Speeches 1986
Dear brother and sister,
For one hundred years, the Statue of Liberty at the entrance to New York harbor has served as a symbol of hope to millions of refugees and immigrants from throughout the world. We can imagine what this welcoming symbol must have meant and must still mean to the tired, poor, uprooted people of the world.
It is most appropriate that you are beginning the centenary celebration of this monument with thanksgiving to God, the source of all life, liberty and love. Many of those who looked to this beacon sought bread, but they realized too that “Not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”.
The freedom to acknowledge publicly our dependence upon God is one of the most precious rights we have. In God we have our origin; in God is our destiny; in him must be our comfort and our strength. The citizens of the United States pledge allegiance to the flag of “one nation under God”. Today’s gathering of so many men and women of different races, of different national origins and of different faiths in a common act of prayer is a sign that the descendants of the immigrants both value and take advantage of the freedom they enjoy.
My prayer today is that the Statue of Liberty, that gift from the people of France to the people of the United Sates one hundred years ago, may continue to serve not only as a symbol of hope but as a symbol of faith, of that religious faith which brought so many to your shores and which continues to be the most precious heritage of its citizens. God bless America!
Monday, 7 July 1986
Your Excellency the Governor-General,
Mr Prime Minister,
Archbishop Felix,
Distinguished members of the Government,
Dear people of Saint Lucia,
1. I am very happy to be here in your beloved country. For a long time I have wanted to pay you a visit, and now I thank God for the joy I experience in fulfilling this desire.
Thank you, Your Excellency, for your kind words of welcome. I am grateful to you for making me feel so much at home. As I begin this visit, I greet most cordially all of you who have come to receive me in such a warm and friendly manner. And I wish to extend my personal greetings to all the people of this land. I hope that you will see in my visit a clear expression of the esteem and respect that I have for you all, as well as a symbol of the special pastoral love which I have for my brothers and sisters of the Catholic faith.
2. I am aware that the Catholic Church has contributed in a very significant way to the development of Saint Lucia. By her firm commitment to the welfare of your nation, particularly in the field of education, and by her witness to the inalienable dignity and equality of every human person, she has helped people to develop and use their personal gifts and capacities and to exercise with responsibility their roles in society. She has done this out of a genuine spirit of fraternal love, and in effective collaboration with other Christians and with all men and women of good will. I hope that this pastoral visit will strengthen my brothers and sisters in the Church to continue along this path and to make even greater progress for the well-being of all.
3. As you know, the United Nations Organization has declared 1986 the International Year of Peace. I heartily welcome this initiative, since the Church has always sought to be a servant of peace and reconciliation in the world. This has become increasingly important in our technological age when the weapons of destruction far surpass anything ever imagined in times past and when people of good will everywhere feel the need for greater harmony and fraternal collaboration.
I know that as a nation you are committed to this lofty goal. Your own history, once marked by repeated struggles between different Governments, has without a doubt made even more firm your commitment and determination in this regard. You are well aware of the need to seek peaceful solutions to conflicts and to Promote dialogue and trust between peoples. This is well expressed in your National Anthem, where we find the words:
"Gone the days when strife and discord
Dimmed her childrens’ ton and rest,
Dawns at last a brighter day,
Stretches out a glad new way".
As you continue to build a "glad new way" in Saint Lucia, may your efforts contribute to the harmony and cooperation of all peoples within the international community.
4. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God". These words of our Lord Jesus Christ give us immense encouragement and hope. They remind us what a blessing it is to do the will of God and to work for peace and justice in the world. May you always be worthy of being called children of God. And may this pastoral visit help to bring joy and hope to all the people of Saint Lucia. God bless you all.
Monday, 7 July 1986
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. “GRACE TO YOU and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. It is a joy to come to the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Castries and to greet all of you who are gathered here today, especially the sick, the handicapped and the elderly, and those who care for them.
