Speechs 2005
Central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica
Tuesday, 19 April 2005
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
After the great Pope John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple and humble labourer in the vineyard of the Lord.
The fact that the Lord knows how to work and to act even with inadequate instruments comforts me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers.
Let us move forward in the joy of the Risen Lord, confident of his unfailing help. The Lord will help us and Mary, his Most Holy Mother, will be on our side. Thank you.
Clementine Hall
Friday, 22 April 2005
Venerable Brother Cardinals,
1. I am also meeting you today and I would like to tell you in a simple, brotherly way of the state of mind that I am experiencing in these days. The intense emotions that I felt on the occasion of the death of my Venerable Predecessor John Paul II and then during the Conclave, and especially at its conclusion, amount to a deep need for silence and two complementary sentiments: a profound, heartfelt desire to give thanks and a feeling of human powerlessness as I face the lofty task that awaits me.
First of all, gratitude. I feel it my duty, in the first place, to thank God who wanted me, despite my human frailty, as the Successor of the Apostle Peter, and has entrusted to me the task of governing and guiding the Church so that she may be the sacrament of unity in the world for the entire human race (cf. Lumen Gentium LG 1). We are certain: it is the eternal Pastor who leads his flock with the power of his Spirit and assures it in every age to the Pastors whom he has chosen. In these days, the Christian people have prayed in unison for the new Pontiff, and my first Meeting with the faithful in the evening of the day before yesterday in St Peter's Square was truly moving: to everyone, Bishops, priests, men and women Religious, young people and the elderly, I extend my most heartfelt gratitude for their spiritual solidarity.
2. I feel I owe deep thanks to each one of you, Venerable Brothers, beginning with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who has just expressed affection and cordial good wishes to me on behalf of you all. With him I thank the Camerlengo, Cardinal Eduardo Martínez Somalo, for his generous service in this sensitive period of passage.
I would next like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the members of the College of Cardinals for their active collaboration in the management of the Church during the Vacant See. I would like to greet with special affection the Cardinals who were prevented by age or illness from taking part in the Conclave. I am grateful to each one for your example of availability and fraternal communion as well as for your intense prayers, both of which are expressions of faithful love for the Church, the Bride of Christ.
In addition, I cannot fail to address my heartfelt thanks to all those, in their different capacities, who cooperated in the organization and unfolding of the Conclave and helped the Cardinals in many ways to spend these days laden with responsibility in the safest and most tranquil manner.
3. Venerable Brothers, I owe you my most personal gratitude for the trust you have placed in me by electing me Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the universal Church. It is an act of trust that encourages me to undertake this new mission more serenely, for I am convinced that in addition to God's indispensable help I can also count on your generous collaboration. Please never let me lack your support!
If on the one hand I am aware of my personal limitations and limited abilities, on the other hand I well know the nature of the mission entrusted to me and am preparing myself to carry it out with an attitude of inner dedication. It is not a matter of honours but of a service to be rendered with simplicity and willingness, imitating our Teacher and Lord who did not come to be served but to serve (cf. Mt Mt 20,28), and at the Last Supper washed the Apostles' feet, commanding them to do likewise (cf. Jn Jn 13,13-14). It only remains for me, and for all of us together, to accept from Providence the will of God and to do our best to measure up to it, helping one another to carry out our respective tasks in the service of the Church.
4. I would like at this moment to think back to my Venerable Predecessors, Bl. John XXIII, the Servants of God Paul VI and John Paul I, and especially John Paul II, whose witness in his last days gave us more support than ever and whose lively presence we still continue to feel. The sorrowful event of his death, after a period of great trials and suffering, proved to have the paschal features for which he had expressed the hope in his Testament (24 February-1 March 1980). The light and strength of the Risen Christ shone out in the Church from that sort of "last Mass" that he celebrated in his agony, which culminated in the "Amen" of a life entirely offered, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the world's salvation.
5. Venerable Brothers! Each one of you will now be returning to your respective Sees to resume your work, but spiritually we will remain united in the faith and love of the Lord, in the bond of the Eucharistic celebration, in persistent prayer and in the sharing of our daily apostolic ministry. Your spiritual closeness, your enlightened advice and your effective cooperation will be a gift for me for which I will always be grateful and an incentive to fulfil the mandate entrusted to me with total fidelity and dedication.
I entrust all of us and the expectations, hopes and worries of the entire community of Christians to the Virgin Mother of God, who accompanied the steps of the newborn Church with her silent presence and comforted the faith of the Apostles. I ask you to walk under the motherly protection of Mary, Mater Ecclesiae, docile and obedient to the voice of her divine Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. As I call upon her constant patronage, I impart to each one of you and to all those whom divine Providence entrusts to your pastoral care my heartfelt Apostolic Blessing.
Saturday, 23 April 2005
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. It is a pleasure to meet with you and I cordially greet you, journalists, photographers, television technicians and all those who, in various sectors, belong to the world of communications. Thank you for your visit and especially for the service that you have provided to the Holy See and the Catholic Church throughout these days. I cordially greet Archbishop John Patrick Foley, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and I thank him for the words he addressed to me on behalf of all who are present.
It can be said that, thanks to your work, the attention of the entire world has been fixed for some weeks now on the Basilica, on St Peter's Square and on the Apostolic Palace, the latter where my Predecessor, the unforgettable Pope John Paul II, peacefully ended his earthly existence, and where afterwards, in the Sistine Chapel, the Cardinals elected me as his Successor.
2. Thanks to all of you, these historically important ecclesial events have had worldwide coverage. I know how hard you have worked, far away from your homes and families, for long hours and in sometimes difficult conditions. I am aware of the skill and dedication with which you have accomplished your demanding task. In my own name, and especially on behalf of Catholics living far from Rome, who were able to participate in these stirring moments for our faith as they were taking place, I thank you for all you have done. The possibilities opened up for us by modern means of social communication are indeed marvellous and extraordinary!
The Second Vatican Council spoke of the great potential of the media. In fact, the Council Fathers devoted their first Document to this theme, and said that the media, "by their nature, are capable of reaching and influencing not only individuals, but whole masses of people, indeed the whole of humanity" (Inter Mirifica IM 1). Ever since 4 December 1963, when the Decree Inter Mirifica was promulgated, humanity has been witnessing an extraordinary media revolution, affecting every aspect of human life.
3. Fully aware of her mission and the importance of the media, the Church, especially beginning with the Second Vatican Council, sought out collaboration with the world of social communications. Certainly, John Paul II was a great pioneer of this open and sincere dialogue, together with you, workers in the field of social communications, with whom he maintained constant and fruitful relations throughout the more than 26 years of his Pontificate. And it was precisely to those responsible for social communications that he wished to dedicate one of his last Documents, the Apostolic Letter of 24 January, which calls to mind that "ours is an age of global communication in which countless moments of human existence are either spent with, or at least confronted by, the different processes of the mass media" (Rapid Development, n. 3).
It is my desire to continue this fruitful dialogue, and in this way I share an observation made by John Paul II: "The current phenomenon of communications impels the Church towards a sort of pastoral and cultural revision, so as to deal adequately with the times in which we live" (ibid., n. 8).
4. The responsible contribution of each and every one is needed, so that instruments of social communication can provide a positive service to the common good. An ever better understanding of the perspectives and responsibility that their development involves becomes necessary with regard to the influences which, as a matter of fact, can be ascertained on the conscience and mentality of individuals and on the formation of public opinion. Those who thus work in this field must be given clear indications of their ethical responsibility, especially regarding the sincere search for truth and protection of the centrality and dignity of the person. Only with these conditions are the media able to respond to the design of God, who placed them at our disposal "to discover, to use and to make known the truth, also the truth about our dignity and about our destiny as his children, heirs of his eternal Kingdom" (ibid., n. 14).
5. Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you again for the important service that you provide to society. I extend to each one of you my cordial appreciation with the assurance of a remembrance in my prayer for all your intentions. I extend my greeting to your families and to all who belong to your work community. Through the intercession of the heavenly Mother of Christ, I invoke abundantly upon each of you the gifts of God, through whom I impart my Blessing to all.
Clementine Hall
Monday, 25 April 2005
Dear Delegates of the Orthodox Churches, of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and of the Ecclesial Communities of the West, I greet you with joy a few days after my election. I particularly appreciated your presence in St Peter's Square yesterday, after we had lived together the sorrowful moments of the farewell to our late Pope John Paul II. The tribute of sympathy and affection that you expressed to my unforgettable Predecessor went far beyond a mere act of ecclesial courtesy. Much progress was made during the years of his Pontificate, and your participation in the mourning of the Catholic Church on his departure has shown how true and great the common eagerness for unity is.
In greeting you, I would like to thank the Lord who has blessed us with his mercy and instilled in us sincere willingness to make his prayer our own: ut unum sint. He has thus made us increasingly aware of the importance of moving forward towards full communion. With brotherly friendship we can exchange the gifts we have received from the Spirit, and we feel urged to encourage one another so that we may proclaim Christ and his message to the world, which often appears troubled and restless, uninformed and indifferent.
Our meeting today is particularly important. First of all, it enables the new Bishop of Rome, Pastor of the Catholic Church, to repeat to you all with simplicity: Duc in altum! Let us go forward with hope. In the footsteps of my Predecessors, especially Paul VI and John Paul II, I feel strongly the need to reassert the irreversible commitment taken by the Second Vatican Council and pursued in recent years, also thanks to the activity of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The path to the full communion desired by Jesus for his disciples entails, with true docility to what the Spirit says to the Churches, courage, gentleness, firmness and hope, in order to reach our goal. Above all, it requires persistent prayer and with one heart, in order to obtain from the Good Shepherd the gift of unity for his flock.
How can we not recognize in a spirit of gratitude to God that our meeting also has the significance of a gift that has already been granted? In fact, Christ, the Prince of Peace, has acted in our midst: he has poured out friendship by the handful, he has mitigated points of disagreement, he has taught us to be more open to dialogue and in harmony with the commitments proper to those who bear his Name. Over and above what divides us and casts shadows on our full and visible communion, your presence, dear Brothers in Christ, is a sign of sharing and support for the Bishop of Rome, who can count on you to continue the journey in hope and to grow towards the One who is Christ, the Head.
On such a special occasion, when we are gathered together at the very beginning of my ecclesial service, welcomed with respect and trusting obedience to the Lord, I ask you all to join with me in setting an example of that spiritual ecumenism which, through prayer, can bring about our communion without obstacles.
I entrust these intentions and reflections to you together with my most cordial greetings, so that you may pass them on to your Churches and Ecclesial Communities.
I turn now to you, dear friends from different religious traditions, and I thank you sincerely for your presence at the solemn inauguration of my Pontificate. I offer warm and affectionate greetings to you and to all those who belong to the religions that you represent. I am particularly grateful for the presence in our midst of members of the Muslim community, and I express my appreciation for the growth of dialogue between Muslims and Christians, both at the local and international level. I assure you that the Church wants to continue building bridges of friendship with the followers of all religions, in order to seek the true good of every person and of society as a whole.
The world in which we live is often marked by conflicts, violence and war, but it earnestly longs for peace, peace which is above all a gift from God, peace for which we must pray without ceasing. Yet peace is also a duty to which all peoples must be committed, especially those who profess to belong to religious traditions. Our efforts to come together and foster dialogue are a valuable contribution to building peace on solid foundations. Pope John Paul II, my Venerable Predecessor, wrote at the start of the new Millennium that "the name of the one God must become increasingly what it is: a name of peace and a summons to peace" (Novo Millennio Ineunte, n. 55). It is therefore imperative to engage in authentic and sincere dialogue, built on respect for the dignity of every human person, created, as we Christians firmly believe, in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gn 1,26-27).
At the beginning of my Pontificate, I address to you and to all believers of the religious traditions that you represent, as well as to all who seek the Truth with a sincere heart, a pressing invitation together to become artisans of peace, in a reciprocal commitment to understanding, respect and love.
My cordial greeting to you all.
Monday, 25 April 2005
Dear German fellow citizens,
First of all, I apologize for being late. Germans are known for their punctuality, and this is a sign that I have become quite Italianized. However, we were at an ecumenical meeting with representatives of ecumenism from across the world, of all the Churches and Ecclesial Communities and with the representatives of other religions. It was a most cordial meeting, and so it was rather long. But now, finally, I cordially welcome you!
I warmly thank you for your good wishes, the words and signs of affection and of friendship that I have received overwhelmingly from every part of Germany. At the beginning of my journey in a ministry that I never even imagined and for which I felt inadequate, all of this gives me great strength and assistance. May God reward you for this!
When, little by little, the trend of the voting led me to understand that, to say it simply, the axe was going to fall on me, my head began to spin. I was convinced that I had already carried out my life's work and could look forward to ending my days peacefully. With profound conviction I said to the Lord: Do not do this to me! You have younger and better people at your disposal, who can face this great responsibility with greater dynamism and greater strength.
I was then very touched by a brief note written to me by a brother Cardinal. He reminded me that on the occasion of the Mass for John Paul II, I had based my homily, starting from the Gospel, on the Lord's words to Peter by the Lake of Gennesaret: "Follow me!". I spoke of how again and again, Karol Wojtyla received this call from the Lord, and how each time he had to renounce much and to simply say: Yes, I will follow you, even if you lead me where I never wanted to go.
This brother Cardinal wrote to me: Were the Lord to say to you now, "Follow me", then remember what you preached. Do not refuse! Be obedient in the same way that you described the great Pope, who has returned to the house of the Father. This deeply moved me. The ways of the Lord are not easy, but we were not created for an easy life, but for great things, for goodness.
Thus, in the end I had to say "yes". I trust in the Lord and I trust in you, dear friends. A Christian is never alone, as I said yesterday in my Homily. In this way, I expressed the marvellous experience that we all lived through in the past four extraordinary weeks. Following the Pope's death and all the sorrow that it brought, the living Church emerged. It was clear that the Church is a unifying force, a sign for humanity.
When the great radio and television broadcasting stations gave 24-hour coverage on the Pope's return to the house of the Father, of people's grief, of the accomplishments of this great man, they were responding to a participation that exceeded every expectation. The Pope appeared to them as a father who offered them security and trust, who in some way united everyone.
It became obvious that the Church is not closed in on herself and does not exist only for herself, but is a shining point for humanity. Indeed, it was seen that the Church is not old and immobile. No, she is young.
If we look at these young people who were gathered around the late Pope, and as a result, around Christ, whose cause the Pope espoused, something just as comforting could be seen: it is not true that young people think only of consumerism and pleasure. It is not true that they are materialistic and self-centred. Just the opposite is true: young people want great things. They want an end to injustice. They want inequalities to be overcome and all peoples to have their share in the earth's goods. They want freedom for the oppressed. They want great things, good things.
This is why young people are - you are - once again fully open to Christ. Christ did not promise an easy life. Those who desire comforts have dialled the wrong number. Rather, he shows us the way to great things, the good, towards an authentic human life.
When he speaks of the cross that we ourselves have to carry, it has nothing to do with a taste for torture or of pedantic moralism. It is the impulse of love, which has its own momentum and does not seek itself but opens the person to the service of truth, justice and the good. Christ shows God to us, and thus the true greatness of man.
I am greatly pleased to see here the delegations and pilgrims from my Bavarian Homeland. Already on previous occasions, I have been able to tell you how much your faithful affection means to me, which has lasted since I left my beloved Archdiocese of Munich and Freising to go to the Vatican, responding to the call of my Venerable Predecessor Pope John Paul II, who appointed me as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith more than 23 years ago.
Since then, I have always been aware that Bavaria and Rome are not far apart, and not only from a geographical standpoint; rather, they have always been two poles between which a reciprocal, fruitful relationship has existed. From Rome, by means of tradesmen, officials and soldiers, the Gospel reached the Danube and the Lech.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Bavaria offered one of the most beautiful witnesses of fidelity to the Catholic Church. This can be seen in the fruitful exchange of culture and devotion between baroque Bavaria and the See of the Successor of Peter. In modern times, it was Bavaria that gave the universal Church that lovable Capuchin porter, St Konrad von Parzham.
Dear friends, let us keep up this generosity, this pilgrimage towards Christ. I joyfully look forward to Cologne, where the youth of the world will meet; or rather, where the youth of the world will hold their meeting with Christ.
Let us walk together, let us be united. I trust in your help. I ask for your understanding if I make mistakes, as happens to any man, or if something that the Pope has to say or do according to his own conscience or the conscience of the Church is not understood. I ask for your trust. If we stay united, then we will discover the right path. And let us pray to Mary, Mother of the Lord, so that she will enable us to feel her love as a woman and a mother, in which we can understand all of the depth of Christ's mystery.
The Lord bless you all!
May 2005
Castel Gandolfo
Thursday, 5 May 2005
I have come today to meet you for the first time, dear friends of Castel Gandolfo. Thank you for coming and for your cordiality. The reason for my visit today is to make contact with the Apostolic Palace and the Pontifical Villas, where, God willing, I plan to spend the summer months as my Venerable Predecessors used to do. It is the first of many other appointments that I hope to have with you in your beautiful little town.
I greet the Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Pastor of the Diocese of Albano, Bishop Marcello Semeraro, the Parish Priest of Castel Gandolfo, together with the priests who assist him and the entire parish community. I then greet the Director of the Pontifical Villas, Dr Saverio Petrillo, and those who work here, contributing to its daily upkeep. Lastly, I greet the Mayor and the Town Council, and through them I extend my gratitude to your town, always ready to welcome tourists and pilgrims. To all those who are inhabitants of Castel Gandolfo I wish to extend my most heartfelt best wishes for serenity and peace.
