promotes the life of the family, which must always be held as sacred and most fundamental for a stable society.
Human health also depends on a harmonious relationship with nature, which has been entrusted to man’s intelligent dominion. Namibia’s Constitution is one of the first to make explicit mention of the grave responsibility to protect the environment and to use its resources wisely. I join you in drawing the global community’s attention to the importance of respecting nature as a common good destined for the enjoyment of the whole human family (cf. Centesimus Annus CA 37). To this end, Namibia has made a concerted effort towards agrarian reform. Yet the road has not been easy. Above all, policies in this area must always uphold the basic right of the hungry to their daily portion of bread (cf. Sollicitudo Rei Socialis SRS 42). Therefore, I warmly encourage everyone involved in these initiatives to persevere. By effectively administering titles, opening access to credit, and utilizing the latest advances in science and technology (cf. Gaudium et Spes GS 69), I am confident that your nation will achieve a more equitable distribution of land and reap a more abundant harvest of the earth’s fruits in the years ahead.
I assure you, Mr. Ambassador, that the Church will continue to stand with your fellow countrymen as they strive to assist one another in accordance with the divine command to love one’s neighbour (cf. Mt 22,39). As you take on your responsibilities, I am confident that you will find the various departments of the Holy See ready to assist you in carrying out your mission. Upon you, your family, the Namibian people and their leaders, I invoke an abundance of divine blessings.
Your Excellency,
With much pleasure I welcome you to the Vatican and accept the Letters of Credence appointing you Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Holy See. I greatly appreciate the cordial greetings which you have brought from His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. I warmly reciprocate them and ask you to convey the assurance of my deep esteem for the Royal Family, and my prayers for the well-being of the citizens of your noble nation. The firm bonds of respect and friendship between Thailand and the Holy See, which enjoy a remarkable history of more than four hundred years, today remain a source of particular strength that both parties draw upon in their service to the human family.
On the auspicious occasion of the Sixtieth Anniversary of His Majesty’s succession to the throne of the Kingdom of Thailand, I had the profound satisfaction of joining all the citizens of your country in recognizing the many blessings which His Majesty has received over these last six decades. I also took the opportunity to express my respect for the loving service he has rendered through his assiduous care to promote unity, religious tolerance and compassion for the poor. Indeed, for centuries the Royal Family and the Holy See have shared a concern and solicitude for the human family, especially the most vulnerable. The joyous Christmas visit of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to the Apostolic Nunciature, which included cultural activities and service to the poor, not only warmed the hearts of all present but manifested afresh our common commitment to the marginalized and less fortunate.
The moral characteristic of authentic development is of fundamental importance to integral progress (cf. Sollicitudo Rei Socialis SRS 9). The right to meaningful work and an acceptable standard of living, the assurance of a fair distribution of goods and wealth, and the responsible use of natural resources all depend upon a concept of development which is not limited merely to satisfying material necessities. Instead, such a concept must also highlight the dignity of the human person – the proper subject of all progress – and thereby enhance the common good of all, including minority groups. While such a goal certainly demands the support of the international community, it is also the case that much can be achieved through regional and local initiatives. Your nation’s efforts to promote economic cooperation between ASEAN member States affirm the profound value of communal solidarity. Indeed, economic and social cooperation have helped substantially to overcome historical divisions and animosities in the region. They have also helped to lessen the incidents of local unrest of the type which sporadically emerges in the south of your country.
As Your Excellency has kindly observed, the Church in Thailand serves the nation considerably through her extensive educational and social apostolate. In regard to the provision of education, we can take heart that where schools and training institutes function in a professional manner and are staffed by people of personal integrity with a love of learning, a hopeful future is offered to a nation and most especially to its young. Education is a highly effective means to break the cycle of poverty which still afflicts so many families today, and it is increasingly recognized by the international community as an indispensable part of the way to peace. By the learning and socialization gained through schooling, pupils from all strata of society are integrated into a nation’s civic life and are thus able to have the satisfaction of contributing to it.
The Catholic Church, in her service of the human family, reaches out to all members of Thai society without distinction. Her charitable mission, particularly to the poor and suffering, bears witness to “the unbreakable bond between love of God and love of neighbour” (Deus Caritas Est ). Of particular concern to her is the scourge of AIDS, prostitution and the trafficking of women and children which continue to afflict the countries of the region. Undoubtedly poverty is a major factor underlying this phenomenon and one which the Church constantly addresses. It must also be acknowledged that the decline in moral values, fuelled by the trivialization of sexuality in the media and entertainment industries, leads to the degradation of women and even the abuse of children. The complexity of this unspeakable human exploitation demands a concerted international response. To this end, I note Thailand’s increasing commitment to various international conventions and protocols designed to combat sexual exploitation and trafficking. This international cooperation, coupled with an unbending domestic political resolve to confront the corruption and impunity which facilitate such crimes, will lead to a turning point of hope and dignity for all concerned. In these efforts I can assure you of the Church’s utmost moral support and practical assistance.
Over the past year, Thailand has made significant strides towards revitalizing its democratic institutions. I join the people of your country as they look forward to a full restoration of the structures and procedures that will help relieve social tensions and respect the political rights of minorities. I take this opportunity to encourage a fair and just electoral process in the weeks ahead which favours the participation of all and honours the voice of the people.
Mr Ambassador, I am confident that the mission which you begin today will help to strengthen still further the bonds of understanding between Thailand and the Holy See. As you take up your new responsibilities I assure you that the various offices of the Roman Curia are ready to assist you in the fulfillment of your duties. Upon yourself and your fellow citizens I invoke an abundance of divine blessings.
Your Excellency,
I am pleased to welcome you as you begin your mission and to accept the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Singapore to the Holy See. I am grateful for your kind words and for the greetings you bring from President Sellapan Ramanathan. Please extend to him my respectful good wishes and the assurance of my prayers for the peace and prosperity of all the people of your nation.
For over twenty-five years now, the Holy See has enjoyed excellent diplomatic relations with Singapore, and looks forward to strengthening them further in the years ahead. As one of the most developed countries in South-East Asia, Singapore has a significant contribution to make to the economic and social advancement of the region. While many parts of South-East Asia continue to suffer from the effects of poverty, crime, and political unrest, Singapore, as a prosperous, well-ordered and democratic country, gives an important lead that can offer hope and inspiration to others. The Holy See is eager to continue working with your Government in order to promote the well-being of the region and the resolution of conflicts.
Economic success, however, needs a firm ethical grounding if it is to bring lasting benefits to society. Indeed the needs of the person must always be placed at the heart of economic enterprise, since, as the Second Vatican Council teaches, the human person is “the source, the centre, and the purpose of all economic and social life” (Gaudium et Spes GS 63). Likewise, an authentic democracy is not merely the result of a formal observation of a set of rules, but is “the fruit of a convinced acceptance of the values that inspire democratic procedures: the dignity of every human person, the respect of human rights, commitment to the common good” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 407). For this reason I encourage your Government in its efforts to involve all citizens and groups to participate in political and social life, for the promotion of those authentic values that lie at the heart of a healthy society.
While Catholics constitute only a small percentage of the population of Singapore, they are happy and willing to play their full part in national life and to contribute to the common good. One particularly important way in which they do so is through the witness of marriage and family life. As the natural community in which human social nature is experienced, the family makes a unique and irreplaceable contribution to the good of society. Indeed, a healthy state of married and family life is the best guarantee against the damaging effects of individualism or collectivism, because “within the family the person is always at the centre of attention as an end and never as a means” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 213). For this reason, I am confident that your Government will wish to continue safeguarding the vital part played in society by the institution of marriage and by the family.
