Speeches 2005-13 96
96
Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Thursday, 31 May 2007
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
With joy I join you at the conclusion of this always evocative Marian Vigil in the Vatican that brings the month of May to a close on the liturgical Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
With fraternal affection I greet the Cardinals and Bishops present, and I thank the Basilica's Archpriest, Archbishop Angelo Comastri, who presided at the celebration. I greet the priests and Religious, in particular the nuns of the Vatican's Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, as well as the many families that took part in this rite.
Meditating on the Holy Rosary's Mysteries of Light, you have climbed this hill where you spiritually relived, as the Evangelist Luke recounts, the experience of Mary from Nazareth in Galilee, who "went with haste into the hill country" (Lc 1,39) to reach the village in Judea where Elizabeth lived with her husband Zechariah. What drove Mary, a young woman, to undertake that journey? What, above all, led her to forget herself, to spend the first three months of her pregnancy at the service of her cousin in need of help?
The response is written in a Psalm: "I will run in the way of your commands when you enlarged my understanding" (Ps 119[118]: 32). The Holy Spirit, who makes the Son of God present in Mary's flesh, enlarged her heart to God's dimensions and urged her along the way of charity.
The Visitation of Mary is understood in light of the event that immediately preceded it in Luke's account in the Gospel: the Annunciation of the Angel and the conception of Jesus by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit descended upon the Virgin, the power of the Most High overshadowed her (cf. Lc 1,35).
That same Spirit impelled her to "rise" and depart without hesitation (cf. Lc 1,39) in order to help her aged relative. Jesus had just begun to form himself in the womb of Mary, but his Spirit had already filled her heart so that the Mother was already beginning to follow her divine Son. On the way that leads from Galilee to Judea it was Jesus himself who "urged" Mary on, instilling in her a generous desire to go to the aid of her neighbour in need, the courage not to put her own legitimate needs, difficulties, worries, the dangers to her own life first. It is Jesus who helped her to overcome everything, allowing her to be guided by faith that works through charity (cf. Gal Ga 5,6).
Meditating on this mystery we see why Christian charity is a "theological" virtue. We see that the heart of Mary is visited by the grace of the Father, is permeated by the power of the Spirit and interiorly compelled by the Son; that is, we see a perfectly human heart inserted into the dynamism of the Most Holy Trinity.
This movement is charity, which is perfect in Mary and becomes the model of the Church's charity, a manifestation of Trinitarian love (cf. Deus Caritas Est ).
Every gesture of genuine love, even the smallest, contains within it a spark of the infinite mystery of God: the attentive concern for a brother, drawing near to him, sharing his need, caring for his wounds, taking responsibility for his future, everything to the last detail becomes "theological" when it is animated by the Spirit of Christ.
May Mary obtain for us the gift to know how to love as she knew how to love. To Mary we entrust this singular portion of the Church that lives and works in the Vatican; we entrust to her the Roman Curia and the institutions connected to it, so that the Spirit of Christ may animate every task and service.
From this hill we extend our glance to Rome and to the entire world, and we pray for all Christians, so that they may say with St Paul: "the love of Christ urges us on", and with the help of Mary may they be able to spread the dynamism of charity in the world.
Again, I thank you for your dedication and warm participation. Take my greetings to the sick, the aged and everyone dear to you. To all I heartily impart my Blessing
Your Excellency,
It gives me pleasure to welcome you to the Vatican as I accept the Letters of Credence by which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the Holy See. I would ask you to convey my greetings to His Excellency President Pervez Musharraf, and to the government and people of your nation. I am confident that the spirit of cooperation that has marked our diplomatic relations for over five decades will continue to promote the fundamental values which serve to uphold the inherent dignity of the human person. I would also ask you to extend affectionate greetings to the Catholic faithful in Pakistan and their Bishops and to assure them of my fervent prayers for their well-being.
You have rightly highlighted our common goal of fostering peace and justice in the world to secure a better future for mankind. This can only be accomplished when there is genuine cooperation between peoples, religions and nations. In this regard, the Holy See appreciates Pakistan’s commitment to work together with the international community to bring greater stability to your region and to protect innocent lives from the threats of terrorism and violence. The road to national and international security is long and difficult. It takes great patience and resolve. Notwithstanding the obstacles encountered along the way, all efforts to keep open the pathway to peace, stability and hope should be encouraged and promoted.
The people of Pakistan know only too well the suffering caused by violence and lawlessness which, as Your Excellency correctly noted, lead to destabilization. The principles of democracy assure the freedom to express political opinions publicly in a variety of ways. This right should always be exercised responsibly so that civil order is maintained and social harmony protected and fostered. I know your government is aware that the roots of political unrest and agitation within your borders must be addressed, and ways of sustaining civic and democratic institutions must be strengthened. In this way, national solidarity is enhanced, and peaceful ways of reconciling differences are encouraged.
One such step your country has taken in this direction is exemplified in your recent electoral reforms, which are aimed at facilitating the full participation of all citizens, including those belonging to minority groups. I would also like to acknowledge recent legislative decisions in Pakistan aimed at eliminating unjust forms of prejudice and discrimination against women. Pakistan has always placed a high value on education. Good schooling not only attends to the cognitive development of children, but the spiritual as well. Led by their teachers to discover the uniqueness of each human being as a creature of God, young people will come to recognize the dignity common to all men and women, including those belonging to cultures and religions different from their own. In this way, the civil life of a nation matures, making it possible for all citizens to enjoy the fruits of genuine tolerance and mutual respect.