One of the most striking aspects of the public ministry of Jesus was his special love for the suffering. He willingly went out to the sick and the crippled, the deaf and the blind. He touched, blessed and healed them. He forgave their sins. He offered them consolation and hope by proclaiming to them the Gospel of salvation. Above all, through his own suffering and death and by the victory of his Resurrection, he revealed the fullness of the Father’s love and opened the way to eternal life.
2. Through the hands and hearts of his followers, and in the word of God and the sacraments, Christ continues today to touch those who suffer. At the same time, he invites the sick and the afflicted themselves to share in the mission of the Church, to bring to completion in their own bodies what is lacking in the suffering of Christ.
3. As we gather today in this Cathedral and as we ponder the mystery of human suffering and human weakness, I remind you of the words of Saint Paul: “You are God’s temple and... God’s Spirit dwells in you” . No amount of suffering can obscure this truth of our faith. Nothing can take away or destroy your human dignity. For your bodies have become dwelling-places for God. The Lord has made his home in you.
4. I assure you of my prayers for you each day. And I also ask for your own prayers, for myself and for my ministry, for the needs of the Church and the world. In a particular way, I ask you to offer your prayers and suffering for the work of evangelization, so that all the world may come to know and believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God, who has become out Redeemer and our Lord.
And I encourage all of you who make up this Archdiocese of Castries to be ever more aware of the needs of the sick, the poor and the handicapped and to do everything in your power to help them in the name of Jesus. I ask God to sustain you in your generous activities and to prosper the work of your zealous associations.
To all of you and to your families and loved ones I impart my Apostolic Blessing.
Mwen car manday Bon Dye pour bennie zot toute en nom le Pere et le Fils et le Sainte Esprit.
(May God bless you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit).
Monday, 7 July 1986
Mr Prime Minister,
Archbishop Felix,
distinguished members of the Government,
dear people of Saint Lucia,
THE MOMENT has come for me to conclude my pastoral visit to your beautiful land, a visit which, in the name of God, I have had the great joy of making in answer to the kind invitation I received, and in keeping with my own great desire of meeting with my dear brothers and sisters of Saint Lucia.
In the various meetings I have had, particularly in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, I have been able to carry out the divine command which I, as Successor of St Peter, have received from the Lord, namely, to confirm my brothers in the faith.
My short but rich stay among you has been indeed an occasion of great grace for me, as I hope it has been for all of you. I shall cherish the memory of this visit highly in my heart, and will give expression to that memory in my daily prayer
I am indeed grateful to Almighty God for having given me the opportunity of meeting with the Church in Saint Lucia, a Church truly full of vitality and generosity, a Church united in the bond of charity, bringing to fruition the great hope expressed some one-and-a-half centuries ago by Archbishop Richard Smith when he said: “There is a glorious future for the Church in Saint Lucia”.
I am very happy to have been with you, to have walked among you, and to have seen you face to face. I truly appreciated your warm hospitality and cordial welcome. You have opened wide to me your homes and your hearts, and now, as I come to say goodbye, I wish to leave with you all the same exhortations which I made to the people of the whole world at the beginning of my Pontificate: “Throw open your doors to Christ! Do not be afraid! Accept his message in your lives! Make room for him in your hearts!”.
Men and women of Saint Lucia, be living witnesses in your daily lives to the Good News of salvation. And remember this: the Lord is never outdone in generosity.
I wish to express my deep gratitude to the authorities of Saint Lucia for the many expressions of kindness and courtesy which they have shown me during this short but intense pastoral visit. I pray to the Lord to bless and sustain them in their efforts to ensure for the country a bright future in peace, justice and well-being, both spiritual and material.
In a special way I thank all those who have worked so hard to make this visit possible. My gratitude goes to the pastor of this Archdiocese, to the priests, the religious men and women, and to all those who are engaged in pastoral activity. Thank you for your generous dedication in service to your brothers and sisters, and particularly in your pastoral concern for the poor, the sick and the abandoned. May the Lord reward you all abundantly.