In championing human rights, the Church is especially concerned to defend the universal rights to life and to religious freedom (cf. Message for the 2007 World Day of Peace, 4). The right to life, from conception to natural death, is the first among rights, and the condition for all others. Moreover, the effective recognition of the right to freedom of conscience and religious freedom is one of the most serious duties of every community that truly wishes to ensure the good of the individual and of society. Your Government is known for its commitment to initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue, respect and cooperation between different religious groups, of particular importance in view of the diverse ethnic and religious affiliation of your population. Be assured that the Holy See is also willing to work with your Government in this area in order to promote common objectives.
Recent years have seen a tragic escalation in international terrorism, often linked to religious motives, and South-East Asia has not been spared the effects of this disturbing development. The Holy See firmly rejects the manipulation of religion for political purposes, and especially the attempt to justify violence in this way. This new threat to world peace calls for a renewed commitment on the part of States to the implementation of international humanitarian law (cf. Message for the 2007 World Day of Peace, 14). The support shown by your Government for global peace-keeping initiatives is a sign of Singapore’s firm resolve to contribute to this worthy goal. The Catholic Church shares the concern of all those who seek to limit the suffering caused by armed conflict, and to promote the peaceful coexistence of peoples and nations.
Your Excellency, I pray that the diplomatic mission which you begin today will further strengthen the fruitful relations between the Holy See and your country. I assure you that the various departments of the Roman Curia are always ready to offer help and support in the fulfilment of your duties. I invoke upon you, your family, and all the people of Singapore God’s abundant blessings.
Your Excellency,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Vatican as you present the Letters of Credence by which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Gambia to the Holy See. I am grateful for the courteous greetings and sentiments of good will which you have expressed on behalf of His Excellency Colonel Yahya Jammeh, President of the Republic. As I willingly reciprocate, I ask you kindly to convey my gratitude and good wishes to His Excellency, to the civil authorities and to the Gambian people.
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of the Gambia and the Holy See were formally established in 1978. These relations, which the Holy See willingly establishes with individual countries, are a privileged opportunity to work together for the promotion of many important values favourable to the genuine growth of human society. Close and cordial relations can be of great advantage to both parties, especially in areas related to the defence of the life, the dignity and freedom of every human person and the promotion of the health, social development and education of less favoured groups of the population.
Christian love is the force that motivates the Church in your country as it offers its service to the Gambian people through the promotion of important values such as justice, solidarity and peace. The Catholic Church in Africa is committed directly to spread the message of Jesus and consequently to give witness to the love of Almighty God through the practice of charity, like the good Samaritan of the Gospel story (cf. Ecclesia in Africa ). A similar witness of love and the values of hospitality and compassion are also practised by followers of other religions in your country. In this regard I am pleased to recognize the cordial and peaceful relationship existing in The Gambia between the members of different religions. It speaks well of the friendly disposition of your people and their genuine religious sentiments. I pray that this good atmosphere will be consolidated and protected from the corrupting influence of ideologies that would use religion for political ends.
The Gambia’s future is interwoven with the future of West Africa. The Holy See looks with hope on the efforts to consolidate peace in the region. Nothing can dispense with the process of political dialogue where differences are harmonized and group expectations readjusted for the common good of the people. The Gambia has already given an example of this approach in a recent international dispute. I encourage your country to continue along this noble path in the solution of external and internal differences.
Your people continue to aspire, and rightly so, to a life of well-being in dignity and freedom. They seek improved political and social conditions that guarantee growth through initiative, creativity and exchange. The Catholic Church gives its full encouragement and cooperation to all African Governments who strive to strengthen the rule of law and eradicate corruption, to curb political harassment and the abuse of power (cf . Ecclesia in Africa ). In all spheres of life, especially in public affairs, the value of openness to others and submission to truth is the cornerstone of a human society worthy of the name. The commitment to truth is the soul of justice; it establishes and strengthens the right to freedom and opens the way to forgiveness and reconciliation (cf. Address to the Diplomatic Corps, 9 January 2006). Political institutions and public officials are by their very nature open to legitimate control and criticism since they serve the common good of the country and the needs and aspirations of the people whom they represent (cf. Gaudium et Spes GS 75). A political climate based on the respect for truth is an indispensable foundation of civil society. Love of their nation should encourage all, authorities and citizens, political parties and the media, to contribute actively to the consolidation of a healthy, open and respectful political environment.
While The Gambia as such has been spared the scourge of war, it still labours under a number of hardships. The Government and its respective departments and ministries, other agencies and political parties are attentive to these situations and can count on the loyal and generous cooperation of the Catholic Church. Living standards and sanitary conditions of sizeable segments of the population require continued attention. I encourage all to become involved in the promotion of the essential equality and complementarity of man and woman. Likewise the struggle against AIDS has to continue on the medical and especially educational fronts. Promiscuous sexual conduct is a root cause of many moral and physical ills and must be overcome by promoting a culture of marital faithfulness and moral integrity. The displacement of populations and the influx of refugees, seeking freedom from the many miseries that armed conflicts bring with them, is still a pressing problem which strains available resources. I am aware of the difficulties involved and I encourage the people and the institutions, public and private, who offer their service to those in need. At the same time I appeal to the international community to play a generous part in supporting this humanitarian task.
Madam Ambassador, these are some of the thoughts that arise from the Holy See’s attentive consideration and appreciation of your country and the African Continent. I wish you every success in your mission. You may count on the willing and open cooperation of the Offices of the Vatican and the Roman Curia. I am pleased to renew once again my good wishes to His Excellency President Jammeh, to the Government and people of your country. May Almighty God bestow upon the nation abundant and lasting blessings of well-being and peace!
Your Excellency,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Vatican as you present the Letters of Credence by which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Gambia to the Holy See. I am grateful for the courteous greetings and sentiments of good will which you have expressed on behalf of His Excellency Colonel Yahya Jammeh, President of the Republic. As I willingly reciprocate, I ask you kindly to convey my gratitude and good wishes to His Excellency, to the civil authorities and to the Gambian people.
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of the Gambia and the Holy See were formally established in 1978. These relations, which the Holy See willingly establishes with individual countries, are a privileged opportunity to work together for the promotion of many important values favourable to the genuine growth of human society. Close and cordial relations can be of great advantage to both parties, especially in areas related to the defence of the life, the dignity and freedom of every human person and the promotion of the health, social development and education of less favoured groups of the population.
Christian love is the force that motivates the Church in your country as it offers its service to the Gambian people through the promotion of important values such as justice, solidarity and peace. The Catholic Church in Africa is committed directly to spread the message of Jesus and consequently to give witness to the love of Almighty God through the practice of charity, like the good Samaritan of the Gospel story (cf. Ecclesia in Africa ). A similar witness of love and the values of hospitality and compassion are also practised by followers of other religions in your country. In this regard I am pleased to recognize the cordial and peaceful relationship existing in The Gambia between the members of different religions. It speaks well of the friendly disposition of your people and their genuine religious sentiments. I pray that this good atmosphere will be consolidated and protected from the corrupting influence of ideologies that would use religion for political ends.
