Speeches 1980 - Nairobi
Thursday, 8 May 1980
Dear Friends,
1. After two unforgettable days, I wish to express my profound gratitude for the truly African hospitality which I have received here. The kindness, the openness and the joy of the people of Kenya have impressed me deeply. Now I know what it means to be swept up by the enthusiastic reception of an African community. More than ever, I now feel that I belong to you.
My mission now takes me to other African countries. Thank you for the strength and the joy you have given me. Thank you for having made me so much a part of your hopes and achievements, for having shared with me your determination to go on building a nation, united in its pursuit of just progress for all, faithful to its culture and traditions, strong in its belief that joint efforts will succeed.
I keep in my heart and I shall cherish for ever all the moments of-this wonderful visit, all the people I have met; I shall remember your music and your songs. In the prayers we shared, I have felt deep communion with you, a communion that neither distance nor time can diminish.
2. My gratitude goes to His Excellency the President of Kenya, to all the autorities of the nation and of the city of Nairobi, to those responsible for public order during these days. I feel indebted to all the people who have contributed their time, their work and their services to create the conditions that have made this visit such a rewarding experience. A very special word of thanks to the management and staff of the Voice of Kenya and the local press, as well as to the foreign media, which made it possible for me to enter, with my friendship and message, the homes and villages of many who could not be here. How much I would have liked to travel across your land and to meet each one of you, to greet and bless you, and to learn firsthand about your lives and struggles. I hope that the words and the pictures which the media have brought to you were able to convey my esteem, my encouragement and my deep love for every human being in this beautiful land.
3. How can I adequately express my gratitude to my brother Bishops for the moments of grace which we shared in our meetings and liturgical celebration? Moments of grace, yes, moments of divine grace; for I have seen that you have accepted the message of Christ. Your churches in the cities and villages, your schools and hospitals, the ministry of your priests, the dedication of your men and women religious, the sacramental life of your faithful, the many activities by which the laity assume their share of the mission of evangelization - all of this bears witness to the grace of God which is at work in your midst. At this moment of departure, I wish therefore to thank God with you for the dynamic Church in Kenya.
4. One last thought I wish to leave with you. A nation that holds God in honour cannot fail to receive the blessings of God. Even when you meet problems, even when new difficulties arise, your trust in God will be the guarantee that you will overcome all obstacles, and that you will build a nation where unity and love reign, where brotherhood and peace flourish, where everyone works together for the future in the spirit of Harambee. The Creator has given every human being a dignity that is unsurpassed and that is equal for all. Your common efforts in the further development of your nation will succeed when they are inspired by respect for the fundamental God-given dignity and rights of every man, woman and child, and by the desire to create the necessary conditions so that families and all people may enjoy the dignity that is theirs as children of God.
Assuring you once again of my fraternal affection and esteem, I now take leave of Kenya.
To all of you, to all the people of Kenya, I wish to say once more: thank you all! Asanteni sana!
Till we meet again! Kwa herini, kwa herini ya kuonana!
May God bless you! Mungu awabariki!
May God bless all Kenya!
Thursday, 8 May 1980
Mr President,
1. Your kind welcome on my arrival in Ghana gives me much pleasure, and I am grateful for the expression of esteem which you have directed to my person in your own name and on behalf of all the people of this country. On my part I assure you and all your fellow-citizens of my respect and friendship.
It is indeed a great joy to be in Ghana. Yours is a country blessed in so many ways. The rich variety of nature - low coastlands and high plains, forests and savannahs - marks the home of a people rich in linguistic and cultural expressions. At the same time they are united in a common resolve to be a nation where every man, woman and child, where every family and group feel respected in their dignity and in their desire to develop their potential to the full. My affectionate greeting goes to all the people of Ghana, wherever they may be. I greet them in the cities and the villages. I greet the authorities and the elders, the fathers and the mothers, and in a special way the young people and the children. To all I say, I have come as your friend. I have come to be with the poor, to comfort the sick, to speak a word of encouragement and hope to those who are lonely, abandoned or in pain.