A robust democratic society depends on its ability to uphold and protect religious freedom—a basic right inherent in the very dignity of the human person. It is therefore essential to safeguard citizens who belong to religious minorities from acts of violence. Such protection not only accords with human dignity but also contributes to the common good. During an era in which threats against religious freedom are becoming more ominous throughout the world, I encourage Pakistan to bolster its efforts in securing freedom for people to live, worship, and perform works of charity according to the dictates of their conscience and with immunity from intimidation. There is in fact an inseparable bond linking the love and worship of Almighty God with love and service toward one’s neighbour (Deus Caritas Est ). Pakistan witnessed such charity in action in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake that struck your nation in 2005, when many organizations, including the Catholic Church, helped relieve the suffering of those affected by this natural disaster. The Catholic Church continues to play an important role in providing education, health care, and other charitable services to all your citizens, regardless of religious affiliation.
I wish to conclude by expressing my deep respect and admiration for the religious heritage that has inspired the human development of your country, and continues to animate its aspirations for greater peace and mutual understanding. Christians and Muslims both worship the One God, the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. It is this belief that moves us to unite minds and hearts as we work tirelessly for peace, justice, and a better future for mankind.
Be assured that the various departments of the Roman Curia stand ready to offer their services to help achieve these noble goals. As you carry out the duties entrusted to you, I extend to Your Excellency my sincere wish that your public service will bear much fruit. Upon you, your family and your fellow citizens I cordially invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.
Your Excellency,
It is with particular pleasure that I welcome you to the Vatican and accept the Letters of Credence by which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iceland to the Holy See. I would ask you kindly to convey to His Excellency President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, and to the government and people of your country my gratitude for their good wishes, which I warmly reciprocate, and to assure them of my prayers for the nation’s spiritual well-being.
The Church’s diplomatic relations form a part of her mission of service to the international community. This engagement with civil society is anchored in her conviction that the hope of building a more just world must acknowledge man’s supernatural vocation. It is from God that men and women receive their essential dignity and with it the capacity and the call to direct their steps towards truth and goodness (cf. Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio, 5). Within this broad perspective we can counter the pragmatic tendency, so prevalent today, which tends to engage only with the symptoms of social fragmentation and moral confusion. Where humanity’s transcendent dimension is brought to light, individuals’ hearts and minds are drawn to God and to the very essence of human life – truth, beauty, moral values, other persons, and being itself – (cf. ibid., 83) leading them to a sure foundation and vision of hope for society.
As Your Excellency has observed, integral to Iceland’s history is the Gospel of Jesus Christ including its missionary dimension. For over a thousand years Christianity has shaped Icelandic culture. In more recent times these spiritual roots have found a degree of resonance in your relations with Europe. This common cultural and moral identity, forged by the universal values of Christianity, is not simply of historical importance. Being foundational, it can remain as a ‘ferment’ of civilization. In this regard, I commend your government’s open recognition of Christianity’s fundamental role in the life of your nation. When public moral discernment is not emptied of meaning by a secularism which neglects truth while highlighting mere opinion, both civil and religious leaders can uphold the absolute values and ideals inherent in the dignity of every person. In this way together they can offer our young people a future of happiness and fulfilment.
Iceland’s significant contribution to the security and social development of the worldwide human family belies its size and the number of its citizens. Your nation’s commitment to supporting peace-keeping operations and aid projects is readily recognized by the Holy See and esteemed by the international community. While your founder member status of NATO and your long history of United Nations Organization membership are well known, perhaps less known is the highly effective work of the Icelandic Crisis Response Unit. This well-respected service is an outstanding example, from the field of international relations, of men and women enlightened by the splendour of truth, setting out on the path of peace (cf. Message for the 2006 World Day of Peace, 3). Such initiatives aptly illustrate how the will to resolve conflicts peacefully and the determination to govern by justice, integrity, and service of the common good can be achieved.
Preservation of the environment and promotion of sustainable development are increasingly seen as matters of grave concern for all. As reflections and studies on ecology mature, it becomes more and more evident that there is an inseparable link between peace with creation, and peace among people. The full understanding of this relationship is found in the natural and moral order with which God has created man and has endowed the earth (cf. Message for the 2007 World Day of Peace, 8-9).
The close connection between these two ecologies comes into sharp focus when the questions of food resources and energy supply are addressed. The international community recognizes that the world’s resources are limited. Yet the duty to implement policies to prevent the destruction of that natural capital is not always observed. Any irresponsible exploitation of the environment or hoarding of land or marine resources reflect an inhumane concept of development, the consequences of which affect the poorest countries most. Iceland, acutely aware of these matters, has rightly emphasized the relationship between the Millennium Development Goals and environment protection and the sustainable use of resources, and has laudably drawn attention to the fact that the large majority of those who make their living from fisheries are families in the developing world.
Mr Ambassador, the members of the Catholic Church in your country, though few, reach out to the entire Icelandic society. Expressing the Church’s belief in the “unbreakable bond between love of God and love of neighbour” (Deus Caritas Est ), they undertake works of charity from their small but vibrant parish communities. A particularly beautiful example of this is found in the Carmelite convent of contemplative life in Hafnarfjordur, where the Sisters pray daily for the needs of all Icelanders.
Your Excellency, I am confident that the mission which you begin today will help to strengthen even further the cordial bonds of understanding and cooperation between Iceland and the Holy See. Please rest assured 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 invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.