The Gambia’s future is interwoven with the future of West Africa. The Holy See looks with hope on the efforts to consolidate peace in the region. Nothing can dispense with the process of political dialogue where differences are harmonized and group expectations readjusted for the common good of the people. The Gambia has already given an example of this approach in a recent international dispute. I encourage your country to continue along this noble path in the solution of external and internal differences.
Your people continue to aspire, and rightly so, to a life of well-being in dignity and freedom. They seek improved political and social conditions that guarantee growth through initiative, creativity and exchange. The Catholic Church gives its full encouragement and cooperation to all African Governments who strive to strengthen the rule of law and eradicate corruption, to curb political harassment and the abuse of power (cf . Ecclesia in Africa ). In all spheres of life, especially in public affairs, the value of openness to others and submission to truth is the cornerstone of a human society worthy of the name. The commitment to truth is the soul of justice; it establishes and strengthens the right to freedom and opens the way to forgiveness and reconciliation (cf. Address to the Diplomatic Corps, 9 January 2006). Political institutions and public officials are by their very nature open to legitimate control and criticism since they serve the common good of the country and the needs and aspirations of the people whom they represent (cf. Gaudium et Spes GS 75). A political climate based on the respect for truth is an indispensable foundation of civil society. Love of their nation should encourage all, authorities and citizens, political parties and the media, to contribute actively to the consolidation of a healthy, open and respectful political environment.
While The Gambia as such has been spared the scourge of war, it still labours under a number of hardships. The Government and its respective departments and ministries, other agencies and political parties are attentive to these situations and can count on the loyal and generous cooperation of the Catholic Church. Living standards and sanitary conditions of sizeable segments of the population require continued attention. I encourage all to become involved in the promotion of the essential equality and complementarity of man and woman. Likewise the struggle against AIDS has to continue on the medical and especially educational fronts. Promiscuous sexual conduct is a root cause of many moral and physical ills and must be overcome by promoting a culture of marital faithfulness and moral integrity. The displacement of populations and the influx of refugees, seeking freedom from the many miseries that armed conflicts bring with them, is still a pressing problem which strains available resources. I am aware of the difficulties involved and I encourage the people and the institutions, public and private, who offer their service to those in need. At the same time I appeal to the international community to play a generous part in supporting this humanitarian task.
Madam Ambassador, these are some of the thoughts that arise from the Holy See’s attentive consideration and appreciation of your country and the African Continent. I wish you every success in your mission. You may count on the willing and open cooperation of the Offices of the Vatican and the Roman Curia. I am pleased to renew once again my good wishes to His Excellency President Jammeh, to the Government and people of your country. May Almighty God bestow upon the nation abundant and lasting blessings of well-being and peace!
Your Excellency,
It is a pleasure for me to welcome you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Suriname to the Holy See. I gladly accept your letters of Credence, and I thank you for conveying to me the courteous greetings expressed by President Ronald Venetiaan. I would ask you kindly to transmit my own greetings to His Excellency and to the people of Suriname with an assurance of my continued prayers for the peace and well-being of your country. The congenial spirit that has characterized the diplomatic ties between Suriname and the Holy See since 1994 is a great sign of hope for the future. The Church, which has played a key role in the history of your region, continues to share its peoples’ aspirations for peace, social harmony and economic stability.
This year marks the Fortieth anniversary of Populorum Progressio, the Encyclical Letter promulgated by my Venerable Predecessor Pope Paul VI to promote “man's complete development and the development of all mankind” (5). The basic principles set forth in this document prompted a vigorous discussion not only among bishops, but also government leaders, lawmakers, economists, businessmen and intellectuals throughout the world. This lively interest continues today, generating fresh ideas for advancing the common good in ways that not only satisfy man’s material needs, but actualize his full spiritual potential. Populorum Progressio points to the challenges facing formerly colonized countries on their journey towards national sovereignty (cf. 7). This road has not always been easy for Suriname, but its democratic institutions and national identity have been strengthened as a result of this process of adjustment to a new political reality. I cordially invite the people of your nation to draw from the deep well of the Church’s social teaching as they plan for the future.
Your Excellency has noted the extraordinary ethnic and religious diversity present in your country. Differences of origin, custom and belief are marvellous opportunities for people to learn and practise tolerance and sympathy for one another. Such habits build social cohesion and lay the groundwork for a robust democracy (cf. Populorum Progressio PP 64). By becoming more familiar with the various mores coexisting within a nation, its citizens learn to set their sights on truths that transcend them both as individuals and as members of local communities. These truths, which need to be upheld by a country’s rule of law and the institutions established to uphold it, also inspire men and women of goodwill to leave their limited sphere of self-interest and to place themselves at the service of their neighbours (cf. Populorum Progressio PP 73). Suriname’s five-year plan opens multiple opportunities for furthering the spirit of solidarity among your people as it paves the way to initiatives that will foster social integration. I pray that the implementation of this five-year plan will help guarantee that the basic rights of all—especially minorities and the poor—continue to be respected at every level of society (cf. Populorum Progressio PP 9).
Your Excellency has also drawn attention to Suriname’s membership in various international organizations aimed at furthering multi-lateral dialogue and cooperation. Your nation’s willingness to participate in these organizations demonstrates Suriname’s commitment to the resolution of regional differences in ways that honour the rightful autonomy of all interested States. Cooperation with your neighbours will also galvanize efforts to conquer the disturbing trend of international drug trafficking, the insidious effects of which can be felt throughout the global community and are particularly destructive to the poor, the young and the underprivileged. Not only does the flow of illegal narcotics do grave harm to those who abuse these substances, but the very structures necessary to facilitate this trade entangle society in a web of corruption, greed and exploitation. Madam Ambassador, while expressing my sincere appreciation for the actions already undertaken to address this complex situation, I encourage you and all those in your region to continue making every effort towards the eradication of this problem from society altogether, both by cutting it off at its sources and by combating the factors that drive people to self-abusive behaviours: especially poverty, the breakdown of the family and social disintegration.
Madam Ambassador, it is a joy for me to receive you today as you begin the mission entrusted to you. I am grateful for your assurance of Suriname’s steadfast commitment to religious freedom and its spirit of cooperation with the Catholic Church in your country. In turn, I am happy to confirm the ready collaboration of the various offices and agencies of the Roman Curia. May your mission strengthen the bonds of friendship and goodwill between your Government and the Holy See. Upon you and all the people of your country, I invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.
Your Excellencies,
I am pleased to welcome you on the occasion of the presentation of the Letters accrediting you as Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of your respective Countries: Thailand, Seychelles, Namibia, The Gambia, Suriname, Singapore and Kuwait. I am grateful to you for the courteous words you have been kind enough to convey to me from your Heads of State. I ask you to reciprocate by expressing my respectful greetings and my best wishes for them and for the lofty mission they are carrying out in their Country's service. I also extend warm greetings to all the civil and religious Authorities of your Nations, as well as to all your fellow Countrymen. Through you, I particularly want to assure the Catholic communities present in the territory of your Countries of my thoughts and prayers, as I encourage them to persevere in their mission and in the witness they bear through their commitment to the service of all.
Your role as diplomats is particularly important in the contemporary world in order to show that in all the situations of international life, dialogue must take the lead over violence and the desire for peace and brotherhood must prevail over opposition and individualism. The latter lead only to tensions and resentment, which do not help to build reconciled societies. Through you, I would like to launch a new appeal to all those who play a role in social life and all who participate in the government of nations to do all in their power to restore hope to the peoples they are responsible for leading; may they take into account their deepest aspirations and ensure that everyone benefits from what is produced by the natural and economic resources of their country, in accordance with the principles of justice and equity.