2. At the moment of my arrival, I wish also to express my special joy at the opportunity to meet the beloved sons and daughters of the Catholic church in Ghana. My warm greeting and blessing goes in the first place to my Brothers in the Episcopate, the zealous and faithful Pastors of the People of God. To all the clergy, Ghanaian and from abroad, to the men and women religious, and to all the laity, I say: may the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you on this day and always. I have come to you as Bishops of Rome and Successor of Peter, as a father and brother to rejoice with you in our common faith, hope and charity, and to celebrate with you the communion that unites us.
3. I gladly avail myself of this opportunity to express to you, Mr President, and to all the civil authorities, my deep appreciation for the esteem and understanding which you manifest towards the Catholic Church, and which you translate into an effective collaboration in the field of education, health care and the many sectors of human advancement. The Church will always be grateful for the freedom to carry out her mission, which is religious in nature. And because she is the servant of mankind, the Church will always be ready to cooperate in promoting justice, peace and human dignity through the active participation of her members in common efforts, and through her continuous proclamation that all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God and therefore endowed with equal dignity and rights.
At the beginning of my visit of friendships and of peace in Ghana, I invoke upon this land and its people abundant blessings from Almighty God.
Thursday, 8 May 1980
Venerable and dear Brothers in the Episcopate,
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
1. After his Ascension into heaven, our Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit upon his Apostles and into his Church. The Holy Spirit was Jesus’ first gift to those who believe. Jesus himself had foretold the coming of the Spirit of Truth when he said: "... he will bear witness to me and you also are witnesses"[1].
And today in Accra, in this Cathedral dedicated to the Holy Spirit, we have assembled to celebrate this mystery, this great reality of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the Church - the presence of the Holy Spirit who continues to bear witness to Jesus and who stirs up new witnesses among the faithful in every generation. We rejoice to know that the Holy Spirit is with us still, that he unites the Church in her communion and in her ministry[2]. We rejoice that through the power of the Holy Spirit the great life-giving message of the death and Resurrection of Jesus has been passed on down the centuries, and that is has been brought to Ghana.
2. After the efforts at evangelization that had been made in previous centuries, two generous priests, Father Moreau and Father Murat, succeeded a hundred years ago in establishing the Catholic Church in this land. We praise the grace of God that brought them to the people of Ghana on that Pentecost Tuesday in 1880. And we bless the memory of all the missionaries who came subsequently, in order to bear witness to Christ through the power of his Holy Spirit. The seed of God’s word planted on Ghanaian soil has taken root; it has grown into a large tree and has brought forth fruits of holiness for the glory of the Most Holy Trinity.
In spite of difficulties and the vicissitudes of history, the Gospel has been freely offered and freely accepted. The Kingdom of God has been preached, and over and over again evangelization has reached its dynamic summit in the "clear proclamation that in Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man, who died and rose from the dead, salvation is offered to all men, as a gift of God’s grace and mercy"[3].
The genuine charity of Christ was the motivation for one missionary Congregation after another in sending its members to serve Ghana and her people, and the same genuine charity of Christ was the authentic means that bore such effective witness to the Gospel. Priests, Sisters and Brothers came on a mission of salvation and service. Each fulfilled his or her role. All of them together, through the power of the Holy Spirit, built up the Church by word and deed, by prayer and sacrifice. At a later date lay mission helpers came too, bearing witness to the universal missionary nature of the Church.
And all of these labourers for the Gospel have served valiantly - and with God’s help they will continue to work generously, side-by-side with their Ghanaian brothers and sisters, in the harvest of the Church.
3. But the same Holy Spirit who sustained dedicated missionaries also raised up new followers for Christ, vivifying the local Church and calling its members in turn to share the great task of evangelization. In the strength of the Paschal Mystery, people accepted the word of God; they believed and were baptized; they were nurtured on the Eucharist and came to maturity in Christian living. Entire Christian communities accepted the challenge to "walk in newness of life"[4]and to embrace the challenge of the Beatitudes in their fullness. The missionary contact that had begun with human affability and kindness led finally to the full flowering of parishes, which became "the prime mover and pre-eminent place for catechesis" and "a major point of reference for the Christian people"[5].
