Speeches 1993 - Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston
Tuesday, 10 August 1993
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
1. It gives me great joy to be among you at last, on this beautiful Island so rightly described by Columbus as "Santa Gloria". With heartfelt affection I greet you, catechists, teachers, members of parish organizations and other lay representatives, as well as the young people present – all faithful sons and daughters of the Church in the Archdiocese of Kingston, the Diocese of Montego Bay and the Apostolic Vicariate of Mandeville. "My love is with you in Christ Jesus" (1Co 16,24).
It is precisely to speak about Christ and his love that the Bishop of Rome has come to Jamaica, to the auditorium of Saint George’s College. Indeed, this is an appropriate place in which to consider the nature of Christian love and the deeds in which it necessarily finds expression. Just a few weeks after that September day in 1850 when this College first opened its doors, members of its Jesuit community, with that bravery which is born of true charity, set about caring for the victims of a terrible cholera epidemic. Yes, this is the love I mean, the unsparing gift of self, which makes us ready even to lay down our lives for others.
2. We heard in the reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Colossians that we must "put on" this love (Col 3,14) – we must be clothed in it, covered completely. We first put it on when we "put on Christ" in Baptism (Rm 13,14). Christ’s love was poured into our hearts, so that now we can love God above all things and our neighbour as our self for love of him. By the power of this love, Christians are enabled to offer all that they have and are to the Father, to proclaim the Good News by their words and deeds, and to spread everywhere God’s Kingdom of justice, peace and charity (Cf. John Paul II, Christifideles Laici CL 14).
The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council affirm that the laity are specifically called to fulfil this lofty vocation in the secular sphere, through their involvement in temporal affairs (Cf. Lumen Gentium LG 31). The Gospel images of salt and light and leaven (Cf. Mt 5,13-16 Mt 13,33) help us to understand that by means of their full participation in the affairs of this age the lay faithful are meant to be instruments enabling divine grace to accomplish God’s eternal purpose in creation.
3. It is essential that the laity should be well prepared to undertake this task. In the work of lay formation the parish plays a central role. An active parish is a most effective means for teaching God’s Word, for fostering liturgical and personal dialogue with God and for sustaining the life of fraternal charity. By participating in the life of the parish, the faithful experience the reality of ecclesial communion and come to appreciate more fully their own responsibility as sharers in the Church’s saving mission (Cf. John Paul II, Christifideles Laici CL 61).
In the parish communities of Kingston, Montego Bay and Mandeville, programmes of sacramental preparation, other forms of catechesis and the pastoral care of youth are indispensable activities. Each of you here today has a vital part to play in this apostolate. I wish to encourage you to be close to your priests, to cooperate with them in building up the Church on this Island. By being good Catholics yourselves, you will help your priests to be ever better servants of Jesus Christ, the Supreme High Priest.
I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the catechists for the important work you do in handing on the Catholic faith. Your task is to pass on to your students the Church’s teaching in all its richness and integrity. Teach them especially about the sacraments and how the saving mystery of Christ is made present in these visible signs of the invisible grace of God. Through the prayerful celebration of these sacred rites the whole community will find the strength it needs for the sanctification of life in the world and for the task of overcoming all the forms of poverty – material and spiritual – which affect our brothers and sisters.
Those of you who are teachers have a special responsibility for instructing others in the virtues which are at the heart of Christian formation. Among the most important dispositions to be cultivated in both the young and in adults are solidarity and a sense of responsibility for the common good. In the last century such a commitment to the good of the human person brought about the emancipation of those enslaved in the homes, in the workshops and on the plantations of this land. Not all Jamaicans have yet attained a level of participation in society worthy of free men and women, and so there is no less a need for solidarity and commitment today. For your generous dedication to the task of educating the young, not only the Catholic community in Jamaica but civil society as well is indebted to you.
I invite Jamaican Catholics to make this an occasion for renewing your commitment to the Church’s mission. Pledge once more that the poor and forgotten will be the particular object of your love. Resolve to make your groups and organizations effective means of helping your brothers and sisters in their need. In this way you will be the worthy heirs to a spirit and tradition exemplified by Jessie Ripoll, Josephine Ximines, Louise Dugiol, and all those who have worked for the full development of their fellow Jamaicans.
