Speeches 1990 - Saturday, 25 August 1990


APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO TANZANIA, BURUNDI,

RWANDA, AND THE IVORY COAST

WELCOME CEREMONY

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II

International Airport of Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania)

Saturday, 1 September 1990

Mtukufu Rais Ali Hassan Mwinyi,

(Your Excellency President Ali Hassan Mwinyi),
Waheshimiwa viongozi wa Serikali,
(Honourable Members of the Government),
Mwadhama Kardinali Laurean Rugambwa,
(Your Eminence Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa),
Wahashamu Maaskofu,
(Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate),
Ndugu zangu wapendwa,
(Dear Brothers and Sisters),
Mungu ibariki Tanzania na watu wake!
(May God bless Tanzania and its people!)

1. These are my first words to you. This is my heartfelt wish and my ardent prayer for all Tanzanians, and I am happy to express these sentiments of friendship and good will in the words of your stirring National Anthem. Every day, in every corner of this vast country, your patriotic song extols both your spirituality and your national unity, your faith in God and your love of country.
Ninawasalimu kwa Jina la Bwana Mungu raia na watu wote wa Tanzania.
(In the name of the Lord God, I greet all the citizens and people of Tanzania).

Ninayo furaha na upendo mwingi kufika hapa nchini na kuwa pamoja nanyi.
(I am full of joy and affection to have come to this country and to be with you).

Mr President of the United Republic of Tanzania: the invitation to visit Tanzania which I received from Your Excellency and from the Bishops’ Conference found an immediate response in my heart, and I have long looked forward to this meeting with the great Tanzanian family. I thank you, Mr President, for your kind words of welcome, in which all can perceive that sense of brotherhood and universal solidarity - the Ujamaa of Tanzania– which are among the principles on which this independent African Nation was built under the leadership of its first President, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.

I extend warm greetings to all who have come here to welcome me with characteristic Tanzanian hospitality: His Excellency the President of Zanzibar, His Eminence Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa, Honourable Members of the Government, my Brother Bishops, leaders and citizens of Tanzania. While I shall be visiting many parts of the mainland in the coming days, it has not been possible to include a visit to the Islands. I would ask His Excellency the President of Zanzibar kindly to convey my sentiments of esteem and friendship to his fellow citizens.

2. Tanzania is a beautiful land of forested mountains, rich savanna, attractive lakes and tropical coastline; a land which boasts of man’s presence since the very dawn of human history; a land whose geographical location led it to be visited by travellers from many of the great and farflung civilizations of the past. History, however, has not always been kind to its people and many problems remain to be solved. Against this background, independent Tanzania has made resolute efforts to attain an ever higher degree of development and social harmony and to occupy a place of leadership among the nations of this Continent. May God bless the efforts of all those who have the good of this country and its people at heart, and who work wisely and willingly for the common good.

3. My visit to Tanzania is above all a pastoral Visit of the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Saint Peter, to the Church in this land. It is a young Church– whose first Tanzanian-born bishop is here among us in the person of Cardinal Rugambwa. Today, all of the hierarchy are proud sons of this country, and my brothers and sisters of the Catholic faith are generous and loyal citizens who contribute significantly to the well-being and integral development of their nation. My fervent desire is to pray with them, to share the joy of the Eucharist with them, and to confirm them in their faithfulness to God and their service to their fellow human beings according to the spirit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have come to Tanzania as a friend of all its people - as a fellow traveller on the road of understanding and peace for the whole human family. In a special way I wish to be a pilgrim of peace among the followers of different religious traditions. I am confident that good relations will increase and flourish among Tanzanian Christians, and between Christians and those of the Islamic faith, as well as with men and women of good will everywhere.

4. I have come as a friend of Africa – as one who has the future of this Continent very much at heart. It is clear that Africa has immense human and natural resources for a progressive and widespread growth towards greater material, cultural and social well-being. Africa has the wisdom of its own traditions and the lessons of experience to guide that development in ways that safeguard the religious and communal sensibilities of its peoples. But Africa is also affected by many of the negative factors which, to speak in general terms, are characteristic of what has been called the "South", in contrast with the economically dominant "North".