In this perspective, very special attention must be paid to the young generations, showing them that they are a country's greatest treasure; their integral education is a primordial requirement. Indeed, technical and scientific training do not suffice to make them responsible men and women in their family and at all levels of society. To this end, it is necessary to give priority to an education in the human and moral values that will enable all young people to acquire self-confidence, hope in the future, concern for their brothers and sisters in humanity, as well as to take their place for the growth of the nation with an ever more acute awareness of others.
For this reason, I hope that the education of youth may be a priority in every country, with the support of all the institutions of the International Community that are involved in the fight against illiteracy and against the lack of education in all its forms. This is a particularly important means of combating despair which can dwell in the hearts of young people and precipitate numerous acts of violence, individual or collective. May you know that, for her part, the Catholic Church, thanks to her numerous educational institutions, is ceaselessly committed, together with all people of good will, on the front of the global training of youth. I encourage all those who take part in this beautiful mission of the education of youth to pursue their task tirelessly, assured that by properly training young people they are preparing for a promising future.
You have just received from your Heads of State a mission to the Holy See. At the end of our meeting, I am eager to address to you, Your Excellencies, my best wishes for the service you are called to carry out. May the Almighty sustain you, your loved ones, your collaborators and all your compatriots in the construction of a peaceful society, and may an abundance of divine benefits be showered upon each one of you.
Saint Peter's Basilica Thursday, 13 December 2007
Dear Friends,
I am very pleased to meet so many of you at this traditional encounter close to the Birth of Christ. I greet and thank Cardinal Camillo Ruini who has celebrated the Eucharist, together with the University Chaplains, to whom I address a cordial thought. I greet the Authorities, in the first place the Minister for Universities with the Rectors, the Professors and all the students. I am grateful to the Rector of the University's Biomedical Campus and to the student of the Law Faculty of Roma Tre, who in the name of you all have addressed to me expressions of affection and good wishes. I warmly exchange these sentiments, offering good wishes to each one of you for a peaceful and holy Christmas. I would like to reserve a special greeting to the young people of the Albanian delegation who have brought back to Rome the icon of Mary Sedes Sapientiae, and to those of the Romanian delegation who will receive the image of Mary this evening so that it may be a "pilgrim" of peace and hope in their Country.
Dear young university students, at this familiar encounter, permit me to bring to your attention two brief reflections. The first regards the journey of your spiritual formation. The Diocese of Rome wanted to give greater emphasis to young university students' preparation for Confirmation; therefore, your pilgrimage to Assisi last 10 November represented the "summons" and this evening your attendance has been the "response". In fact, about 150 of you were presented as candidates for the Sacrament of Confirmation, which you will receive at the next Pentecost Vigil. This is a worthy initiative that fits well into the itinerary of preparation for the World Youth Day scheduled to take place in Sydney in July 2008.
To the candidates for the Sacrament of Confirmation and to all of you, dear young friends, I would like to say: direct your gaze to the Virgin Mary and from her "yes", learn also to pronounce your "yes" to the divine call. The Holy Spirit enters into our lives in the measure in which we open our hearts with our "yes": the fuller the "yes", the fuller is the gift of his presence. To understand better, we can refer to a very simple reality: light. If a window's shutters are hermetically sealed, although the light is shining it cannot illuminate the house. If there is a little fissure, a ray of light enters; if the shutters are opened a little more, the room begins to lighten up, but only when completely opened do the sun's rays illuminate and warm the environment. Dear friends, Mary is greeted by the Angel as "full of grace", which means exactly this: her heart and her life are totally open to God, and this is why she is completely pervaded by his grace. May she help you to make yourselves a free and full "yes" to God, so that you can be renewed, indeed, transformed by the light and joy of the Holy Spirit.
The second reflection that I wish to propose to you concerns the recent Encyclical on Christian hope entitled, as you know, Spe Salvi, "In hope we were saved", words taken from St Paul's Letter to the Romans (8: 24). Ideally, I consign it to you, dear university students of Rome, and through you to the whole university, scholastic, cultural and educational world. Is not the theme of hope particularly suited to young people? In particular I suggest you make the part of the Encyclical that concerns the hope of the modern age an object of your reflection and discussion, even in groups. In the 17th century, Europe experienced an authentic epochal turning point and from then on it has increasingly confirmed a mentality which views human progress alone as the work of science and technology, while faith concerns only the salvation of the soul, a purely individual salvation. The two great idea-powers of modernity, reason and freedom, are as it were separated from God in order to become autonomous and to cooperate in the construction of the "kingdom of man", practically in opposition to the Kingdom of God. From here a materialistic concept spread, nourished by the hope that, by changing the economic and political structures, one could finally bring about a just society where peace, freedom and equality reign. This process, which is not deprived of values and historical motivations, contains, however, a fundamental error: man, in fact, is not only the product of determined economic and social conditions; technical progress does not necessarily coincide with the moral growth of the person; rather, without ethical principles science, technology and politics can be used, as has happened and unfortunately still happens, not for the good but harm of individuals and of humanity.
Dear friends, it is such current themes that stimulate your reflection and favour even more the positive comparison and collaboration that already exist among all State, private and pontifical universities. The city of Rome continues to be a privileged place of study and cultural development, as took place last June with the meeting of over 3,000 European university professors. Rome is also the model of hospitality for foreign students and I am pleased to greet, in this regard, the university delegations from the various European and American cities. May the light of Christ, which we invoke through the intercession of Mary, Star of Hope, and of the holy virgin and martyr Lucy, whose memory we recall today, always enlighten your life. With these wishes, I whole-heartedly wish you and your relatives a Christmas rich in grace and peace, while I warmly impart the Apostolic Blessing to all.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Thank you for your visit! I gladly welcome you and the gift you have brought me: the Christmas tree which, with the crib that is being set up, will decorate St Peter's Square. I thank each one of you with all my heart, starting with Dr Luis Durnwalder, Head of the Regional Government of South Tyrol, and the Mayors of St Martin in Thurn whom I also thank for their friendly words expressing your common sentiments. I greet with respect the civil Authorities of South Tyrol, the representatives of the five municipalities of Val Badia and all those who have come here to show the typical elements of their Gader region with its traditional costumes, evocative music and local produce. I warmly greet your Bishop Wilhelm Egger and thank him for the brotherly words he has just addressed to me. With him, I also greet the priests and parish councils and willingly include in my greeting all the inhabitants of Val Badia who are represented here today.
I know that all the inhabitants of Val Badia have worked hard to prepare this special event, especially the school children who have taken part in a painting competition: "The Christmas Tree at the Vatican". I thank everyone for the marvellous gift of this red spruce and for the other trees that help to create a Christmas atmosphere in the Vatican. May this beautiful initiative reawaken in all the Christians of Val Badia the desire to witness to the values of life, love and peace of which the Solemnity of Christ's birth reminds us, year after year!
So this year the Christmas tree on St Peter's Square comes from the Trentino-Alto Adige, and precisely from the woods of the Val Badia, the Gran Ega, a marvellous sunny hollow located at the foot of the Dolomites, surrounded by enchanting peaks with the typical jagged silhouette of those mountains. This venerable tree, felled without causing damage to the life of the forest, will stand by the Crib, suitably decorated, until the end of the Christmas festivities, and will be admired by the many pilgrims who come to the Vatican in the next few days. It is a meaningful symbol of Christ's birth because, with its evergreen leaves, it recalls a life that never dies. The fir tree is also a symbol of popular religiosity in your Valley, which is expressed in a special way in processions.