Friday, 6 May 2005
Distinguished Commandant,
Reverend Chaplain,
My Dear Guardsmen,
Dear Parents and Friends of the Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps,
I address a very cordial greeting to all of you and welcome you to the Pope's house! From the very first hours of my Pontificate, you, the Swiss Guards, have been faithful and available to me. You accompany the Successor of Peter "step by step" and effectively guarantee his protection, so that, free from concern for his own safety, he can carry out his service for the salvation of men and women and the good of peoples.
Dear friends, I am really extraordinarily glad that the traditional swearing-in ceremony of the recruits just a few days after the beginning of my Pontificate gives me an opportunity to address a word of recognition, gratitude and encouragement to you all. At this time you are my guests here in the Apostolic Palace, the most important "place of service" for the Swiss Guard!
I naturally address a special greeting to the recruits who are officially enlisted in the Corps today, and to their parents who have come here to express their desire to accompany their sons with their love and prayers.
Dear parents, you are entrusting your sons and the petitions of your family to the intercession of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, as well as to that of many other saints. Every true pilgrimage brings us closer to God, the destination of our journey. I hope with all my heart that all of you will experience in these days a true deepening of your faith and your closeness to the Successor of Peter, the visible Head of the universal Church. May the liturgical celebrations and many pleasant encounters help you!
Dear Swiss Guards, the reason for enlisting is very different for each one of you: a taste for adventure, channelled by your wish to do something really different, to the noble desire to serve the Church and the Pope and thereby deepen your faith by coming to Rome. Whatever the reason for your decision, what matters now, here in the Vatican, is to live the spirit of it that can create a true spiritual bond among you.
This spirit of the Swiss Guard is nourished by the glorious, almost five-centuries-old tradition of the life of a small army with great ideals. The ideals that give life to this spirit, without which the Swiss Guard could never be equal to so important a mission, are the following: a sound Catholic faith, a Christian approach to life that is convinced and convincing, unshakeable fidelity and deep love for the Church and for the Vicar of Christ, awareness and perseverance in both the small and important tasks of daily service, courage and humility, empathy and humaneness.
Dear Swiss Guards, the collaboration you offer to the Successor of Peter, Pastor of the universal Church, requires the high professionalism of modern security services, but at the same time has an authentic and significant ecclesial dimension. In the person of the Pope, you serve the whole Church; you make available to her your youthful enthusiasm, vitality and inner freshness.
As I look at you, dear friends, I remember what I said during the liturgical celebration for the inauguration of my Pontificate.: "The Church is alive.... And the Church is young. She holds within herself the future of the world and therefore shows each of us the way towards the future" (L'Osservatore Romano English edition, 27 April 2005, p. 8).
Dear Guards, you can and must be examples and lively witnesses of this. It will be a way of living the vocation of Christians, committed to reflecting in everyday behaviour, the greatness of the new life received in Baptism.
Dear Swiss Guards! As I entrust you, your families, your friends and all those who have come to Rome for the swearing-in ceremony, to the intercession of Mary, the Holy Virgin and Mother of God, and to your Patron Saints, Martin and Sebastian, as well as to the great patron of your beautiful Homeland that lies at the heart of Europe, Brother Nicholas of Flüe, I wholeheartedly impart my Apostolic Blessing to you all.
Saturday, 7 May 2005
Dear Brother Bishops,
1. In these still early days of my Pontificate, I am glad to welcome you, the Pastors of the Church in Sri Lanka, on your visit ad limina Apostolorum - the first to take place since my election. I thank you for the gracious words addressed to me on your behalf by Bishop Joseph Vianney Fernando, President of your Episcopal Conference. You come from a Continent particularly marked by a wealth of cultures, languages and traditions (cf. Ecclesia in Asia, 50) and you bear witness to the deep faith of your people in Jesus Christ, the sole Redeemer of the world. I pray that your pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul may renew your commitment to serve and proclaim Christ with conviction, so that your people may grow in knowledge and love of him who came so that all "may have life and have it abundantly" (Jn 10,10).
2. Together with countless others throughout the world, I was deeply disturbed to observe the devastating effects of the tsunami last December, which claimed a vast number of lives in Sri Lanka alone, and left hundreds of thousands homeless. Please accept my profound sympathy and that of Catholics everywhere for all who have endured such terrible losses. In the faces of the bereaved and dispossessed, we cannot fail to recognize the suffering face of Christ, and indeed it is he whom we serve when we show our love and compassion to those in need (cf. Mt Mt 25,40).
The Christian community has a particular obligation to care for those children who have lost their parents as a result of the natural disaster. To these most vulnerable members of society the Kingdom of heaven belongs (cf. Mt Mt 19,14), yet so often they are simply forgotten or shamelessly exploited as soldiers, labourers, or innocent victims in the trafficking of human beings. No effort should be spared to urge civil authorities and the international community to fight these abuses and to offer young children the legal protection they justly deserve.
Even in the darkest moments of our lives, we know that God is never absent. Saint Paul reminds us that "in everything God works for good with those who love him" (Rm 8,28), and this was manifested in the unprecedented generosity of the humanitarian response to the tsunami. I want to commend all of you for the outstanding way in which the Church in Sri Lanka struggled to meet the material, moral, psychological and spiritual needs of the victims. We can recognize further signs of God’s goodness in the partnership and collaboration of so many diverse elements of society in the relief effort. It was heartening to see members of different religious and ethnic groups in Sri Lanka and throughout the global community coming together to show their solidarity towards the afflicted and rediscovering the fraternal bonds that unite them. I am confident that you will find ways of building further on the fruits of this cooperation, especially by ensuring that aid is offered freely to all who are in need.
3. The Church in Sri Lanka is young - a third of the population of your country is under the age of fifteen - and this gives great hope for the future. Religious education in schools must therefore be a high priority. Whatever difficulties you may encounter in this area, do not be deterred from carrying out your responsibility. Seminaries, likewise, require particular attention on the part of the Bishops (Directory for the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops, 84-91), and I urge you to be ever vigilant in maintaining a sound spiritual and theological formation for your seminarians. They need to be inspired to exercise their future apostolate in a way that will attract others to follow Christ - the more holy, the more joyful and the more impassioned they are in their priestly ministry, the more fruitful it will be (cf. Letter of the Holy Father John Paul II to Priests for Holy Thursday 2005, 7). It is gratifying to know that your country is already blessed with a good number of priestly vocations, and I pray that many more young people will recognize and respond to God’s call to give themselves completely for the sake of the Kingdom.
4. To conclude my remarks with you today, I put before you the image of the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, so recently invoked by my beloved predecessor to guide us in this Year of the Eucharist. Christ himself accompanied them on their journey. He opened their eyes to the truth contained in the Scriptures, he rekindled their hope and he revealed himself to them in the breaking of the bread (cf. Mane Nobiscum Domine, 1). He also accompanies you as you lead your people forward along the path of discipleship. Renew your trust in him! Open your hearts to him! Plead with him, in union with the whole Church throughout the world: "Mane nobiscum, Domine".
Entrusting you and your priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful to the intercession of Mary, Woman of the Eucharist, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of grace and strength in her Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, 11 May 2005
Pope honours Our Lady of Guadalupe, prays for mothers
Holy Mary, who under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe are invoked as Mother by the men and women of Mexico and of Latin America, encouraged by the love that you inspire in us, we once again place our life in your motherly hands.
May you, who are present in these Vatican Gardens, hold sway in the hearts of all the mothers of the world and in our own heart. With great hope, we turn to you and trust in you.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee,
blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Pray for us.
Thursday, 12 May 2005
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to meet you today, a little less than a month after I began my pastoral service as Successor of Peter. I am touched by the words that His Excellency Prof. Giovanni Galassi, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps to the Holy See, has just addressed to me, and appreciate the attention that all the diplomats pay to the Church's mission in the world. I offer my cordial greetings to each one of you and to those who work with you. I thank you for your courtesy during the great events that we lived through this past April, as well as for your daily work.
As I speak to you, I am thinking in addition of the countries you represent and of their Leaders. I am also thinking of the nations with which the Holy See does not yet have diplomatic relations. Some of them took part in the celebrations for the funeral of my Predecessor and for my election to the Chair of Peter.
Having appreciated these gestures, today I would like to thank them and to address a respectful greeting to the civil Authorities of those countries. Moreover, I express the hope that sooner or later I will see them represented at the Holy See.
I have received messages from them, especially those with numerous Catholic communities, which I particularly appreciated. I would like to say that I cherish these communities and all the peoples that belong to them, and assure them all of my remembrance in prayer.
In seeing you, how can I fail to recall the long and fruitful ministry of our beloved Pope John Paul II! An unflagging Gospel missionary in the many countries that he visited, he also rendered a unique service to the cause of the unity of the human family. He pointed out the way to God, inviting all people of good will to sharpen their consciences all the time and to build a society of justice, peace and solidarity, in charity and in mutual forgiveness.
Nor should we forget his countless meetings here in the Vatican with Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ambassadors, at which he devoted himself to defending the cause of peace.
For my part, I come from a Country where peace and brotherhood are treasured by all the inhabitants, especially those who, like myself, lived through the war and the separation of brothers and sisters belonging to the same Nation because of destructive and inhuman ideologies that, beneath a mask of dreams and illusions, burdened men and women with the heavy yoke of oppression. Thus, you will understand that I am particularly sensitive to dialogue between all human beings in order to overcome every kind of conflict and tension and to make our earth an earth of peace and brotherhood.
All together, by combining their efforts, Christian communities, national Leaders, Diplomats and all people of good will are called to achieve a peaceful society, to overcome the temptation of confrontation between cultures, races and worlds that are different. For this, each people must find in its spiritual and cultural patrimony the best values it possesses so that it may advance undaunted to encounter the other, ready to share its own spiritual and material riches for the benefit of all.
In order to continue in this direction, the Church never ceases to proclaim and defend the fundamental human rights, which unfortunately are still violated in various parts of the earth. She is working for recognition of the rights of every human person to life, food, a home, work, health-care assistance, the protection of the family and the promotion of social development, with respect for the dignity of men and of women, created in the image of God.
Rest assured that the Catholic Church will continue to offer to cooperate, in her own province and with her own means, to safeguard the dignity of every person and to serve the common good. She asks no privileges for herself but only the legitimate conditions of freedom to carry out her mission. In the concert of nations, she always seeks to encourage understanding and cooperation between peoples based on loyalty, discretion and friendliness.
Lastly, I ask you to renew my thanks to your Governments for their participation in the celebrations on the occasion of the death of Pope John Paul II and of my election, as well as my respectful and cordial greeting, which I accompany with a special prayer that God will pour out an abundance of his Blessings upon you personally, upon your families, upon your countries and upon all who live in them.
Friday, 13 May 2005
Dear Priests and Deacons,
Dear Men and Women Religious,
Dear Lay persons who work in the Vicariate,
I have come to pay you a Visit and I extend my cordial greetings to all. I especially greet the Cardinal Vicar, thanking him for the words he addressed to me on behalf of you all. It is good to be able to meet with you in the building where you carry out your daily service to the Church, working in close collaboration with the Bishops of the Episcopal Council.
The duties entrusted to you, in the numerous offices and in the three tribunals linked to the Vicariate of Rome, are varied and specialized; they are, however, united by participation in the same mission of the Church.
It is precisely this unique mission which calls each person to a deep communion whose centre is Jesus Christ; it requires a daily openness to collaboration on the part of all. In this way, each person joyfully fulfils the duty entrusted to him or her for the good of the entire diocesan community.
Dear friends, the ministry of Bishop of Rome binds me to you in a special way and means I can count on your spiritual closeness and concrete and generous support.
On my part I assure you of constant prayers for you, your families and all those dear to you. May the Lord always be close to you. May the Holy Virgin, who we venerate today under the title of Our Lady of Fatima, assist and protect you.
Basilica of St John Lateran
Friday, 13 May 2005
Dear Priests and Deacons who serve the Diocese of Rome with your pastoral work,
I am happy to meet you at the beginning of my ministry as Bishop of this Church, "which presides in charity". I greet with affection the Cardinal Vicar and thank him for his kind words, and I also greet the Vicegerent and the Auxiliary Bishops. I offer a friendly greeting to each one of you, and at this very first Meeting I want to express my gratitude to you for your daily efforts in the Lord's vineyard.
The extraordinary experience of faith that we lived on the occasion of the death of our beloved Pope John Paul II showed us a Church of Rome that is deeply united, full of life and rich in zeal: all this is also the fruit of your prayers and apostolate.
Thus, humbly attached to Christ, our One Lord, together we can and must encourage that "exemplarity" of the Church of Rome which is genuine service to our Sister Churches across the world. The indissoluble bond between romanum and petrinum implies and indeed requires the Church of Rome's participation in the universal concern of her Bishops.
But responsibility for this participation concerns you in a special way, dear priests and deacons, united to your Bishop by the sacramental bond that also makes you his precious collaborators. I am therefore counting on you, on your prayers, your acceptance and your dedication, so that our beloved Diocese may respond ever more generously to the vocation the Lord has entrusted to it.
For my part, I assure you that despite my limitations, you can count on the sincerity of my paternal affection for you all.
Dear priests, the quality of your lives and your pastoral service seem to indicate that in this Diocese, as in many others of the world, we have now left behind us that period of identity crisis that troubled so many priests. However, still present are the causes of the "spiritual wilderness" that afflict humanity in our day and consequently also undermine the Church, which dwells among humankind. How can we not fear that they may also ensnare the lives of priests?
It is indispensable, therefore, to return ever anew to the solid root of our priesthood. This root, as we well know, is one: Jesus Christ our Lord. It is he whom the Father sent, he is the cornerstone (cf. 1P 2,7). Through him, through the mystery of his death and Resurrection, the Kingdom of God is established and the salvation of the human race brought about.
This Jesus, however, possesses nothing of his own; everything he has is from the Father and for the Father. So he says that his doctrine is not his own but comes from the One who sent him (cf. Jn Jn 7,16): and that he, the Son, cannot do anything by himself (cf. Jn Jn 5,19 Jn 30).
Dear friends, this is also the true nature of our priesthood. In fact, all that constitutes our priestly ministry cannot be the product of our personal abilities. This is true for the administration of the Sacraments, but it is also true for the service of the Word: we are not sent to proclaim ourselves or our personal opinions, but the mystery of Christ and, in him, the measure of true humanism. We are not charged to utter many words, but to echo and bear the message of a single "Word", the Word of God made flesh for our salvation. Consequently, these words of Jesus also apply to us: "My doctrine is not my own; it comes from him who sent me" (Jn 7,16).
Dear priests of Rome, the Lord calls us friends, he makes us his friends, he entrusts himself to us, he entrusts to us his Body in the Eucharist, he entrusts to us his Church. Therefore, we must be true friends to him, we must have the same perception as he has, we must want what he wants and not what he does not want. Jesus himself tells us: "You are my friends if you do what I command you" (Jn 15,14). Let this be our common resolution: all of us together, to do his holy will, in which lies our freedom and our joy.
Since the priesthood is rooted in Christ, it is by its nature in the Church and for the Church. Indeed, the Christian faith is not something purely spiritual and internal, nor is our relationship with Christ itself exclusively subjective and private.
Rather, it is a completely concrete and ecclesial relationship. At times, the ministerial priesthood has a constitutive relationship with the Body of Christ in his dual and inseparable dimensions as Eucharist and as Church, as Eucharistic body and Ecclesial body.
Therefore, our ministry is amoris officium (St Augustine, In Iohannis Evangelium Tractatus 123, 5), it is the office of the Good Shepherd who offers his life for his sheep (cf. Jn Jn 10,14-15). In the Eucharistic mystery, Christ gives himself ever anew, and it is precisely in the Eucharist that we learn love of Christ, hence, love for the Church.
I therefore repeat with you, dear brothers in the priesthood, the unforgettable words of John Paul II: "Holy Mass is the absolute centre of my life and of every day of my life" (Address at a Symposium in honour of the 30th anniversary of the Decree "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 27 October 1995, n. 4; L'Osservatore Romano English edition, 15 November 1995, p. 7). And each one of us should be able to say these words are his own: Holy Mass is the absolute centre of my life and of my every day.
Likewise, obedience to Christ, who made amends for Adam's disobedience, is in practice expressed in ecclesial obedience, which for the priest in daily life means first and foremost obedience to his Bishop. In the Church, however, obedience is not something formalistic; it is obedience to the one who, in turn, obeys and personifies the obedient Christ. All this neither frustrates nor even attenuates the practical requirements of obedience, but guarantees theological depth and its Catholic tone: in the Bishop we obey Christ and the whole Church which he represents in this place.
Jesus Christ was sent by the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit, for the salvation of the entire human family, and we priests are enabled through the grace of the sacrament to share in this mission of his. As the Apostle Paul writes, "God... has given us the ministry of reconciliation.... This makes us ambassadors for Christ, God as it were appealing through us. We implore you, in Christ's name: be reconciled to God" (II Cor 5: 18-29). This is how St Paul describes our mission as priests.
Therefore, in the Homily prior to the Conclave, I spoke of the "holy restlessness" that must animate us, the concern to bring to everyone the gift of faith, to offer everyone the salvation that alone endures for ever. And in a city as large as Rome, which on the one hand is so steeped in faith yet in which so many people live who have not really perceived in their hearts the proclamation of faith, we should be especially impelled by this restless concern to bring this joy, this centre of life, which gives it meaning and direction.
Dear brother priests of Rome, the Risen Christ is calling us to be his witnesses and gives us the strength of his Spirit to enable us to be truly such. It is necessary, therefore, to be with him (cf. Mk Mc 3,14 Ac 1,21-23) for life. As in the first description of the "munus apostolicum" in Mark 3, an account is given of what the Lord thought being an apostle should mean: being with him and being available for the mission. The two things go together and only by staying with him are we also and always on the move with the Gospel towards others.