From the midst of these parishes and other Christian communities there came forth those generous young people who would heed God’s call to the priesthood and religious life and thus, together with the laity, fulfil their distinctive role in the one Church of God, as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people"[6].
In due time, Ghanaian Bishops were appointed to the pastoral leadership of the People of God.
With gratitude for what had already been achieved in the work of evangelization, they entered into the continuity of apostolic succession. The fact that all the Bishops of this country are now native Ghanaians is an eloquent testimony to the success of the work of the missionaries and to the solid implantation of the Church in this land. For this we give special thanks to God on the occasion of the celebration of this centenary.
4. The one Body of Christ was likewise to perceive its common task, its essential mission, its deepest identity, which was later so accurately expressed by Paul VI in this way: "Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church"[7]. Above all, the spread of the Gospel was to be linked with the witness of love, in accordance with Christ’s words: "This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you"[8] . In the observance of this commandment all Christian societies find their secure basis. And the love to which all Christians are called is itself the ladder by which every generation ascends to God and to eternal life.
5. You, my brother priests, at the service of your brothers and sisters of the laity - all of whom are called to holiness of life, all of whom are witnesses for the Kingdom of God - you have the particular mission of proclaiming the Gospel in its fullest enactment, which is the celebration of the Eucharist, wherein the work of redemption is renewed. In a special way you participate in the mission of Jesus for the benefit of the whole Body of Christ; you share deeply in the burning desire of his soul: "I must proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom... for I was sent for this purpose"[9]. It is because of this that you have offered your lives in celibacy and pastoral charity, to stay close to your people, to lead them in the path of salvation, building up the Church in faith and love, and in the unity and peace of Christ.
And you, men and women Religious of Ghana, you are called to the service of your brothers and sisters through a multiplicity of activities motivated by love. But your greatest contribution is not what you do, but what you are. By your consecration to the Lord Jesus himself you show that the Gospel is the full expression of all human values and that the love of Jesus Christ has first place in the pilgrim Church. Yes, your consecration is a normal expression of the full and healthy life of the Church. The maturity of ecclesial life in Ghana requires the oblation of your lives - made with generosity and lived out in persevering charity and joy. In your self-sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom of God you become ever more intirnately united with all your people, sharing the hopes of their everyday lives and helping them to fulfil their deepest aspirations for eternal life.
And to you the seminarians I say this: Remember that you are called to be close to Christ. You are meant to be his friends, his companions, his collaborators in the mystery of salvation. To accomplish this you must pray, for only in prayer will you come to know Jesus, to love Jesus and to understand fully the needs of his people. There are many aspects to your seminary training.The good of God’s people requires that you should be intellectually prepared in ecclesiastical and secular sciences, that you should understand deeply your own culture, so that you will be able to bring the word of God to it effectively. But all your studies and activities must be preceded and followed by prayer. Only through prayer will you be sustained in the love of Christ, only through prayer will your lives be relevant. When the Pope goes back to Rome, remember that be told you this: "Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection"[10].
Viewing the Church in Ghana, I cannot but say a special word about the family. Since it is the community in which every person is born, the family is therefore the foundation on which all wider communities are built. Let every family truly be a "domestic church", a community where the Lord Jesus has the central place, where children learn to know and love God, where prayer is the binding force. In this community of love and life, the future of society is decided, and the peace of the world is built.
6. And together with your Bishops and with the Church throughout the world, you the faithful of Ghana - all the clergy, religious, seminarians and laity - are called to holiness of life, to bear witness to Christ, and to spread the Good News of salvation. To all of you belongs a share in the evangelization of the world. It is the work of the Holy Spirit; it is he who gives witness to Jesus in this our age and confirms all his members as witnesses to the Lord Jesus and to his Gospel of love. All of you in this centenary year of grace are summoned to hear Christ’s words: “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”[11].
Beloved brothers and sisters: this is why I have come to Ghana: to bear witness to Christ, who was crucified and who rose from the dead, and to tell you all that we share a common mission in bringing Jesus to the world.