4. Now a word to the many young people here today. Young Jamaicans, will you be strong and generous for Christ? Reject the easy road: the road of self–indulgence, crime, cynicism and escape from responsibility. The abuse of alcohol and drugs and sexual misbehaviour must have no place in your lives. "Enter by the narrow gate" (Mt 7,13). Choose the road that leads to eternal life and happiness with God. If God’s road for you seems to lead towards the priesthood or the life of a Religious Sister or Brother, be generous. The Church needs you. Follow where Christ directs you. If he calls you to marriage, let Mary and Joseph be your models. In all things let the words of Jesus live in you, and you will know the joy that comes from belonging to him.
5. This year we are commemorating the fifth centenary of the beginning of evangelization in the Caribbean and in all the Americas. This celebration is an ideal occasion for the Catholics of Jamaica to hear as if with fresh hearts and minds Christ’s summons: "The time has come and the Kingdom of God is close at hand! Repent, and believe the Good News!" (Mc 1,15). Yes, dear brothers and sisters, answer that call. Offer yourselves anew to the Redeemer as his helpers in freeing creation from the effects of sin, in order to restore all things according to the Father’s original design for the world (Cf. John Paul II, Christifideles Laici CL 15). Give your hands to Christ, so that by his grace you can fashion a society that is just, and in which all its members live in peace. Give your hearts to Christ, so that through them his love may shine forth as a beacon of light and hope for all Jamaicans.
May God be your support in this wonderful work. May he bless "this land that we love". And may Mary, the Queen of the Universe, protect her beloved Jamaica. God be with you all!
Tuesday, 10 August 1993
“Be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy” (Ph 2,2).
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Dear Friends,
1. These words of Saint Paul, expressing his profound longing for unity among the Lord’s disciples, were a cry coming from the depth of his heart. He had become so identified with our Saviour that no longer did he live, but Christ lived in him (Cf. Gal. Ga 2,20), and so his desire was the same as Christ’s: "May they all be one" (Jn 17,21). This appeal from the Apostle, first addressed to the Philippians, has lost none of its urgency, and it finds today an echo in the heart of each of us here. This is the reason why we are gathered to pray for the reconciliation of all Christians.
With the confidence of sons and daughters we turn to the Father in order to ask him to heal our divisions. At the same time we thank him for the already existing – although imperfect – communion which binds us together (Cf. Unitatis Redintegratio UR 3), and for the climate of openness and mutual respect which are its logical consequences (Cf. Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, 36). This is indeed a moment of grace, a gift of our Redeemer’s boundless love. In the peace and love of Christ Jesus I greet you all, the representatives of the Christian Churches and Ecclesial Communities of Jamaica and the Caribbean. I rejoice in being with you to hear Christ’s saving word, and to lift up my voice with yours in heartfelt praise and earnest supplication.
2. Christians in Jamaica may fittingly thank God for all that has been achieved in the pursuit of the aims of the ecumenical movement. In particular I wish to single out the results of more than two decades of common witness and common action for justice and peace through the Jamaican Council of Churches. The Catholic Bishops of this nation, along with the clergy, Religious and lay faithful, have been active in these initiatives. They look forward to working in the years ahead with all their Christian brothers and sisters in a spirit of solidarity, so that the transforming light of the Good News will shine ever more brightly upon this Island. Your ecumenical initiatives take place in the wider context of the Caribbean Conference of Churches. Through this Conference, you strive to defend and to promote the dignity of the human person and to speak out against those things which undermine it: poverty, the breakdown of family life, the abuse of drugs and alcohol, and everything which would obstruct the full development of individuals and of society itself. It is my prayer that your cooperation in the face of such challenges will be ever more effective in setting forth "in clearer relief the features of Christ the Servant" and in bearing "witness to our common hope" (Unitatis Redintegratio UR 12).