On numerous occasions I have raised my voice to appeal to the consciences of the more developed nations not to neglect their moral and humanitarian duties towards the developing nations. I have also expressed the hope that the changes which have recently taken place on the world scene will steer nations away from the costly competition of the arms race towards greater assistance to the more needy peoples of the world. Thus far this reorientation of resources has been slow in coming, and new tensions have arisen which place obstacles in the way of peace. Africa, therefore, is increasingly called to find its own model of development, in which there will be room for the rich variety of its peoples, each with its own traditions and legitimate aspirations. May God inspire Africa’s leaders to work to consolidate the structures of good management and social harmony which are fundamental for development and growth. Mungu ibariki Africa (May God bless Africa).

5. Dear Mr President, dear Friends: the Church and the political community have different spheres of action and are mutually independent, but they serve the same human beings (Cfr. Gaudium et Spes GS 76). It is indeed heartening to know that in Tanzania there is ample cooperation in many fields. The future lies along the path of solidarity among all Tanzania’s people as they work side by side for the common good. My prayer for you today is that faith in God will help you overcome all obstacles and be an incentive for you to go forward in peace and harmony with each other and with all peoples, in love and dedicated service of your beautiful country.

Mungu ibariki Tanzania.
(May God bless Tanzania).

Dumisha Uhuru na Umoja.
(May He preserve her freedom and unity).



APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO TANZANIA, BURUNDI,

RWANDA, AND THE IVORY COAST

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II

TO THE FAITHFUL OF TANZANIA

Cathedral of Saint Joseph, Dar-es-Salaam

Saturday, 1 September 1990




Mwadhama Kardinali Laurean Rugambwa,
(Your Eminence Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa),
Mhashamu Askofu Mkuu Polycarp Pengo,
(Your Grace Archbishop Polycarp Pengo),
Ndugu zangu wapendwa katika Kristu,
(Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ),
Amani ya Bwana iwe nanyi
(May the peace of the Lord be with you)


1. I have eagerly awaited this opportunity to visit Tanzania, to meet its Catholic people and all people of good will in a spirit of brotherhood and peace. I have come as a witness to Christ, to confirm you in the Gospel of salvation which you received and in which you stand. Now that I have reached Dar-es-Salaam, the "haven of peace", my thoughts turn to Christ’s words to the Apostles on the eve of His Passion: "Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you" (Jn 14,27). At the beginning of my Pastoral Visit, my fervent prayer is that each of you may experience in the depths of your hearts - and within your families, parishes, and communities - Christ’s gift of peace.

I wish to begin by thanking Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa for his kind words of welcome. For almost half a century he has given himself generously to the work of the Church as a priest, a Bishop, and as Cardinal here in his native land. I join His Grace, Coadjutor Archbishop Polycarp Pengo, and all of you, in asking God to grant His Eminence many more happy years in the Lord’s service.

The Cardinal has just spoken of the urgent need to proclaim the "Good News" of Jesus Christ in Tanzania, in the midst of social problems and an erosion of spiritual and moral values, especially as these influence the family. Dear brothers and sisters, only Christ can heal the wounds of evil and sin; only Christ can fill the emptiness and frustration that trouble so many hearts, because only Christ can reconcile sinful man to God and to others through the Cross and Resurrection. God’s gift of reconciliation in Christ is the source of that peace for which we yearn, which "the world cannot give" (Ibid).

2. More than a century ago, the missionaries brought Christ’s gift of reconciliation and peace to the people of this land. Beginning in 1887 the Benedictine Congregation of Saint Ottilien in Germany was entrusted with what was to become the Vicariate Apostolic, and later Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam. The relics of Bishop Cassian Spiess and those who were killed with him in the early years of this century - entombed in this Cathedral - serve to confirm that Christ’s gift of peace is not of this world, but is the fruit of union with Him in the mystery of His Death and Resurrection.