In our task of bearing witness to her Son, Mary the Mother of Jesus will assist us. She is the Mother of the entire Body just as she is the Mother of the Head. She is the Help of Christians; she is the cause of our joy.
And to her Son Jesus Christ and to his Eternal Father be all praise and glory in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
Je n’oublie pas non plus les chrétiens du Togo et les chrétiens du Bénin qui ont tenu à venir jusqu’ici, avec leurs pasteurs, pour voir le Pape, écouter sa parole, prier avec lui et lui donner le témoignage de leur attachement. Je regrette de n’avoir pu visiter vos pays et vos Eglises cette fois-ci. Je demande à Dieu de vous bénir, de bénir vos familles, surtout ceux qui sont dans l’épreuve. Et dites-bien à vos compatriotes que le Pape pense aussi à vos Eglises, qu’il prie pour elles, en soutenant le ministère de vos évêques qui sont mes frères. A chacun de vous, mon affection et mes encouragements.
[1] Io. 15, 26-27.
[2] Cfr. Lumen Gentium, 4.
[3] Pauli VI Evangelii Nuntiandi, 27.
[4] Rom. 6, 4.
[5] Ioannis Pauli PP. II Catechesi Tradendae, 67.
[6] 1 Petr. 1, 9.
[7] Pauli VI Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14.
[8] Io. 15, 12.
[9] Luc. 4, 43.
[10] Hebr. 12, 2.
[11] Matth. 5, 16.
Thursday, 8 May 1980
Mr President,
1. I express my sincere thanks for the words which you have addressed to me on this occasion of our meeting here in the capital City of Accra. I feel deeply honoured by the sentiments of esteem which you have manifested towards my person. I accept them gratefully, for I know that they are meant to honour not my person but the Head of the Catholic Church coming to the beloved nation of Ghana as a pilgrim of peace. I wish to renew once more my appreciation for the invitation which you so kindly extended to me - as did also my brother Bishops - to visit your country and your people.
As I had the occasion to say when I officially announced my visit to Africa, the purpose of this journey is to perform my universal ministry and to honour personally the Church in Africa. With regard to Ghana I also noted that this is the year in which the Catholic Church celebrates the centenary of her implantation in this part of the great African continent. It was therefore important for me to express in a special way the joy of the whole Church on this happy occasion. I also hope that my visit will contribute to the promotion of authentic human progress in Ghana and in all Africa, at the service of universal brotherhood and peace. Since my arrival this morning, I have already received many kindnesses from the people of the capital City; I wish to take this opportunity to express, through your person, my joyful gratitude to everyone.
2. By my presence here today, Mr President, I desire to honour the whole Ghanaian Nation, with the wealth of its history, people, culture and achievements - in a word, with its own authentically African and Ghanaian heritage and genius, and in its own rightful place among the nations of this continent and of the world. The history of my own native country, a history made up of moments of great achievement and joy but also of periods of suffering and sadness, has made me acutely aware of how necessary it is to respect the specific values of each people and of each nation: its traditions, its aspirations and its rights among all the member nations of the world community. Africa - and each of the nations that form part of it - has so much to offer to the common endeavours of all peace-loving people.
Too often relations between States and Governments, especially when viewed in the context of political and economic development, are seen in terms of mere self-interest, of strengthening already dominant positions, and of pressure applied through aid, with the result that older and economically more advanced nations fail to see that the young countries have much more to offer than simply a share of their natural resources or being a market for the products of the industrialized nations.
3. So many of the values that are embodied in the culture of the African nations not only contribute to the building of each nation, but can add to the enrichment of other nations and peoples as well.
For Africa has something distinctive to offer to the world. One of the original aspects of this continent is its diversity, but a diversity that is bound together by the undeniable unity of its culture: a vision of the world where the sacred is central; a deep awareness of the link between Creator and nature; a great respect for all life; a sense of family and of community that blossoms into an open and joyful hospitality; reverence for dialogue as a means of settling differences and sharing insights; spontaneity and the joy of living expressed in poetic language, song and dance. All these aspects manifest a culture with an all encompassing spiritual dimension. This is what makes the African culture unique. This in what binds the many people of Africa together without hampering in the least that immense richness of local expressions or the heritage of single groups and regions.