And now, as I prepare to leave you, my mind turns to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church. May she take you all under her maternal protection and may she guide you to an even closer and more personal relationship with her Son, Jesus.
I invoke upon you all, dearly beloved people of Saint Lucia, the copious blessings of Almighty God, as I bless you with my Apostolic Blessing.
God bless the country of Saint Lucia. God bless you all. Thank you.
September 1986
Tuesday, 9 September 1986
Mr. Ambassador,
IT IS A PLEASURE to welcome Your Excellency today as you present the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines. I thank you for your thoughtful message and for conveying the greetings of your President, Her Excellency Corazon C. Aquino. At the same time I would ask you please to assure her of my own prayers and good wishes for herself and for all your fellow citizens.
It is my fervent hope that the present time will be an important period in your country of planning and realizations that will help forge a more secure and prosperous future for everyone. I pray that there will be a generous response to the challenge of social justice: the need to alleviate poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment, and to construct together a truly just, free and peaceful society.
Since a large percentage of the Filipino people profess the Catholic faith, the Church is in a position to collaborate in many significant ways in the continuous development of your country. The Church, in every country, encourages her members to participate actively in social and political life, and to draw light and energy from the Gospel. In doing this, she wishes to be at the service of the human family in its longing for freedom, justice and peace. She wishes to promote a society which fully respects the rights and dignity of every human person.
However the Church’s primary contribution, while not an exclusive one, will always lie in the spiritual realm. She proclaims unceasingly the Good New of salvation and seeks to bring people to know and love Almighty God. She is convinced that this constitutes an irreplaceable service to humanity. For, as I said in my latest Encyclical on the Holy Spirit, "The Triune God... giving himself in the Holy Spirit as gift to man, transforms the human world from within, from inside hearts and minds".
I was pleased to note your reference to non-violence. In a world which witnesses a spiraling number of acts of terrorism and violence, there is a need to persuade people to use non-violent means to settle disputes and to bring about justice. In this regard we must be convinced of the effectiveness and the wisdom of honest dialogue. A I said in my 1986 World Day of Peace message: "Dialogue is a means by which people discover one another and discover the good hopes and peaceful aspirations that too often lie hidden in their hearts. True dialogue goes beyond ideologies, and people meet in the reality of their human lives. Dialogue breaks down preconceived notions and artificial barriers. Dialogue brings human beings into contact with one another as members of one human family, with all the richness of their various cultures and histories".
Diplomacy is built on a common conviction of the value and need for dialogue and a mutual commitment to further dialogue between peoples and nations. In today’s world it is becoming increasingly apparent that no nation can afford to stand alone. We are moving towards greater interdependence within the international community and towards seeing the increasing importance of mutual trust and collaboration.
The work which you are called to perform in your role as Ambassador to the Holy See contributes to these causes. As you begin this worthy undertaking, you can be assured of the assistance and cooperation of the various departments of the Holy See in the fulfilment of your task. And I wish you success and happiness in your work.
May God be with you and may he bless abundantly all the beloved people of the Philippines.
Monday, 18 September 1986
Mr Ambassador,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you today and to accept the Letters of Credence by which your are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ireland to the Holy See. This event constitutes a further significant moment in the course of the spiritual ties and cordial by which you are appointed diplomatic relations which unite us.
I thank you for the expression of good wishes which you have conveyed on behalf of your President, Dr Hillery, and I gladly reciprocate with the assurance of my prayerful appreciation and gratitude.
Ireland has a proud record of religious and cultural service to Europe and to the world. The Irish people as a whole show a marked sense of concern for and solidarity with other peoples striving for development, freedom and justice. This, undoubtedly, is one of the great traditions which you have inherited from a long history lived in close familiarity with the values which lie at the centre of our Christian heritage.