Thus, it is essential to be with him, and in this way that restlessness pervades us and enables us to bring the power and joy of the faith to others with our whole lives and not only with just a few words.
The Apostle Paul's words can apply to us: "Yet preaching the Gospel is not the subject of a boast; I am under compulsion and have no choice. I am ruined if I do not preach it!... Although I am not bound to anyone, I made myself the slave of all so as to win over as many as possible.... I have made myself all things to all men in order to save at least some of them" (1Co 9,16-22).
These words that are the self-portrait of the Apostle are also the portrait of every priest. Making oneself "all things to all men" is expressed in daily life, in attention to every person and family: in this regard, you priests of Rome have a great tradition, and I say so with deep conviction, and you are also honouring it today when the city has spread so much and is profoundly changed. It is crucial, as you well know, that the closeness and attention to everyone are always expressed in Christ's Name and constantly strive to lead people to him.
This closeness and dedication, of course, has a personal cost for each one of you, for us. It involves time, worry, the expenditure of energy. I am aware of your daily efforts and want to thank you on behalf of the Lord. But I also want to help you as much as I can so that you do not yield under this burden.
To be able to bear, indeed, even to grow, as persons and as priests, it is fundamental first of all to have intimate communion with Christ, whose food was to do the will of his Father (cf. Jn Jn 4,34): all we do is done in communion with him, and we thus rediscover ever anew the unity of our lives in the many facets of our daily occupations.
Let us also learn from the Lord Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself to do the will of the Father, the art of priestly ascesis which is also necessary today: it should not be exercised on a par with pastoral activities as an additional burden that makes our day even more difficult. On the contrary, we must learn how to surpass ourselves, how to give and how to offer our lives.
But, if all this is truly to happen within us so that our very action may truly become our ascesis and our self-giving, so that all this may not be just a wish, there is no doubt that we need moments in which to replenish our energies, including the physical, and especially to pray and meditate, returning to our inner selves and finding the Lord within us.
Thus, spending time in God's presence in prayer is a real pastoral priority; it is not an addition to pastoral work: being before the Lord is a pastoral priority and in the final analysis, the most important. John Paul II showed this to us in the most practical and enlightened way in every circumstance of his life and ministry.
Dear priests, we can never sufficiently emphasize how fundamental and crucial our personal response to the call to holiness is. It is not only the condition for our personal apostolate to be fruitful but also, and more generally, for the face of the Church to reflect the light of Christ (cf. Lumen Gentium LG 1), thereby inducing people to recognize and adore the Lord.
We must first inwardly accept the Apostle Paul's plea that we let ourselves be reconciled to God (cf. II Cor 5: 20), asking the Lord with a sincere heart and courageous determination to take away from us all that separates us from God and is contrary to the mission we have received. The Lord is merciful, we are certain, and will answer our prayer.
My ministry as Bishop of Rome follows in the wake of the ministry of my Predecessors. I welcome in particular the precious heritage bequeathed by John Paul II: dear priests and deacons, let us walk on this path with serenity and trust.
We will continue to seek to increase communion in the great family of the diocesan Church and to collaborate to develop a missionary approach in our pastoral work in conformity with the basic guidelines of the Roman Synod, translated into action with special effectiveness by the City Mission. Rome is a very large Diocese and truly a very special one, because of the universal concern that the Lord has entrusted to his Bishop.
Therefore, dear priests, your relationship with the diocesan Bishop, who unfortunately I am, cannot have the daily immediacy I would have liked and which may be possible in other situations. Through the work of the Cardinal Vicar and the Auxiliary Bishops, to whom I express my deep gratitude, I can nonetheless be concretely close to each one of you, in the joys and difficulties that accompany every priest on his journey.
I would like above all to assure you of that deeper and more decisive closeness that binds the Bishop to his priests and deacons in daily prayer, and you may be sure that the clergy of Rome are truly particularly present in my prayers. And we are close in faith and love for Christ and in entrustment to Mary, Mother of the one High Priest. That serenity and trust which we all feel we need, both for our apostolic work and for our personal lives, derive precisely from our union with Christ and with the Virgin.
Dear priests and deacons, these are some of the thoughts that I wanted to bring to your attention. Before giving the floor to you for your questions and reflections, I still have some very joyful news to announce. We received a communiqué today. It was written by Cardinal Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, together with Archbishop Nowak, Secretary of the Congregation:
The Holy Father then read the Latin text regarding the Cause of the late Pope John Paul II:
Instante Em.mo ac Rev.mo Domino D. Camillo S.R.E. Cardinali Ruini, Vicario Generali Suae Sanctitatis pro Dioecesi Romana, Summus Pontifex BENEDICTUS XVI, attentis peculiaribus expositis adiunctis, in audentia eidem Cardinali Vicario Generali die 28 mensis Aprilis huius anni 2005 concessa, dispensavit a tempore quinque annorum exspectationis post mortem Servi Dei Ioannis Pauli II (Caroli Wojtyla), Summi Pontificis, ita ut causa Beatificationis et Canonizationis eiusdem Servi Dei statim incipi posset. Contrariis non obstantibus quibuslibet.
Datum Romae, ex aedibus huius Congregationis de Causis Sanctorum, die 9 mensis Maii A.D. 2005.
Iosephus Card. Saraiva Martins
Praefectus
Eduardus Nowak
Archiepiscopus tit. Lunensis
a Secretis
The floor is now yours. At the end, I will do my best to answer you.
The Holy Father responded "off the cuff" to interventions made by members of the clergy of Rome, which followed his formal Address:
At the end, I can only say "thank you" for the richness and depth of these contributions, where a Presbytery full of enthusiasm, of love for Christ and for the flock entrusted to us and of love for the poor is evident. And not only of the city of Rome, but truly of the universal Church, of all our brothers and sisters. Thank you also for the affection you have expressed for me; it helps me greatly.
Presently, I do not feel in a position to enter into details regarding what has been said. It would be good to continue a true discussion, and I hope that it will be possible to have a concrete question-and-answer discussion.
Now, I simply express my gratitude for everything. I truly perceive your pastoral dedication, I perceive your desire to build the Church of Christ here in Rome, I perceive your reflections on how to do better, I perceive how all springs forth from a great love for the Lord and the Church.
I would only like to touch on three or four points that have remained in my mind. You have spoken of this "Roman" and "universal" interlacement. For me, this seems to be a very important point.
On the one hand, this is an authentic local Church that must live as such. There are some people who suffer, who live, who want to believe or are unable to believe. It is here, in the parishes, that the Church of Rome must grow with her great responsibility for the world as she carries within herself this mandate, in a certain way, of "exemplarity"; in this way, there appears in the Church of Rome the face of the Church as such, and it is a model for other local Churches. To be a model, we ourselves must be a local Church that is busy each day in the humble work demanded by this "being Church", in a determined place at a determined time.
You have spoken of the parish as a fundamental structure, assisted and enriched by movements. And it seems to me that precisely during the Pontificate of Pope John Paul II, a fruitful combination between the constant element of the parochial structure and, let us say, the "charismatic" element, was created, which offers new initiatives, new inspirations, new life. Under the wise guidance of the Cardinal Vicar and the Auxiliary Bishops, all parish priests can together be truly responsible for the growth of the parish, taking in all of the factors that can come from the movements and the living reality of the Church in varied dimensions.
But I wanted to speak once more about this Roman and universal interlacment. One of our brothers spoke of our responsibility towards Africa. We have seen how, in Rome, Africa is present, India is present, the universe is present. And this presence of our brothers and sisters obliges us to think not only of ourselves, but to feel precisely in this moment of history, in all of these circumstances with which we are familiar, the presence of the other Continents.
It seems to me that at this time we have a particular responsibility towards Africa, towards Latin America and towards Asia, where Christianity - with the exception of the Philippines - is still a very large minority, even if in India it is growing and shows itself a strength for the future. And so, we also think of this responsibility.
Africa is a Continent that has enormous potential and the enormous generosity of the people, with an impressive, living faith. But we must confess that Europe exported not only faith in Christ, but also all of the vices of the Old Continent.
It exported the sense of corruption, it exported the violence that is currently devastating Africa. And we must acknowledge our responsibility so that the exportation of the faith, an answer to the intimate hope of every human being, is stronger than the exportation of the vices of Europe. This seems to me a great responsibility.
The weapons trade is still alive, with the exploitation of the earth's goods. We Christians must do much more in these regards so that faith is made present, and with faith, the strength to resist these vices and to rebuild a Christian Africa, destined to be a happy Africa, a great Continent of new humanism.
Something was then said about the need, on one hand, to proclaim, to speak, but on the other, also to listen. To me, this seems important in two ways.
The priest, deacon, catechist and Religious must, on the one hand, proclaim, be witnesses. But naturally, for this they must listen, in a two-fold sense: on the one hand, with their soul open to Christ, interiorly listening to his Word so that it is assimilated and transformed and forms my being; and on the other, listening to today's humanity, our neighbours, those of my parish, those for whom I have been given a certain responsibility.
Naturally, listening to the world of today that exists also in us, we listen to all the problems, all the difficulties that are contrary to faith. And we must be able to seriously take upon ourselves these problems.
In his First Letter, St Peter, the first Bishop of Rome, says that we Christians must be ready to explain our faith. This presupposes that we ourselves have understood the reason of faith, that we have truly "digested", even rationally, with the heart, with the wisdom of heart, this word that can truly be an answer for others.
In the First Letter of St Peter, in the Greek text, with a fine play on words, it is written: "apologia", the answer to the "logos", of the reason for our faith. And so, the "logos", the reason for the faith, the word of faith, must become the answer of faith. And we know well that the language of faith is often very far from today's men and women; it can bring them close only if it becomes in us our modern-day language. We are contemporary, we live in this world, with these thoughts, these emotions. If it is transformed in us, one can find the answer.
Naturally, I am aware and we all know that many are not immediately able to identify themselves with, to understand, to assimilate all that the Church teaches. It seems to me important firstly to awaken this intention to believe with the Church, even if personally someone may not yet have assimilated many particulars. It is necessary to have this will to believe with the Church, to have trust that this Church - the community not only of 2,000 years of pilgrimage of the people of God, but the community that embraces heaven and earth, the community where all the righteous of all times are therefore present - that this Church enlivened by the Holy Spirit truly carries within the "compass" of the Spirit and therefore is the true subject of faith.
The individual, then, is inserted into this subject, adheres to it, and so, even if he or she is still not completely penetrated by this, the person has trust and participates in the faith of the Church, wants to believe with the Church. To me, this seems like our lifelong pilgrimage: to arrive with our thought, our affections, with our entire life at the communion of faith. We can offer this to everyone, so that little by little one can identify and especially take this step over and over again to trust in the faith of the Church, to insert themselves in this pilgrimage of faith, so as to receive the light of faith.
To conclude, I would like once more to say "thank you" for the contribution expressed here regarding Christocentrism, the requirement for our faith to be ever nourished by personal encounter with Christ, a personal friendship with Jesus.
Romano Guardini correctly said 70 years ago that the essence of Christianity is not an idea but a Person. Great theologians have tried to describe the essential ideas that make up Christianity. But in the end, the Christianity that they constructed was not convincing, because Christianity is in the first place an Event, a Person. And thus in the Person we discover the richness of what is contained. This is important.
And here I think we also find an answer to a difficulty often voiced today regarding the missionary nature of the Church. From many comes the temptation to think this way regarding others: "But why do we not leave them in peace? They have their authenticity, their truth. We have ours. And so, let us live together in harmony, leaving all persons as the are, so that they search out their authenticity in the best way".
But how can one's personal authenticity be discovered if in reality, in the depth of our hearts, there is the expectation of Jesus, and the genuine authenticity of each person is found exactly in communion with Christ and not without Christ? Said in another way: If we have found the Lord and if he is the light and joy of our lives, are we sure that for someone else who has not found Christ he is not lacking something essential and that it is our duty to offer him this essential reality?
We then leave what will transpire to the direction of the Holy Spirit and the freedom of each person. But if we are convinced and we have experienced the fact that without Christ life is incomplete, is missing a reality, the fundamental reality, we must also be convinced that we do harm to no one if we show them Christ and we offer them in this way too the possibility to discover their true authenticity, the joy of having discovered life.
In closing, I would like to say "thank you" to all who make up the Presbytery and the Ecclesial Community of Rome, to the parish and vice-parish priests, to all who collaborate in the various offices, to deacons, catechists and above all to the men and women religious who are somewhat the "heart" of the ecclesial life of a Diocese. Thank you for this witness that you give.
Let us all go forward together, moved by the love of Christ. And in this way, we will succeed!
Monday, 16 May 2005
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today, I joyfully welcome all of you who have come to take part in the Beatification of Mother Ascensión of the Heart of Jesus Nicol Goñi and of Mother Marianne Cope, which was held on Saturday afternoon [14 May] in the Vatican Basilica. These two new Blesseds, exemplary witnesses of the charity of Christ, help us to understand better the sense and value of our Christian vocation.
Dear pilgrims, you have come to Rome to relive the missionary message that Mother Ascensión of the Heart of Jesus Nicol Goñi, who has just been proclaimed "Blessed", bequeathed to the Church with her life and works. I invite you to keep alive in your heart the apostolic ardour, born from love for Jesus, that Mother Ascensión lived and knew how to pass on to her spiritual daughters.
As I cordially greet my Brother Bishops, the various Authorities and the faithful who participated in this meaningful event, I address in particular the Dominican Missionary Sisters of the Rosary, so that, following the example of their Blessed Foundress, they help us to relive the spirit of St Dominic in our times. Keep alive the experience of God's presence in missionary life - "God is so closely felt", Mother Ascensión would say -, the spirit of fraternity in your communities, ready to go to those places where the Church needs you, with that bold spirit which led Mother Ascensión to the undeveloped territory of the Vicariate of Puerto Maldonado.
I greet the pilgrims of this Apostolic Vicariate and of the other Peruvian regions, in whom I see maturing a precious fruit of genuine evangelization, cultivated with an especially feminine care.
I also greet the pilgrims from Navarra, birthplace of the new Blessed, and from the other parts of Spain, where the seed of faith is deeply rooted and has given many missionaries to the entire world.
The ceremony took place on a very significant day for missionaries and for the entire Church: the vigil of Pentecost, a moment in which, under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, the disciples of Jesus fearlessly launched themselves to proclaim everywhere and publicly Jesus' teaching. Since then, others have welcomed the missionary mandate, placing their energies at the service of the Gospel. Among them is Mother Ascensión, who, in turn, allowed herself to be inflamed by the fire of Pentecost and made it her duty to spread it in the world.
May she now intercede for all of you so that you bring to the world the light that gave splendour to her life and joy to her heart.
I bless you all with much affection. Thank you.
It is with great joy that I welcome you to Rome, dear brothers and sisters, for the Beatification of Mother Marianne Cope. I know that your participation in Saturday's solemn liturgy, so significant for the universal Church, will have been a source of renewed grace and commitment to the exercise of charity which marks the life of every Christian.
Marianne Cope's life was one of profound faith and love which bore fruit in a missionary spirit of immense hope and trust. In 1862 she entered the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Syracuse where she imbibed the particular spirituality of St Francis of Assisi, dedicating herself wholeheartedly to spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Her own experience of consecrated life saw an extraordinary apostolate unfold, adorned with heroic virtue.
As is well known, while Mother Marianne was Superior General of her Congregation, the then Bishop of Honolulu invited the Order to come to Hawaii and work among the lepers. Leprosy was spreading rapidly and causing unspeakable suffering and misery among the afflicted. Fifty other Congregations received the same plea for assistance, but only Mother Marianne, in the name of her Sisters, responded positively.
True to the charism of the Order and in imitation of St Francis, who had embraced lepers, Mother Marianne volunteered herself for the mission with a trusting, "Yes"! And for 35 years, until her death in 1918, our new Blessed dedicated her life to the love and service of lepers on the islands of Maui and Molokai.
Undoubtedly the generosity of Mother Marianne was, humanly speaking, exemplary. Good intentions and selflessness alone, however, do not adequately explain her vocation. It is only the perspective of faith which enables us to understand her witness - as a Christian and as a Religious - to that sacrificial love which reaches its fullness in Jesus Christ. All that she achieved was inspired by her personal love of the Lord, which she in turn expressed through her love of those abandoned and rejected by society in a most wretched way.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us today be inspired by Bl. Marianne Cope to renew our commitment to walk the path of holiness.
With my own prayers that your pilgrimage here to Rome may be a time of spiritual enrichment, I gladly impart to you my Apostolic Blessing, which I willingly extend to the members of your families at home, especially those who are ill or suffering in any way.
May the Virgin Mary obtain for us the gift of continual fidelity to the Gospel. May she help us to follow the example of the new Blesseds and to strive tirelessly towards holiness. To all of you present here and to your dear ones, I impart my Blessing.
Thursday, 19 May 2005
Your Excellency,
I am pleased to welcome you today and to accept the Letters of Credence by which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the Holy See. I am grateful for the warm words of greeting which you have conveyed from President Crvenkovski. I gladly reciprocate them and assure the Government and citizens of your nation of my prayers for the country’s peace and well-being.
The feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius who, along with Saints Benedict, Bridget of Sweden, Catherine of Siena and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, are the great Patrons of Europe, is marked by an annual visit to Rome of a delegation from your country. This richly symbolic event recalls the close interest Popes Nicholas I, Hadrian II and John VIII showed in the Apostles of the Slavs, by encouraging them to fulfil their missionary activity with fidelity and creativity. Just as Cyril and Methodius recognized the acute need to transpose correctly Biblical notions and Greek theological concepts into a very different context of thought and historical experience, so today the primary task facing Christians in Europe is that of casting the ennobling light of Revelation on all that is good, true and beautiful. In this way all peoples and nations are drawn towards that peace and freedom which God the Creator intends for everyone.