Keep alive these beautiful traditions that are so deeply felt and strive to increasingly make them manifestations of an authentic and hard-working Christian life. In this effort for evangelical witness, may St Joseph Freinademetz, a famous son of your Land, be an example to you. In him, a zealous missionary among the Chinese, the Ladin spiritual genius expressed one of its most mature fruits of holiness.
Dear friends, the tree and the crib are elements of that typical Christmas atmosphere which is part of the spiritual heritage of our communities. It is a climate steeped in religiosity and family warmth which we must also preserve in contemporary society, where the consumeristic rush and the search for material goods alone sometimes seem to prevail. Christmas is a Christian feast and its symbols - especially the crib and the tree decorated with gifts - are important references to the great mystery of the Incarnation and the Birth of Jesus, which the liturgy of the Advent Season and of Christmas constantly recall. The Creator of the universe, in making himself a Child, came among us to share in our human journey; he made himself little to enter the human heart and thereby to renew it with the almightiness of his love. Let us therefore prepare to welcome him with faith, enlivened by firm hope.
Dear friends, once again I would like to express my warm thanks to all of you and to those who helped you at home, to the sponsors and to all those who made themselves available to transport the tree. Thank you for the contribution that each one of you has made with great generosity. I take this beautiful opportunity to express to you my sincere good wishes for the Solemnity of Christmas and for the days of Christmas festivities. With these sentiments, I assure you that I will remember you, your families, the population of the Val Badia and the entire Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone in my prayers. I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to you all.
Bun Nadé!
Dear Brother Bishops,
I am pleased to welcome you on your ad Limina visit, as you come to venerate the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul. I thank you for the kind words that Archbishop Peter Takeo Okada has addressed to me on your behalf, and I offer you my warmest good wishes and prayers for yourselves and all the people entrusted to your pastoral care. You have come to the city where Peter carried out his mission of evangelization and bore witness to Christ even to the shedding of his blood—and you have come to greet Peter’s Successor. In this way you strengthen the apostolic foundations of the Church in your country and you express visibly your communion with all the other members of the College of Bishops and with the Roman Pontiff (cf. Pastores Gregis ). I want to take this opportunity to reiterate my sorrow at the recent passing of Cardinal Stephen Hamao, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerants, and to express my appreciation for his years of service to the Church. In his person he exemplified the bonds of communion between the Church in Japan and the Holy See. May he rest in peace.
Last year the Church celebrated with great joy the five hundredth anniversary of the birth of Saint Francis Xavier, Apostle of Japan. I join you in giving thanks to God for the missionary work that he carried out in your land, and for the seeds of Christian faith that he planted at the time of Japan’s first evangelization. The need to proclaim Christ boldly and courageously is a continuing priority for the Church; indeed it is a solemn duty laid upon her by Christ who enjoined the Apostles to “go out to the whole world, proclaim the Good News to all creation” (Mc 16,16). Your task today is to seek new ways of bringing alive the message of Christ in the cultural setting of modern Japan. Even though Christians form only a small percentage of the population, the faith is a treasure that needs to be shared with the whole of Japanese society. Your leadership in this area needs to inspire clergy and religious, catechists, teachers, and families to offer an explanation for the hope that they possess (cf. 1P 3,15). This in turn requires sound catechesis, based on the teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Compendium. Let the light of the faith so shine before others, that “they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5,16).
Indeed the world is hungry for the message of hope that the Gospel brings. Even in countries as highly developed as yours, many are discovering that economic success and advanced technology are not sufficient in themselves to bring fulfilment to the human heart. Anyone who does not know God “is ultimately without hope, without the great hope that sustains the whole of life” (Spe Salvi ). Remind people that there is more to life than professional success and profit. Through the practice of charity, in the family and in the community, they can be led towards “that encounter with God in Christ which awakens their love and opens their spirits to others” (Deus Caritas Est ). This is the great hope that Christians in Japan can offer their compatriots; it is not foreign to Japanese culture, but rather it reinforces and gives new impetus to all that is good and noble in the heritage of your beloved nation. The well-merited respect which the citizens of your country show towards the Church, on account of her fine contribution in education, health care and many other fields, gives you an opportunity to engage with them in dialogue and to speak joyfully to them of Christ, the “light that enlightens every man” (Jn 1,9).
Young people especially are at risk of being deceived by the glamour of modern secular culture. Yet, like all the greater and lesser hopes that appear on first sight to promise so much (cf. Spe Salvi ), this turns out to be a false hope – and tragically, disillusion not infrequently leads to depression and despair, even to suicide. If their youthful energy and enthusiasm can be directed towards the things of God, which alone are sufficient to satisfy their deepest longings, more young people will be inspired to commit their lives to Christ, and some will recognize a call to serve him in the priesthood or the religious life. Invite them to consider whether this may be their vocation. Never be afraid to do so. Encourage your priests and religious likewise to be active in promoting vocations, and lead your people in prayer, asking the Lord to “send out labourers into his harvest” (Mt 9,38).
The Lord’s harvest in Japan is increasingly made up of people of diverse nationalities, to the extent that over half of the Catholic population is formed of immigrants. This provides an opportunity to enrich the life of the Church in your country and to experience the true catholicity of God’s people. By taking steps to ensure that all are made to feel welcome in the Church, you can draw on the many gifts that the immigrants bring. At the same time, you need to remain vigilant in ensuring that the liturgical and disciplinary norms of the universal Church are carefully observed. Modern Japan has wholeheartedly chosen to engage with the wider world, and the Catholic Church, with its universal outreach, can make a valuable contribution to this process of ever greater openness to the international community.
Other nations can also learn from Japan, from the accumulated wisdom of her ancient culture, and especially from the witness to peace that has characterized her stance on the world political stage in the last sixty years. You have made the voice of the Church heard on the enduring importance of this witness, all the greater in a world where armed conflicts bring so much suffering to the innocent. I encourage you to continue to speak on matters of public concern in the life of your nation, and to ensure that your statements are promoted and widely disseminated, so that they may be properly heard at all levels within society. In this way, the message of hope that the Gospel brings can truly touch hearts and minds, leading to greater confidence in the future, greater love and respect for life, increasing openness towards the stranger and the sojourner in your midst. “The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life” (Spe Salvi ).
In this regard, the forthcoming Beatification of 188 Japanese martyrs offers a clear sign of the strength and vitality of Christian witness in your country’s history. From the earliest days, Japanese men and women have been ready to shed their blood for Christ. Through the hope of these people “who have been touched by Christ, hope has arisen for others who were living in darkness and without hope” (Spe Salvi ). I join you in giving thanks to God for the eloquent testimony of Peter Kibe and his companions, who have “washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb” and now serve God day and night within his temple (Rev 7:14f.).
In this Advent season, the whole Church looks forward eagerly to the celebration of our Saviour’s birth. I pray that this time of preparation may be for you and for the whole Church in Japan an opportunity to grow in faith, hope, and love, so that the Prince of Peace may truly find a home in your hearts. Commending all of you and your priests, religious and lay faithful to the intercession of Saint Francis Xavier and the Martyrs of Japan, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of joy and peace in the Lord.