3. Important as it is for Christians to join forces in building up the common good of human society, we should recognize the need to resist any temptation towards a one–sided "activism". Otherwise, ecumenical efforts could soon be guided only by political motives and become barriers, not helps, to unity (Cf. Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, 211-212). We are called not only to common action but, as Saint Paul says, to a "common mind" (Ph 2,2); to be one not only in service, but in "conviction" and "love" (Ibid.) – and, we must pray, to be finally united in the one Eucharist where Christ gives himself in love to his Church. No, we can never be content with imperfect forms of communion in belief and sacramental life, for this is not the will of our Lord. His prayer was that his disciples should share in the very unity by which he is one with the Father: "Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you" (Jn 17,21).
As I pointed out in a message to the participants in the Fifth World Conference on Faith and Order now meeting in Santiago de Compostela, reflection on the nature of koinonia, communion – the theme of that gathering – is an especially apt means towards achieving the goal of Christian unity (Cf. John Paul II, Message on the occasion of the Fifth World Conference on Faith and Order, 21 July 1993). A deeper appreciation of the mystery of ecclesial communion as a participation in the very life of the Triune God provides the proper basis for fruitful dialogue on such topics as the relationship between the Universal Church in her visibility and the particular Churches, the richness of diversity within communion, the Eucharistic nature of the Church, and office – especially the ministry of the Bishop of Rome – in the service of communion. As for those Christians who might not share the Catholic Church’s own understanding of the Eucharist as a visible expression of unity in belief and ecclesial life, open and sincere dialogue will help them to appreciate and respect her firm convictions and strict discipline in regard to intercommunion.
In these matters, as in all that concerns our fraternal dialogue, we should not overlook the admonition of the Second Vatican Council, that "nothing is so foreign to the spirit of ecumenism as a false conciliatory approach" (Unitatis Redintegratio UR 11). In a spirit of mutual respect we must always say what we know to be true about ourselves and our beliefs. This is the way for brothers and sisters to deal with one another, and such forthrightness about oneself, coupled with trust about what others say of themselves, will bear the desired fruit in due season (Cf. Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, 172).
4. I wish at this time to greet the representatives of other religious traditions present here today. We who confess the name of Jesus are honoured by your presence. Assuring you of my cordial esteem and affection, I offer you my prayerful good wishes. The members of the Catholic community in Jamaica, as well as the members of other Churches and Ecclesial Communities, are eager to work with you in serving the cause of humanity.
To the spiritual leaders and members of the Jewish delegation, I extend a special word of welcome. I have been told of the close relationship between yourselves and Jamaican Catholics. Such respect and friendship, rooted in our common patrimony (Cf. Nostra Aetate NAE 4), are sources of great joy and satisfaction.
I pray that in Jamaica all believers will be strengthened by Almighty God to join with each other and with all men and women of good will in building a society free from discrimination and prejudice, a nation committed to protecting the rights of every person, including the right to religious liberty.
5. Ladies and Gentlemen: Saint Paul pointed out to the Christians at Philippi the way for them to be of one mind and one purpose, and in doing so he identified the path which leads to the ultimate goal of the ecumenical movement. He says: "In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus" (Ph 2,5). When all Christians are completely conformed to Christ, then they will be fully one. This is the task of the Paraclete, the Spirit poured out at Pentecost and given at Baptism. Unity is the work of the Spirit. With confidence we ask the Holy Spirit to work with great power in our midst, so that the prayer of Christ may be fulfilled in us: "May they all be one... so that the love with which you – the Father – loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them" (Jn 17,21-26).
I offer to all of you, distinguished Friends, my warm support, and I thank you once more for your lives, your work and your prayers here in Jamaica and throughout the Antilles. May the Lord God always bless and sustain you.
Wednesday, 11 August 1993
Your Excellency,
Mr Prime Minister,
My Brother Bishops,
Dear Friends,
1. At the conclusion of my Pastoral Visit to Jamaica, I wish to thank everyone most heartily for the very warm welcome and many kindnesses shown me in these days. I express my particular gratitude to His Excellency the Governor–General for his kind words. Having come among you as a friend, I now take leave of the people of this beautiful Island with renewed sentiments of affection and esteem.