I recognise with sentiments of thanksgiving that your nation has reaffirmed its commitment to forge a path of peace and reconciliation. By doing so it can become an example to others in the Balkan region. Tragically, cultural differences have often been a source of misunderstanding between peoples and even the cause of senseless conflicts and wars. In fact dialogue between cultures is an indispensable building stone of the universal civilization of love for which every man and woman longs. I encourage you and your citizens therefore to affirm the fundamental values common to all cultures; common because they find their source in the very nature of the human person. In this way the quest for peace is consolidated allowing you to dedicate every human and spiritual resource to the material and moral progress of your people, in a spirit of fruitful co-operation with neighbouring countries.
Mr Ambassador, you have noted that the goal of social integration which your Government is courageously pursuing legitimately brings you closer to the rest of Europe. Indeed your traditions and your culture find a natural resonance there and belong to the spirit that permeates this Continent. As my beloved predecessor said on a number of occasions: Europe needs the Balkan nations, and they need Europe! Entry into the European Community should not, however, be understood merely as a panacea to overcome economic adversity. In the process of the European Union’s expansion it is "of capital importance" to remember that it "will lack substance if it is reduced to merely geographic and economic dimensions." Rather, the union must "consist above all in an agreement about values which ... find expression in its law and in its life" (Ecclesia in Europa, 110). This rightly demands of each state a proper ordering of society that creatively reclaims the soul of Europe, acquired through the decisive contribution of Christianity, affirming the transcendent dignity of the human person and the values of reason, freedom, democracy and the constitutional state (cf. ibid., 109).
The people of your land have already achieved much in the difficult but rewarding task of ensuring social coherence and stability. Authentic development requires a coordinated national plan of progress which honours the legitimate aspirations of all sectors of society and to which political and civic leaders can be held accountable. Human history teaches us repeatedly that if such programmes are to effect a lasting positive change, they must be based on the protection of human rights including those of ethnic and religious minorities, the practice of responsible and transparent governance, and the maintenance of law and order by an impartial judiciary system and an honourable police force. Without these foundations, the hope for true progress remains elusive.
Mr Ambassador, your Government’s commitment to improving the social and economic prosperity of its citizens presents the young generation with a vision of confidence and optimism. Central to this promise is the creation of educational opportunities. Where schools function in a professional manner and are staffed by people of personal integrity, hope is offered to all and most especially the youth. Integral to such formation is religious instruction. This assists the young to discover the full meaning of human existence, especially the fundamentally important relationship of freedom to truth (cf. Fides et Ratio, 90). Indeed, knowledge enlightened by faith, far from dividing communities, binds peoples together in the common search for truth which defines every human as one who lives by belief (cf. ibid., 31). I strongly encourage the Government, therefore, to pursue its intention to permit the teaching of religion in primary schools.
The Catholic Church in your nation, though numerically small, desires to reach out in co-operation with other religious communities to all members of Macedonian society without distinction. Her charitable mission, particularly to the poor and suffering, forms part of her "commitment to practical and concrete love for every human being" (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 49) and is much appreciated in your country. I am confident that the Church is willing to contribute even more extensively to the country’s human development programmes, promoting the values of peace, justice, solidarity and freedom.
Your Excellency, the diplomatic mission which you begin today will further strengthen the bonds of understanding and cooperation existing between your country and the Holy See. I assure you that the various offices of the Roman Curia are ready to assist you in the fulfilment of your duties. With my sincere good wishes, I invoke upon you, your family and all the people of your nation God’s abundant blessings.
Paul VI Audience Hall
Thursday, 19 May 2005
Dear Georg,
Esteemed Ambassador Botschafter,
Esteemed President Schambeck,
Esteemed Authorities,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It seems strange for me to speak now. As I was coming down here, the Secretary rightly told me: "Now, dear Holy Father, your brother is the most important person". There is no doubt about this. I find it wonderfully appropriate that my brother, who for 30 years worked so diligently in sacred music in the Cathedral of Ratisbon and in the rest of the world, is receiving recognition from such competent persons.
When I speak, regardless of my own incompetence, I feel like the spokesperson, so to speak, of those gathered here and who rejoice and are full of gratitude and satisfaction for this moment and time. My brother has already said: "Austria is, in a very special way, a Land of music". Those who think of Austria, think first of all of the beauty of creation that the Lord has given to this nearby Country. One thinks of the beautiful buildings, the cordiality of the people, but also and above all of the music, whose great composers have already been mentioned, and also of the musical tradition: Weiner Sängerknaben, Weiner Philharmoniker, Salzburger Festspiele, etc.
For this reason, the fact that our beloved neighbour, Austria, confers this award upon my brother assumes a very special value. I too express my heartfelt gratitude.
I imagine that also for the new generation of Cathedral cantors, guided by the Chapel Master, the recognition of 30 years of work is a reason to rejoice and to be encouraged; it can help them in this time when we especially need to pay homage to the message of the good God and to lead men and women to joy with renewed ardour and enthusiasm. Thank you.
Thursday, 19 May 2005
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am certain to interpret the common sentiments and express living gratitude to those who wanted to offer me and all of you the opportunity to view this moving film tonight; it traces the life of young Karol Wojtyla, leading to his election as the Pontiff known as "John Paul II".
I greet and thank Cardinal Roberto Tucci for his introduction to the film. I then address a word of admiration to the director and writer, Giacomo Battiato, and to the actors, especially Piotr Adamczyk who played the part of John Paul II, to the producer Pietro Valsecchi and to the networks "Taodue" and "Mediaset".
I cordially greet the other Cardinals, Bishops, priests, Authorities and all those who wanted to take part in this viewing in honour of the beloved Pontiff, recently deceased. We all remember him with deep affection and heartfelt gratitude. Yesterday, he would have celebrated his 85th birthday.
"Karol, un uomo diventato Papa" [Karol, a man who became Pope] is the title of the drama, taken from a text by Gian Franco Svidercoschi. The first segment, as we have seen, highlights the situation in Poland under the Nazi regime, with emphasis - now and then very emotionally strong - given to the repression of the Polish people and to the genocide of the Jews. These are atrocious crimes that show all of the evil that was contained in the Nazi ideology.
Young Karol, shocked by so much suffering and violence, decided to do something about it in his own life, answering the divine call to the priesthood. The film presents scenes and episodes that, in their severity, awaken in the viewers an instinctive "turning away" in horror and stimulates them to consider the abyss of iniquity that can be hidden in the human soul.
At the same time, calling to the fore such aberration revives in every right-minded person the duty to do what he or she can so that such inhuman barbarism never happens again.
Today's viewing takes place just some days after the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. On 8 May 1945 the conclusion was marked of that frightful tragedy which sowed destruction and death, in a measure never-before heard of, in Europe and in the world.
Ten years ago, John Paul II wrote that World War II appears with evermore clarity as a "suicide of humanity". Each time a totalitarian ideology crushes man, humanity as a whole is seriously threatened. With the passing of time, memories do not have to fade; rather, they must be a stern lesson for this and future generations. We have the responsibility of reminding especially youth of the forms of unprecedented violence that can lead to contempt for men and women and the violation of their rights.
Under the light of Providence, how can we not read as a divine plan the fact that on the Chair of Peter, a Polish Pope is succeeded by a citizen of that Country, Germany, where the Nazi regime was the most vicious, attacking the nearby nations, Poland among them?
In their youth, both of these Popes - even if on opposing fronts and in different situations - knew the cruelty of the Second World War and of the senseless violence of men fighting men, people fighting people.
During the final days of the Second Vatican Council held here in Rome, the Polish Bishops consigned the "letter of reconciliation" to the German Bishops; the letter contained those famous words that today too resound in our souls: "We forgive and we ask forgiveness".
In last Sunday's Homily I reminded the newly-ordained priests that "nothing can improve the world if evil is not overcome. Evil can be overcome only by forgiveness" (L'Osservatore Romano English Edition, 18 May, p. 7). May the mutual and sincere condemnation of Nazism, as with atheistic communism, be everyone's duty for the building of reconciliation and peace on forgiveness.
"To forgive", our beloved John Paul II again reminds us, "does not mean to forget", adding that "if memory is the law of history, forgiveness is the power of God, the power of Christ that works in the vicissitudes of man" (cf. Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, XVII/2 [1994], p. 250). Peace is, in the first place, a gift of God, who makes sentiments of love and solidarity arise in the heart of the person who welcomes it.
I hope that, thanks also to this witness of Pope John Paul II commemorated in this meaningful film, there will be a revival on the part of each person in the proposal to work - each in his or her own field and according to one's means - at the service of a definite action for peace in Europe and in the entire world.
I entrust the hope of peace that all of us carry in our heart to the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, who is venerated especially in this month of May. May she, Queen of Peace, encourage the generous contribution of those who intend to put their efforts toward the building of true peace on the solid pillars of truth, justice, freedom and love. With these sentiments, I extend to all my Apostolic Blessing.
Friday, 20 May 2005
Dear friends of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy,
It is with particular joy that I welcome you, a month after my election as Successor of Peter. Some may remember another moment that we spent together on the occasion of my Visit to your Academy some years ago. I cordially greet you all and, in the first place, I greet your President [Archbishop Mullor García Justo], whom I thank for his kind words to me.
I especially would like to thank you for the generosity with which you have answered the request made of you, making yourself available to offer a special service to the Church and to her supreme Pastor by working as a Pontifical Representative. It is a unique mission that demands, as does every form of priestly ministry, the faithful following of Christ. He who carries out [this service] with love is promised a hundredfold and eternal life (cf. Mt Mt 19,29).
In your daily activity you must apply yourselves to guarantee that the bonds of communion between the particular Churches and the Apostolic See are evermore intense and active. At the same time, you must be concerned that the solicitude which the Successor of Peter has for all members of the Lord's flock, especially for the defenceless, the weak and the abandoned, is made present and visible.
And so, it is important that in these years of formation in Rome you strengthen your sensus Ecclesiae, assuming an ecclesial manner in your entire personality, in mind and heart. May you be concerned with cultivating in yourselves the two fundamental and complementary dimensions of the Church: communion and mission, unity and evangelizing tension.
In the movement toward the centre and heart of the Church, there must be a correspondingly courageous "thrust" that pushes you to witness to the particular Churches that treasure of truth and grace which Christ entrusted to Peter and to his Successors. These dimensions of your mission are well represented in the two Apostles, Peter and Paul, who shed their blood in Rome.
While you are at the Academy, strive, therefore, to become fully "Roman" in the ecclesial sense: secure and faithful in acceptance of the Magisterium and of the pastoral guidance of the Successor of Peter, and at the same time cultivating the missionary longing typical of St Paul, who was so anxious to cooperate in the spreading of the Gospel to the extreme ends of the earth.
We were all struck by the fact that the witness of Pope John Paul II awakened a profound "echo" in non-Christians too, as was mentioned by various Apostolic Nuncios in their reports. This confirms that when Christ is proclaimed by a consistent life, it speaks to the heart of all, even the brothers and sisters of other religious traditions.
As I said a few days ago to the Roman clergy, the mission of the Church is not in conflict with respect for other religious and cultural traditions. Christ takes nothing away from man; rather, he gives fullness of life, joy, hope. Of this hope, you are also called to "give reason" (cf. 1P 3,15), in the different settings where Providence will destine you.
To carry out adequately the service that awaits you and that the Church entrusts to you, a solid cultural preparation is necessary, which includes the knowledge of languages, of history and of law, with wise openness to different cultures. It then becomes necessary that, at an even deeper level, you propose holiness and the salvation of the souls that you meet on your journey as the fundamental aim of your existence.
To this end, try tirelessly to be exemplary priests, enlivened by constant and intense prayer, cultivating intimacy with Christ. Be priests according to the Heart of Christ and carry out your ministry with success and apostolic fruit. Never allow yourselves to be tempted by the logic of career and of power.
In closing, I address a special greeting to all who will soon be leaving the Academy for their first duty as a Pontifical Representative and, as I assure each of them of a special remembrance in prayer, I wish for them a fruitful apostolic mission. Upon the entire community of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy I invoke the constant protection of Mary Most Holy and of the Apostles Peter and Paul; to all of you and to your loved ones I affectionately impart my Apostolic Blessing.
Saturday, 21 May 2005
Dear Brothers in the Episcopate,
I am pleased to welcome you as you make your pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, you who have received from the Lord the duty to guide his Church in Rwanda. I thank Bishop Alexis Habiyambere of Nyundo, President of your Bishops' Conference, for his fraternal words. Through you, I address an affectionate greeting to your communities, encouraging priests and faithful, severely tried by the genocide of 1994 and its consequences, to remain firm in faith, to persevere in the hope given by the Risen Christ, overcoming every temptation to become discouraged.
May the Spirit of Pentecost, diffused throughout the universe, make fruitful the efforts of those who work toward the construction of brotherhood between all Rwandans, in a spirit of truth and justice!
Your quinquennial reports show that the Spirit, builder of the Church in Rwanda in the ups and downs of its history, is at work. To contribute actively to peace and reconciliation, you give priority to a pastoral service of neighbourliness, founded on the involvement of small communities of laypeople in the missionary work of the Church, in harmony with the pastors.
I encourage you to sustain these communities so that the faithful welcome the truth of faith and its demands, developing in this way a more intense ecclesial and spiritual life, without allowing yourselves to be distracted from the Gospel of Christ, especially by the numerous sects present in your Country.
Work ceaselessly so that the Gospel may penetrate more deeply into the heart and existence of believers, inviting the faithful to undertake their individual responsibilities in society conscientiously, especially in the economic and political fields, with a moral sense that is nourished by the Gospel and the Church's social teaching.
I greet the priests of your Dioceses and the young people who, with generosity, are preparing for the priesthood. Their number is an authentic sign of hope for the future. As the clergy is becoming local, I wish to acknowledge the patient work carried out by the missionaries who proclaimed Christ and his Gospel and gave life to the Christian communities for which you are responsible today.
I invite you to stay close to your priests, concerning yourselves with their permanent formation on the theological and spiritual level, attentive to their life-style and the exercise of their mission so that they become authentic witnesses of the Word they proclaim and of the sacraments they administer.
In the gift of themselves to Christ and to the people to whom they are pastors, may they remain faithful to the demands of their state-in-life and live their priesthood as a true journey of holiness!
At the end of our meeting, dear Brothers in the Episcopate, I wish to be close to the people entrusted to you, encouraging the faithful and pastors to build communities that are enlivened by sincere reciprocal love and permeated by the imperious desire to work for authentic reconciliation! May the song of the messengers of the Good News of Christ, victor over death, resound on the hilltops (cf. Is Is 52,7)!
Entrusting the hopes and sufferings of the Rwandan People to the intercession of the Queen of the Apostles, I impart an affectionate Apostolic Blessing upon you all, willingly extending it to the priests, men and women religious, catechists and all the faithful of your Dioceses.
Saturday, 21 May 2005
Your Eminence,
Your Excellencies,
Dear Collaborators,
I have come without a written text, but in my heart there are sentiments of gratitude together with the willingness to learn.
Little by little I am learning something about the structure of the Secretariat of State and especially about the bulk of documentation that comes in and of work that is carried out daily in this Secretariat of State. In this way I am able to see from the variety, the volume and also by the experience that is hidden behind all this work, how much is done here in these offices.
Even if we cannot normally live the "life of angels" - referring to the words of Cardinal Sodano, Secretary of State - but rather, the life of "fish", of human beings, it is precisely in this way that we do our duty.
If one considers large international administrations - the European administration, for example, of which Archbishop Lajolo gave me the number of employees - we are actually far fewer in number. And the fact that such a small number of people carry out so much important work for the universal Church does the Holy See great credit.
This immense work done by a reduced number of people shows the diligence and dedication that goes into the work. Together with the skill and professionalism of the work done here, another characteristic aspect can be added, a particularly professional feature: love for Christ, for the Church and for souls plays a part in our professionalism.
We do not work - as many say of the work - to defend a power. We do not have a worldly, secular power. We do not work for prestige, nor do we work to expand a business or the like.
In reality, we work so that the pathways of the world are opened to Christ.
The purpose of all of our work, with all of its ramifications, is actually ultimately so that his Gospel - as well as the joy of Redemption - may reach the world. In this sense, even in the little duties of each day that appear to lack lustre, we do, as Cardinal Sodano said, the best we can to cooperate with the Truth, that is, with Christ in his working in the world, so that the world truly becomes the Kingdom of God.
And so, I can only say a great "thank you". Together we carry out the service characteristic of the Successor of Peter, the "Petrine service": confirming our brothers and sisters in the faith.
Monday, 23 May 2005
Mr President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to welcome you on the occasion of your traditional visit to the tomb of St Cyril and I greet you cordially. I thank you for the kind words you addressed to me. Our meeting highlights the age-old bond of respect and spiritual closeness that has always united the Roman Pontiffs to the noble People you represent.
The affection that the Apostolic See has for the Bulgarian People is great. From Pope Clement I, of venerable memory, until today, the Bishops of Rome have always maintained a fruitful dialogue with the residents of ancient Thrace.
Your visit today, Mr President, is all the more meaningful since it is in memory of the two Saints Cyril and Methodius, Co-Patrons of Europe, who shaped the human and cultural values of the Bulgarians and of other Slav nations in a Christian perspective. One could also say that, through their work of evangelization, Europe was formed, that Europe of which Bulgaria feels itself an active party.
Furthermore, Bulgaria also has a particular responsibility towards other peoples, that of being one of the bridges between East and West. In addressing you, I wish to express my encouragement to all of your citizens so that they continue this specific political and social mission with trust.