From the Vatican, 15 December 2007
Your Eminence,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am pleased to greet and welcome you, dear men and women postulators accredited to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and I willingly take this opportunity to express to you my esteem and gratitude for the praiseworthy work you carry out in dealing with the causes of beatification and canonization. I greet Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and thank him for his courteous words expressing your common sentiments. With him, I greet Mons. Michele Di Ruberto, Secretary, and the Undersecretary and officials of this Dicastery, called to offer an indispensable and highly qualified collaboration to the Successor of Peter in a context of great ecclesial importance.
Today's meeting is taking place almost on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of the Apostolic Constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister. With this Document, published on 25 January 1983 and still in force, my beloved Predecessor, the Servant of God John Paul II, desired to review the process for the Causes of Saints, and at the same time to provide for an internal reordering of the Congregation that would meet the needs of scholars and satisfy the desires of pastors who on several occasions had requested an easier procedure for causes of beatification and canonization which would nevertheless always preserve sound research in this field that is so important for the life of the Church. Indeed, through beatifications and canonizations, the Church gives thanks to God for the gift of her children who have known how to respond generously to divine grace, honours them and invokes them as intercessors. At the same time, she presents these shining examples for the imitation of all the faithful called by Baptism to holiness, which is a goal proposed to every state of life. In professing Christ, his Person and his doctrine with their lives and in remaining closely united to him, the Saints and Blesseds are as it were a living picture of both aspects of the divine Teacher's perfection.
At the same time, looking at our many brothers and sisters who in every age have made themselves a total offering to God for his Kingdom, Ecclesial Communities are prompted to take note of the need, also in our time, for witnesses who can incarnate the perennial truth of the Gospel in the concrete circumstances of life, making them a means of salvation for the whole world. I also wished to refer to this in my recent Encyclical, Spe Salvi, by writing that "our behaviour is not indifferent before God and therefore is not indifferent for the unfolding of history. We can open ourselves and the world and allow God to enter: we can open ourselves to truth, to love, to what is good. This is what the Saints did, those who, as "God's fellow workers', contributed to the world's salvation" (n. 35). In recent decades there has been an increase in religious and cultural interest in the champions of Christian holiness who show the true face of the Church, bride of Christ "without spot or wrinkle" (cf. Ep 5,27). If they are properly presented with their spiritual dynamism and their historical reality, Saints help to make the word of the Gospel and the mission of the Church more credible and attractive. Contact with them paves the way to true spiritual resurrection, to lasting conversions and to the blossoming of new Saints. Saints normally bring forth other Saints and closeness to them, or even only to their footsteps, is always salutary: it cleanses and raises the mind and opens the heart to love for God and for the brethren. Holiness sows joy and hope, and responds to the thirst for happiness that people also feel today.
Therefore, the ecclesial and social importance of constantly presenting new models of holiness renders particularly precious the work of those who collaborate in the treatment of causes for beatification and canonization. All those who work for the Causes of Saints, although with different roles, are called to place themselves exclusively at the service of the truth. For this reason, in the course of the Diocesan Inquiry, the testimonial and documentary proof must be gathered both when it is favourable and when it is contrary to the holiness and fame of holiness or martyrdom of Servants of God. Objectivity and completeness in the proof collected in this first, and in some respects fundamental, phase of the canonical process carried out under the responsibility of the diocesan Bishops must obviously be followed up with the objectivity and completeness of the Positiones prepared by the relators of the Congregation, with the collaboration of the Postulation. Thus, the task of the postulators is fundamental in both the diocesan and apostolic phases of the process. This task must be carried out in a way that is irreproachable, inspired by rectitude and impressed with absolute probity. Professional competence is required of postulators together with a capacity for discernment and honesty in helping the diocesan Bishops open full, objective inquiries which are valid, both from the formal viewpoint and from that of their substance. Equally delicate and important is the help that Bishops offer to the Dicastery of the Causes of Saints in the process of the search for the truth, to be attained through an appropriate discussion which takes into account the moral certainty to be acquired and the means of proof that are realistically available.
Dear brothers and sisters, may the Holy Spirit, the source and creator of Christian holiness, enlighten you in your work and may the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, the Saints, Blesseds and Servants of God whose Causes you are following, obtain for you from the Lord the ability always to do so with fidelity and love for the truth. I willingly include in my prayers for you the hope that you yourselves may follow in the Saints' footsteps, as have various postulators whose Causes for beatification are under way. Lastly, with Holy Christmas at hand, I express my fervent good wishes to you for yourselves, your families and your loved ones, while I warmly bless you all.
Dear Boys and Girls of the [Italian] Children's Catholic Action (ACR),
I welcome you with great joy. Your visit today to the Pope's house means that we are now close to the great Feast of Holy Christmas, a Feast eagerly awaited, especially by you children. I offer each one of you my affectionate greeting, together with my warm thanks for the sentiments and prayers you expressed to me on behalf of your friends of ACR and of the entire large family of Italian Catholic Action. I address a special greeting to Prof. Luigi Alici, the National President, and to Bishop Domenico Sigalini, whom I recently appointed General Chaplain of Catholic Action. I also greet the Director and the Chaplain of ACR and their collaborators, extending my greeting to all those who are in charge of your human, spiritual and apostolic formation.
I am pleased that you just mentioned Antonia Meo, a little girl known as "Nennolina". Exactly three days ago, I decreed the recognition of her heroic virtues and I hope that her cause of beatification will soon be successfully concluded. What a shining example this little peer of yours left us! In her very short life - only six and a half years - Nennolina, a Roman child, showed special faith, hope and charity, and likewise the other Christian virtues. Although she was a frail little girl, she managed to give a strong and vigorous Gospel witness and left a deep mark on the diocesan Community of Rome. Nennolina belonged to Catholic Action: today, she would certainly have been enrolled in ACR! Therefore, you can consider her a friend of yours, a model to inspire you. Her life, so simple and at the same time so important, shows that holiness is for all ages: for children and for young people, for adults and for the elderly. Every season of our life can be a good time for deciding to love Jesus seriously and to follow him faithfully. In just a few years, Nennolina reached the peak of Christian perfection that we are all called to scale; she sped down the "highway" that leads to Jesus. Indeed, as you yourselves said, Jesus is the true "road" that leads us to the Father and to his and our definitive home, which is Paradise. You know that Antonia now lives in God and is close to you from Heaven: you feel her present among you, in your groups. Learn to know her and follow her example. I think she would be pleased with this: with still being "involved" in Catholic Action!
It is Christmas and I want to offer you fervent good wishes of joy and serenity, but with these good wishes allow me to express another for the whole year that we will shortly be beginning. I do so inspired by your slogan for 2008: may you always walk joyfully on the road of life with Jesus.
One day he said: "I am the way" (Jn 14,6). Jesus is the way that leads to true life, life that never ends. It is often a narrow, uphill road, but if we let ourselves be attracted by him it is always marvellous, like a steep mountain path: the more steeply it rises, the better one can admire from on high new views even more beautiful and extensive. There is the effort of walking but we are not alone: we help each other, we wait for one another, we lend a hand to those who have been left behind.... The important thing is not to get lost, not to stray from the path, otherwise we risk ending in a ravine, of getting lost in the woods! Dear children, God became man to show us the way; indeed, by making himself a child he also became the "way" for you children: he was like you, he was your age. Follow him lovingly every day, keeping your hand in his.