Mr Ambassador,
I am very pleased to welcome you to the Vatican and to accept the Letters of Credence by which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Estonia to the Holy See. I thank you for the cordial greetings which you have brought to me from President Ilves and I ask you kindly to convey to him my own respectful greetings, together with my prayerful good wishes for the prosperity and well-being of the Estonian people.
In recent years, while carrying forward the demanding task of social and economic reform at home, Estonia has also sought to strengthen its bonds with Europe and the international community. Your nation’s membership in the European Union represents, as Your Excellency has pointed out, not only a resumption of ties stretching back over the centuries, but also the reaffirmation of a great political and spiritual heritage which has shaped the soul of your nation. Europe today, caught up in the process of rapid transformation, has made significant progress in building a common home marked by solid economic growth, the development of new models of unity that are respectful of differences, and a dedication to cooperation in the cause of justice and peace. Estonia has much to contribute to the Europe of tomorrow, thanks in no small part to her hard-won realization of the value of freedom and the sacrifices which freedom entails.
The great revolution which swept Eastern Europe in the final decade of the last century testified, in fact, to the innate and irrepressible yearning for freedom present within individuals and peoples, as well as the inseparability of authentic freedom from the pursuit of truth, respect for the transcendent dignity of each human person, and a commitment to mutual respect and solidarity. These values, a precious legacy of Estonia’s millennial history, must be constantly reappropriated and given practical expression in every sphere of political and social life, in the conviction that they can ensure the breadth of vision and awaken the spiritual energies necessary for creating a future of hope. In recent years your nation has experienced at first hand the daunting challenge of fashioning a society which is genuinely free yet at the same time faithful to its defining traditions. Europe needs this witness, which will surely help the Continent as a whole to “recognize and reclaim with creative fidelity” its fundamental values, values which were decisively shaped by the Christian message (cf. Ecclesia in Europa, 109) and constitute an inalienable element of its true identity.
I am grateful for Your Excellency’s kind words about the Church in Estonia, and I assure you that the nation’s Catholics desire to play their part, in a spirit of respectful cooperation with other Christian believers, in the life of the nation. The Church proposes her teaching in the conviction that the truth of the Gospel sheds light on the reality of the human situation and provides the wisdom needed for individuals and communities to discern and embrace the demands of the moral law which provide the necessary and enduring foundation for just and harmonious relations within society. In a special way, the Church is committed to the promotion of the sanctity of marriage, the basic role and mission of the family, the education of children and respect for God’s gift of life from conception to natural death. Since the health of any society depends in no small measure on the health of its families (cf. Sacramentum Caritatis, 29), I trust that this witness will contribute to the consolidation of family and community life and, together with wise and far-sighted social policies, will help to revitalize Estonia’s long history of strong and united families. For it is in the family, above all, that the young are trained in goodness, generosity, forgiveness and fraternal concern for others, and given a sense of personal responsibility for building a world of freedom, solidarity and hope.
With these sentiments, Mr Ambassador, I offer my prayerful wishes for the work you now undertake in the service of your nation, and I assure you of the constant readiness of the offices of the Holy See to assist you in the fulfilment of your duties. Upon you and your family, and upon all the beloved Estonian people, I cordially invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace.
Madam Ambassador,
I am pleased to receive you, Your Excellency, at this Audience for the presentation of the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Burundi to the Holy See.
I was touched by the cordial words you addressed to me and I warmly thank you. They testify to the interest shown by your Country's Authorities in the development of relations of esteem and agreement between Burundi and the Apostolic See. Through you, I am pleased to express to H.E. Mr Pierre Nkurunziza, President of the Republic of Burundi, my good wishes for himself and for the accomplishment of his lofty mission at the service of the Nation.
I also greet with affection all your Country's inhabitants, remembering the suffering of the population which has been harshly tried by so many years of war whose consequences are still felt today, as well as being regularly afflicted by drought and floods.
I would like to assure them of my constant concern for them. I pray God to support all Burundians in the courageous and generous commitment which motivates them to build together an increasingly fraternal and supportive society that may also be, more broadly, a concrete sign and vigorous appeal for the consolidation of peace and security in the Great Lakes region.
As you emphasize, the Catholic Church has not ceased to express her closeness to the Burundian People, sharing in their joys and hardships and even paying a heavy price in the cause of peace and reconciliation in the Country.
I am moved by the tribute you pay to Archbishop Michael A. Courtney, the Apostolic Nuncio who was assassinated on 29 December 2003 after meeting the religious, political and military Authorities in the Diocese of Bururi.
As I remember this good and faithful Archbishop, a servant of peace and brotherhood among peoples, I express the wish that the Country's Authorities will spare no efforts to ensure that light is shed on his assassination and that those responsible are prosecuted.
Among the means suggested for the consolidation of peace in your Country, the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission is envisaged. In order not to disappoint the great expectations for peace of this Commission, all must prepare for this sensitive and essential task of purification with the greatest possible care and with an open mind and heart.
Thus, in a patient and painstaking search for the truth, it will be possible for each one to contribute to healing the wounds inflicted by the war with the balm of forgiveness that does not exclude justice, and to set the Country on the path of peace and integral development.
The Church in Burundi is ready to take an active part in this process, especially though the celebration of diocesan Synods, dialogue and participation in the joint action to sensitize the population at all levels to the important issues at stake and contribute actively to establishing lasting peace and sincere reconciliation. If these tasks are not done properly it will certainly be difficult for any of the people to look to the future with hope.