A special word of thanks goes to Archbishop Carter, Bishop Clarke and Bishop Boyle. It was my particular joy during these past days to visit Jamaica’s Catholics and to experience personally the life of the Church on this Island. The commitment of Jamaica’s Catholics to their country’s future, which finds concrete expression in numerous schools and other educational and social undertakings, reflects their respect for the centrality of the human person in all genuine development.Inspired by their faith in Christ, Jamaica’s Catholics will continue to work with other Christians and the followers of other religious traditions to build an ever more harmonious and peace–loving society.
2. The forthcoming celebrations marking the Quincentenary of Columbus’ arrival on these shores will be a time for remembering the past, for recalling the many threads which have come together to weave the pattern of Jamaica’s rich history. May those celebrations also be an occasion for all the people of this Island to rededicate themselves to the ideals which have guided Jamaica’s pursuit of liberty and progress. The Jamaican people’s love of freedom and their capacity to triumph over the legacy of past sufferings and oppression are a great resource in facing the various challenges of the present and the future.
It is my prayer that the hard–won freedom which you cherish so deeply will ever guide and inspire your development as a nation. I am speaking of authentic freedom: that freedom which liberates not merely bodies but hearts and souls; the freedom which enables all the members of a society to participate in building up the common good. By fostering this freedom Jamaicans will ensure a future in which each individual will be cherished and appreciated for his or her unique value as a human being, where every person will be given the opportunity to develop and prosper, and where the less fortunate and the disadvantaged will be helped to share fully in the life of society.
May God sustain your efforts to build a national life marked by justice and equality. The patient promotion of understanding and dialogue are the only truly effective means for ensuring progress. These are high and arduous goals, and I pray that Jamaica’s efforts to reach them will go hand in hand with a strengthening of cooperation among all the countries of the Caribbean.
3. As I continue my journey on my way to the World Youth Meeting in Denver I invoke God’s blessings in a special way on Jamaica’s children and young people. In looking at these new generations, Jamaica is looking at her own future. May they always find acceptance, love, and concern for their needs.
May all the inhabitants of this Island experience the abundant blessings of Almighty God, the giver of every good gift (Cf. Jn. Jn 1,17). God bless Jamaica! God bless the Jamaican people!
International Airport of Denver
Thursday, 12 August 1993
Mr President,
Dear Friends,
Dear People of America,
Dear Young People,
1. I greatly appreciate your generous words of welcome. The World Youth Day being celebrated this year in Denver gives me the opportunity to meet you, and through you to express once again to the American people my sentiments of deep esteem and friendship. I thank you and Mrs. Clinton for your kind gesture in coming here personally to welcome me, coming together with your daughter.
I take this opportunity to greet the other representatives of the Federal Government, of the State of Colorado and of the City of Denver who are present here, and to thank all those who have contributed in any way to preparing this visit. I am grateful to the Bishops of the United States for their part in organizing the "Eighth World Youth Day" and in particular to Archbishop Stafford of Denver and the Catholic Church in Colorado for serving as the local hosts for this important international event.
I am aware that the United States is suffering greatly from the recent flooding in the Midwest. I have felt close to the American people in their tragedy and have prayed for the victims. I invoke Almighty God’s strength and comfort upon all who have been affected by this calamity.
2. There is a special joy in coming to America for the celebration of this "World Youth Day". A Nation which is itself still young according to historical standards is hosting young people gathered from all over the world for a serious reflection on the theme of life: the human life which is God’s marvellous gift to each one of us, and the transcendent Life which Jesus Christ our Savior offers to those who believe in his name.
I come to Denver to listen to the young people gathered here, to experience their inexhaustible quest for life. Each successive "World Youth Day" has been a confirmation of young people’s openness to the meaning of life as a gift received, a gift to which they are eager to respond by striving for a better world for themselves and their fellow human beings. I believe that we would correctly interpret their deepest aspirations by saying that what they ask is that society – especially the leaders of nations and all who control the destinies of peoples – accept them as true partners in the construction of a more humane, more just, more compassionate world. They ask to be able to contribute their specific ideas and energies to this task.
3. The well-being of the world’s children and young people must be of immense concern to all who have public responsibilities. In my pastoral visits to the Church in every part of the world I have been deeply moved by the almost universal conditions of difficulty in which young people grow up, and live. Too many sufferings are visited upon them by natural calamities, famines, epidemics, by economic and political crises, by the atrocities of wars. And where material conditions are at least adequate, other obstacles arise, not the least of which is the breakdown of family values and stability.