The meeting of the President Magistrate of Bulgaria with the Successor of Peter, three years after the Visit to Bulgaria of my well-beloved late Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, was a new confirmation of the good relations that exist between the Holy See and the Nation that you represent. How can we fail to thank Divine Providence for this re-found ability for friendly and constructive dialogue after the long and difficult period of the Communist regime?
Contacts between your Country and the Holy See have known highly significant moments in the last century. I am thinking, for example, of the affection that the Apostolic Delegate at the time, Angelo Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII, always entertained for the inhabitants of Bulgaria.
Mr President, I cannot fail to mention at this time the closeness that Bulgaria has shown to the Holy See in the course of these last two months. You yourself, the Government, the Parliament and many of your citizens have expressed to the Catholic Church your sincere wishes on the occasion of the death of John Paul II and on my election as his Successor.
I also recall the faces and the warmth of the Representatives of the venerable Orthodox Church of Bulgaria, who desired to revive the dialogue of charity in the truth. I ask you to convey to them my feeling of gratitude, in particular to the venerable Bulgarian Patriarch, His Holiness Maxime.
We have before us a common obligation: we are called together to build a more free, more peaceful and more solidary humanity. In this perspective, I would like to formulate the fervent hope that your Nation may always know how to promote in Europe the cultural and spiritual values that make up her identity.
In this spirit, I assure you of my prayers and, through the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, I invoke an abundance of divine Blessings on you, the people accompanying you and all the People of the very beautiful Land of Bulgaria.
Monday, 23 May 2005
Mr Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen,
With great joy I greet you on the occasion of the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius and I express to you my gratitude for this welcome visit. In a particular way I greet the Prime Minister and those who are accompanying him. With equal warmth I welcome the ecclesiastical Delegation. I gladly take this opportunity to send good wishes to all the people of your beloved country.
When I received the new Ambassador a few days ago, I wanted to acknowledge how strongly the traditions and culture of the Macedonian people resonate with the values which permeate the spirit of Europe. The brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius, Apostles of the Slav peoples, contributed significantly to its formation. Their human and Christian activity left indelible traces in the history of your own country. The pilgrimage which you make every year to the tomb of Saint Cyril provides a fitting occasion to return to the roots of your history. Cyril and Methodius, natives of Salonika sent on mission among the Slav peoples by the Church of Byzantium, laid the foundations of an authentic Christian culture, and at the same time actively took steps to create the conditions for peace among all the different populations. Those values of peace and fraternity, which these holy Patrons of Europe, together with Saint Benedict, tirelessly defended, remain indispensable elements for constructing communities of solidarity, open to integral human progress, respecting the dignity of every human being and of the whole human being.
I am convinced that the way to give life to a society truly attentive to the common good is to seek in the Gospel the roots of shared values, as the experience of Saints Cyril and Methodius demonstrates. This is the ardent desire of the Catholic Church which has no other interest but to spread and bear witness to Jesus Christ’s words of hope and love, words of life which down the centuries have inspired many martyrs and confessors of the faith. I sincerely hope that your pilgrimage today will contribute to keeping vibrant throughout the Nation these high human and Christian ideals. I pray too that your country will confidently open up to Europe, thereby contributing significantly to building its future, inspired by your invaluable religious and cultural heritage.
I would like to add the assurance of my prayers for the beloved Macedonian people, that they may advance towards a future of ever firmer hope, assisted by every element of civil and religious society. I therefore invoke the heavenly blessing of Saints Cyril and Methodius. May God always bless and protect your country and all its people.
Saturday, 28 May 2005
Dear Brothers in the Episcopate,
I welcome you, Pastors of the Church in Burundi, with great joy. You have come on pilgrimage to Rome to pray at the tombs of the Apostles and meet the Successor of Peter and his collaborators. I hope that this experience of communion in charity will encourage you in your mission as servants of Christ's Gospel for the hope of the world.
I express my gratitude to Bishop Jean Ntagwarara of Bubanza, President of your Bishops' Conference, for the kind words he has just expressed in your name. They demonstrate the spiritual and missionary vitality of your diocesan communities, to whom, together with all Burundians, I address my affectionate greetings.
I would also like to commemorate with you Archbishop Michael A. Courtney, who was faithful to the point of laying down his life for the mission that the Holy Father had entrusted to him at the service of your beloved Country and the local Church.
In your quinquennial reports, you bring to the fore the Catholic Church's active role in furthering peace and reconciliation in the Country, especially during this election period. The sufferings endured in the dark time of war, during which, it must be said again, many Christians witnessed heroically to their faith, has not extinguished the desire to work for the brotherhood and unity of all, following Christ and in his Name.
I hope that the pastoral plan of action that has been worked out in this context, as well as the diocesan synods that will implement it locally, will contribute to proclaiming the Gospel, to healing memories and hearts and to fostering solidarity among all Burundians, uprooting feelings of revenge and resentment and ceaselessly asking for forgiveness and reconciliation.
This year we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa, promulgated by my Predecessor, Pope John Paul II. May it continue to be the charter of your commitment in the mission that has been entrusted to you, in communion with the other local Churches.
I encourage you in particular to renew your attention to all the faithful, so that they may live more and more intensely their Baptismal requirements. Many are suffering from great poverty and inner anguish, and are tempted to return to ancient practices that have not been purified by the Lord's Spirit or to turn to the sects. Take care of them, providing a sound Christian formation and making every effort for inculturation, especially in the area of the translation of the Bible and the texts of the Magisterium. This will enable them to "ever more fully assimilate the Gospel message, while remaining faithful to all authentic African values" (Ecclesia in Africa, n. 78).
At the end of our Meeting, dear Brothers in the Episcopate, I am granted the opportunity to give thanks for the apostolic work carried out by the indigenous and foreign priests and the men and women religious of your Dioceses, often in difficult conditions. I do not forget the catechists, precious assistants in the apostolate, as well as all the faithful who take part in the development of human beings and society, in the context of the Church's institutions for social advancement and its service in the world to education and health care.
As I invoke upon all of you and upon the members of your Dioceses the Holy Spirit who strengthens people in the faith, revives hope and sustains charity, I gladly impart to you an affectionate Apostolic Blessing.
Monday, 30 May 2005
Dear Italian Brother Bishops,
I am happy to meet you here this morning, gathered at your General Assembly, after celebrating Holy Mass with many of you in Bari yesterday for the conclusion of the National Eucharistic Congress. I greet your President, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, and thank him for his warm words on your behalf. I greet the three Vice-Presidents, the General Secretary and each one of you, and I in turn would like to express to you my sentiments of deep communion and sincere affection.
Only a few weeks have passed since my election, and the sentiments that brought us close in the days of the suffering and death of my Venerable Predecessor, the Servant of God John Paul II, are very much alive. He was a father, example and friend to each one of us. I am particularly grateful to you, for I feel that you are welcoming me in the same spirit as that with which you accompanied him during the 26 years of his Pontificate.
Dear Brothers, the bond between us also has a precise root because that is what unites all the Bishops of the world with the Successor of Peter, but it is particularly strong in this Nation because the Pope is Bishop of Rome and Primate of Italy. History has shown, in the span of 20 centuries, what great fruits of good this special bond has borne, for the life of faith and the blossoming of the Italian People's civilization, as well as for the ministry of the Successor of Peter himself.
I am thus beginning the new and unexpected service to which the Lord has called me, feeling deeply comforted by your closeness and solidarity. Together we will be able to carry out the mission that Jesus Christ has entrusted to us, together we will be able to bear witness to Christ and make him as present today as he was in the past in Italian homes and hearts.
Indeed, not only does Italy's relationship with the Christian faith date back to the apostolic generation and the preaching and martyrdom of Peter and Paul, but it is also still deep and alive. The kind of culture that is based on a purely functional rationality which contradicts and seeks to exclude Christianity, and the religious and moral traditions of humanity in general, is of course as present and active in Italy as it is more or less everywhere in Europe.
Here, however, its supremacy is not total, nor, still less, is there any lack of opposition to it. Indeed, many people, even those who do not share or at any rate do not practise our faith, feel that such a form of culture is actually a harmful mutilation of man and of his reasoning.
Moreover, in Italy in particular the Church has a far-reaching network among people of every age and condition; thus, she can propose the message of salvation that the Lord has entrusted to her in the most varied situations.
Dear Brothers, I am aware of your commitment to keeping this presence alive and increasing its missionary outreach. In the Pastoral Guidelines that you presented to the Italian Dioceses for this first decade of the new century, taking up the teaching of John Paul II in Novo Millennio Ineunte, you rightly base everything on contemplation of Jesus Christ, and in him, of the true face of God the Father and the living, daily relationship with him.
Here, in fact, lies the heart and the secret energy of the Church, the source of our apostolate's effectiveness. Especially in the mystery of the Eucharist, we ourselves, our priests and all our faithful can live to the full this relationship with Christ: here he becomes tangible among us, he gives himself ever anew, he becomes ours, so that we may become his and learn his love. The Year of the Eucharist and the Congress just celebrated in Bari are incentives that help us to penetrate deeper into this Mystery.
In contemplating the face of Christ, and in Christ, the face of the Father, Mary Most Holy precedes, sustains and accompanies us. Love and devotion for the Mother of the Lord, so widespread and deeply rooted in the Italian People, are a precious heritage that we must always nurture and a great resource in view of evangelization.
On these foundations, dear Brothers, we can truly propose to ourselves and to our faithful the vocation to holiness as "the high standard of ordinary Christian living", in keeping with John Paul II's felicitous words in Novo Millennio Ineunte (n. 31): actually, the Holy Spirit comes to us, from Christ and from the Father, precisely to usher us into the mystery of the life and love of God, over and above any human endeavour or expectation.
In practice, a characteristic of the Church's presence among the Italian People is first and foremost the close network of parishes and the vitality that they still manifest, despite the major social and cultural changes. Consequently, in one of your recent Pastoral Notes (Il volto missionario delle parrocchie in un mondo che cambia) [the missionary face of parishes in a changing world], you were wisely concerned to support parishes, reasserting their value and role and thereby giving special encouragement to pastors, who as parish priests bear a heavy burden of responsibility.
However, you have also shed light on the need for parishes to assume a more missionary attitude in their daily pastoral work so as to be open to a more intense collaboration with all the living forces available to the Church today. It is very important in this regard to strengthen the communion between the parish structures and the various "charismatic" groups that have sprung up in recent decades and are widespread in Italy, so that the mission can reach out to all the milieus of life. Religious communities, still numerous in Italy despite the scarcity of vocations, certainly make a valuable contribution to this.
The domain of culture is undoubtedly crucial for the future of the faith and the general orientation of a nation's life. I therefore ask you to persevere in the work you have undertaken so that the voice of Catholics may be constantly present in the Italian cultural debate, and especially, to reinforce the ability to work out rationally, in the light of faith, the many questions that are surfacing in the various contexts of knowledge and in the great decisions of life.
Culture and behavioural models today are increasingly conditioned and influenced by images presented by the media. Thus, your Conference's efforts to establish also in this context an adequate means of expression in order to offer to all a Christian interpretation of events and problems deserve praise.
The actual situation of the Church in Italy, therefore, confirms and justifies the attention and expectations many of her Sister Churches in Europe and across the world have of her. As my beloved Predecessor John Paul II frequently emphasized, Italy can and must play an important role in the common witness to Jesus Christ, our one Saviour, so that the standard of true humanism may be identified with Christ, in the people's conscience and the whole ordering of social life.
One crucial issue that demands of us the maximum pastoral attention is the family. In Italy, even more than in other countries, the family truly is the fundamental cell of society. It is deeply rooted in the hearts of the young generations and bears the brunt of many problems, providing support and remedies to situations that would otherwise be desperate.
Yet also in Italy, families in today's cultural atmosphere are exposed to the many risks and threats with which we are all familiar. The inner frailty and instability of many conjugal unions is combined with the widespread social and cultural tendency to dispute the unique character and special mission of the family founded on marriage.
Then, Italy itself is one of the nations where the low birth rate is the most serious and constant, with consequences that are already felt by the whole body of society. This is why for some time you Italian Bishops have been joining your voice to that of John Paul II, primarily in defending the sacredness of human life and the value of the institution of marriage, but also in promoting the role of the family in the Church and in society, requesting financial and legislative measures that support young families in having children and raising them.
In the same spirit, you are currently involved in enlightening and motivating the decisions of Catholics and of all citizens concerning the upcoming referendums on the law on assisted procreation. Your clear and concrete commitment is a sign of your concern as Pastors for every human being, who can never be reduced to a means but is always an end, as our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us in his Gospel and as human reason itself tells us. In this commitment and in all the many different kinds of work that are part of a Pastor's mission and duty, I am close to you with my words and my prayers, trusting in the light and grace of the Holy Spirit who acts in the conscience and heart.
The same concern for the true good of human beings that impels us to take care of the future of families and of respect for human life, is expressed in attention to the poor we have among us, to the sick, to immigrants, to peoples decimated by disease, war and famine.
Dear Italian Brother Bishops, I want to thank you and your faithful for your generous charity, making the Church that new people in which no one is a stranger. Let us always remember the Lord's words: what you have done "for one of my least brothers, you did it for me" (Mt 25,40).
In August, as you know, I will go to Cologne for the World Youth Day, and I am confident that I will be meeting many of you again, accompanied by a large number of young Italians. Precisely with regard to the young, their formation and their relationship with the Lord and with the Church, I would like to add a final word. In fact, as John Paul II often repeated, they are the hope of the Church; but in today's world, they are also particularly vulnerable to the risk of being "tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Ep 4,14).
Hence, they must be helped to grow and develop in the faith: this is the first service they should receive from the Church and especially from us Bishops and our priests. We know well that many of them cannot understand and accept all the Church's teaching straightaway, but for this very reason it is important to re-awaken within them the desire to believe with the Church, to trust that this Church, enlivened and guided by the Spirit, is the true subject of faith and that by becoming part of her we enter and participate in the communion of faith.
If this is to happen, young people must feel loved by the Church and concretely loved by us Bishops and priests. In this way they will experience in the Church the Lord's friendship and love for them and understand that in Christ, truth coincides with love. In turn, they will learn to love the Lord and to trust in his Body, which is the Church.
Today, dear Italian Brother Bishops, this is the key point of the great challenge of transmitting the faith to the young generations.
I assure you of my daily prayers for you and for your Churches, for the whole of the beloved Italian Nation, for its present and its Christian future, for the task it is called to carry out in Europe and in the world, and I impart with affection a special Apostolic Blessing to you, to your priests and to every Italian family.
Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens
Tuesday, 31 May 2005
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I join you with great joy at the end of this prayer meeting organized by the Vicariate of Vatican City. I note with pleasure that a large number of you have gathered in the Vatican Gardens for the conclusion of the month of May.
Among you, in particular, are many people who live or work in the Vatican, with their families. I offer a warm greeting to you all; in a special way the Cardinals and Bishops, beginning with Archbishop Angelo Comastri who has led this prayer meeting. I then greet the priests and the men and women religious present, with a thought also for the contemplative Sisters of Mater Ecclesiae Monastery who are spiritually united to us.
Dear friends, you have wound your way up to the Grotto of Lourdes reciting the holy Rosary, as if to respond to the Virgin's invitation to raise your spirit towards Heaven. Our Lady accompanies us every day in our prayers. During this special Year of the Eucharist in which we are living, Mary helps us above all to discover ever better the great sacrament of the Eucharist.
In his last Encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, our beloved Pope John Paul II presented her to us as "Woman of the Eucharist" throughout her life (cf. n. 53). "Woman of the Eucharist" through and through, beginning with her inner disposition: from the Annunciation, when she offered herself for the Incarnation of the Word of God, to the Cross and to the Resurrection; "Woman of the Eucharist" in the period subsequent to Pentecost, when she received in the Sacrament that Body which she had conceived and carried in her womb.
Today, in particular, we pause to meditate on the mystery of the Visitation of the Virgin to St Elizabeth. Mary went to see her elderly cousin Elizabeth, whom everyone said was sterile but who instead had reached the sixth month of a pregnancy given to her by God (cf. Lk Lc 1,36), carrying in her womb the recently conceived Jesus. She was a young girl but she was not afraid, for God was with her, within her.
In a certain way we can say that her journey was - we like to emphasize in this Year of the Eucharist - the first "Eucharistic procession" in history. Mary, living Tabernacle of God made flesh, is the Ark of the Covenant in whom the Lord visited and redeemed his people. Jesus' presence filled her with the Holy Spirit.
When she entered Elizabeth's house, her greeting was overflowing with grace: John leapt in his mother's womb, as if he were aware of the coming of the One whom he would one day proclaim to Israel. The children exulted, the mothers exulted. This meeting, imbued with the joy of the Holy Spirit, is expressed in the Canticle of the Magnificat.
Is this not also the joy of the Church, which ceaselessly welcomes Christ in the holy Eucharist and brings him into the world with the testimony of active charity, steeped in faith and hope? Yes, welcoming Jesus and bringing him to others is the true joy of Christians!
Dear Brothers and Sisters, let us follow and imitate Mary, a deeply Eucharistic soul, and our whole life can become a Magnificat (cf. Ecclesia de Eucharistia, n. 58), praise of God. May this be the grace that we ask from the Virgin Most Holy this evening at the end of the month of May. My Blessing to you all.
June 2005
Saturday, 4 June 2005
Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Diocese of Verona,
Thank you for your enthusiasm. Thank you for your joy, which is the expression and result of faith.
I am delighted to welcome you on your pilgrimage to the Tombs of the Apostles. I cordially greet you all, starting with your Bishop, whom I thank for expressing your common sentiments. I greet the priests, the men and women religious, the leaders of the ecclesial associations and movements, as well as the civil Authorities who wished to be present at this meeting.