By my own origin, education and history, I have learned to value highly the power that culture has for every people. During my visit to my native Poland, I stated this conviction as follows: "Culture is an expression of man, a confirmation of humanity. Man creates culture and through culture creates himself. He creates himself with the inward effort of the spirit, of thought, will and heart. At the same time he creates culture in communion with others. Culture is an expression of communication, of shared thought and collaboration by human beings. It is born of service of the common good and becomes as essential good of human communities”[1]. I therefore say to Ghana and all Africa: Preserve your culture. Let it become enriched through exchange with other cultures, but do not let your own culture die. Keep it alive, and offer it as your contribution to the world community.
Each nation brings to the family of nations its own cultural contribution, and through the legitimate expression of values and traditions there is possible a harmony among peoples that transcends partisan differences, prejudices and rivalries. Such a harmony, built on respect for and openness towards the values of others, in particular their moral and spiritual values, facilitates the possibility of concerted action on problems that extend beyond the borders of individual nations. Africa is called to bring fresh ideals and insights to a world that shows signs of fatigue and selfishness. I am convinced that you Africans can do this.
4. In stressing respect for moral and spiritual values in the sphere of international collaboration, I have touched on what I consider to be basic in all relationships in society. All structures that are created as expressions of needs and aspirations relate to the human person, for they are meant to serve each human person and the whole human community. This holds true especially of political structures and activities.
In my address to the General Assembly of the United Nations last October, I said that all political activity "... comes from man, is exercised by man and is for man. And if political activity is cut off from this fundamental relationship and finality, if it becomes in a way its own end, it loses much of its reason to exist. Even more, it can also give rise to a specific alienation; it can become extraneous to man; it can come to contradict humanity itself. In reality, what justifies the existence of any political activity is service to man, concerned and responsible attention to the essential problems and duties of his earthly existence in its social dimension and significance, on which also the good of each person depends".
If I have stressed this point once more, Mr President, I have done so out of deep conviction, and because such is the teaching of the church which God has called me to lead, namely that no effort to achieve human advancement can succeed if the lofty dignity of every human being is not respected, defended and promoted in every situation. Such must be the motivation not only of the authorities but also of every single citizen, of all the men and women of this beautiful land who are called to work together so that every one may be given the possibility to live a life in keeping with human dignity.
5. Yes, Mr President, Ghana is a beautiful country, rich in cultural traditions and in the potential of its people, endowed also with natural resources, especially in the agricultural domain. It is my hope that, under the guidance of the authorities, all the citizens will loyally work together, without having to give up any of their own cultural values, but also without letting barriers arise between individuals and groups; that they will wholeheartedly and industriously work together to make the earth yield bountiful fruit. You have your cities, with ever larger concentrations of people, where problems of housing, education and employment may arise and demand bold action to ensure that nobody is excluded from the benefits of progress.
But there are also the rural areas, where most of the people still live, and where there exists a real potential for contributing to the national effort for development. Since justice demands that nobody should go hungry or lack the opportunity to achieve his or her full potential, both spiritually and materially, then society should also regard agricultural labour as ennobling, and the status and dignity of the rural population should be constantly improved.
6. I can assure you, Mr President, that the Catholic Church stands always ready to offer her specific contribution, through the collaboration of her leaders and all her members. The Church has no political or economic designs or projects. The most efficient longterm contribution that she can make to the development of a nation is in raising the moral and ethical awareness of people with regard to the demands of justice, social love and fraternal collaboration; and in stressing the development of the whole person, to ensure that this development is not understood in the materialistic sense; in making each person aware of his or her dignity as given by God.
It is also well known that, right from the beginning, the Church in Africa has encouraged and participated in concrete efforts in education, health care, literacy and many other fields. She is prepared to continue this collaboration and this commitment in accordance with her own mission and nature, while fully respecting the lawful role and authority of the State.
Mr President, the dynamism and the virtues of its people can ensure a great future for Africa. That Ghana may fulfil her role of destiny in this continent is my fervent wish and prayer today.
[1] Ioannis Pauli PP. II Allocutio ex externo archiepiscopalium aedium podio ad iuvenes habita in urbe "Gniezno", 2 die 3 iun. 1979: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, II (1979) 1408.
Thursday, 8 May 1980
Dear friends in our Lord Jesus Christ,
1. I am deeply honoured by your presence here today. It is a pleasure for me to meet distinguished representatives of my Christian brethren of Ghana. I wish to greet you all in the charity of Jesus Christ. It means so much to me to have this opportunity to tell you of my intention, and the intention of the whole Catholic Church, to pray and to work sincerely and perseveringly for the restoration of unity in faith and love among all Christians.
The commitment of the Second Vatican Council, of my predecessors and of my own pontificate is based on the desire which Christ expressed at the Last Supper in his prayer to his Father for his disciples: "... that they may all be one"[1].
2. All of us realize the great value that prayer has in accomplishing what is humanly difficult or even impossible. Jesus himself has told us: "What is impossible with men is possible with God"[2]. We know how important it is to turn humbly to God, day after day, asking him for the gift of constant conversion of life, which is so closely linked to the question of Christian unity. An occasion such as this inspires in our hearts an ever greater desire for this unity and for the means that dispose us to receive it as God’s free gift. Hence this meeting inspires us to pray together) to lift up our hearts in unison to "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort"[3] .
3. At the same time as we pursue our efforts towards the goal of perfect unity, we give thanks for the great bonds that already unite us in faith in the divinity of Christ. We praise God for our common faith in Baptism as an incorporation into the death and Resurrection of the Lord. We praise him for the common love and esteem that we have for the Holy Scriptures, which speak to us of Christ and his Church. And by the grace of God we are already in a position to confess together that "Jesus Christ is the Son of God"[4]and that "there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"[5].
4. Because we believe in Christ and in "the unsearchable riches of Christ"[6], we feel led by the Spirit to do everything possible to remove the divisions in faith that impair our perfect common witness to the Lord and his Kingdom, so that we may better serve our neighbour and more effectively bring the Good News of salvation to the world that continues to see in us a divided Christ. And yet we know that Christ has prayed for unity, and that the Father listens to his prayer. Christ’s prayer is the reason for our hope and we know that "hope does not disappoint us"[7]. It gives me great pleasure to be informed of the worthy ecumenical activities taking place in Africa. I pray that the relationship between individual Christians and the relationship between Churches and ecclesial communities will make ever greater progress in truth and love for the glory of the Most Holy Trinity.
[1] Io. 17, 21.
[2] Luc. 18, 24.
[3] 2 Cor. 1, 3.
[4] 1 Io. 4, 15.
[5] 1 Tim. 2, 5.
[6] Eph. 3, 8.
[7] Rom. 5, 5.
Thursday, 8 May 1980
Dear friends,
At this time I wish to express my respect for the Muslim representatives present here. Through you I send my cordial greetings to the entire Muslim community throughout Ghana.
During my recent visit to Turkey I had the occasion to speak special words of friendship for my Islamic brothers and sisters. My words were the expression of a contact that was fostered by the Second Vatican Council, and that found an important reference in the memorable Message to Africa of Paul VI in 1967. On that occasion he stated: "We also wish to express our esteem for all the followers of Islam living in Africa, who have principles in common with Christianity, which give us glad hope of an effective dialogue. Meanwhile, we express our wish that Muslims and Christians live as neighbours mutual respect will be constantly present in social life also, and common action to promote the acceptance and the defence of man’s fundamental rights"[1].
Yes, mutual respect based on mutual understanding and directed to the joint service of humanity is a great contribution to the world.
Hence today I renew my own sentiments of esteem and those of the whole Catholic Church for the Muslims of Ghana and of all Africa, praying that the Almighty and Merciful God will grant peace and brotherhood to all the members of the human family. And may the harmony of creation and the great cause of human dignity be advanced through our fraternal solidarity and friendship.
[1] Pauli VI Africa Terrarum, 5, die 29 oct. 1967: Insegnamenti di Paolo VI, V (1967) 579.
Speeches 1980 - Nairobi