What I am saying to you applies equally to us adults. I therefore hope that the whole of Italian Catholic Action will walk briskly and united on the road of Christ, to witness in the Church and in society that this road is beautiful; it is true that it demands commitment but it leads to true joy. Let us entrust this wish, which is also a prayer, to the maternal intercession of Mary, Mother of Hope, Star of Hope. May she who anxiously expected and prepared for the birth of her Son Jesus also help us to prepare for this Christmas in an atmosphere of profound devotion and deep spiritual joy. I accompany my dearest wishes with a special Apostolic Blessing for you who are present here, for your loved ones and for the entire family of Catholic Action. Happy Christmas!
Your Eminences,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Presbyterate,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
At this meeting we are already breathing the joy of Christmas, now at hand. I am deeply grateful for your participation in this traditional event, whose special spiritual atmosphere has been vividly evoked by the Cardinal Dean, Angelo Sodano, who recalled the main theme of my recent Encyclical Letter on Christian hope. I warmly thank him for his cordial words expressing the good wishes of the College of Cardinals, of the Members of the Roman Curia and of the Governorate, as well as of the Papal Representatives scattered throughout the world. Our community, as you emphasized, Your Eminence, is truly a "working community", bound by bonds of fraternal love which the Christmas festivities help to reinforce. In this spirit, you did not omit an appropriate mention of the former members of our Curial family who crossed the threshold of time in recent months and have entered into God's peace. On such an occasion it does our hearts good to feel close to those who shared the service to the Church with us and who now intercede for us at God's throne. I therefore thank you for your words, Your Eminence, Dean of the College of Cardinals, and I thank everyone present for the contribution that each one makes to the fulfilment of the ministry entrusted to me by the Lord.
Another year is drawing to a close. I would like to mention my Visit to Brazil as the first salient event of this period which has passed so quickly. Its purpose was the Meeting with the Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops' Conferences and consequently, more generally, a Meeting with the Church in the vast Continent of Latin America. Before reflecting on the Conference at Aparecida, I would like to mention several highlights of this Journey. First of all, the solemn evening with the young people at the stadium in São Paulo: on that evening, despite the severe temperatures, we found ourselves all united by a great inner joy, a living experience of communion and the clear desire to be servants of reconciliation in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, friends of the poor and suffering and messengers of that goodness whose splendour we encountered in the Gospel. Mass events are organized whose sole effect is self-affirmation; people let themselves be swept away in them by the inebriating rhythm and sounds and end by finding enjoyment in themselves alone. There, on the contrary, it was their very souls that were opened; deep communion was spontaneously felt among us on that evening: being with one another brought with it being for one another. It was not an escape from daily life but was transformed into the strength to accept life in a new way. Thus, I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to the young people who enlivened that evening for their being-with, their singing, their words and their prayers, which inwardly purified and improved us - and also improved us for others.
The day on which, together with a large number of Bishops, priests, Religious and lay faithful, I canonized Frei Galvão, a son of Brazil, proclaiming him a Saint of the universal Church, lives on, unforgettable. We were greeted everywhere with reproductions of his image which shone with the bright goodness of heart he had found in his encounter with Christ and in his relationship with his religious community. We have been told with regard to Christ's definitive return in the parousia that he will not come alone but with all his saints. Thus, every saint who enters history already constitutes a tiny portion of Christ's second Coming, his new entry into time which shows us his image in a new dimension and assures us of his presence. Jesus Christ does not belong to the past, nor is he confined to a distant future whose coming we do not even have the courage to seek. He arrives with a great procession of saints. Together with his saints he is already on his way towards us, towards our present.
I remember most vividly the day I spent at the Fazenda da Esperança, where people enslaved by drugs rediscover freedom and hope. On my arrival there, the first thing that happened was that I perceived the healing power of God's creation in a new way. Green mountains encircle the broad valley; they direct the gaze upwards and at the same time give a sense of protection. From the tabernacle of the little church of the Carmelites flows a stream of clear water which calls to mind Ezekiel's prophecy about the water flowing from the Temple which disintoxicates the salty earth, making possible the growth of trees that bring life. We must defend creation not only with a view to its usefulness for us but for its own sake - as a message from the Creator, a gift of beauty which is a promise and hope. Yes, man needs transcendence. God alone suffices, Teresa of Avila said. If God is absent, man must seek by himself to go beyond the world's boundaries, to open before him the boundless space for which he was created. Drugs then become, as it were, a need for him. Yet he very soon discovers that they are an unending illusion - one might say, a trick the devil plays on man. There, at the Fazenda da Esperança, the world's boundaries are truly transcended, the gaze is opened to God, to the fullness of our life, and so healing is brought about. I address my sincere gratitude to all those who work there and my cordial good wishes and Blessings to all who seek healing there.
I would then like to recall the meeting with the Brazilian Bishops in the Cathedral of São Paulo. The solemn music that accompanied us lives on, unforgettable. What made it particularly beautiful was the fact that it was performed by a choir and orchestra composed of poor youth from that city. Those people thus offered us the experience of beauty, one of those gifts through which it is possible to go beyond the limitations of the everyday nature of the world and perceive loftier realities that assure us of God's beauty. Then the experience of "effective and affective collegiality", of fraternal communion in our common ministry, made us feel the joy of catholicity. Beyond all the geographical and cultural boundaries we are brothers and sisters, together with the Risen Christ who has called us to his service.
And, finally, Aparecida. I found the little image of Our Lady quite specially moving. Some poor fishermen who had repeatedly cast their nets in vain drew the little statue from the waters of the river and then, at last, had an abundant catch. She is Our Lady of the poor who herself became poor and lowly. Hence, precisely through faith and love of the poor, the great Shrine came into being around this figure and, still reflecting the poverty of God and the humility of the Mother, day after day constitutes a home and refuge for people who pray and hope. It was good for us to gather there and it was there that we drafted the document on the theme "Disciples and missionaries of Jesus Christ, so that in him they may have life". Of course, someone might immediately ask: but was this the right subject at this time in history in which we are living? Was it not too abrupt a turn toward interiority at a moment when the great challenges of history, the urgent questions about justice, peace and freedom, require the full commitment of all people of good will and in particular of Christianity and the Church? Should we not have tackled these problems rather than withdrawing into the inner world of faith?
For the time being, let us leave aside these objections. In fact, before responding to them it is necessary to have a proper grasp of the true meaning of the theme itself; once it has been understood, the response to the objection becomes clear. The key word of the theme is: to find life, true life. In this regard the theme implies that this objective, on which perhaps everyone agrees, is achieved in discipleship to Jesus Christ as well as in commitment to his Word and Presence. Thus, Christians in Latin America, and with them those of the whole world, are first of all invited once again to become better "disciples of Jesus Christ" - something that basically we already are by virtue of Baptism, which does not mean that we must not ceaselessly become so over and over again by actively appropriating the gift of that Sacrament. Being disciples of Christ - what does this mean? Well, in the first place it means being able to recognize him. How does this happen? It is an invitation to listen to him just as he speaks to us in the text of Sacred Scripture, as he addresses us and comes to meet us in the common prayer of the Church, in the sacraments and in the witness of the saints. One can never know Christ only theoretically. With great teaching one can know everything about the Sacred Scriptures without ever having met him. Journeying with him is an integral part of knowing him, of entering his sentiments, as the Letter to the Philippians (2: 5) says. Paul briefly describes these sentiments: having the same love, being of the same mind (sýmpsychoi), being in full accord, doing nothing out of rivalry and boastfulness, each one not only focusing on his or her own interests but also on those of others (2: 2-4). Catechesis can never be merely the instruction of the mind; it must always also become a practice of communion of life with Christ, an exercise in humility, justice and love. Only in this way do we walk with Jesus Christ on his path, only in this way are the eyes of our hearts opened; only in this way do we learn to understand Scripture and to meet him. The encounter with Jesus Christ requires listening, requires a response in prayer and in putting into practice what he tells us. By getting to know Christ we come to know God, and it is only by starting from God that we understand man and the world, a world that would otherwise remain a nonsensical question.