Today too, Mr Ambassador, your country is engaged in a committed effort to establish a climate of peace and progress both at home and abroad. The Holy See is pleased to acknowledge Ireland’s active role in the cause of development and justice through its participation in international organisations and through the direct involvement of many Irish men and women in programmes of assistance in various parts of the world. And Irish religious personnel represent an extremely important force of spiritual and social good in almost every corner of the globe.
The Church joyfully recognises the special merits of so many sons and daughters of your land in the task of evangelization and in the cultural and social development of other peoples. She is likewise aware of the profound contribution which the Christian message has afforded to the formation and life of the Irish people. This mutual exchange is part of the core of the Irish experience. It implies mutual responsibilities and opens up channels of understanding and collaboration which it must be our task to promote and intensify.
As Ireland continues to grow in its identity as a nation and as a people, the challenges facing humanity and society in the present circumstances of history place not a few elements for reflection and decision before your fellow-citizens and leaders. In these matters, often affecting the intimate texture of life and society, great responsibility and wisdom is called for. What is required is a discernment of the values that ensure human dignity and advancement.
The Church, irrevocably committed to the service of the human family, seeks in all parts of the world to promote a continuing dialogue with culture in general and within the particular culture of each people. This dialogue seeks to shed light on the paths that lead individuals and society to the fulfilment of life’s purposes and possibilities. For this reason the Church addresses the questions which preoccupy people in every age. She does so with a sincere desire to serve the best interests of nations through a vision of the human condition free from unwarranted biases and with respect for the legitimate interests of all. For such a dialogue to proceed with success, it is essential that this respect be fully mutual, and that it give expression to the common quest for what is not merely expedient but is truly conducive to the happiness and advancement of the human community.
It is not possible to speak of Ireland without referring, as you have done, Mr Ambassador, to the tragic situation of Northern Ireland and to the deeply-felt concern of the vast majority of the Irish people for peace and social harmony there. In spite of so many efforts, including the steps taken by your Government, the forces of violence continue to be active and at times seem even to grow stronger. With great pain on my part I recognise that the appeal I made at Drogheda, pleading with the men and women involved to "turn away from the paths of violence and to return to the ways of peace", needs to be continually renewed. I pray that they will realise that although they say they seek justice, "violence only delays the day of justice". On the other hand I am convinced that the authentic spiritual and human qualities of the Irish people as a whole contain the inspiration and strength needed for the victory of human dignity, life and freedom. I would assure you that the Holy See encourages and supports innovative and courageous political and social policies leading to better understanding and greater harmony between all sectors of the population.
Mr Ambassador, I express once more my special closeness to your country’s people. It is my ardent hope and prayer that they may live in peace and justice and well-being. You can count upon the assistance and collaboration of all the departments of the Holy See, and I wish you every happiness in the fulfilment of your responsibilities.
May God ever bless your noble land.
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. I AM VERY PLEASED to have the opportunity to greet you on the occasion of the fourteenth meeting of Directors of the Diplomatic Academies and of Institutes of International Relations, which this year is taking place in Rome at the invitation of the Società Italiana per l’Organizzazione Internazionale. You are cordially welcome.
The growing consensus the part of Academies and Institutes of diplomacy to this undertaking, begun in 1973 by Vienna and the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University in Washington, testifies to the usefulness of your meetings, at which you exchange information and ideas concerning teaching programmes and methods for the training of young diplomats. I am particularly pleased that the President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy is also taking part.
One of the themes to which you have directed your attention this year is "diplomacy and cultural relations".
This is a theme that I would describe as particularly in harmony with the purpose of your assemblies, which themselves constitute cultural exchanges. You have rightly made this a subject of your reflection, given the fact that the Vienna Convention of 18 April 1961 indicates among the functions of diplomatic missions that of developing cultural relations between the State accrediting and the one accredited.
The subject of cultural relations is a theme in which the Holy See, given its universal responsibility in the Catholic Church, is particularly interested. Living in various circumstances during the course of time, the Church, too, has used in her preaching the discoveries of different cultures to spread and explain the message of Christ to all nations; she can enter into communion with various cultural modes, to her own enrichment and theirs too”.