Other encouraging signs are the common desire to work actively for peace and reconciliation. In particular, it would be appropriate to mention the negotiations under way between the Government and the Palipehutu-FNL, with a view to the implementation of the Cease-Fire Agreement signed on 7 September 2006.
I am delighted with this desire for dialogue and invite all the parties present to honour their commitments and above all to have the courage to work for peace, without which there can be no true development.
Your Excellency, you mentioned the commitment of all Burundians to the consolidation of social peace and the relaunching of the economy. In this complex long-term effort, which aims at the material and moral reconstruction of the Country, Burundi is not alone and cannot be left on its own. The international community, moreover, has not failed to offer its moral aid and financial support.
The roundtable of donors for development, which was held in Bujumbura last 24 and 25 May, eloquently showed the commitment of the delegations present to collecting the necessary funds to guarantee the financing of the programme of priority actions, and in particular the improvement of good governance, peace and security, the promotion of lasting, equitable economic development and the development of human capital as well as the fight against AIDS.
One should also rejoice at Burundi's entry into the East African Community and in the choice of your Country as the headquarters of the Executive Secretariat of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.
This mark of confidence requires Burundi to reciprocate the honour by showing an exemplary sense of responsibility in the adoption and implementation of the Pact on Peace, Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region, signed in Nairobi last 15 December.
I am certain that everything will be done to ensure that the commitments made are respected and that all Burundians can look to the future with confidence and become protagonists of their own development.
If all the Country's inhabitants are called to contribute, each according to his potential, to the economic and social recovery of Burundi, it is right that they should share in its results. To enable the most vulnerable sectors of society and those most exposed to violence, organized crime and disease - I am thinking in particular of children, women, refugees - to benefit fully from the fruits of development, it is especially necessary that public officials have access to an ever greater and more authentic awareness of moral values.
These universal values, such as a sense of the common good, fraternal welcome to foreigners, respect for the dignity of every human life, solidarity, to which the Catholic Church grants much importance, constitute a precious heritage that must become a source of hope in the future and the base on which it is possible to build a social life with sound foundations.
Through you, I greet the members of the Catholic community of Burundi and its Bishops. I encourage them to share the hope that is in their hearts. The local Catholic Church and the Holy See, whose active contribution to the Country's development no longer needs to be demonstrated, especially in the areas of education, health care and peace, desires Church-State relations in a secular Republic like Burundi always to be marked by mutual respect and active collaboration for the good of the entire Country.
May the faithful, united with their Pastors and in sincere collaboration with their compatriots, work passionately for their Country's development in solidarity!
As you begin your mission, Madam Ambassador, I offer you my best wishes for the noble task that awaits you. You may rest assured that you will always find here among my collaborators the attentive and understanding welcome you may need. Upon you, Your Excellency, your family, the Burundian People and their leaders, I invoke an abundance of divine Blessings.
Mr Ambassador,
It is with pleasure that I welcome you, Your Excellency, on the occasion of the presentation of the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Sudan to the Holy See.
I express my gratitude to you for conveying to me the greetings from H.E. President Omer Hassan Ahmad El-Bashir, from the Government and from the People of Sudan. In accepting their good wishes for peace and brotherhood, I reciprocate by invoking Almighty God so that he may illuminate consciences and support the projects of all those in your Country who wish to advance courageously and with determination on the path of consolidating lasting peace and brotherhood, lived to the full among the different members of society.
In my Urbi et Orbi Message for Easter 2007, I wished to voice the cries of despair uttered by all the people who, in many countries of the world, regardless of their ethnic or religious origin, suffer from the absence of peace, are subjected to the thousand faces of violence, contempt for life, violation of their most basic rights, exploitation in all its forms and the absence of freedom and security (cf. Message, 8 April 2007; L'Osservatore Romano English edition [ORE], 11 April, p. 6).
The anxieties I mentioned on that occasion, as you emphasized, Mr Ambassador, concur with the concern expressed by the Authorities of your Country and the International Community, especially with regard to the dramatic situation in the Darfur Region that has been drawn out since 2003, taking its toll throughout this region.
In this lethal conflict, which primarily affects the civil populations, it is common knowledge that no viable solution to achieve peace founded on justice can be implemented by the force of arms.
On the contrary, it is necessary to pass through the process of dialogue and negotiation with a view to reaching a political solution to the conflict which respects cultural, ethnic and religious minorities.
To put an end to a situation of crisis, it is never too late to make the necessary and sometimes restrictive decisions with courage, on condition that all parties are sincerely and resolutely committed to resolving it and that declarations of principle are accompanied by constructive steps, especially regarding the urgent humanitarian measures to be implemented.
I therefore appeal to all who have responsibility in this area to persevere in their efforts and to make the indispensable decisions.
The various Accords you mention as well as the recent Agreement of Reconciliation, signed by Sudan and Chad under the aegis of Saudi Arabia, which involves the parties in cooperation with the African Union and the United Nations for the stabilization of Darfur and the neighbouring Region of Chad, are positive appeals to stop strategies of confrontation in order to identify feasible solutions and sources of reliable support.
Thus, the peace and stability desired by all will become reality - I am thinking in particular of the peace process under way in the south of the Country - with beneficial effects at the national, continental and global levels.
Mr Ambassador, you recalled that peace is a gift of Almighty God, the God-Creator of all people and all things, from whom derives the unity of the human family.
The aspiration to peace is anchored in the depths of every person's heart and everyone must feel increasingly responsible for bringing it into being, watching to ensure that it is rooted in justice, bears fruits of reconciliation and contributes to the integral development of all of the nation's members without exception.