Becoming disciples of Christ is thus an educational journey towards our true being, towards the proper way of being human. In the Old Testament, the basic attitude of the one who lives God's Word is summed up in the term zadic - righteous: a person who lives according to God's Word becomes righteous; he practices and lives justice. In Christianity, moreover, the attitude of Jesus Christ's disciples is expressed with another word: faithful. Faith encompasses everything; this word now means both being with Christ and being with his justice. In faith, we receive Christ's justice, we live it ourselves and pass it on. The Aparecida document makes all this concrete by speaking of the good news about human dignity, life, the family, science and technology, on human labour, the universal destination of the earth's goods and ecology. These are dimensions in which justice is expressed, faith is lived and responses are made to the challenges of our time.
A disciple of Jesus Christ, the document tells us, must also be a "missionary", a Gospel messenger. It is here, furthermore, that the objection arises: is it still legitimate today to "evangelize"? Should not all the world's religions and conceptions rather coexist peacefully and seek together to do their best for humanity, each in its own way? Well, that we must all coexist and cooperate in tolerance and reciprocal respect goes without question. The Catholic Church is actively committed to this and, with the two meetings in Assisi, has left evident signs of it, signs that we renewed again at this year's Meeting in Naples. On this topic, I would like to mention the kind letter sent to me last 13 October by 138 Muslim religious leaders, testifying to their common commitment to promoting world peace. I responded joyfully, expressing my convinced adherence to such noble intentions, and at the same time emphasized the urgent need for a binding accord to safeguard the values of reciprocal respect, dialogue and collaboration. Shared recognition of the existence of one God, the provident Creator and universal Judge of everyone's conduct, constitutes the premise of a common action in defence of the effective respect of the dignity of every human person in order to build a more just and united society.
But might not this desire for dialogue and collaboration also mean at the same time that we can no longer transmit Jesus Christ's message, no longer propose to humanity and to the world this call and the hope that derives from it? Those who have recognized a great truth or discovered a great joy have to pass it on; they absolutely cannot keep it to themselves. These great gifts are never intended for only one person. In Jesus Christ a great light emerged for us, the great Light: we cannot put it under a bushel basket, we must set it on a lampstand so that it will give light to all who are in the house (cf. Mt 5,15). St Paul travelled tirelessly, taking the Gospel with him. He even felt under a sort of "compulsion" to proclaim the Gospel (cf. 1Co 9,16) - not so much out of concern for the salvation of the single non-baptized person who had not yet been reached by the Gospel, but rather because he was aware that history as a whole could not attain fulfilment until the Gospel had reached the full number (pléroma) of Gentiles (cf. Rom Rm 11,25). To reach its completion, history needs the proclamation of the Good News to all peoples, to all men and women (cf. Mc 13,10). Actually, how important it is that forces of reconciliation, forces of peace, forces of love and of justice flow into one another in humanity! How important it is that in the "budget" of humanity, opposition be aroused and invigorated to challenge the threatening sentiments and the realities of violence and injustice! This is exactly what happens in the Christian mission. Through the encounter with Jesus Christ and his saints, through the encounter with God, humanity's "reserves" are replenished with those forces of good without which all our programmes of social order do not become reality but - in the onslaught of the extremely powerful pressure of other interests contrary to peace and justice - remain no more than abstract theories.
Thus, we have returned to the questions asked at the beginning: was Aparecida right to give priority to the discipleship of Jesus Christ and to evangelization in the quest for the life of the world? Might it have been an erroneous withdrawal into interiority? No! Aparecida decided correctly because it is precisely through the new encounter with Jesus Christ and his Gospel - and only in this way - that forces are inspired which enable us to give the right response to the challenges of the time.
At the end of June I sent a Letter to the Bishops, priests, consecrated people and lay faithful of the Catholic Church in the People's Republic of China. With this Letter, I desired to express both my deep spiritual affection for all Catholics in China and cordial respect for the Chinese People. I recalled in it the perennial principles of Catholic tradition and the Second Vatican Council in an ecclesiological context. In the light of Christ's "original plan" for his Church, I indicated certain approaches in order to face and resolve, in a spirit of communion and truth, the delicate and complex problems of the Church's life in China. I also pointed out the Holy See's readiness for a serene and constructive dialogue with the civil Authorities in order to find a solution to the various problems that concern the Catholic community. The Letter was received by Catholics in China with joy and gratitude. I express the wish that with God's help it may produce the hoped-for fruit.
Unfortunately, I can only mention briefly the other salient moments of the year. Indeed, these events, such as the marvellous Visit to Austria, had the same aims and were intended to highlight the same approaches. L'Osservatore Romano carried a beautiful description of the rain that accompanied us: "the rain of faith"; not only were the downpours far from diminishing the joy of our faith in Christ, experienced in looking at his Mother, but on the contrary they strengthened it. This joy penetrated the curtain of clouds that hung above us. In looking to Christ with Mary, we found the Light which showed us the way through all the darkness of the world. I would like to thank warmly the Austrian Bishops, priests, women religious, men religious and the many faithful who walked beside me on the journey to Christ in those days for this encouraging sign of faith which they gave us.
The meeting with the young people in the Agora at Loreto was also an important sign of joy and hope: if so many young people want to encounter Mary, and with Mary, Christ, if they let themselves be influenced by the joy of faith, then we can move ahead calmly to meet the future.
I spoke of this to youth on various occasions: during my Visit to the Casal del Marmo Juvenile Penitentiary and in my Discourses at the Audiences or Sunday Angeluses. In relaunching the issue of education and calling for the commitment of the local Churches in the pastoral care of vocations, I noted the young peoples' expectations and generous intentions. I did not, of course, fail to denounce the forms of manipulation to which young people today are exposed or the dangers that derive from them for the society of the future.
I have already very briefly mentioned the Naples Meeting. There too, it was raining - a most unusual occurrence for this city of sunshine and light - but there too the human warmth and living faith penetrated the clouds, allowing us to experience the joy that comes from the Gospel.
One must not of course deceive oneself. Major problems are posed by the secularism of our time and by the pressure of ideological presumptions, to which the secularist conscience, with its exclusive claim to definitive rationality, inclines. We are aware of this and know the effort of the struggle imposed upon us in our time. However, we also know that the Lord keeps his promise: "Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Mt 28,20). In this happy certainty, accepting the incentive of the reflections at Aparecida for us also to renew our being with Christ, let us advance confidently to meet the new year. Let us travel on under the motherly gaze of the Aparecida, she who described herself as "the handmaid of the Lord". May her protection keep us safe and fill us with hope. With these sentiments I cordially impart the Apostolic Blessing to you who are present here and to all of you who belong to the large family of the Roman Curia.
Speeches 2005-13 31207