In developed countries, a serious moral crisis is already affecting the lives of many young people, leaving them adrift, often without hope, and conditioned to look only for instant gratification. Yet everywhere there are young men and women deeply concerned about the world around them, ready to give the best of themselves in service to others and particularly sensitive to life’s transcendent meaning.
But how do we help them? Only by instilling a high moral vision can a society ensure that its young people are given the possibility to mature as free and intelligent human beings, endowed with a robust sense of responsibility to the common good, capable of working with others to create a community and a nation with a strong moral fiber. America was built on such a vision, and the American people possess the intelligence and will to meet the challenge of rededicating themselves with renewed vigor to fostering the truths on which this country was founded and by which it grew. Those truths are enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and they still today receive a broad consensus among Americans. Those truths sustain values which have led people all over the world to look to America with hope and respect.
4.To all Americans, without exception, I present this invitation: Let us pause and reason together.
To educate without a value system based on truth is to abandon young people to moral confusion, personal insecurity and easy manipulation. No country, not even the most powerful, can endure if it deprives its own children of this essential good.
Respect for the dignity and worth of every person, integrity and responsibility, as well as understanding, compassion and solidarity towards others, survive only if they are passed on in families, in schools and through the communications media.
America has a strong tradition of respect for the individual, for human dignity and human rights. I gladly acknowledged this during my previous visit to the United States in 1987, and I would like to repeat today the hope I expressed on that occasion: "America, you are beautiful and blessed in so many ways... But your best beauty and your richest blessing is found in the human person: in each man, woman and child, in every immigrant, in every native born son and daughter... The ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most defenceless ones.
The best traditions of your land presume respect for those who cannot defend themselves. It you want equal justice for all, and true freedom and lasting peace, then, America, defend life! All the great causes that are yours today will have meaning only to the extent that you guarantee the right to life and protest the human person".
5.Mr. President, my reference to the moral truths which sustain the life of the nation is not without relevance to the privileged position which the United States holds in the international community. In the face of tensions and conflicts that too many peoples have endured for so long – I am thinking in particular of the Middle East region and some African countries – and in the new situation emerging from the events of 1989 – especially in view of the tragic conflicts now going on in the Balkans and in the Caucasus – the international community ought to establish more effective structures for maintaining and promoting justice and peace. This implies that a concept of strategic interest should evolve which is based on the full development of peoples – out of poverty and towards a more dignified existence, out of injustice and exploitation towards fuller respect for the human person and the defence of universal human rights. If the United Nations and other international agencies through the wise and honest cooperation of their member Nations, succeed in effectively defending stricken populations whether victims of underdevelopment or conflicts or the massive violation of human rights, then there is indeed hope for the future. For peace is the work of justice.
6. The bounty and providence of God have laid an enormous responsibility on the people and Government of the United States. But that burden is also the opportunity for true greatness. Together with millions of people around the globe I share the profound hope that in the present international situation the United States will spare no effort in advancing authentic freedom and in fostering human rights and solidarity.
May God guide this nation and keep alive in it – for endless generations to come – the flame of liberty and justice for all.
May God bless you all! God bless America!
America I express my gratitude for receiving me with rain.
Thursday, 12 August 1993
Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased Mr. President, that we have had this opportunity to talk together about some of the principal concerns of the world situation at this moment. The inalienable dignity of every human being and the rights which flow from that dignity – in the first place, the right to life, and the defense of life – as well as the well–being and full human development of individuals and peoples, are at the heart of the Church’s message and action in the world. Essentially, these are the themes on which the Church seeks a sincere and constructive dialogue with the leaders of the world’s nations and the representatives of the international community. I look forward to further contacts in the future, in the same spirit of mutual understanding and esteem which has always characterized relations between the United States and the Holy See.
I take this opportunity to thank you once more for welcoming me to the United States. I assure you that I pray each day for the leaders of Government, that they may be wise and far–seeing servants of the common good, and that their decisions and actions may bring justice and peace to the world.
Thank you.