At the end of the diocesan Synod, with today's pilgrimage to the Apostolic See, you desire to express the bonds of communion that bind the diocesan Community of Verona to the Church of Rome and to reaffirm your full adherence to the magisterium of the Successor of Peter, constituted by Christ, "Pastor of all the faithful", who is "to promote the common good of the universal Church and the particular good of all the Churches" (Decree Christus Dominus CD 2).
You have come here to be strengthened in the faith and I, only recently called to this weighty task, am glad to greet, through you, such an ancient and illustrious Ecclesial Community as that of St Zeno, very venerated in my Country as well, and to encourage you to persevere in your commitment to Christian witness in the contemporary world.
Your Synod, which began three years ago, has reached its culmination in the Year of the Eucharist. This happy coincidence helps us to understand better that the Eucharist is the heart of the Church and of Christian life. "Ecclesia de Eucharistia" - "the Church draws her life from the Eucharist"- this is what the Servant of God John Paul II has left written for us in his last Encyclical. All the contexts of your Diocese must live on the Eucharist: from the families, small domestic churches, to every social and pastoral section of the parishes and of the territory.
At Bari last Sunday, at the end of the [Italian] National Eucharistic Congress, I wanted to recall that "Christ is truly present among us in the Eucharist. His presence is not static. It is a dynamic presence that grasps us, to make us his own, to make us assimilate him. Christ draws us to him, he makes us come out of ourselves to make us all one with him. In this way he also integrates us in the communities of brothers and sisters, and communion with the Lord is always also communion with our brothers and sisters" (Homily, Solemnity of Corpus Domini, Bari, 29 May 2005; L'Osservatore Romano English edition, 1 June 2005, p. 7).
It is true: our spiritual life essentially depends upon the Eucharist. Without it, faith and hope are extinguished and charity cools.
This is why, dear friends, I urge you to take better and better care of the quality of the Eucharistic celebrations, especially those on Sunday, so that Sunday may truly be the Lord's Day and confer fullness of meaning on everyday events and activities, demonstrating the joy and beauty of the faith.
The family was rightly one of the main themes of your Synod, as it has been in the pastoral guidelines of the Church in Italy and throughout the world. Indeed, in your Diocese, moreover, as elsewhere, divorce and de facto unions are on the increase, and this constitutes for Christians an urgent appeal to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel of Life and of the Family in its integrity.
The family is called to be an "intimate partnership of life and love" (Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes GS 48), because it is founded on indissoluble marriage. Despite the difficulties and the social and cultural conditioning of this period of history, Christian spouses must not cease to be in their lives a sign of God's faithful love: may they collaborate actively with priests in the pastoral guidance of engaged couples, young married couples and families, and in bringing up the new generations.
Dear brothers and sisters, yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: only in this inexhaustible source of love will you be able to find the necessary energy for your mission.
The Church was born from the Heart of the Redeemer, from his pierced side, and she is ceaselessly renewed in the sacraments.
May it be your concern to draw spiritual nourishment from prayer and an intense sacramental life; deepen your personal knowledge of Christ and strive with all your might for the "high standard of ordinary Christian living" which is what holiness is, as our beloved John Paul II used to say.
May Mary Most Holy, whose Immaculate Heart we are commemorating today, obtain as a gift for all the members of your Diocese total fidelity to Christ and to his Church. I entrust the post-synodal journey that awaits you to the intercession of the heavenly Mother of the Redeemer and to the support of the saints and blesseds of your region.
For my part, I assure you of my remembrance in prayer, as I affectionately impart a special Apostolic Blessing to your Bishop, to you and to your entire diocesan Community.
Basilica of St John Lateran
Monday, 6 June 2005
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I very willingly accepted the invitation to introduce our Diocesan Convention with a Reflection, first of all because it gives me the chance to meet you, of having direct contact with you, and then too, because I can help you acquire a deeper understanding of the sense and purpose of the pastoral journey the Church of Rome is making.
I greet with affection each one of you, Bishops, priests, deacons, men and women religious, and in particular you lay people and families who consciously take on those duties of responsibility and Christian witness that have their root in the sacrament of Baptism and, for those who are married, in the sacrament of Marriage. I cordially thank the Cardinal Vicar and the couple, Luca and Adriana Pasquale, for their words on behalf of you all.
This Convention and the guidelines it will provide for the pastoral year are a new stage on the journey begun by the Church of Rome, based on the Diocesan Synod, with the "City Mission", desired by our deeply loved Pope John Paul II in preparation for the Great Jubilee of 2000.
In that Mission all the components of our Diocese - parishes, religious communities, associations and movements - were mobilized, not only for a mission to the people of Rome, but to be themselves "a people of God in mission", putting into practice John Paul II's felicitous expression: "The parish must seek itself outside itself" and find itself, that is, in the places where the people live. So it was that during the City Mission thousands of Christians of Rome, mainly lay people, became missionaries and took the word of faith first to the families in the various districts of the city, and then to the different workplaces, hospitals, schools and universities, and the environments of culture and leisure time.
After the Holy Year, my beloved Predecessor asked you not to stop on this journey and not to lose the apostolic energies kindled or the fruits of grace gathered. Therefore, since 2001, the fundamental pastoral policy of the Diocese has been to give the mission a permanent form, and to impress a more decidedly missionary approach on the life and activities of the parishes and of every other ecclesial situation.
I want to tell you first of all that I fully intend to confirm this decision: indeed, it is proving to be more and more necessary. There are no alternatives to it in a social and cultural context in which many forces are working to distance us from the faith and from Christian life.
For two years now the missionary commitment of the Church of Rome has focused above all on the family. This is not only because today this fundamental human reality is subjected to a multitude of problems and threats and is therefore especially in need of evangelization and practical support, but also because Christian families constitute a crucial resource for education in the faith, for the edification of the Church as communion and for her ability to be a missionary presence in the most varied situations of life, as well as to act as a Christian leaven in the widespread culture and social structures.
We will also continue along these lines in the coming pastoral year, and so the theme of our Convention is "Family and Christian community: formation of the person and transmission of the faith".
The assumption from which it is necessary to set out, if we are to understand the family mission in the Christian community and its tasks of forming the person and transmitting the faith, is always that of the meaning of marriage and the family in the plan of God, Creator and Saviour. This will therefore be the focus of my Reflection this evening and I will refer to the teaching of the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio (Part II, nn. 12-16).
Marriage and the family are not in fact a chance sociological construction, the product of particular historical and financial situations. On the other hand, the question of the right relationship between the man and the woman is rooted in the essential core of the human being and it is only by starting from here that its response can be found.
In other words, it cannot be separated from the ancient but ever new human question: Who am I? What is a human being? And this question, in turn, cannot be separated from the question about God: Does God exist? Who is God? What is his face truly like?
The Bible gives one consequential answer to these two queries: the human being is created in the image of God, and God himself is love. It is therefore the vocation to love that makes the human person an authentic image of God: man and woman come to resemble God to the extent that they become loving people.
This fundamental connection between God and the person gives rise to another: the indissoluble connection between spirit and body: in fact, the human being is a soul that finds expression in a body and a body that is enlivened by an immortal spirit.
The body, therefore, both male and female, also has, as it were, a theological character: it is not merely a body; and what is biological in the human being is not merely biological but is the expression and the fulfilment of our humanity.
Likewise, human sexuality is not juxtaposed to our being as person but part of it. Only when sexuality is integrated within the person does it successfully acquire meaning.
Thus, these two links, between the human being with God and in the human being, of the body with the spirit, give rise to a third: the connection between the person and the institution.
Indeed, the totality of the person includes the dimension of time, and the person's "yes" is a step beyond the present moment: in its wholeness, the "yes" means "always", it creates the space for faithfulness. Only in this space can faith develop, which provides a future and enables children, the fruit of love, to believe in human beings and in their future in difficult times.
The freedom of the "yes", therefore, reveals itself to be freedom capable of assuming what is definitive: the greatest expression of freedom is not the search for pleasure without ever coming to a real decision; this apparent, permanent openness seems to be the realization of freedom, but it is not true. The true expression of freedom is the capacity to choose a definitive gift in which freedom, in being given, is fully rediscovered.
In practice, the personal and reciprocal "yes" of the man and the woman makes room for the future, for the authentic humanity of each of them. At the same time, it is an assent to the gift of a new life.
Therefore, this personal "yes" must also be a publicly responsible "yes", with which the spouses take on the public responsibility of fidelity, also guaranteeing the future of the community. None of us, in fact, belongs exclusively to himself or herself: one and all are therefore called to take on in their inmost depths their own public responsibility.
Marriage as an institution is thus not an undue interference of society or of authority. The external imposition of form on the most private reality of life is instead an intrinsic requirement of the covenant of conjugal love and of the depths of the human person.
Today, the various forms of the erosion of marriage, such as free unions and "trial marriage", and even pseudo-marriages between people of the same sex, are instead an expression of anarchic freedom that are wrongly made to pass as true human liberation. This pseudo-freedom is based on a trivialization of the body, which inevitably entails the trivialization of the person. Its premise is that the human being can do to himself or herself whatever he or she likes: thus, the body becomes a secondary thing that can be manipulated, from the human point of view, and used as one likes. Licentiousness, which passes for the discovery of the body and its value, is actually a dualism that makes the body despicable, placing it, so to speak, outside the person's authentic being and dignity.
The truth about marriage and the family, deeply rooted in the truth about the human being, has been actuated in the history of salvation, at whose heart lie the words: "God loves his people". The biblical revelation, in fact, is first and foremost the expression of a history of love, the history of God's Covenant with humankind.
Consequently, God could take the history of love and of the union of a man and a woman in the covenant of marriage as a symbol of salvation history. The inexpressible fact, the mystery of God's love for men and women, receives its linguistic form from the vocabulary of marriage and the family, both positive and negative: indeed, God's drawing close to his people is presented in the language of spousal love, whereas Israel's infidelity, its idolatry, is designated as adultery and prostitution.
In the New Testament God radicalizes his love to the point that he himself becomes, in his Son, flesh of our flesh, a true man. In this way, God's union with humankind acquired its supreme, irreversible form.
Thus, the blue-print of human love is also definitely set out, that reciprocal "yes" which cannot be revoked: it does not alienate men and women but sets them free from the different forms of alienation in history in order to restore them to the truth of creation.
The sacramental quality that marriage assumes in Christ, therefore, means that the gift of creation has been raised to the grace of redemption. Christ's grace is not an external addition to human nature, it does not do violence to men and women but sets them free and restores them, precisely by raising them above their own limitations. And just as the Incarnation of the Son of God reveals its true meaning in the Cross, so genuine human love is self-giving and cannot exist if it seeks to detach itself from the Cross.
Dear brothers and sisters, this profound link between God and the human being, between God's love and human love, is also confirmed in certain tendencies and negative developments that have weighed heavily on us all. In fact, the debasement of human love, the suppression of the authentic capacity for loving, is turning out in our time to be the most suitable and effective weapon to drive God away from men and women, to distance God from the human gaze and heart.
Similarly, the desire to "liberate" nature from God leads to losing sight of the reality of nature itself, including the nature of the human being, reducing it to a conglomeration of functions so as to have them available at will to build what is presumed to be a better world and presumed to be a happier humanity. Instead, the Creator's design is destroyed, and so is the truth of our nature.
Even in the begetting of children marriage reflects its divine model, God's love for man. In man and woman, fatherhood and motherhood, like the body and like love, cannot be limited to the biological: life is entirely given only when, by birth, love and meaning are also given, which make it possible to say yes to this life.
From this point it becomes clear how contrary to human love, to the profound vocation of the man and the woman, are the systematic closure of a union to the gift of life and even more, the suppression or manipulation of newborn life.
No man and no woman, however, alone and single-handed, can adequately transmit to children love and the meaning of life. Indeed, to be able to say to someone "your life is good, even though I may not know your future", requires an authority and credibility superior to what individuals can assume on their own.
Christians know that this authority is conferred upon that larger family which God, through his Son Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, created in the story of humanity, that is, upon the Church. Here they recognize the work of that eternal, indestructible love which guarantees permanent meaning to the life of each one of us, even if the future remains unknown.
For this reason, the edification of each individual Christian family fits into the context of the larger family of the Church, which supports it and carries it with her and guarantees that it has, and will also have in the future, the meaningful "yes" of the Creator. And the Church is reciprocally built up by the family, a "small domestic church", as the Second Vatican Council called it (Lumen Gentium LG 11 Apostolicam Actuositatem AA 11), rediscovering an ancient Patristic expression (cf. St John Chrysostom, In Genesim Serm. VI, 2; VII, 1).
In the same sense, Familiaris Consortio affirms that "Christian marriage... constitutes the natural setting in which the human person is introduced into the great family of the Church" (n. 15).
There is an obvious consequence to all this: the family and the Church - in practice, parishes and other forms of Ecclesial Community - are called to collaborate more closely in the fundamental task that consists, inseparably, in the formation of the person and the transmission of the faith.
We know well that for an authentic educational endeavour, communicating a correct theory or doctrine does not suffice. Something far greater and more human is needed: the daily experienced closeness that is proper to love, whose most propitious place is above all the family community, but also in a parish, movement or ecclesial association, in which there are people who care for their brothers and sisters because they love them in Christ, particularly children and young people, but also adults, the elderly, the sick and families themselves. The great Patron of educators, St John Bosco, reminded his spiritual sons that "education is something of the heart and that God alone is its master" (Epistolario, 4, 209).
The central figure in the work of educating, and especially in education in the faith, which is the summit of the person's formation and is his or her most appropriate horizon, is specifically the form of witness. This witness becomes a proper reference point to the extent that the person can account for the hope that nourishes his life (cf. 1P 3,15) and is personally involved in the truth that he proposes.
On the other hand, the witness never refers to himself but to something, or rather, to Someone greater than he, whom he has encountered and whose dependable goodness he has sampled. Thus, every educator and witness finds an unequalled model in Jesus Christ, the Father's great witness, who said nothing about himself but spoke as the Father had taught him (cf. Jn Jn 8,28).
This is the reason why prayer, which is personal friendship with Christ and contemplation in him of the face of the Father, is indispensably at the root of the formation of the Christian and of the transmission of the faith. The same is, of course, also true for all our missionary commitment, and particularly for the pastoral care of families: therefore, may the Family of Nazareth be for our families and our communities the object of constant and confident prayer as well as their life model.
Dear brothers and sisters, and especially you, dear priests, I am aware of the generosity and dedication with which you serve the Lord and the Church. Your daily work forming the new generations in the faith, in close connection with the sacraments of Christian initiation, as well as marriage preparation and offering guidance to families in their often difficult progress, particularly in the important task of raising children, is the fundamental way to regenerating the Church ever anew, and also to reviving the social fabric of our beloved city of Rome.
Continue, therefore, without letting yourselves be discouraged by the difficulties you encounter. The educational relationship is delicate by nature: in fact, it calls into question the freedom of the other who, however gently, is always led to make a decision. Neither parents nor priests nor catechists, nor any other educators can substitute for the freedom of the child, adolescent or young person whom they are addressing. The proposal of Christianity in particular challenges the very essence of freedom and calls it to faith and conversion.
Today, a particularly insidious obstacle to the task of educating is the massive presence in our society and culture of that relativism which, recognizing nothing as definitive, leaves as the ultimate criterion only the self with its desires. And under the semblance of freedom it becomes a prison for each one, for it separates people from one another, locking each person into his or her own "ego".
With such a relativistic horizon, therefore, real education is not possible without the light of the truth; sooner or later, every person is in fact condemned to doubting in the goodness of his or her own life and the relationships of which it consists, the validity of his or her commitment to build with others something in common.
Consequently, it is clear that not only must we seek to get the better of relativism in our work of forming people, but we are also called to counter its destructive predominance in society and culture. Hence, as well as the words of the Church, the witness and public commitment of Christian families is very important, especially in order to reassert the inviolability of human life from conception until its natural end, the unique and irreplaceable value of the family founded on marriage and the need for legislative and administrative measures that support families in the task of bringing children into the world and raising them, an essential duty for our common future. I also offer you my heartfelt thanks for this commitment.
I would like to entrust to you a last message concerning the care of vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life: we all know the Church's great need of them!
First of all, prayer is crucial in order that these vocations be born and reach maturity, and that those called will always continue to be worthy of their vocation; prayer should never be lacking in any family or Christian community.
However, the life witness of priests and men and women religious and their joy in having been called by the Lord is also fundamental.
Equally so is the essential example that children receive in their own family and the conviction of families themselves that for them too, the vocation of a child of theirs is a great gift from the Lord. Indeed, the choice of virginity for the love of God and the brethren, which is required for priesthood and for consecrated life, goes hand in hand with the estimation of Christian marriage: both, in two different and complementary ways, make visible in a certain way the mystery of God's Covenant with his people.
Dear brothers and sisters, I consign these thoughts to you as a contribution to your work in the evening sessions of the Convention, and later, during the coming pastoral year. I ask the Lord to give you courage and enthusiasm, so that our Church of Rome, each parish, religious community, association or movement, may participate more intensely in the joy and labours of the mission; thus, each family and the entire Christian community will rediscover in the Lord's love the key that opens the door of hearts and makes possible a true education in the faith and people's formation.
My affection and my Blessing go with you today and in the future.
Thursday, 9 June 2005
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Friends,
I am pleased to welcome to the Vatican a delegation of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations.
Our meeting takes place during this year which marks the fortieth anniversary of the Declaration Nostra Aetate of the Second Vatican Council, whose teaching has served as the basis of the Church’s relationship with the Jewish people since then. The Council affirmed the Church’s conviction that, in the mystery of the divine election, the beginnings of her faith are already to be found in Abraham, Moses and the Prophets. On the basis of this spiritual patrimony and the teaching of the Gospel, it called for greater mutual understanding and esteem between Christians and Jews and deplored all manifestations of hatred, persecution and antisemitism (Nostra Aetate NAE 4). At the very beginning of my Pontificate, I wish to assure you that the Church remains firmly committed, in her catechesis and in every aspect of her life, to implementing this decisive teaching.