Thus, peace is also a challenge that your Country with its wealth of cultural multiplicity, ethnic diversity and the co-existence of various religions must face. If the national diversity is seen positively, as a stroke of good fortune, it will be able to make an effective contribution to establishing peace and security in the Country, to encouraging the integration of all the communities present in the territory and the integral development of the people - as well as enabling them to express their differences in a frank and sincere dialogue -, and to serving the common good.
Lastly, peace appears as a task to accomplish and a service to carry out for the people. It behooves the State Authorities in particular to actively oversee, in the heart of the Nation, the ways in which this diversity is expressed, sparing no effort to increase fraternal relations among the members of the national community, to banish all forms of discrimination and the supremacy of one group over another, and to guarantee respect for minorities and their rights.
Peace will thus come to be seen "not as the mere absence of war, but as a harmonious coexistence of individual citizens within a society governed by justice, one in which the good is also achieved, to the extent possible, for each of them" (Message for the World Day of Peace 2006, 8 December 2005, n. 6; ORE, 21 December, p. 6).
If all are to be able to foster fraternal and sincere relations and build a fairer and more equitable society, the contribution of different religious traditions present in your Country, together with their rich patrimony of human, moral and spiritual values, has an essential importance.
Building peace implies the conversion of hearts. Thus, it seems to me necessary that "the relations of trust which have developed between Christians and Muslims over several years will not only continue, but will develop further in a spirit of sincere and respectful dialogue, based on ever more authentic reciprocal knowledge which, with joy, recognizes the religious values that we have in common and, with loyalty, respects the differences" (Discourse to Representatives of Muslim Communities, 25 September 2006; ORE, 27 September, p. 2).
To live this specific mission at the service of the good of the entire national community in a way that is ever more reassuring, it is fundamental that individuals and communities be free to profess their faith and practice their religion publicly.
Experience shows that the faculty to act in accordance with a clear conscience, the freedom to honestly seek the truth above all things and the possibility to live according to one's belief with respect for other religious traditions, are indispensable prerequisites for lasting and fruitful development and a peaceful, dignified life for citizens.
Mr Ambassador, you acknowledge the specific mission of the Catholic communities and of their Bishops, in communion with the Successor of Peter, "to establish peace and understanding between nations and to affirm spiritual values within peoples".
I would like, through you, to express my affection and spiritual closeness to the Bishops' Conference and to all the Catholics of Sudan. Through them I also acknowledge the activity of all the Catholic institutions, national or international, who work in the Country at the service of the integral development of all the nation's inhabitants without distinction.
I am aware of the courage of Catholics, and I share in the suffering which numerous years of fighting oblige them to endure. Their faith requires them to work day after day, with people of good will, against all forms of intolerance and exclusion which can have devastating consequences on social unity.
I do not doubt that the possibility of being consulted and more actively involved in working out feasible solutions for building peace will facilitate their specific mission among the Sudanese People!
Thanks to Christ, who is their steadfast hope in the ordeals their Country is experiencing, they will be daring and generous peacemakers, together with all their compatriots.
At the time when you are beginning your mission to the Holy See, I offer you my best wishes. You may rest assured that you will always find here an attentive welcome and cordial understanding from my collaborators.
With all my heart, I invoke an abundance of Blessings from the Most High upon you, Your Excellency, upon your loved ones, upon the leaders of your Nation and upon the entire Sudanese People.
Your Excellencies,
I am pleased to receive you today at the Vatican for the presentation of the Letters that accredit you as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassadors of your respective countries: Pakistan, Iceland, Estonia, Burundi and Sudan.
You have conveyed to me the kind words of your respective Heads of State. I thank you for this, and I should be grateful if you would convey to them my respectful greetings and my cordial good wishes for their person and the lofty mission that they carry out at the service of their people.
Permit me also, through you, to address a warm greeting to all the civil and religious Authorities of your respective countries, as well as your countrymen.
My thoughts and prayers also go to the Catholic communities present in your countries. You know the spirit of fraternal collaboration in which they work with all their brethren in humanity, ready to witness to the Gospel that invites living the commandment of love for one's neighbour.
Coming from different continents, your presence here today gives our contemporaries the image of the world that, from North to South, from East to West, is concerned to establish ever stronger relationships in order to build a society where it is good to live.
In reality, in today's world, it is more important than ever to strengthen the bonds that unite countries, taking particular care of the poorest nations.
In fact, it is not possible to use the riches of the poorest countries with impunity, without their being able to take part in world growth. It is the duty of the authorities of all countries to work together for a better distribution of the riches and resources of the planet.
A collaboration of this sort will effect solidarity, peace and fraternal life in the heart of each country and between countries.
I earnestly appeal to all nations, in particular the richest, to renew their commitment so that all people become aware of their responsibility in this regard and agree to transform their lifestyle in view of an ever more equitable sharing.
Also permit me to emphasize the role that religions can have in this field. In fact, they have the duty to form their members in a spirit of fraternity among all the inhabitants of the same country, with respectful attention to all people.
May no one be the object of discrimination or be excluded from society for his or her convictions and religious practice, which are fundamental elements of the person's freedom.
May societies do credit to themselves by protecting these basic rights through the attention they manifest for the dignity of each human being.
Indeed, no true religious initiative can be the cause of division or violence between people and among human communities. On the contrary, the awareness that each person is a brother to protect and promote is fundamental.
At the moment when you are beginning your mission to the Holy See, I offer you, Ladies and Gentlemen Ambassadors, my best wishes for the success of your service.