Thursday, 12 August 1993
Dear young people,
Pilgrims on the path of life,
Dear young people, I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
1. The Spirit of God has brought us to this "Eighth World Youth Day". On eight successive occasions young people from all parts of the world have heard the call of the Church and have travelled in order to be together – to be together with their Bishops and the Pope: fellow travelers on the path of life in search of Christ. It is he, Jesus Christ, the true Life who gives hope and purpose to our earthly existence, opens our minds and hearts to the goodness and beauty of the world around us, to solidarity and friendship with our fellow human beings, to intimate communion with God himself, in a love that goes beyond all limits of time and space, to eternal unassailable happiness.
This "World Youth Day" has brought us to Denver, a stupendous setting in the heart of the United States of America.
You know we are in Denver: Denver, Colorado. And you know this gentleman here is the Archbishop of Denver. He is our host. With him I greet each one of you: "A great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues". I greet your Bishops, your priests, your spiritual guides, your families. I thank you for being here. I thank everyone: Archbishop Stafford of Denver and his fellow–workers; Archbishop Keeler, the President of the Bishops’ Conference, and all the Bishops; the Bishops’ Commission for the organization of this "World Youth Day"; Cardinal Pironio and the Pontifical Council for the Laity; the civil authorities; the people of Denver and Colorado who are our gracious hosts; the volunteers who are making sure that everything runs smoothly – I thank you all for your kindness, your hospitality and your good will.
Most of you are members of the Catholic Church; but others are from other Christian Churches and Communities, and I greet each one with sincere friendship. In spite of divisions among Christians, "all those justified by faith through baptism are incorporated into Christ... brothers and sisters in the Lord". Every meeting between young Catholics and other young Christians must be one of discovering together ever more fully the riches of the Gospel message of life and love.
I greet all of you have come from every corner of the United States, from every Diocese of this vast country. Among you there is one group which I wish to mention with particular esteem: the Native American peoples. Thank you for bringing the richness and color of your special heritage to the "World Youth Day". May Christ truly be the way, the truth and the life of your peoples!
The great majority of you are from the United States. Many are from the other two countries of North America:
– from Canada;
– y tantos de México.
Some of you are from the Caribbean, Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, República Dominicana, Virgin Islands. Otros vienen de América Central, especialmente Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá.
Y de todos los países de América del Sur: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Perú, Uruguay, Venezuela.
Many of you are from countries in Africa: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burundi, Capo Verde Islands, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
From the countries of Asia: Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.
Young people are also from Oceania and the Pacific islands: Australia, New Zealand, Guam, Solomon Islands, Western Samoa.
And from the Middle East: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon.
And from Europe: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia–Herzegovina, Bohemia (Czech Republic.), Slovak Republic, Denmark, England, Scotland and Wales, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Italia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Norway, Polska, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia–Montenegro, España, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine.
May Jesus Christ, the Lord of history and the light of nations grant his peace to every one of you from east and west, from north and south, and to all the peoples you represent. God bless the young people of World Youth Day.
Voglio salutare insieme con i giovani i fratelli vescovi e sacerdoti che accompagnano i diversi gruppi dei diversi paesi e che si sentono anche loro giovani e vengono qui con i giovani per ringiovanire, per sentirsi giovani, e questo si riferisce anche al Papa.
2. At this point I wish to greet some of the groups present.
In Spanish:
Con todo mi afecto saludo a los numerosos jóvenes de lengua española aquí presentes, procedentes de tantas ciudades de esta Nación, así como de la mayor parte de los países de América Latina y de España. Que esta Jornada, vinculada en la cercanía a la celebración del V Centenario de la llegada del Evangelio al Nuevo Mundo, sea una ocasión propicia para estrechar los lazos de fraternidad y esperanza entre los jóvenes de las Américas y de todos los continentes, y para reavivar la conciencia de vuestra misión como creyentes: dar testimonio con valentía de la Vida Nueva que Cristo nos ha dado para la salvación del mundo.
In French:
Jeunes de langue française, je souhaite que ce pèlerinage accompli dans la foi vous affermisse dans votre résolution d’être, de manière toujours plus ardente, des apôtres du monde des jeunes. Je salue ceux d’entre vous qui viennent de France, du Canada, ainsi que des autres nations francophones. J’adresse un mot d’encouragement tout particulier aux jeunes originaires d’Haïti et je prie pour la paix et le développement harmonieux de leur pays.