You who are the spiritual sons and daughters of the missionaries have experienced the joy of seeing a vibrant, young Church arise from their sacrifices. It is a Church that bears witness to the "Good News" of salvation amid the joys and accomplishments of the Tanzanian people, as well as their sorrows and trials, their difficulties and doubts. As members of a pilgrim Church, you press ahead in the conviction that "faith throws a new light on all things and makes known the full ideal which God has set for man" (Gaudium et Spes GS 11). Although this ideal is fully realized only in eternity, it nevertheless inspires you to meet human problems and challenges here and now as disciples of Christ should: in the striking image of Saint Paul, "with truth buckled round your waist, and integrity for a breastplate, wearing for shoes on your feet the eagerness to spread the gospel of peace, and always carrying the shield of faith" (Ep 6,14-16).

Yes, dear brothers and sisters, you are witnesses in Tanzania to the "gospel of peace". You are called to live it every day in the intimacy of family life, in your local communities, at your occupation, and above all within the Church, which is "a sign and instrument of communion with God and of the unity of the whole human race" (Lumen Gentium LG 1). Communion with God, unity among men: this is the peace of the kingdom to come, which even now is fore-shadowed in your Christian living.

3. This evening we gather in a cathedral that recalls the deep love of the Benedictine missionaries for Christ and for the people of this land, even to the shedding of their blood. They dedicated this Church to Saint Joseph, the Spouse of the Virgin Mary, confident of his patronage on behalf of their missionary efforts. This patronage should be invoked always as an impetus for a renewed commitment to evangelization on the part of the Church. May Saint Joseph be for all of you an exceptional teacher in the service of this saving mission, a mission which is the responsibility of each and every member of Christ’s Body (Cfr. Ioannis Pauli PP. II Redemptoris Custos, 29. 32).

I pray that Joseph, the "just man" (Mt 1,19), will intercede for you - Bishops, priests, religious and laity of the Church in Tanzania - so that "the peace of Christ may reign in your hearts" (Cfr. Col. Col 3,15), and that now and always your beloved City of Dar-es-Salaam may truly be a "haven of peace".

Mungu awabariki na kuwalinda. Amina.
(May God bless and protect you. Amen).



APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO TANZANIA, BURUNDI,

RWANDA, AND THE IVORY COAST

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II

TO THE HEADS OF MISSION AND DIPLOMATIC PERSONNEL

ACCREDITED TO THE GOVERNMENT OF TANZANIA


State House, Dar-es-Salaam

Saturday, 1 September 1990




Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. At the outset of my Seventh Pastoral Visit to Africa I have the pleasure of meeting you, the distinguished Heads of Mission and Diplomatic Personnel accredited to the Government of Tanzania, as well as Representatives of International Organizations present here in Dar-es-Salaam. I thank the Apostolic Pro-Nuncio for the words of welcome spoken on your behalf, and I greet you all with deep sentiments of friendship and esteem. The best recommendation of your calling and the true reason for its prestige lies in your dedicated professional commitment to fostering understanding and advancing development and peace among the peoples of the world.

The Church likewise has been entrusted by her Divine Founder with a religious and humanitarian mission, different in nature from yours, but open to many forms of cooperation and mutual support. Indeed, the presence of the Holy See in the international community corresponds to what might be called a "passion" for the good of the human family - for peace, for the defence of human dignity and human rights, for the integral well-being of individuals and peoples - a "passion" which derives necessarily and perennially from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and one which I am confident you share.