I ask the Almighty to assist you, your relatives, your collaborators and all your citizens, and to shower his abundant benefits upon each of you.
Dear Brothers in the Episcopate,
I greet you with joy during your ad limina visit. This pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul is a privileged opportunity to strengthen the links of your local Churches with the Successor of Peter and with the universal Church. Moreover, your meetings with my collaborators enable you to share your concerns as Pastors of the Church in the Central African Republic, and to receive brotherly encouragement for your Episcopal ministry.
I thank Bishop François-Xavier Yombandje, President of your Bishops' Conference, for his presentation of the Church's life in your Country. You may be certain that the Pope is close to your communities and to all the people of Central Africa. Please convey to everyone his affection and encouragement for building a society of peace and brotherhood founded on mutual respect and authentic solidarity, and particularly to the priests, men and women religious and lay faithful of your dioceses.
You are obliged to carry out in a difficult context the mission at the service of the people whom the Lord has entrusted to your care. Therefore, to respond to the challenges that face the Church in your Country, effective collaboration is a guarantee of greater effectiveness.
But it is also a need based on keen awareness of the collegial dimension of our ministry, enabling you to put into practice "a variety of expressions of sacramental fraternity, ranging from mutual acceptance and esteem to the various manifestations of charity and practical cooperation" (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Gregis ).
In placing your hope and your humble trust in the Lord alone, you will find the apostolic courage that is so necessary in the exercise of your responsibilities. By exercising ever stronger communion and an exemplary daily life, you will be witnesses in the midst of your people. On this at times arduous road, the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa, which is still an indispensable guide, should be implemented with determination. Rest assured that in the exercise of your mission you are never alone; the Lord is close to you and accompanies you with his presence and his grace.
Peace and national harmony are among the most urgent challenges to which the Church in your Country must respond. The poorest, in particular, are victims of dramatic situations that lead inevitably to deep divisions in society and indeed, to despair. The Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops for which preparations are being made will be a strong time of reflection on Gospel proclamation in a context marked by numerous signs of hope but also by disturbing situations. I warmly hope that Africa will no longer be forgotten in this world that is undergoing profound changes and that genuine hope will dawn for the people of this Continent.
It is the Church's task to defend the weak and to make herself the voice of those who have no voice. I would like, therefore, to encourage the people who work to inspire hope by a determined commitment to defending the dignity of the human person and his or her inalienable rights.
These rights include the fundamental good of peace and a life in security. The promotion of peace, justice and reconciliation is an expression of Christian faith in God's love for every human being. May the Church continue with determination to proclaim Christ's peace while working for justice and reconciliation with all people of good will. I also invite the faithful to pray to the Lord for this gift which is so precious, for prayer opens hearts and inspires peacemakers.
By social institutions, especially in the areas of health care and the education of the young, the Church also contributes in her own way to building the fraternal and supportive society to which your people aspires. I ask especially the religious communities and lay people who are qualified to engage in this essential commitment to the Country's future to persevere in their efforts, never losing heart so that they may be signs of that trust which the Lord instils in every human person.
Furthermore, a change in mindset must be brought about to allow society to have access to genuine human and spiritual development. This long-term task concerns in the first place the family and marriage. By resolutely engaging to live in conjugal fidelity and in the unity of the couple, Christians show everyone the greatness and truth of marriage.
It is by a freely consenting "yes", for ever, that a man and a woman express their genuine humanity and openness to giving new life. Thus, the serious preparation for marriage of young people must help them overcome their reluctance to found a permanent family open to the future. I also ask you to develop support for families, especially by encouraging their Christian education. They will then be able to account more vigorously for the faith that enlivens them, both to their children and to society.
As for your priests, I commend their generosity and zeal as they exercise, with your support and attention to their private and pastoral life, an essential responsibility in the mission of your dioceses. I insistently invite them to be impassioned by the proclamation of the Gospel, in fraternal collaboration with all the pastoral workers but in the first place with the missionaries and catechists, with whose tireless commitment to the service of the Gospel I am also familiar.
Personal friendship with Christ and in him, contemplation of the Father's Face, will help them find their own unity and the source of their apostolic dynamism. An exemplary priestly life, founded on the constant search for conformity with Christ, is a daily requirement.
Through prayer, rooted in meditation on the Word of God and in the Eucharist, the source and summit of their ministry, they will find the strength and courage to serve the People of God and to lead them on the path of faith.
The formation of candidates for the priesthood acquires an importance that cannot be underestimated in order to give the Church the priests she needs. It is more necessary than ever to be demanding as regards their human and spiritual formation. Indeed, since priests are called to bear heavy responsibilities in the exercise of their ministry, a whole range of qualities must be required of candidates to enable them to acquire a true discipline of priestly life.
You must be particularly watchful in order to ascertain the emotional balance of seminarians and to form their sensibility, in order to be sure of their aptitude to live the demands of priestly celibacy. This human formation must find all its meaning in a sound spiritual formation, for it is indispensable that the priest's life and activity be rooted in a living faith in Jesus Christ.
A sufficient number of competent formation teachers and spiritual directors to guide candidates to the priesthood is therefore a pastoral priority for Bishops so that an authentic discernment can be made.
I would also like to tell your young people that there is great joy to be found in responding generously to the Lord's call to follow him in order to proclaim the Gospel.
Lastly, after having lived a year which has helped Catholics to find a new impetus and a new Eucharistic fervour, the faithful's active and fruitful participation in the "Sacrament of Love" remains essential.