These are the terms used by the Second Vatican Council, which, in its document on the Church in the Modern World, devoted a chapter filled with suggestions and incentives for the "promotion of the progress of culture". I myself have felt the need to institute as a new body of the Roman Curia the
Pontifical Council for Culture, which pursues the general aim of favouring the dialogue between the Church and culture, also by collaborating with international organisations in the various fields of culture.
2. The evolution of modern civilisation, the speed of transportation and the new instruments of communication have changed and are further changing, with increasing rapidity, the shape of relations between different peoples. Information can cross frontiers in a few seconds, and public opinion in a country reacts also to events taking place in extremely distant regions. Exchanges and interdependence are increasing. In such close and intensified relations, awareness of the unity and common destiny of the human race becomes ever more acute, but at the same time there is a clearer realisation of the importance of recognising and safeguarding, together with their political autonomy, the cultural identity of the different nations.
3. In this new context one clearly sees the importance of a specific role of diplomacy in cultural exchanges between different countries.
Cultural exchanges indeed help people to share great experiences and spiritual aspirations, to understand the values that animate them, and thus to discover their common humanity. Where dialogue between cultures is lacking, mutual incomprehension takes its place; difference is taken to be an element of negative judgement; spiritual estrangement, and sometimes disputes which can turn into conflict, are its painful consequence. On the other hand, where the dialogue of cultures can develop freely and is encouraged, the treasures proper to each culture are shared, there is an increase of respect for the particular qualities – often full of genius – of each people; new horizons of knowledge open up, as do fresh opportunities for international collaborations; the formation of new forms of culture is fostered: and this for the benefit not only of a few privileged people but of society in general.
Diplomats, as people of culture themselves, must have the ability to view with sympathetic understanding the cultural realities of the nation to which they are sent, an attitude capable of admiration but also tempered by discernment. Such an attitude will not be oblivious to the presence of religious values, or to the particular place that religion may have in the cultural background of a people. For example, how could one fail to note the sometimes decisive role that religion has played in the process of forming the national unity of certain countries? Or the influence of Churches or religious movements on public opinion in the great causes of human rights, the development of peoples, and peace? Or the effect that ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic Church and the other Churches or Christian Communions may have on the exchange of ideas and sometimes on the social and political scene itself, both inside certain countries and also on the international scene?
Diplomats today are also required to work, where necessary, in order to help prepare the country where they are guests for the arrival of cultural figures and factors from their own country, and, when the opportunity arises, to encourage and facilitate such a presence. They must be able to detect favourable chances for positive developments, and to take any opportunities which present themselves for giving to these relations an institutional framework through formal agreements for cultural co-operation; often they will feel called to give discreet diplomatic assistance, or simply lend their own presence, to ensure the success of cultural meetings and initiatives.
These are new and challenging tasks, and many embassies have a special cultural attaché who assists the Ambassador in this specific area. Their role calls for the possibility of easy contacts with the cultural environment of the host country, and above all it presupposes an awareness, indeed a lively sensitivity and an enthusiasm on the part of the diplomat for human values and their cultural expression, and at the same time the possession of specific methods of operation.
As those responsible for the training of future diplomats, the value of your contribution in this particular area of their future activity cannot be overestimated. With the cultural training which you give, you not only provide them with a professional technique but you also give them a precious patrimony of "humanitas”, valuable for their personal lives, which will include periods of demanding service in difficult geographical areas or situations of psychological stress.
For my part I wish to assure you that I look with great respect and admiration upon your task, and indeed upon your varied and challenging mission as instructors in diplomacy and as those responsible for training people of dialogue and peace. Upon your activities, as also upon yourselves and those dear to you, I cordially invoke the blessings of God.