The Church keenly focuses her attention on the world, the theatre of man’s history (Cfr. Gaudium et Spes GS 2), where she contemplates the human family struck with wonder at its own discoveries and its power, but at the same time anxious about the current direction of human affairs, and even more fundamentally concerned about the deeper questions of man’s role in the universe, about the meaning of his individual and collective strivings, and about the ultimate destiny of the human family itself (Cfr. ibid. 3). She wishes to engage men and women of good will everywhere in conversation about these fundamental problems, offering them the light of the Revelation she has received and of her theological and anthropological reflection. It is in this perspective that I would briefly address two questions which have enormous repercussions for the peoples of Africa.

2. The first of these questions arises out of a dramatic statistic. It is generally accepted that there are some five million refugees in Africa, as well as some thirteen million displaced persons. Thus, millions of our brothers and sisters are homeless and in exile, deprived of dignity and hope. Some are the victims of natural calamities, but most are the innocent victims of ethnic conflict, power struggles, or of failed development policies. This immense human tragedy generally has a weaker hold on worldwide public opinion than many other causes and crises around the planet. For this reason I cannot fail to take this opportunity of reminding you and the Governments you represent that the situation cries out for urgent intervention on the part of the international community, in order to help these people not only to survive, to feed themselves, to receive medical assistance and health-care, but also to live useful and respectable lives and to maintain their hopes of a better future for themselves and their children.

Countries in Africa or Asia with a large influx of refugees are hardly in a position to do this by themselves. We all agree that the more favoured nations and the international organizations involved in aid to refugees are doing much, for which they are to be credited. But much, much more is needed, and repeated appeals to the conscience of those in a position to do more are necessary, especially in view of the dwindling resources being directed to this goal. Our host country Tanzania is one such receiving country which has sought to provide for refugees from surrounding areas, using its own badly needed resources, and therefore making itself deserving of support from the international community in this respect. The immediate humanitarian aspect of the whole question calls for an equally immediate and generous response on the part of the more developed nations.

3. At the same time, the complex nature of the whole problem of refugees and displaced persons points clearly to the need for action on many other fronts if the situation is to improve. The root causes can be attacked only if there is growth in the pacification and democratization of African life, with increased participation of all groups in a representative and juridically safeguarded ordering of public life. A great effort is needed to raise the level of education so that many more people can play a responsible role in determining the economic, social and cultural policies to be followed. A consciousness of human dignity and human rights must be promoted. Dialogue and negotiation must take the place of conflict in the resolution of tensions. More and more, the peoples of Africa are becoming convinced that they must be the builders of their own destiny. The developed nations, for their part, having overcome the temptation to look at Africa merely as a resource to be used for their own advantage, must surely realize that it is in everyone’s interest to see this continent develop into a capable and vigorous partner in economic and cultural exchanges.
All of this requires that the interdependence of peoples and countries be recognized as a moral category, whose correlative response is a solidarity which is not just well-meaning kindness and compassion - which have their rightful place in human relations - but a firm and persevering determination to work for the common good of the entire human family (Cfr. Ioannis Pauli PP. II Sollicitudo Rei Socialis SRS 38). The basis of such an attitude of solidarity is the conviction that all are responsible for all, that is, everyone is bound by a universal moral imperative to recognize others as holders of equal human rights as oneself and deserving of equal treatment. What applies to individuals applies also to nations: the stronger and richer nations must have a sense of moral responsibility for the other nations, so that an international system may be established which will rest on equity for all peoples and on the necessary respect for their legitimate differences (Cfr. ibid. 39).

The question of refugees and displaced persons is one dramatic instance which calls into play the moral responsibility of the international community. Ladies and Gentlemen, let us work together for the proper response: the Church in her field, educating her members in the religious foundation of their duties and encouraging them in the generous and selfless service of their brothers and sisters in need; you, as diplomats and representatives of international agencies, doing your utmost to foster an adequate response to the plight of so many millions of human beings, and above all working for a new international order based on the highest moral principles of responsibility, justice and brotherhood.