In this perspective, the pursuit of certain appropriate modifications for the various contexts and different cultures must be based on an authentic conception of inculturation, so that the Eucharist truly becomes "a criterion for our evaluation of everything that Christianity encounters in different cultures" (Sacramentum Caritatis, n. 78).
Through their lively celebrations your communities desire to give a joyful expression of God's glory. May they always be correctly balanced with silent contemplation of the mystery being celebrated. Indeed, silence enables one to listen to the Saviour who gives himself to the celebrating community. Thus, an inner preparation before receiving the Body of Christ enables each one to receive the mystery of salvation in the faith of the Church.
At the end of this meeting, dear Brothers in the Episcopate, I would like to tell you again of my spiritual closeness to you and to your dioceses. Persevere courageously with implanting the faith in your people! May you all be tireless artisans of peace and reconciliation!
I entrust each one of your dioceses to the Virgin Mary, Queen of Africa, so that she may be your protectress and the star that guides you towards Jesus her Son. To each one of you, to the priests, to the men and women religious, to the seminarians, to the catechists and to all the members of your dioceses I impart an affectionate Apostolic Blessing.
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate,
Dear Superiors and Priests,
All of you who form the family of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy are most welcome!
I have listened with gratitude and attention to your President's address to me in your name, and I heartily thank him.
His congratulatory words about the book Jesus of Nazareth, fruit of my personal search for the Face of Christ, show that the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy rightly considers the yearning to know the Lord ever more as a fundamental value for those, like yourselves, called to diplomatic service and to a particular collaboration with the Successor of Peter.
In fact, dear students, the more you seek the Face of Christ, so much better can you serve the Church and the Christian and non-Christian people whom you will meet on your path as Pontifical Representatives scattered in every part of the world.
When, like today, I have the happy opportunity to meet you, I think of your future service to the Church. I think also of your Bishops, who have sent you to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy to help the Pope in his universal mission to the particular Churches and to the diverse civil bodies with whom the Holy See has contacts.
The service to which you are destined and for which you are preparing here in Rome, is a service of qualified witness to the Church and to the authorities of the country to whom, God willing, you will be posted.
The Gospel witness is asked to remain faithful in every circumstance to the mission entrusted to him. For you this requires, in the first place, a personal and profound experience of the Incarnate God, an intimate friendship with Jesus, in whose Name the Church sends you for a singular apostolic duty.
You know that the Christian faith cannot be reduced to mere intellectual knowledge of Christ and his doctrine; it must also be expressed in the imitation of the examples Christ has given us as Son of the Father and Son of man.
In particular, he who collaborates with the Successor of Peter, supreme Shepherd of the Catholic Church, is called to do his best to be himself a true shepherd, ready like Jesus the Good Shepherd to give his life for the flock.
The basic aspiration to be shepherds that motivates you and which you have expressed through your President, pleases me very much. Always be shepherds alongside the other shepherds of the Church, also before being, alongside the Pontifical Representatives with whom you will collaborate, promoters of dialogue and weavers of fruitful relationships with the authorities and civil bodies, according to the particular Catholic tradition.
Cultivate this desire so that those who approach you can always discover the priest that is in you. Hence, you will clearly make known to all the atypical character of Pontifical diplomacy; a diplomacy which, as the numerous diplomatic missions accredited to the Apostolic See show, far from defending material interests or partial visions of man, promotes values that come from the Gospel as expressions of the lofty ideals proclaimed by Jesus, the sole and universal Saviour.
These values, moreover, are also in no small measure the shared patrimony of other religions and cultures.
Dear friends, also when you will leave the Academy - more than 10 of you will do so in the coming weeks - continue to cultivate an intimate and personal friendship with Jesus, seeking to know ever better and to assimilate the thoughts and sentiments that were his (cf. Ph 2,5).
The more profoundly you know him, the more firmly you remain united to him and the more faithful you remain to your priestly duties, the more and the better will you be able to serve humanity and the more fruitful will your dialogue with people be.
The peace that you will propose in cases of tension or conflict will seem possible and the more consoling will be the comfort which, in the Name of Christ and his Church, you will offer to tried and defenceless people.
In this way, the ideal convergence of your mission and the evangelization proposed by those responsible for pastoral care will appear more clearly to the eyes of the world.
Dear brothers, while I entrust these brief reflections to your attention, I am pleased to renew my wish for every good for you and your families. I heartily assure you of a remembrance in my prayers and, invoking the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, I gladly bless you, those who take care of your formation and all your loved ones.
Dear Friends,
It is a special joy for me to welcome the participants in the Eighteenth General Assembly of Caritas Internationalis. I extend particular greetings to Doctor Denis Viénot and to the President of the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”, Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, thanking them for their kind words a few moments ago. I also offer prayerful best wishes to the newly elected President of the Confederation, Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga. You have all come together in Rome during these days for a significant moment in the life of the Confederation, so that your member organizations can reflect, in an atmosphere of fraternal communion, on the challenges facing you at the present time. Moreover, you have taken important steps shaping your immediate future by electing the major officers of Caritas Internationalis. I am confident that your deliberations during these days have been of great benefit for you personally, for the work of your member organizations worldwide, and for all those you serve.