In the years following the Council, my predecessors Pope Paul VI and, in a particular way, Pope John Paul II, took significant steps towards improving relations with the Jewish people. It is my intention to continue on this path. The history of relations between our two communities has been complex and often painful, yet I am convinced that the “spiritual patrimony” treasured by Christian and Jews is itself the source of the wisdom and inspiration capable of guiding us toward “a future of hope” in accordance with the divine plan (cf. Jer Jr 29,11). At the same time, remembrance of the past remains for both communities a moral imperative and a source of purification in our efforts to pray and work for reconciliation, justice, respect for human dignity and for that peace which is ultimately a gift from the Lord himself. Of its very nature this imperative must include a continued reflection on the profound historical, moral and theological questions presented by the experience of the Shoah.
During the past thirty-five years the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations has met with delegations of the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews eighteen times, including the most recent meeting, in Buenos Aires in July 2004, devoted to the theme “Justice and Charity.” I give thanks to the Lord for the progress which has been made in these years, and I encourage you to persevere in your important work, laying the foundations for continued dialogue and the building of a reconciled world, a world ever more in harmony with the Creator’s will. Upon all of you and upon your loved ones I cordially invoke the divine blessings of wisdom, strength and peace.
Friday, 10 June 2005
Dear Brother Bishops,
1. "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity" (Ps 133,1). In this spirit of harmony I welcome you, the Bishops of South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia and Lesotho, with joy and affection. Through you I extend my warm greetings to the clergy, religious and laity in your countries. In this year dedicated to the Eucharist you are blessed to make your solemn visit ad limina apostolorum."The Eucharist, the heart of Christian life and the source of the Church's evangelizing mission, cannot but constitute the permanent centre and source of the Petrine Ministry" (Message at the Missa Pro Ecclesia, 20 April 2005, 4). Likewise, it must always be at the heart of your Episcopal ministry and an inspiration to those who assist you in your sacred task.
2. Communion with Christ is the unfailing source of every element of ecclesial life - "first of all communion among all the faithful, the commitment to proclaiming and witnessing to the Gospel, the ardour of love for all, especially the poorest and lowliest" (ibid.). Catholics in your region constitute a minority. This presents many challenges which require dedication on the part of the Church to tend the flock effectively and, at the same time, remain faithful to her missionary commitment. For this reason it is essential that the bishops promote the crucial work of catechesis in order to ensure that God's people are truly prepared to witness by word and deed to the authentic teaching of the Gospel. As I look at the Church in Africa, and at all that has been accomplished there over the last century, I give thanks to our Heavenly Father for the many priests, religious and lay men and women who have given their lives to this noble task. Bishops have a particular responsibility to ensure that these "irreplaceable evangelizers" are provided with the necessary spiritual, doctrinal and moral preparation (cf. Ecclesia in Africa, 91).
3. Even though your region still needs more priests, one cannot help but thank God for the large number of vocations to the priesthood you are currently witnessing in Sub-Saharan Africa. As Shepherds of Christ's flock, it is your grave responsibility to help them develop into men of the Eucharist. Priests are called to leave everything and become ever more devoted to the Blessed Sacrament, leading men and women to this mystery and the peace it brings (cf. Homily Pentecost Sunday 2005). I encourage you, therefore, in your ongoing efforts to select conscientiously candidates for the priesthood. Likewise these young men should be formed with great concern to guarantee that they are prepared for the many challenges they will face, helping them manifest in word and deed the peace and joy of our Lord and Saviour. A world filled with temptations needs priests who are totally dedicated to their mission. Accordingly, they are asked in a very special way to open themselves fully to serving others as Christ did by embracing the gift of celibacy. Bishops should assist them by ensuring that this gift never becomes a burden but always remains life-giving. One of the ways this can be achieved is by bringing ministers of word and sacrament together for continuing education, retreats and days of recollection.
4. Family life has always been a unifying characteristic of African society. In fact, it is within the "domestic Church", "built on the solid cultural pillar and noble values of the African tradition of the family", that children first learn of the centrality of the Eucharist in Christian life (cf. Ecclesia in Africa, 92). It is of great concern that the fabric of African life, its very source of hope and stability, is threatened by divorce, abortion, prostitution, human trafficking and a contraceptive mentality, all of which contribute to a breakdown in sexual morality. Brother Bishops, I share your deep concern over the devastation caused by AIDS and related diseases. I especially pray for the widows, the orphans, the young mothers and all those whose lives have been shattered by this cruel epidemic. I urge you to continue your efforts to fight this virus which not only kills but seriously threatens the economic and social stability of the Continent. The Catholic Church has always been at the forefront both in prevention and in treatment of this illness. The traditional teaching of the Church has proven to be the only failsafe way to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. For this reason, "the companionship, joy, happiness and peace which Christian marriage and fidelity provide, and the safeguard which chastity gives, must be continuously presented to the faithful, particularly the young" (Ecclesia in Africa, 116).
5. Dear Brothers, as we continue to celebrate a year devoted to the Holy Eucharist, I pray that you will be sustained by the Lord's promise - "I am with you always" (Mt 28,19). May your witness as men filled with Eucharistic hope help your flocks to arrive at an ever-greater appreciation of this Mystery. To each of you and to all those under your pastoral care, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.
Thursday, 16 June 2005
Your Excellency,
I am pleased to welcome you today and to accept the Letters of Credence by which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of New Zealand to the Holy See. I thank you for the gracious words of greeting and I would ask you to convey to the Government and people of New Zealand my sincere best wishes and the assurance of my prayers for the well-being of the nation.
The people of your country, I know, are very conscious of the duty to promote peace and solidarity in our world. Last year your Prime Minister, accompanied by a group of veterans, visited the historic site of Monte Cassino to honour the countless young men who courageously sacrificed their lives to defend fundamental universal values being threatened by false nationalist ideologies. Still today, this readiness to protect and promote the values of justice and peace, which transcend cultural or national boundaries, is a well-recognized and laudable trait of your people. Tangible expressions of this are found in your nation’s participation in aid projects and peace-keeping operations extending from the Solomon Islands to Afghanistan and the Middle East, as well as the willingness to champion the causes of sustainable development and environmental protection. At its most significant level, this generosity elicits a recognition of the essential nature of human life as a gift and of our world as a family of persons.
The desire to uphold the common good is founded on the belief that man comes into the world as a gift of the Creator. It is from God that all men and women - made in his image - receive their common inviolable dignity and their summons to responsibility. Today, when individuals often forget their origin and thus lose sight of their goal, they easily fall prey to whimsical social trends, the distortion of reason by particular interest groups, and exaggerated individualism. Confronted with this “crisis of meaning” (cf. Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio, 81), civic and religious authorities are called to work together encouraging everyone, including the young, to “direct their steps towards a truth which transcends them” (ibid., 5). Sundered from that universal truth, which is the only guarantee of freedom and happiness, individuals are at the mercy of caprice and slowly lose the capacity to discover the profoundly satisfying meaning of human life.
New Zealanders traditionally have recognized and celebrated the place of marriage and stable domestic life at the heart of their society and indeed continue to expect social and political forces to support families and to protect the dignity of women, especially the most vulnerable. They appreciate that secular distortions of marriage can never overshadow the splendour of a life-long covenant based on generous self-giving and unconditional love. Correct reason tells them that “the future of humanity passes by way of the family” (Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio FC 86) which offers society a secure foundation for its aspirations. I therefore encourage the people of Aotearoa, through you Mr Ambassador, to continue to take up the challenge of forging a pattern of life, both individually and as a community, in relation to God’s plan for all humanity.
The disquieting process of secularization is occurring in many parts of the world. Where the Christian foundations of society risk being forgotten, the task of preserving the transcendent dimension present in every culture and of strengthening the authentic exercise of individual freedom against relativism becomes increasingly difficult. Such a predicament calls for both Church and civil leaders to ensure that the question of morality is given ample discussion in the public forum. In this regard, there is a great need today to recover a vision of the mutual relationship between civil law and moral law which, as well as being proposed by the Christian tradition, is also part of the patrimony of the great juridical traditions of humanity (cf. Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae EV 71). Only in this way can the multiple claims to‘rights’be linked to truth and the nature of authentic freedom be correctly understood in relation to that truth which sets its limits and reveals its goals.
For her part the Catholic Church in New Zealand continues to do all she can to uphold the Christian foundations of civic life. She is much involved in the spiritual and intellectual formation of the young, especially through her schools. Additionally her charitable apostolate extends to those living on the margins of society and I am confident that, through her mission of service, she will respond generously to new social challenges as they arise.
Your Excellency, I know that your appointment will serve to strengthen further the bonds of friendship which already exist between New Zealand and the Holy See. As you take up your new responsibilities I assure you that the various offices of the Roman Curia are ready to assist you in the fulfilment of your duties. Upon you, your family and your fellow citizens, I cordially invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.
Thursday, 16 June 2005
Your Excellency,
It is with particular pleasure that I welcome you to the Vatican as the first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Holy See. On this auspicious occasion I would ask you kindly to convey my cordial greetings to His Excellency President Aliev, and to the Government and people of your noble land. Assure them of my gratitude for their good wishes and of my prayers for the nation’s peace and well-being.
The Church’s diplomatic relations form a part of her mission of service to the international community. Her engagement with civil society is anchored in the conviction that the task of building a more just world must acknowledge and consider man’s supernatural vocation. The Holy See strives therefore to promote an understanding of the human person who “receives from God his essential dignity and with it the capacity to transcend every social order so as to move towards truth and goodness” (Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus CA 38). From this foundation the Church applies the universal values which safeguard the dignity of every person and serve the common good to the vast array of cultures and nations that constitute our world.
The people of Azerbaijan know only too well that, if the spiritual dimension of persons is repressed or even denied, the soul of a nation is crushed. During the tragic epoch of intimidation in eastern European history, while the supremacy of force prevailed, the monotheistic faith communities present for centuries in your country preserved a hope for justice and freedom, a future in which the supremacy of truth would prevail. Today, they propose this anew. In fact, when my beloved predecessor Pope John Paul II met last November with Religious Leaders of Azerbaijan representing the Muslim, Russian Orthodox and Jewish communities, he commented that the gathering was a symbol for the world of how tolerance between faith communities prepares the ground for a broader human, civil, and social development in greater solidarity.
As Azerbaijan continues to engage in the delicate task of forging its national character, it is to faith communities that political and civic authorities can turn for a determined commitment to shaping the social order in accordance with the common good. Such commitment demands that religious freedom, which preserves the singularity of each faith community, be sanctioned as a fundamental civil right and afforded protection by a robust framework of juridical norms which respect the laws and duties proper to religious communities (cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis Humanae DH 2). Such practical support of religious freedom by political leaders becomes a sure means for authentic social progress and peace. In this regard, I acknowledge with thanks the role of President Aliev and your Government in facilitating the reconstruction of the Catholic Church in Bakù together with the foundation of a home for the needy.
Mr Ambassador, sound economic development has been a long-standing aspiration of all Azerbaijan’s citizens. It is also a right which carries the corresponding duty to contribute, according to one’s ability, to the genuine progress of the community. The priority of promoting social and commercial projects capable of creating a more equitable society represents a difficult though stimulating challenge for all who regulate and work in the business sector.
Your country has already taken some steps towards ensuring the fundamental rights of its citizens and promoting democratic practices. Much, however, remains to be achieved. Only in respecting the inviolable dignity of the human person and promoting the corresponding individual liberties can a civil society be constructed which contributes to the prosperity of all its citizens. Be assured that the Catholic Church community, though few in number in Azerbaijan, will, for its part, continue to contribute selflessly to the promotion of justice and the protection of the poor.
Your Excellency, I am confident that the diplomatic mission which you begin today will further strengthen the already fruitful relations existing between the Holy See and your country. Please know that the various offices of the Roman Curia are ready to assist you in the fulfilment of your duties. With my sincere good wishes, I invoke upon you, your family and all the people of Azerbaijan, abundant divine blessings.
Thursday, 16 June 2005
Mr Ambassador,
I am pleased to welcome you, Your Excellency, on the occasion of the presentation of the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Guinea to the Holy See.
I am touched by your courteous words remembering my venerable Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, and I thank you for the cordial good wishes that you have conveyed to me from H.E. General Lansana Conté, President of the Republic, as well as from the Government and the Guinean People. I reciprocate by asking you to kindly assure the President of my good wishes for happiness and prosperity, for himself and for all the People of Guinea.
Mr Ambassador, you have informed me of your Country's attachment to the ideals of peace and brotherhood, particularly among the peoples of your region, so sorely tried in recent years. Indeed, it is only by trusting in dialogue that it is possible to defuse tensions and conflicts, for the benefit and well-being of all.
In order to respond effectively to the people's aspirations for true peace, a gift that comes to us from God, it is also our duty to commit ourselves to building it on the firm foundations of truth, justice and solidarity.
Among the consequences of the violence your region is suffering, we are unfortunately also witnessing the development of the tragedy of displaced populations, which creates humanitarian emergencies. Your Country has generously responded to this distress, in particular by offering hospitality to a large number of refugees, often at the price of great sacrifices. This is first and foremost a tragedy of men and women whose sufferings must be alleviated and to whom new hope must be given.
It is the causes of these tragedies, however, that must be uprooted, for they are seriously affecting the human dignity of beings whom God has created. I hope that the national Governments will not forget the refugees in several African countries who are impatiently waiting for the Government to pay attention to their plight, and for the international community to commit itself with firm determination to furthering peace and justice.
In each country, the establishment of peace begins with the quest for friendly relations and cooperation between the different ethnic, cultural and religious communities. Authentic faith cannot give rise to violence; on the contrary, it encourages peace and love.
Despite the difficulties, the Catholic Church is committed to pursuing her efforts to encourage understanding and respect among the believers of the different religious traditions.
I rejoice, therefore, to know that in Guinea, Christians and Muslims are working together for the common good of society. In developing relations of trust, with respect for the legitimate rights of each community, believers, in union with all people of good will, contribute to building a society that is free from every kind of moral and social degradation, so that each one can live in dignity and solidarity.
Through you, Mr Ambassador, I would like to greet with affection the Catholic faithful of Guinea and their Bishops. I warmly encourage them to advance generously on the paths of peace and brotherhood with all their compatriots. Strengthened by the help of God's Spirit, may they be signs of hope for their people and ardent witnesses of the Lord's love!
Your Excellency, at the time when you are beginning your mission to the Apostolic See, I offer you my best wishes for the noble task that awaits you. With my collaborators, you will always find the attentive welcome and cordial understanding you may need.
I wholeheartedly invoke upon you, Your Excellency, upon your collaborators, upon your family, upon the Guinean people and its leaders, an abundance of divine Blessings.
Thursday, 16 June 2005
Your Excellency,
As I accept the Letters accrediting you as the Ambassador and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Zimbabwe, I offer you a warm welcome to the Vatican. I ask you kindly to convey to President Mugabe my greetings and prayerful good wishes for your nation and all its people.
With the elections of 31 March 2005, Zimbabwe made a new beginning in confronting the grave social problems which have affected the nation in recent years. It is my fervent hope that the elections will not only contribute to the immediate goals of pacification and economic recovery, but will also lead to the moral rebuilding of society and the consolidation of a democratic order committed to enacting policies dictated by genuine concern for the common good and the integral development of each individual and every social group. At this important hour in the history of your country, particular concern must be shown for the poor, the disenfranchised and the young, who have been most affected by the political and economic instability and who demand genuine reforms aimed at meeting their basic needs and opening before them a future of hope. The great challenge of national reconciliation also demands that while past injustices be recognized and addressed, every effort must be made in the future to act with justice and respect for the dignity and rights of others.
In this regard, I can only second the observations made by Zimbabwe’s Bishops on the eve of the recent elections about the urgent need for “a responsible and accountable leadership” marked by truthfulness, a spirit of service to others, honest management of public goods, commitment to the rule of law and the promotion of the right and duty of all citizens to participate in the life of society. The noble goal of attaining the common good through an ordered social life can only be attained if political leaders are devoted to ensuring the welfare of individuals and groups in a spirit of integrity and fairness. Looking towards Africa’s future role in the international community, my predecessor, Pope John Paul II, insisted that “a better world will come about only if it is built on the foundation of sound ethical and spiritual principles” (Ecclesia in Africa, 114).
I appreciate Your Excellency’s kind reference to the religious, educational and charitable apostolate of the Church in your country, and I assure you of the desire of the nation’s Catholics to support the legitimate aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe. Through her network of educational institutions, hospitals, dispensaries and orphanages the Church stands at the service of people of all religions. She seeks to offer a specific contribution to the future of the nation by educating people in the practical skills and the spiritual values which will serve as the foundation for social renewal. For her part, the Church asks only for the freedom to carry out her proper mission, which serves the coming of God’s Kingdom through her prophetic witness to the Gospel and her inculcation of its moral teaching. The Church thus works for the building of a harmonious and just society, while at the same time respecting and encouraging the freedom and responsibility of citizens to participate in the political process and in the pursuit of the common good.
Your Excellency, as you undertake your mission of representing the Republic of Zimbabwe to the Holy See, I offer my good wishes for the success of your work. Be assured that you may always count on the offices of the Roman Curia to assist and support you in the fulfilment of your high responsibilities. Upon you and your family, and upon all your fellow-citizens, I cordially invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.
Thursday, 16 June 2005
Mr Ambassador,
I am pleased to welcome you on the occasion of the presentation of the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Swiss Confederation to the Holy See, and I thank you for your kind words. I would be most grateful if you would kindly convey to the President of the Swiss Confederation and to the Federal Council my gratitude for their courteous greetings, and reciprocate by expressing to them my cordial good wishes for all the inhabitants of Switzerland.