4. The other question about which I wish to speak briefly also underlines the reality of global interdependence. The drama of AIDS threatens not just some nations or societies, but the whole of humanity. It knows no frontiers of geography, race, age or social condition. This epidemic, unlike others, is accompanied by a unique cultural unease related to the impact of the symbolism it suggests: the life-giving functions of human sexuality, and the blood which epitomizes health and life itself, have become a roadway to death. Only a response that takes into account both the medical aspect of the illness, as well as the human, cultural, ethical and religious dimensions of life can offer complete solidarity to its victims and raise the hope that the epidemic can be controlled and turned back.

The AIDS epidemic calls for a supreme effort of international cooperation on the part of Governments, the world medical and scientific community, and all those who exercise influence in developing a sense of moral responsibility in society. The threat is so great that indifference on the part of public authorities, condemnatory or discriminatory practices towards those affected by the acquired immuno-deficiency virus, or self-interested rivalries in the search for a medical answer to this syndrome should be considered forms of collaboration in this terrible evil which has come upon humanity.

The members of the Church will continue to play their part in caring for those who are suffering, as Jesus taught His followers to do (Cfr. Matth. Mt 25,36), and in promoting prevention that is respectful of the dignity of the human person and his transcendent destiny. The Church is convinced that without a resurgence of moral responsibility and a reaffirmation of fundamental moral values any programme of prevention based on information alone will be ineffective and even counterproductive. More harmful still are campaigns which implicitly promote - through their lack of moral content and the false security which they offer - the very patterns of behaviour which have greatly contributed to the expansion of the disease.

5. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I have spoken of refugees and the sick, two categories of people among the most needy on this planet. Our individual and collective concern for them is a definite measure of our humanity, taken in the loftiest sense of the word. As a brother in our common humanity, I appeal to you to use whatever influence you have to direct the world’s efforts and resources to promoting the true well-being of the human family. A new age of development and solidarity, guided not by selfishness but by profound and convinced respect for human dignity and human rights, is the great opportunity and challenge which the changed world situation allows us to envision and confront. May God grant the leaders of peoples the wisdom and goodness which the hour requires. God bless you and your families, and the countries you represent. Thank you!



APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO TANZANIA, BURUNDI,

RWANDA, AND THE IVORY COAST

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE OF TANZANIA

Chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature, Dar-es-Salaam

Sunday, 2 September 1990




Dear Brother Bishops of Tanzania,

1. I wish to begin by thanking Bishop Lebulu for his kind words of welcome and for the sentiments of ecclesial communion which he has expressed on your behalf. As in all of my Pastoral Visits, I give special importance to my encounter with you, the Bishops. Our meeting this morning gives me great joy and comfort as I praise God for your generous dedication to the special calling that is yours in the Church. As Bishops of the local Churches of Tanzania you "have been designated by the Holy Spirit to take the place of the Apostles as pastors of souls" and, "together with the Supreme Pontiff and subject to his authority", you have "been commissioned to perpetuate the work of Christ, the eternal pastor" (Christus Dominus CD 2).

My visit fulfils a longstanding desire to witness at first hand the life of your Dioceses. It is an opportunity for me to join the Catholic people of Tanzania in giving thanks to God for the seed of the Gospel which was implanted here over a century ago. Although your local Churches are young, they already show a maturity and fruitfulness that speak highly of your fidelity to the Lord. After the long planting of missionary labour, we are witnessing the beginnings of a harvest rich in promise among a people whose Christian life manifests the freshness, confidence and enthusiasm of youth.

I am happy to have this opportunity to reflect with you on some aspects of your ministry. Taking encouragement from all that has been done so far, my thoughts turn to the present and future of the Church in your country and on the African Continent. Every day, in fact, the Church "is moved by the Holy Spirit to do her part for the full realization of the plan of God, who has constituted Christ as the source of salvation for the whole world" (Lumen Gentium LG 17). To proclaim Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of the human family and, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring about the establishment of His kingdom of grace in human hearts, is the great mission which God has entrusted to the Church and which is now incumbent on you to promote with all your love and energies. The Church in the younger nations of Africa is entering a new stage in which your objectives must be the strengthening of the faith, the conversion and indepth transformation of individuals and of social life, so that the truths and values of the Gospel will be more fully lived. This is the immense challenge of evangelization, both within the ecclesial community and in sectors where the Gospel is still unknown (Cfr. Ioannis Pauli PP. II Allocutio in templo cathedrali Kinsasae, 3, 2 maii 1980: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, III, 1 [1980] 1065).