In Italian:
Ai giovani venuti dall’Italia: grazie per aver risposto cosí numerosi all’invito di venire a Denver. So che vi siete preparati spiritualmente in modo molto serio a questo pellegrinaggio, e confido che potrete raccogliere abbondanti frutti per la vostra vita e testimonianza cristiana.
In German:
Herzlich begrübe ich Euch, liebe deutschsprachige junge Menschen, die Ihr gekommen seid, um Zeugnis abzulegen von Eurem Glauben an Jesus Christus, der uns das Leben in Fülle schenkt. Mögen diese Tage des Gebetes und der Besinnung, der Begegnung und des fröhlichen Zusammenseins mit den Jugendlichen aus aller Welt Euch im Dienst an der Kirche und an der Welt bestärken.
In Portuguese:
Queridos Amigos de Portugal, Brasil, Angola, Moçambique e São Tomé e Príncipe, Jesus Cristo é a esperança do mundo. Oxalá possais descobrir cada vez mais profundamente a Sua amizade e intimidade ao longo destes dias, em Denver.
In Polish:
Pozdrawiam serdecznie mlodziez przybyla z Polski wraz ze swymi duszpasterzami, a takze polonijna z Ameryki i z innych krajów.
Po niezapomnianych przezyciach Swiatowego Spotkania Mlodych w Sanktuarium Jasnogórskim w Czestochowie w roku 1991, którego gospodarzem byla mlodziez polska, znajdujemy sie dzisiaj w Denver, w Stanach Zjednoczonych. Jest to kolejny etap pielgrzymki mlodych szlakiem nowej ewangelizacji.
Mlodzi Rodacy, niech swiadectwo wiary tysiecy chlopców i dziewczat przybylych tu z calego swiata pomoze Wam odkryc na nowo Chrystusa jako zródlo zycia. On – ukrzyzowany i zmartwychwstaly – jest Droga, Prawda i zyciem. On jest droga do pelni zycia.
3. We have come to Denver as pilgrims. We are continuing the journey made by millions of young people in the previous World Youth Days: to Rome, to Buenos Aires, to Santiago de Compostela, to Czestochowa.
Pilgrims set out for a destination. In our case it is not so much a place or a shrine that we seek to honor. Ours is a pilgrimage to a modern city, a symbolic destination: the "metropolis" is the place which determines the life–style and the history of a large part of the human family at the end of the twentieth century. This modern city of Denver is set in the beautiful natural surroundings of the Rocky Mountains, as if to put the work of human hands in relationship with the work of the Creator. We are therefore searching for the reflection of God not only in the beauty of nature but also in humanity’s achievements and in each individual person. On this pilgrimage our steps are guided by the words of Jesus Christ: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly".
My purpose in this first meeting with you is to invite you to enter into the depths of your hearts, and to live the next few days as a real encounter with Jesus Christ.
Of course we are here to listen to one another: I to you, and you to the Pope. But above all we are in Denver to hear the one true Word of Life – the Eternal Word who was in the beginning with God; through whom all things were made, and without whom nothing was made that was made.
Young people of America and of the world, listen to what Christ the Redeemer is saying to you! "To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God". The "World Youth Day" challenges you to be fully conscious of who you are as God’s dearly beloved sons and daughters.
4. Vuestra peregrinación por la ciudad de Denver os llevará a meditar sobre la promesa de vida en abundancia de Cristo, en las diferentes etapas a lo largo del camino.
En la iglesia de Santa Isabel la cruz del Año Santo os recordará dónde buscar la vida verdadera que Jesús da. Jesús dice: "El que no toma su cruz y me sigue detrás no es digno de mí". Os dice eso no porque no os ame suficientemente, sino porque os está conduciendo al descubrimiento de la vida y el amor auténticos. La vida que Jesús da sólo puede experimentarse mediante el amor que es entrega de sí, y ese amor implica siempre alguna forma de sacrificio: " Si el grano de trigo no cae en tierra y muere, queda él solo; pero si muere, da mucho fruto ". Eso es lo que la cruz nos enseña.