How could I fail to mention, at the beginning of our meeting, the Visit of my Predecessor Pope John Paul II to your Country and his memorable meeting with the young people, a sign of hope for all Swiss Catholics?
At the same time, I am delighted with the cordial diplomatic relations that exist between your Country and the Holy See. I am equally pleased with the open dialogue between the representatives of the Swiss Confederation and the Country's Bishops, in an attempt to find satisfactory solutions, for both the Confederation and the Cantons, to any difficulties in their mutual relations that might still exist.
After the example of most Western European countries, Swiss society has experienced a considerable evolution in its customs and, under the combined pressures of technological progress and the wishes of a part of public opinion, new laws have been proposed in various sectors that affect respect for life and for the family. This concerns the delicate questions of the transmission of life, of sickness and of the end of life, but also the place of the family and respect for marriage.
On all these issues that are related to the fundamental values, the Catholic Church has clearly expressed herself through the voices of her Pastors and will continue to do so as long as necessary, to recall ceaselessly the inalienable greatness of human dignity that demands respect for human rights and, first and foremost, of the right to life.
I would like to encourage Swiss society to remain open to the surrounding world, to retain its place in the world and in Europe, and to put its talents at the service of the human community, especially in the poorest countries that will not be able to develop without this assistance.
Likewise, I hope that your Country will continue to be open to those who arrive in search of work or protection, convinced that its wealth also lies in the welcome it offers to others.
In a world where many conflicts are still in progress, it is important that the dialogue between cultures does not only involve the national leaders, but that it involve one and all, in families, in the places of education, in the world of work and in social relations, in order to build a true culture of peace.
Your Excellency, may I greet through you the Pastors and faithful of the Catholic Church who live in Switzerland. I know that they are concerned with preserving the vital link of communion with the Successor of Peter and harmoniously living with their Christian brothern of other traditions.
As you observed, Your Excellency, your young compatriots of the Pontifical Swiss Guard exemplify this connection between Switzerland and the Holy See, witnessing to a great sense of service.
At the time when you are inaugurating your mission, Mr Ambassador, please accept my very best wishes, and the assurance that you will always find welcome and understanding among my collaborators. Upon you, Your Excellency, upon your family, upon your collaborators and upon the entire Swiss People, I invoke an abundance of God's Blessings.
Thursday, 16 June 2005
Mr Ambassador,
I have the pleasure of welcoming you in the initial phase of my service on the Chair of Peter: welcome! Today you are presenting to me the Letters with which the President of the Republic of Malta accredits you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Holy See.
As I greet you, I address a thought of gratitude to the President of the Republic for the kind words that he has addressed to me through you, and that witness to the solid bond that has united the Community of Malta to the Church of Rome since the times of St Paul the Apostle.
Mr Ambassador, please be kind enough to convey to the President and his family my sentiments of friendship and spiritual closeness, together with my fervent good wishes for the entire Nation.
I feel close to the Maltese People. Down the centuries they have always shown their special, deep attachment to the Successor of Peter, Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the universal Church.
I am well acquainted with the fidelity to the Gospel and to the Church, Mr Ambassador, which are features of the Christians in the Country that you represent. Consistent with their Christian roots, they feel the importance of their mission also in this delicate phase of European and world history. The Maltese People know that it is an integral part of the large expanse known as Europe.
Moreover, in keeping with the noble spiritual and cultural traditions that have marked it down the centuries, it wishes to do its utmost to prevent the European Community in the third millennium from losing the patrimony of cultural and religious values of its past. Indeed, it is only on this condition that it will be possible to build a future of solidarity and peace with firm hope.
To give life to a united and supportive Europe is a commitment of all its peoples. Indeed, Europe must be able to combine the legitimate interests of each nation with the requirements of the common good of the whole Continent.
I am grateful to you, Mr Ambassador, for expressing the renewed desire of your Country to play the lead in this new phase of the Continent's history, by helping to reinforce its capacity for dialogue, for the defence and promotion of the family founded on marriage, for the Christian traditions and for openness to and an encounter with the different cultures and religions.
Mr Ambassador, these are some of the reflections that spontaneously rise in my heart at our first meeting. I assure you of the complete and sincere readiness of my collaborators to carry on a constructive dialogue with you, in order to facilitate the fulfilment of your lofty mission.
Lastly, allow me to express once again my high esteem for the citizens of Malta, a Country as dear to my venerable Predecessors as it is to me. I express fervent good wishes for the well-being of the entire population, which I accompany with a special Apostolic Blessing strengthened by prayer for you, for the Authorities, for your loved ones and for all the citizens of your illustrious Nation.
Thursday, 16 June 2005
Mr Ambassador,
I am pleased to welcome you, Your Excellency, on the occasion of the presentation of the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Rwanda to the Holy See. Thank you for conveying to me the greetings of H.E. Mr Paul Kagamé, President of the Republic. I would be grateful if you would kindly reciprocate by expressing to him my best wishes for his mission and for the entire Rwandan People.
You emphasize, Mr Ambassador, your Government's willingness to continue developing the relations that exist between the Republic of Rwanda and the Holy See; the 40th anniversary of these established relations was celebrated in 2004. This collaboration is based on the common desire, with respect for the prerogatives of each one, that all the inhabitants, without exception, be offered conditions of coexistence that will enable them to take an ever greater part in the human and spiritual progress of their Country, scarred by its recent history.
Ceremonies to commemorate the genocide took place last year, reminding Rwandans and the whole world of the terrible tragedy that occurred in 1994, which rent the social, economic, cultural and family fabric of the country. Today, we must feel called to work without respite for peace and reconciliation, to prepare a serene future for the present and future generations!
This implies, first of all, a conscientious self-examination regarding the profound causes of this tragedy, to plant in memories and in hearts the imperative duty of learning to live as brothers and sisters and rejecting barbarity in all its forms. This also requires the guarantee of conditions of security that allow the democratic institutions to function harmoniously. Likewise, it is important to guarantee to all citizens their basic rights. They must be given access to an equitable justice that serves the truth and banishes fear, revenge, impunity and inequality in the near future.
It is to be hoped that the efforts being made to establish real, reconciliatory justice will consolidate national unity and determine political, economic and social decisions that will encourage the ongoing development of the Country, the recovery of dignity for all its inhabitants and an increase in stability for the Great Lakes Region.
I was moved by your words, Your Excellency, stressing the positive role played by the Catholic Church in the process of national reconstruction. The Church, in fact, is deeply involved in the process of reconciliation and forgiveness, through the statements of her Bishops, whom I met here recently, through her numerous institutions in the areas of charitable aid, education and health care, as well as through her pastoral care that is dedicated to healing hearts and helping people rediscover the joy of living together as brothers and sisters.
In this Year of the Eucharist, the faithful and their Pastors are particularly focused on their ability to celebrate the Sacrament of unity on Sunday. Here, they find new strength to become artisans of communion and hope.
As I reminded the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, the Church "asks no privileges for herself but only the legitimate conditions of freedom to carry out her mission" (Address to the Diplomatic Corps, 12 May 2005; L'Osservatore Romano English edition, 18 May 2005, p. 2). It is to be hoped that dialogue, followed-up with the Authorities of your Country, will help people perceive more and more clearly the desire of the Catholic Church to take an active part in the human and spiritual development of all Rwandans.
These bonds of trusting collaboration are necessary to the Church if she is to exercise her mission ever more effectively and work for brotherhood and peace, with respect for the specific features of the human and religious communities that make up the Nation. The organization of Congresses on education and health care witness to the common concern to build a more united Nation, with respect for the mission of each one, in which there is greater solidarity.
At the time when you are inaugurating your mission to the Holy See, I offer you my very best wishes for its success. You may rest assured that with my collaborators you will always find the attentive and understanding welcome you may need.
Your Excellency, I wholeheartedly invoke upon you, your family, your collaborators and all the Rwandan People and their Leaders, an abundance of divine Blessings.
Thursday, 16 June 2005
Your Excellencies,
I am pleased to welcome you for the presentation of the Letters accrediting you as Ambassadors of your respective countries: Azerbaijan, Guinea, Malta, New Zealand, Rwanda, Switzerland and Zimbabwe. I ask you to thank your Heads of State for their courteous messages and to convey my greetings and esteem to them.
Through you, I would like to offer a fraternal greeting to all the Peoples whom you represent and to whom I would like to express my warmest, most fervent good wishes, repeating to all the men and women of all your Countries that I am close to them and that I am praying for them. I ask them to commit themselves to creating a humanity that is more and more brotherly with renewed attention to all, especially to the poorest and those marginalized by society.
In this regard, our world is facing numerous challenges that it must successfully confront so that the human person may always triumph over technology. A just future for peoples must be the primary concern of those who have undertaken to manage public affairs, not in their own interest but with a view to the common good. Our heart cannot be at peace while we see our brothers and sisters suffering from lack of food, work, a home or the other fundamental goods.
To make a concrete response to the appeal of our brothers and sisters in humanity, we must come to grips with the first of these challenges: solidarity among generations, solidarity between countries and entire continents, so that all human beings may share more equitably in the riches of our planet. This is one of the essential services that people of good will must render to humanity. The earth, in fact, can produce enough to nourish all its inhabitants, on the condition that the rich countries do not keep for themselves what belongs to all.
The Church will never tire of reminding everyone that they must take pains to create a human brotherhood that consists of concrete gestures on the part of individuals and of Governments and international Institutions.
For her part, having made sharing the heart of her life since apostolic times, the Church will continue on all the continents to go to the aid of their populations with the support of the local communities and of all people of good will, especially in the areas of education, health care and the basic goods. I know that as diplomats, you are particularly sensitive to this aspect of life in society and that diplomacy has an important role to play.
At the time when you are beginning your mission to the Apostolic See, I offer you my very best wishes and invoke an abundance of divine Blessings upon you yourselves as well as upon your families, your co-workers and upon the Nations you represent.
Thursday, 16 June 2005
Dear General Secretary,
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ph 1,2). With these words of Saint Paul, I gladly welcome you and the members of the delegation from the World Council of Churches. After your installation as General Secretary you had planned to visit my beloved predecessor Pope John Paul II. Though this hope was never realized, I thank you for representing the World Council of Churches at his funeral, and I express my gratitude for the message which you sent to me on the occasion of the solemn inauguration of my own ministry as Bishop of Rome.
Relations between the Catholic Church and the World Council developed during the Second Vatican Council, where two observers from Geneva were present at all four sessions. This led in 1965 to the establishment of the Joint Working Group as an instrument of ongoing contact and cooperation, which would keep in mind the common task of unity in answer to the Lord’s own prayer, “that they may all be one” (Jn 17,21). Next November an important consultation on the future of the Joint Working Group will be held to mark the fortieth anniversary of its founding. My hope and prayer is that its purpose and working methodology will be further clarified for the sake of ever more effective ecumenical understanding, cooperation and progress.
In the very first days of my Pontificate I stated that my “primary task is the duty to work tirelessly to rebuild the full and visible unity of all Christ’s followers.” This requires, in addition to good intentions, “concrete gestures which enter hearts and stir consciences… inspiring in everyone that inner conversion that is the prerequisite for all ecumenical progress” (Missa pro ecclesia, 5).
Pope John Paul II often recalled that the heart of the search for Christian unity is “spiritual ecumenism”. He saw its core in terms of being in Christ: “To believe in Christ means to desire unity; to desire unity means to desire the Church; to desire the Church means to desire the communion of grace which corresponds to the Father's plan from all eternity. Such is the meaning of Christ's prayer: “Ut unum sint” (Encyclical Letter Ut Unum Sint UUS 9).
It is my hope that your visit to the Holy See has been fruitful, strengthening the bonds of understanding and friendship between us. The commitment of the Catholic Church to the search for Christian unity is irreversible. I therefore wish to assure you that she is eager to continue cooperation with the World Council of Churches. Again, I offer a special word of encouragement to you, Mr General Secretary, to the members of the Central Committee and to the entire staff, as you work to lead and renew this important ecumenical body. Please know that you are in my prayers and that you have my unfailing goodwill. “May grace and peace be yours in abundance” (2P 1,2).
Saturday, 18 June 2005
Your Eminence,
Dear Brothers in the Episcopate,
I greet you with joy while you are making your ad limina visit to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul and thereby expressing your communion with the Apostolic See. I thank the President of your Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Fulgence Rabeony of Toliara, for presenting the situation of the Church in your Country. I hope that the entire Malagasy people will live in God's peace and courageously persevere in building a society that is ever more respectful of the human being and his dignity!
The celebration of Christ's Paschal Mystery has a central place in the life and ministry of the Bishop. In this Year of the Eucharist, I invite you in particular to renew your attachment to Christ who never ceases to give himself to us in this sacrament. By your exemplary life and by your teaching, actively collaborating with one another, lead the faithful towards friendship with Christ, encouraging them to be more and more generously charitable to their brethren! You will thus support the commitment of the lay people of your dioceses to public life, in fidelity to the vocation they have received. Indeed, by working to establish a more just society, fighting corruption, insecurity and all forms of exploitation of the poorest persons, they express the Church's concern for the true good of man.
Our episcopal ministry demands that we help the faithful in our care to acquire an enlightened faith that is rooted in an intimate encounter with Christ. It is he who must be the measure of all things, making it possible to discern where truth is found so that we may confront the problems of our day with authentic fidelity to his teaching.
In this perspective, the inculturation of the faith in the Malagasy culture remains an important goal. The acceptance of modernity does not exclude these Christian roots; on the contrary, it requires them. Relying on an enlightened faith is indispensable if genuine progress is to be made in the search for the unity of Christ's disciples. However, the creation of trusting, brotherly relations with each other must also provide for the requirements of the Catholic identity in truth, avoiding any gesture that not only might distress the faithful but also accommodate religious relativism.
In your ministry, priests are your closest collaborators. Although they sometimes live in difficult conditions, many are generous and close to the people. It is your responsibility to sustain them in their difficulties, to be a father and a demanding guide for each one.
Gospel proclamation requires high quality priests, from the intellectual as well as the spiritual and moral viewpoints, who bear witness throughout their lives to an unreserved attachment to Christ and his Church. I strongly urge you, therefore, to give priority to serious formation in your seminaries and to seek to develop the means for the ongoing formation of your priests.
As we come to the end of our meeting, I ask you to greet with affection the priests, men and women religious, catechists and all the faithful of your dioceses. I warmly encourage them in the witness of faith and charity which they render to Christ in conditions that are often very difficult, and I also appreciate the missionaries' generous work. May the Spirit of the Lord be their hope and obtain that each one contribute to the proclamation of the Gospel, in accordance with his or her vocation! As I entrust you to the motherly intercession of the Virgin Mary and to the prayers of your compatriot, Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo, I impart my Apostolic Blessing to you all.
Thursday, 23 June 2005
Your Beatitude,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Members and Friends of ROACO,
I am pleased to welcome you all today when you are gathered in Rome for the Annual Assembly of Organizations for Aid to the Eastern Churches (ROACO). I offer each one of you a cordial welcome. I greet Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, with Archbishop Antonio Maria Vegliò, Secretary, and the Collaborators of the Dicastery. I extend a special greeting to Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, Major Archbishop of Lviv, and to all those who are members of ROACO because of the attention it gives to the territories, communities and institutions of the Eastern Churches.
Since Christ was first proclaimed, the poor and needy Christian communities have been supported in various ways by the more fortunate. In our day, all too often marked by incentives to individualism, it is more necessary than ever that Christians offer the witness of a solidarity that crosses every border to build a world in which all feel welcomed and respected. Those who carry out this mission personally or as a community sow the seeds of authentic love, love that sets the heart free and brings everywhere that joy "that no one can take away" because it comes from the Lord. I would like to thank you, dear friends of ROACO, for all you are doing for your brothers and sisters in difficulty, and in particular, for your efforts to make tangible that charity which binds together Christians of the Latin and of the Eastern traditions. Strengthening these bonds is a valuable service to the universal Church. Persevere, therefore, in this admirable task, and indeed, extend the horizons of your action even further.
In these days you have examined in particular the situation of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine whose continuous development, following the sad winter of the Communist regime is a cause of joy and hope, also because the ancient and noble spiritual heritage, preserved by the Greek Catholic community, is a true treasure for the progress of the entire Ukrainian People. I therefore tell you: support its ecclesial journey and foster all that encourages reconciliation and brotherhood among the Christians of beloved Ukraine.
During your meeting you also reflected on the formation of priests, seminarians and Religious who belong to the various Eastern Catholic Churches and who are studying either in Rome or in their Homeland. The presence beside the Chair of Peter of about 500 Eastern rite students of the Catholic Churches is an opportunity to utilize. At the same time, you rightly realize that it is necessary to take the greatest care in upgrading the institutions for formation that are open in the Eastern Churches: in addition to providing material aid, it is also necessary to give an impetus to formation activities which, on the one hand deepen the genuine local tradition, duly taking into account the organic development of the Eastern Churches (cf. Orientalium Ecclesiarum OE 6) and on the other, bring to completion the authentic renewal proposed by the Second Vatican Council, which ended 40 years ago.
Dear ROACO members, Jerusalem and the Holy Land, to which all Christians have an unforgettable obligation (cf. Rom Rm 15,27), have always enjoyed your praiseworthy concern. Information about certain positive signs in recent months strengthen the hope that the day of reconciliation between the various communities working in the Holy Land will not be long in coming; for this let us unceasingly pray with trust.
To conclude, I would like once again to express my gratitude to you for the appreciated work you carry out. May the divine help and maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, be with you constantly in your daily activities. As I assure you of my special remembrance in prayer, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to you all, and willingly extend it to the Ecclesial Bodies you represent, and to your families.
Speechs 2005