2. Dear Brothers, strengthening the faith of your people and exhorting them to persevere in its demands are primary tasks of your ministry. As Pastors "designated by the Holy Spirit" (Christus Dominus CD 2), you are called to exercise positive leadership as well as vigilance in promoting faith and holiness of life among the People of God entrusted to your care. If faith and morals are eroded by new patterns of living in a changing society, it is your fearless and serene proclamation of the Gospel, in all its integrity, that constitutes a bulwark of truth to sustain your people. If liturgical change or theological speculation create confusion among them, it is your sound judgment rooted in "thinking with the Church" that guides them along the path of sound doctrine and discipline. If there is a temptation to slacken evangelical fervour, it is your zeal that reawakens and expands their missionary spirit. Never lose confidence that the Lord who called you to shepherd his people will also provide the wisdom and strength you need to discharge this grave responsibility.

When we consider some of the challenges to be examined by the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops – namely, the proclamation of the Good News, inculturation, dialogue, justice and peace, and the means of social communication – it is readily apparent that a topic arises which requires concerted action on the part of the whole Church in Africa. This topic, which underlies all the challenges to be discussed by the Synod, is Christian formation, by which clergy, religious and laity are prepared and motivated to live, in an authentic and consistent manner, the state of life to which God has called them.

3. The formation of priests is a pressing concern for the whole Church. For that reason it has been chosen as the theme of the next Ordinary Session of the Synod of Bishops, not only as it applies to seminarians but also to priests after ordination. A clear concern has also been voiced throughout the world and in many quarters of Africa that there be a more careful screening of those who present themselves as candidates for the priesthood, and that programmes of formation in seminaries be of a sufficiently high level.

Surely the adequacy of the seminarian’s preparation and his overall suitability for ordination must not be neglected for the sake of increasing the numbers of priests, even when the Church’s needs are great. If the many dedicated priests of your dioceses are to enjoy the respect and esteem of the faithful, and if vocations among worthy young men are to increase as they must in light of present and future needs, it is imperative that ordination be conferred only on those who meet the requirements succinctly but clearly enunciated in the Code of Canon Law; namely, on those "who have an integral faith, are motivated by a right intention, possess the required knowledge, and enjoy a good reputation, good morals and proven virtues, and other physical and psychological qualities which are appropriate" (Codex Iuris Canonici, CIC 1029).

All of these qualities need to be verified and developed in the seminary under the guidance of qualified superiors, spiritual directors and professors, and in accordance with a well-defined programme of formation. I know that you share this concern for the education of your clergy, as do the many fine priests who are engaged in seminary work at the Major Seminaries in Kipalapala, Segerea, Peramiho, Ntungamo and Kibosho, as well as at the many Junior Seminaries spread throughout Tanzania. I pray that God will bless your efforts to increase the number of qualified staff and to help them in their work, which is of the utmost importance for the future of the ecclesial community and of evangelization.

As I have mentioned, the Church’s concern for the formation of priests also extends to the years after ordination. As Bishops you are charged with taking a direct interest in your priests’ life and ministry. Study courses, workshops, and spiritual exercises are extremely important for your priests, but these must go hand in hand with your own willingness to meet with them on a regular basis, to listen to them, to encourage them, to help them overcome problems and difficulties, and to find ways to make use of each one’s talents for the good of the entire diocese. They look to you for the leadership that consists above all in your example of authentic priestly life and of apostolic zeal for evangelization, including "first evangelization", which more and more becomes the responsibility of the local clergy. In all these ways, each of you has a very personal role to play in the lifelong formation and well-being of your priests. Furthermore, it is only right that your fraternal concern for them be particularly evident in the kind and compassionate way you deal with the special needs of elderly priests and those who are sick. May the Good Shepherd himself guide you in the fullness of evangelical love!