À l’église du Saint–Esprit, votre pèlerinage vous conduira jusqu’au Christ présent dans la sainte Eucharistie. En priant devant le Saint–Sacrement exposé, vous pourrez lui ouvrir vos coeurs, mais vous devrez écouter spécialement ce qu’il veut dire à chacun d’entre vous. Les mots préférés du Christ aux jeunes sont les suivants: "N’aie pas peur".et "Viens, suis–moi". Qui sait ce que le Seigneur vous demandera, jeunes d’Amérique, jeunes gens, jeunes filles d’Europe, d’Afrique, d’Asie, d’Océanie?
Presso la cattedrale dell’Immacolata Concezione il vostro pellegrinaggio vi condurrà all’icona di Nostra Signora del Nuovo Avvento. Maria, la Madre del Redentore, fu la prima e la migliore discepola del Figlio suo. Ella sarà presente ad ogni stadio del nostro pellegrinaggio. È la guida migliore che possiamo avere, poiché ci conduce a Cristo dicendoci: "Fate (tutto) quello che vi dirà".
5. Tomorrow, Friday, is meant to be a day of solidarity and penance. As a gesture of love towards our less fortunate brothers and sisters we are all asked to make a sacrifice at tomorrow’s mid–day meal and to give what we save for Saint Joseph’s Hospital of Kitovu in Uganda, where many AIDS patients are being cared for with great love and attention. That region has been drastically affected by this dreaded disease and thousands of children have been left orphans as a result of it. Our gesture is a small sign of our love, an invitation to society not to neglect those who are suffering, especially when that suffering, which Jesus takes to himself, can only be alleviated by the close, personal, caring presence of others.
Jesus has called each one of you to Denver for a purpose: You must live these days in such a way that, when the time comes to return home, each one of you will have a clearer idea of what Christ expects of you. Each one must have the courage to go and spread the Good News among the people of the last part of the twentieth century, in particular among young people of your own age, who will take the Church and society into the next century.
Y a Ustedes, jóvenes Latino–Americanos, ¿qué les pide Cristo? Él busca colaboradores en la nueva evangelización. Busca misioneros y misioneras de su Palabra en todos los pueblos de este Continente de la Esperanza. Busca constructores de una sociedad nueva, más justa, más fraterna, más acogedora hacia los " pequeños " y necesitados. Cristo necesita a cada uno y a cada una de Ustedes.
6. Lord Jesus Christ, Send your Holy Spirit upon the young people who have set out to find you in the heart of the modern metropolis, especially during the catecheses of these days.
Be with us all at the great gathering of the pilgrims on the path of life, when at the Vigil of the Feast of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven and at the Mass on that day, the young people of the United States, of the Americas, of the world, will proclaim and celebrate their faith in you, you who alone have the words which unlock the depths of the mystery of true Life.
O Mary, Our Lady of the new Advent, who kept all these things, pondering them in your heart, teach these young people to be good listeners to your Son, the Word of Life.
Pray for them that no barriers will stand in the way of their discovering the new Life which your Son brought into the world.
Virgin Daughter of Sion, guide each step of our way along the path that leads to Life!
Young people of the Eighth "World Youth Day", rise to the challenge which Denver sets before you:
Follow the "pilgrim" Cross; go in search of God, because he can also be found in the heart of a modern city; recognize him in so many young people full of hope and noble ideals; feel the breath of the Holy Spirit among so many different races and cultures, all united in acknowledging Christ as the way, the truth and the life of every human being (Cfr. Ioannis Pauli PP. II Allocutio ad precationem “Angelus Domini”, 2, die, 4 apr. 1993: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, XVI, 1 (1993) 822).
Dear young friends, in the name of Jesus Christ, I greet you all together, everyone, all the different linguistic groups, and all together.
You are here, you are here, the universal Church, and I pray that Jesus be with you and bless all this "World Youth Day" for everyone and for all together. My speech was long, was too long, but now I have finished; I have finished. With great joy I look forward to our next meeting. Hasta la vista.
Speeches 1993 - Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston