Speeches 1992 - Wednesday, 7 July 1992
Thursday, 9 July 1992
Dear Brother Bishops,
1. This meeting on the occasion of your ad Limina visit to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul brings to my mind the rich diversity of your peoples and of the Church in the Archdiocese of Monrovia and the Dioceses of Cape Palmas and Gbarnga in Liberia; the Archdiocese of Freetown and Bo, and the Dioceses of Kenema and Makeni in Sierra Leone; and in the Diocese of Banjul in The Gambia. The Interterritorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ITCABIC) which you form has proved to be an apt instrument of communion and mutual help in caring for the life of the Catholic communities of your three countries. I greet you all with affection in our Lord Jesus Christ, and I thank Bishop O’Riordan for his words of presentation on your behalf. I pray for the peace and growth of God’s beloved people committed to your pastoral ministry.
I would like to begin by recalling the visit which I made last February to The Gambia, where I was warmly welcomed not only by Bishop Cleary and the members of the Church but by the Government and the whole people.
To all of them I am grateful. I was deeply impressed by their commitment to the progress of their country, and by their awareness that such progress depends on putting the human person at the centre of social, juridical and political endeavours. I had also wished to visit Liberia, but that was made impossible by the tragic war which has almost destroyed that nation and which has had grave effects for Sierra Leone as well.
2. Since your last ad Limina visit, new and heavy burdens have been added to your already difficult pastoral mission. The spectre of drought has appeared on the horizon, with dramatic consequences for the well–being and even survival of some of the peoples of West Africa. A fratricidal war has wrought havoc, causing many deaths and incalculable destruction, and leaving in its wake hundreds of thousands of refugees and homeless people, countless orphans and injured, divisions and hatreds that will take generations to overcome. I have followed these events with great sadness and I earnestly hope for a solution that will put an end to violence, foster reconciliation and permit your peoples to return to their homes and rebuild their lives.
The Catholic community has been deeply affected. You are the sad witnesses of how an unspeakable wave of violence has destroyed churches and missions, schools and health–care centres, and made practically every other activity on behalf of the local populations impossible. For the Church, this terrible war has in many cases brought to nothing years of effort and work. And yet, in the midst of all this suffering the light of faith and Christian love has not been extinguished. The Church in Sierra Leone especially deserves recognition for the assistance being given to Liberian refugees and to its own citizens, forced to leave their villages and abandon their already limited possessions in the face of attacks by the armed groups in conflict. With fraternal concern I prayed for you, the Liberian Bishops, asking God to give you strong faith and courage as you ministered to your people in distress and sought to keep alive in such very difficult circumstances the evangelical message of hope and trust in Divine Providence.
As Pastors, with confidence in Christ’s teaching about the sublime value of love, to the point of heroic love of one’s enemies, you must continue to call your people to reconciliation, to the observance of legitimate law and order, to love of peace, and to respect for the human rights which have been so cruelly trampled upon in this tragic conflict. We must hope and pray that conditions will improve so that the normal life of the Church can be reactivated, and especially so that the Missionary priests, brothers and sisters can as soon as possible return to their apostolates. They are fully a part of your local Churches, for in Christ all are brothers and sisters, and in the love of God which has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Cf. Rom. Rm 5,5) differences of race, culture and language are brought into a higher unity. I appeal to the Missionary Congregations involved to be as cooperative and generous as conditions allow. This is an instance which has called forth and continues to call forth that radical self–giving love characteristic of Missionary priests, Religious and lay volunteers.
3. The Church’s role in such situations is not to take sides but to serve the spiritual needs of all, without discrimination. A Bishop’s task is to bear witness to the Gospel message of peace, and to invoke and communicate God’s grace of healing. He must pay particular attention to the underlying moral crisis of society: the weakening of family ties and of the traditions which ensured solidarity between individuals and groups, the lack of social justice, the degradation of truth and honesty in human relations. He must speak out against the corruption which destroys the fabric of civic life, and he must endeavour to form the consciences of the faithful, especially of political and economic leaders, in the principles and values upon which a truly human and just society can be organized for the common good. I encourage you, in responding to questions of a political and social nature, to maintain great harmony among yourselves and always to speak with the clear voice of the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep (Cf. Jn. Jn 10,27).
4. In spite of difficulties of various kinds, the Church in your countries has been and continues to be actively involved in education. The positive results of this ecclesial commitment are easily seen. Education is an activity which the Church esteems highly, as her whole history indicates. But in the present circumstances of Africa it constitutes an indispensable condition for stability and progress. Since Africans themselves must be the principal agents of their own development, the role of education is paramount. As we know, for much of public opinion in your countries the Church is almost synonymous with education and health–care. Even in environments closed to the direct proclamation of the Gospel, such centres and institutions, serving the community at large, have always borne striking witness to the Christian spirit of love and service. Today they are even more essential, when the needs of the people have enormously increased. I therefore wish to encourage you, with the continuing help of the Religious and concerned laity of your Dioceses, to maintain and where possible increase your efforts in this field.
5. As Pastors who love your people and feel the urgency of the Lord’s command to bring the word of God to all creatures, you are deeply concerned by the scarcity of labourers to work among those who are open to the Gospel message. Notwithstanding the limited possibilities of your local Churches I wish to exhort you – in the words of the Encyclical Letter "Redemptoris Missio" – not to forget that "there must be no lessening of the impetus to preach the Gospel and to establish new Churches among peoples or communities where they do not yet exist, for this is the first task of the Church" (John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio RMi 34). Far from being dismayed at the many difficulties in the way of the mission ad gentes, I believe we are seeing the dawn of a new missionary age, fostered by the increasing presence of personnel from the younger Churches (Cf. John Paul II, Message for the World Mission Day 1992, 7 Jun. 1992). A wise programme of mission development must be an essential aspect of your care of the Churches entrusted to you. For this task, I pray that the Lord of the harvest will strengthen and sustain you and your clergy, Religious and catechists!
Given the minority situation of the Church in your respective countries, where Catholics constitute only about two per cent of the population, the witness and leadership of priests and Religious, mutual harmony and concerted action among the various Church groups and organizations are more than ever necessary. The Liturgy, which is the heart of all the Church’s life and dynamism, is also the strongest bonding factor between the members of Christ’s Body. You have already done much to ensure the celebration of the Mass and the Sacraments in the principal local languages. I hope that you will be able to continue that work, which is essential for a wise and theologically sound inculturation of the Christian message. Your aim in this sphere must be to "evangelize" in depth the culture and traditions of the faithful. The end result of a proper inculturation of the faith is to preserve all that is good and noble in a people’s way of life by imbuing and "informing" all significant events and relations with the grace of Christ. Thus, important moments such as birth, the approach of adulthood, courtship and marriage, work, sickness and death, the joys and sorrows of family life, and events which affect the whole community, will be marked by the Christian spirit and by the rituals of the Church. The outlook and attitudes of individuals, families and communities will thus become more and more identified with the truth revealed in Jesus Christ and made known, through the Holy Spirit, in every age and to every people (Cf. Jn. Jn 14,26). Thus too the law of Christ, especially the supreme commandment of love, will clarify moral choices and make possible the freedom which leads to everlasting life (Cf. ibid. 8:32 and 51).
A deep inculturation of the faith is also the basis of a fruitful interreligious dialogue with the Muslim majorities in your countries, for it enables Christians and Muslims to understand better one another’s point of view, to identify issues of common interest and areas of possible cooperation in the solution of local or national problems, and in the construction of a more just and tolerant society. During my visit to West Africa in February last, I was deeply struck by the level of reciprocal respect between Christians and Muslims. This mutual openness gives rise to that "dialogue of everyday life" which makes it possible for citizens of the same country truly to support each other in serving the common good (Cf. John Paul II, General Audience, 3, 4 Mar. 1992).
6. The increase of vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life which you have experienced is a sure sign of God’s love for his people and of the vitality of your communities. The priesthood, as the sacramental configuration with Christ the High Priest, is a ministry of service and a mission, a sending out to exemplify and perpetuate "the charity of Christ the Good Shepherd" (John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis PDV 57). For this reason the seminary "must seek really and truly to initiate the candidate into the sensitivity of being a shepherd, in the conscious and mature assumption of his responsibilities, in the interior habit of evaluating problems and establishing priorities and looking for solutions on the basis of honest motivations of faith and according to the theological demands inherent in pastoral work" (Ibid. 58). I am confident that you will continue to ensure that your seminarians acquire the deep sense of unselfish love which their vocation demands, so that they will be moved by sincere love for Christ and for his Body, the Church. Your young priests too need your close friendship and guidance in order to overcome the special difficulties of the first years of their ministry.
I ask you to convey to all your priests and to the men and women Religious of your Dioceses the assurance of my daily prayers for their fidelity and perseverance.
In Christ’s name I thank them for their witness and for their generous service of God’s people. In a special way I encourage the Religious Sisters, knowing how essential their presence is in ensuring that the truth and love of Christ prevail in difficult situations and circumstances. With a wise selection of candidates and appropriate spiritual guidance from experienced Religious, the newly established Diocesan Congregations too will play an increasingly fruitful part in incarnating the values of Christ’s Kingdom in the lives of the faithful. I particularly commend to your care the growth and formation of these Institutes.
7. A committed and well–instructed Laity is likewise the great hope of your ecclesial communities for a brighter future. Not only their full and active participation in the Liturgy but also the clear witness to Christian values which they give in the family and in society are the building–blocks of a vibrant and penetrating Christian presence. In your reports about conditions in your Dioceses you have rightfully been generous in praise for the priceless collaboration of your catechists and lay leaders.They are often the very life–line of their communities, and the future of the Church depends greatly on their fidelity. May God reward them with strength and joy!
I thank you for the special attention which you give to youth. The lives of so many young people have been shattered and transformed by the violence which they have seen around them. As far as possible efforts must be made to help them find new hope and serenity. Much can be done by encouraging youth groups and associations, and through the Catholic schools and programmes of religious education.
I also share your deep concern at the particular difficulties affecting Christian marriage in all your regions. Prevailing moral attitudes and the legalized and widespread practice of divorce and polygamy challenge Christian couples to a high degree of holiness and fidelity. Married people need the close support of the Church, and families should be encouraged to help one another through associations and activities aimed at fostering spirituality, formation and the apostolate, and at favouring a manner of living inspired by the Gospel and by the faith of the Church (Cf. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio FC 72). In this way, husbands and wives will display the depth of their love for each other and – in the words of the Letter to the Ephesians – their love will shine forth as "a great foreshadowing", that is, as a sign of the bond which unites Christ to his Church (Cf. Eph. Ep 5,32).
8. Dear Brothers, I wish you to take away from our meeting a renewed sense of the communion which as Successors of the Apostles we share in the service of Christ and his Kingdom. You are never far from my thoughts and prayers. I hope that other local Churches around the world will take heed of your spiritual and material needs and be generous in love for you.
May Mary Queen of Peace intercede for an end to hostilities and a return to the rule of law in Liberia; may her maternal love guide and protect the Church in Sierra Leone; and may her example of joyful obedience to God’s will inspire and comfort the generous Catholic community of The Gambia. Upon you and the Churches you serve I invoke an abundance of divine gifts. God bless you and your peoples.
Friday, 25 September 1992
Your Eminence, dear brother Bishops!
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2Co 1,2).
1. It is a great joy for me to receive you, the Bishops of Ireland, on the occasion of your ad Limina visit and to share with you this moment of fraternal and ecclesial communion. When the Bishops of a particular region or country come jointly to pray at the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles and to meet the Bishop of Rome, they give visible expression to the bonds of faith and love which unite the particular churches among themselves and with the Apostolic See. Your ad Limina visit is a concrete, tangible sign of the collegial spirit which is "the soul of the collaboration between the Bishops on the regional, national and international levels" (1985 Extraordinary Synod of Bishops, Relatio Finalis, II, 4). I wish to encourage you to continue to work together in your Episcopal Conference, sharing the burdens of your office, supporting each other in fraternal friendship, and fostering that openness to the needs of the whole Church around the world for which the Church in Ireland is renowned. A well–organized and effective Conference ensures that your efforts, through a constant interchange of ideas and resources, are better coordinated and therefore more fruitful. It can be a magnificent instrument of evangelization, becoming a source of dynamism in meeting the challenges and demands of your ministry.
2. As successors of the Apostles, vicars and ambassadors of Christ in your Dioceses (Cf. Lumen Gentium LG 27), you are conscious of your personal accountability before God himself. You have been called to be the vigilant watchmen, set to guard the Lord’s house (Cf. Ez. Ez 3,17). Christ has sent you to preach the word of life "in season and out of season" (2Tm 4,2), never giving in to the false "wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age" (1Co 2,6), especially when there is a danger that some will "turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths" (2Tm 4,4). More than that, you are "servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1Co 4,1). Above all you are the good shepherds who know your people (cf. Jn. Jn 10,14), and who, in turn, are known by them: that is, you strive to be deserving of the trust and religious obedience with which the community of the faithful listens when it perceives that the shepherd’s voice is the voice of the Lord himself: "they know his voice... they do not know the voice of strangers" (Ibid., 10:4-5).
From your reports and our conversations I have had a clear confirmation of your deep love for the people of God whom you serve in the name of Jesus Christ. Your particular Churches are abundantly blessed with priests, religious and lay men and women who not only live their faith with exemplary constancy but who also do remarkable work in every form of the apostolate and in service to the young, the sick, the elderly and those in any kind of spiritual and material need. For me to speak of your pastoral ministry is, first of all, to take into account and to give thanks to God for the many positive and fruitful aspects of Catholic life in your country. The thought of the dear Catholic people of Ireland brings to mind the sentiment expressed by Saint Paul: "I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort" (2Co 6,4).
3. Your ad Limina visit happily coincides with the Beatification of Archbishop Dermot O’Hurley, Francis Taylor, Margaret Ball and their companion Martyrs.Times have changed since that dark period in which the profession of faith often met with imprisonment, torture and death. But the essence of their witness, their fidelity to Christ and to the Church, is sublimely relevant today. The Martyrs challenge the faith which you and your people profess as heirs to the truths for which they gave their lives. They stimulate your fidelity to Christ, who is himself "the faithful witness" (Ap 1,5). Their intercession and their heroic example serve as a point of reference for the commitment and dedication with which you personally are called to fulfil the episcopal ministry. The Beatification of the Martyrs reminds us all of "the one thing necessary" (Lc 10,43), and is a source of encouragement to all those in Ireland whose generous and self–giving Christian life is a pledge of divine love and the best and most abiding guarantee of a society grounded in justice, truth and peace.
4. The demands upon your leadership increase with the growing complexity of modern life. Not only are there more opportunities to manifest the love of the Good Shepherd in concern for and solidarity with people in all kinds of need; there is also the primary challenge to proclaim effectively the Gospel message of salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ to our contemporaries, in what is sometimes called the "postmodern world".
The new evangelization which I have so often spoken of implies, on the one hand, a renewed missionary zeal to preach the word of God to those who have not yet heard it. Christ’s "missionary mandate" is of permanent and universal validity, and I hope and pray that the present and future generations of Irish men and women will not abandon the missionary ideal which has been so characteristic of the Church in your country.
On the other hand, in traditionally Christian environments the new evangelization calls for a better proclamation and catechesis, capable of responding to the difficulties posed by a "culture" which gives precedence to the material and selfseeking aspects of life at the expense of the spiritual and altruistic. It is a "culture" which holds that religious truth should be confined to the realm of private opinion, in favour of a "neutrality" or "secularism" which, to say the least, is itself only a minority though strongly propagated view. In this perspective, the new evangelization cannot be directed merely to defending the Christian life bequeathed to us by previous generations. The word of God must be announced with fresh vigour in every age. What is needed is a more effective transmission of the Christian message by reasoned argument and by example; in other words, by means of a true and complete presentation of the faith, sustained by a convincing witness of holiness, justice and love. In this great task it is God certainly who gives the growth, but he relies on the apostles actively to plant and water (Cf. 1Co 3,6). This vigour in fulfilling the apostolic task should be every Pastor’s concern, the subject of his constant prayer and the urgent appeal he makes to the whole ecclesial community.
5. The Church in Ireland is rich in personnel, gifts and charisms. As a community of faith she is being challenged to respond to the demand for a more solid Christian culture. A coordinated pastoral plan can help to direct and focus efforts. A pastoral plan cannot take the place of personal commitment, but it can help to identify the areas needing specific pastoral attention: the family; the defence of human life; schools and universities; ethical standards in private and public life, and in the media of social communications; special categories in society. It can ensure a better use of spiritual and apostolic resources. It can release new energies, favour new initiatives, foster new approaches. It should give space and impulse to all those energies which the Holy Spirit raises up in and for the community, in particular through lay associations and movements or activities suited to the needs of young people. In Ireland such energies are not lacking, but they do need guidance, support and encouragement.
A pastoral plan should ensure that good and effective catechesis is provided at every level.Furthermore, the distinction between catechesis and generic religious instruction requires the careful training of teachers who not only have a profound grasp of the doctrine they are meant to transmit, and of the pedagogical and methodological skills they need, but who also possess human and Christian maturity, a deep understanding of people and of the cultural environment, and who share positively and joyfully in the life of the ecclesial community. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Catholic teachers of Ireland. Their commitment to handing on to children the precious gift of faith is an immense resource for the Church in your country. Catholic schools, with their ethos pervaded by spiritual and moral values, make an irreplaceable contribution to the well–being of society.
6. We are all aware that there is a tendency today to regard the Church as a purely institutional structure devoid of her mystery. For this reason I wrote in the recent Encyclical "Redemptoris Missio": "The temptation today is to reduce Christianity to merely human wisdom, a pseudo–science of well–being. In our heavily secularized world a ‘gradual secularization of salvation’ has taken place, so that people strive for the good of man, but man who is truncated, reduced to his merely horizontal dimension" (John Paul II,, Redemptoris Missio RMi 11). Bishops, in the first place, have a responsibility to show that the salvation brought by Jesus Christ embraces the whole person and is inseparable from the wondrous prospect of divine filiation (Cf. Ibid.). In this respect the Church in Ireland can sing a joyful hymn of gratitude to God for the holiness of life, the profound life of prayer, the solid sacramental practice, and the generous love and kindness of so many of her members. In many of your Dioceses there is an increase of Eucharistic adoration. The Eucharist, as the Council says, is the source and summit of all the Church’s life (Cf. Lumen Gentium LG 11). A Eucharistic–centred spirituality helps us to be conscious of the perennial power of the Gospel, "the power of God for salvation" (Rm 1,16), which, unlike changeable and transitory ideologies, is capable always of inspiring new life and vigour in human hearts, in every historical circumstance.
7. As pastors of souls you are fully aware that the malaise of contemporary society revolves around family life and family values. On many occasions you have made individual or collective declarations on this point, often aimed at making the leaders in public life more aware of the fundamental importance of the family for the well–being of society. Where the family is weakened, society descends into confusion and conflict. Neither society nor the State can substitute for the family’s educational and formative influence. To defend the family, that is, the institution based on human nature and on the deepest needs of the human person, as the "first and vital cell of society" (Apostolicam Actuositatem AA 11) and the bulwark of civilization, is an imperative task for society’s political representatives. To do so is not, as some might say, to promote a "unilateral" Catholic position.