Dear Friends in Christ,
1. I AM PLEASED to welcome all of you who have taken part in the International Symposium on the Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary that was held this past week in Fatima. I wish to greet in a special way Cardinal Sin, the President of your Symposium, and together with him all who were responsible for formulating and carrying out the specific plans of your week of theological study.
The title of your Symposium was taken from my Angelus Adress of September 15, 1985, when I made reference to that "admirable alliance of hearts" of the Son of God and of his Mother. We can indeed say that devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary has been an important part of the " sensus fidei" of the People of God during recent centuries. These devotions seek to direct our attention to Christ and to the role of his Mother in the mystery of Redemption, and, though distinct, they are interrelated by reason of the enduring relation of love that exists between the Son and his Mother.
2. Much research has been done on devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Hence you have made it your specific aim to reflect upon devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the perspective of Sacred Scripture and Tradition, while at the same time concentrating on the intimate link that unites the hearts of Jesus and his Mother. Devotion to the heart of Mary cannot be traced to the early centuries of Christian history, though the heart of Mary is indeed mentioned in the Gospel of Luke.
There are some references to the heart of the Mother of God in the commentaries upon the Scriptures by the Fathers of the Church, but for the most part it was not until the seventeenth century that under the influence of Saint John Eudes this devotion became widespread. In our own century we see that the message of Our Lady at Fatima, the consecration of the world in 1942 to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by my predecessor Pope Pius XII, and theological initiatives such as your own have helped us to appreciate the importance of this devotion.
It is worthy of note that the Decree by which Pope Pius XII instituted for the universal Church the celebration in honour of the Immaculate Heart of Mary states: "With this devotion the Church renders the honour due to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, since under the symbol of this heart she venerates with reverence the eminent and singular holiness of the Mother of God and especially her most ardent love for God and Jesus her Son and moreover her maternal compassion for all those redeemed by the divine Blood". Thus it can be said that our devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart expresses our reverence for her maternal compassion both for Jesus and for all of us her spiritual children, as she stood at the foot of the Cross.
I presented this same thought in my first Encyclical Redemptor Hominis", in which I pointed out that from the first moment of the Redemptive Incarnation, "under the special influence of the Holy Spirit, Mary’s heart, the heart of both a virgin and a mother, has always followed the work of her Son and has gone out to all those whom Christ has embraced and continues to embrace with inexhaustible love".
3. We see symbolised in the heart of Mary her maternal love, her singular sanctity and her central role in the redemptive mission of her Son. It is with regard to her special role in her Son’s mission that devotion to Mary’s Heart has prime importance, for through love of her Son and of all of humanity she exercises a unique instrumentality in bringing us to him. The act of entrusting to the Immaculate Heart of Mary that I solemnly performed at Fatima on May 13, 1982, and once again on March 25, 1984 at the conclusion of the Extraordinary Holy Year of the Redemption, is based upon this truth about Mary’s maternal love and particular intercessory role. If we turn to Mary’s Immaculate Heart she will surely help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today, and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block the paths towards the future”.
Our act of consecration refers ultimately to the heart of her Son, for as the Mother of Christ she is wholly united to his redemptive mission. As at the marriage feast of Cana, when she said "Do whatever he tells wou", Mary directs all things to her Son, who answers our prayers and forgives our sins. Thus by dedicating ourselves to the heart of Mary we discover a sure way to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, symbol of the merciful love of our Saviour.
The act of entrusting ourselves to the Heart of Our Lady establishes a relationship of love with her in which we dedicate to her all that we have and are. This consecration is practised essentially by a life of grace, of purity, of prayer, of penance that is joined to the fulfilment of all the duties of a Christian, and of reparation for our sins and the sins of the world.
My esteemed friends, I encourage you to continue your scholarly efforts to promote among the People of God a better understanding of devotion to the hearts of the Son and of his Mother. I thank you for your presence here and I assure you of my prayers for your worthy endeavours. In the love of the hearts of Jesus and Mary I impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing.
Speeches 1986