4. Men and women religious also occupy a special place in the pastoral mission of a bishop. The striking increase in the number of women religious, in particular, is a great gift to the Church in Tanzania and holds much promise for the future of consecrated life in your country. Although Religious will look chiefly to their own Institutes for formation, your interest in their welfare and your support for their intellectual and spiritual enrichment can be crucial, especially for Institutes of diocesan right.

Consecrated life exists in the Church and for the Church. Its ecclesial nature requires that it be lived with a deep sense of union and cooperation with the Bishops, and in affective and effective solidarity with the particular Church in which Religious live and carry out their apostolate. While respecting the charism and legitimate autonomy of each Religious Institute, it is your responsibility to foster their well-planned participation in pastoral activities, in the context of the ecclesiology of communion which governs the life of the Church.

5. Of equal importance for the vitality of the Church is the formation of the laity which consists, in a sense, in the continuing evangelization of those who are already baptized. The task of preparing the laity to assume an active role in the Church and in society is all the more urgent in the face of social and cultural change, as well as of proselytizing pressures from other faiths or religious groups.

You are well aware that for Tanzanian Catholics, especially the young, to persevere in their faith, share it with others, and bring its moral and spiritual values to bear on society, they need sound catechetical formation as well as the support that comes from membership in the parish groups and Catholic associations which are increasingly active in your country. A host of dedicated catechists is doing a splendid service to your particular Churches, especially in preserving and deepening the faith on a local level, but they too look to your leadership for opportunities to grow intellectually and spiritually.

It is true that "the first means of evangelization is the witness of an authentically Christian life, given over to God in a communion that nothing should destroy, and at the same time given to one’s neighbour with limitless zeal" (Pauli VI Evangelii Nuntiandi EN 41). The goal of formation for all the faithful – priests, religious and laity – is a living faith that permeates every aspect of one’s life and relationships with others. National and diocesan programmes of pastoral action should aim at promoting a highly motivated faith built on a deep commitment to Christ and his Church, and on a knowledge of Catholic teaching in keeping with the educational level and the demands of each person’s vocation.

The pursuit of this goal highlights the importance of ecclesial communion, that is, our "unity in the work of service, building up the Body of Christ" (Ep 4,12). Formation involves a mutual upbuilding on the part of all the members of the Church, beginning with the Bishops who, as the Church’s pastors and teachers, have primary responsibility for faith and doctrine.

6. In bringing these reflections on Christian formation to a conclusion, my thoughts turn to Cardinal John Henry Newman, whose death a century ago is being commemorated throughout this year. The motto he chose as a Cardinal, "cor ad cor loquitur", summarizes his philosophy of education, as well as his understanding of what we today call evangelization. For Cardinal Newman it was individual influence, "heart speaking to heart" that most effectively imparted the Gospel and that formed the whole person, heart and mind, and conscience. As he once wrote: "Individuals who are seen and heard, who act and suffer, are the instruments of Providence in all great successes" (The Letters and Diaries of John Henry Newman, Oxford, 1978-84, IV, 68 ss).

In that spirit, dear Brothers, I pray that God will sustain your zeal in the ministry and grant success to all your hopes and labours for the flowering of the Gospel. May he continue to raise up among you priests, religious and laity who are willing to be "seen and heard", to "act", and to "suffer" if need be, so that Christ may be known and loved ever more in Tanzania and throughout Africa. I express to you my fraternal appreciation and support. I thank you for your invitation to visit your particular Churches. May the close maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary accompany all that you do. With these sentiments and with affection in the Lord, I cordially impart to each of you and to your dioceses my Apostolic Blessing.



Speeches 1990 - Saturday, 25 August 1990