A similar consideration can be made about the grave matter of abortion. The Consistory held on 4–6 April 1991 on the subject of threats to human life called the entire universal Church to a courageous defence of life, one which would engage and challenge the consciences of all. At the same time it should be made clear that the argument against abortion is based not only on the data of faith but also on reasons of the natural order, including the true concepts of human rights and social justice. The right to life does not depend on a particular religious conviction. It is a primary, natural, inalienable right that springs from the very dignity of every human being. The defence of life from the moment of conception until natural death is the defence of the human person in the dignity that is his or hers from the sole fact of existence, independently of whether that existence is planned or welcomed by the persons who give rise to it. Every reflection on this serious matter must begin from the clear premise that procured abortion is the taking of the life of an already existing human being. To uphold this principle and to enshrine it democratically in the Constitution and laws of the State does not imply insensitivity to the rights of others, including mothers in complex and difficult situations. The life of the mother and the life of her unborn child are equally precious and equally to be defended. There can be no "right" to kill an already existing though yet unborn human being.
Likewise, there can be no justification from the moral point of view for disseminating information the purpose of which is to facilitate the killing of the unborn. In your recent "Statement on the Sacredness of Human Life" you have rightly urged the faithful to be supportive and understanding of women in distressful situations, and you have reaffirmed your pastoral commitment to providing all forms of assistance and care through Cura and similar organizations. In this way the ecclesial community effectively demonstrates the mercy of Christ and his healing.
8. Dear brother Bishops, so many other aspects of your ministry deserve consideration here. We have spoken of some of them in private, and you have also discussed them in your visits to the various Offices of the Holy See. There is one point however which I cannot leave untouched. I am certain that every day you give thanks to God for the dedicated ministry and exemplary life of your priests. They are men of faith and love, deeply aware that they "exist and act in order to proclaim the Gospel to the world and to build up the Church in the name and person of Christ the Head and Shepherd" (John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis PDV 15). It is their identification with the mystery of Christ and the Church which inspires the faithful with trust and confidence in their ministry. It is extremely important that they should always be close to the people of God whom they serve, especially the humble, the sick and the needy, and persons bereaved or distressed through violence.
Priests are not immune from the particular difficulties that a consumerist society places in the way of those seeking to live a life of holiness and self–giving. I am confident that a reflective reading of the Post–Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Pastores Dabo Vobis" will provide you and your priests with a stimulus to fostering that "continual conversion" which is the essence of fidelity and evangelical fruitfulness (Cf. ibid., chap. VI). I take this opportunity to encourage you to continue to promote an intensive pastoral programme of support for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. In your openness to the needs of the universal Church I also ask you to give special care to missionary vocations, following Ireland’s magnificent traditions. Your personal concern for vocations and for the formation of your seminarians is a basic task of your episcopal ministry, and I commend to your careful attention the Apostolic Visitation which, in line with similar procedures in other countries, the Congregation for Catholic Education is preparing for Ireland.
9. The situation in Northern Ireland continues to be of grave concern to you. As we hope and pray for political progress towards an end to violence, and encourage those who work for this aim, the Church’s abiding effort must be to preach loudly the Gospel of reconciliation (cf. 2Co 5,19) and to give close attention to the pastoral problems and the living conditions which make justice and peace difficult to attain. Your continuing efforts to promote good ecumenical relations between the Churches and communities throughout Ireland are an important contribution to the work of reconciliation and peace.
Jesus Christ tells us: "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one" (Ap 1,17-18). It is this Jesus, divine and incarnate, whom the Church presents to humanity today as always. He is the way for humanity (St. Augustine, Tract. in Ioannem, 34:9). He is the reason for our confidence, the source of our missionary and apostolic zeal, for "in him all things hold together" (Col 1,17). Let us work earnestly for the "new Advent" (John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis RH 1) which should mark the close of the Second Christian Millennium and the beginning of the next. That event, which acquires particular significance in the light of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God, constitutes an "appointment" for the whole Church. May the Church in Ireland celebrate that Jubilee with her faith intact and her love undiminished! May Mary, Queen of Peace, guide you and the faithful priests, religious and laity of Ireland! May the Blessed Martyrs intercede for you! With my Apostolic Blessing.
Speeches 1992 - Wednesday, 7 July 1992