First of all, let me take this opportunity to thank you for the outstanding witness that your Confederation has given to the world, ever since the founding of the first national Caritas in Germany over a century ago. Since that time, there has been a great proliferation of organizations bearing the name —on parish, diocesan and national levels —and these have been gathered, through the initiative of the Holy See, into the Confederation Caritas Internationalis, which today numbers more than 150 national organizations. It was because of the public character of your charitable activity, rooted in the love of God, that my predecessor the Servant of God John Paul II conferred public and canonical legal personality upon Caritas Internationalis through the Pontifical Letter During the Last Supper of 16 September 2004. This status seals your organization’s ecclesial membership, giving it a specific mission within the Church. It means that your Confederation does not simply work on behalf of the Church, but is truly a part of the Church, intimately engaged in the exchange of gifts that takes place on so many levels of ecclesial life. As a sign of the Holy See’s support for your work, Caritas Internationalis has been granted its wish to be accompanied and guided by the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.
So what is the particular mission of your Confederation? What aspect of the Church’s task falls to you and to your member organizations? You are called, by means of the charitable activity that you undertake, to assist in the Church’s mission to spread throughout the world the love of God that has been “poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Rm 5,5). The very concept of caritas draws us into the heart of Christianity, into the heart of Christ, from which “rivers of living water” flow (cf. Jn 7,38). In the work of charitable organizations like yours, we see the fruits of Christ’s love. I developed this theme in my Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, which I commend to you once more as a reflection on the theological significance of your action in the world. Charity has to be understood in the light of God who is caritas: God who loved the world so much that he gave his only Son (cf. Jn 3,16). In this way we come to see that love finds its greatest fulfilment in the gift of self. This is what Caritas Internationalis seeks to accomplish in the world. The heart of Caritas is the sacrificial love of Christ, and every form of individual and organized charity in the Church must always find its point of reference in him, the source of charity.
This theological vision has practical implications for the work of charitable organizations, and today I should like to single out two of them.
The first is that every act of charity should be inspired by a personal experience of faith, leading to the discovery that God is Love. The Caritas worker is called to bear witness to that love before the world. Christian charity exceeds our natural capacity for love: it is a theological virtue, as Saint Paul teaches us in his famous hymn to charity (cf. 1Co 13). It therefore challenges the giver to situate humanitarian assistance in the context of a personal witness of faith, which then becomes a part of the gift offered to the poor. Only when charitable activity takes the form of Christ-like self-giving does it become a gesture truly worthy of the human person created in God’s image and likeness. Lived charity fosters growth in holiness, after the example of the many servants of the poor whom the Church has raised to the dignity of the altars.
The second implication follows closely from the first. God’s love is offered to everyone, hence the Church’s charity is also universal in scope, and so it has to include a commitment to social justice. Yet changing unjust structures is not of itself sufficient to guarantee the happiness of the human person. Moreover, as I affirmed recently to the Bishops gathered in Aparecida, Brazil, the task of politics “is not the immediate competence of the Church” (Address to the Fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, 13 May 2007). Rather, her mission is to promote the integral development of the human person. For this reason, the great challenges facing the world at the present time, such as globalization, human rights abuses, unjust social structures, cannot be confronted and overcome unless attention is focused on the deepest needs of the human person: the promotion of human dignity, well-being and, in the final analysis, eternal salvation.
I am confident that the work of Caritas Internationalis is inspired by the principles that I have just outlined. Throughout the world there are countless men and women whose hearts are filled with joy and gratitude for the service you render them. I wish to encourage each one of you to persevere in your special mission to spread the love of Christ, who came so that all may have life in abundance. Commending all of you to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, I am pleased to impart my Apostolic Blessing.
Dear Brothers in the Episcopate,
I am pleased to greet you, Pastors of the Catholic Church in the countries of North Africa. In making your ad limina visit you have come to the tomb of the Apostles to renew your faith and strengthen the ties of your local Churches with the Successor of Peter and with the universal Church.
I thank the President of your Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Vincent Landel of Rabat, for his words expressing the diversity of the Church's commitments in your countries and the love of your communities for the land where they live.
In returning to your Dioceses, please convey the Pope's affectionate sentiments to the priests, the men and women religious and all the faithful, particularly those bound more closely to your countries.
I also warmly greet each one of the peoples among whom you live. May God bless them and help them to progress in their efforts to build an ever more fraternal and just society.
The diversity of the human and ecclesial situations in your countries is not an obstacle to the brotherhood that you wish to promote within your Bishops' Conference. You find in it an appreciable support for your ministry, especially in the trials that have marked some of your local Churches.
Your unity is a truthful witness borne of the Lord's teaching: "That they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (Jn 17,21).
Together with the priests of your Dioceses, who are faced with situations that frequently demand a great sense of Church and deep spiritual conviction as well as constant attention to the new appeals of the Spirit, you courageously assume the service of the people entrusted to your care.
May the Lord who accompanies you be the power and the joy of your ministry.
The brotherly encounter of the men and women in whose midst you live is one of the aspects you would like to improve as part of the Church's mission in your region.
In this perspective, I warmly encourage you to guide the faithful towards an authentic meeting with the Lord, who leads them to encounter their brothers and sisters and is already mysteriously present in the heart of each one and in everyone's quest for truth and happiness (cf. Ad Gentes AGD 11).
For this reason, may the Eucharist be the centre of your communities' life, just as it was intensely experienced by Fr Charles de Foucauld, whom your diocesan Churches had the joy of seeing beatified a few months ago.
Indeed, in the celebration of this great mystery and in Eucharistic Adoration, which are acts of personal encounter with the Lord, a true and profound acceptance of the aspect of mission matures that consists in breaking down the barriers between the Lord and us, as well as the barriers that separate us from one another.
In the early centuries, the Christian communities of your region helped to build bridges between the shores of the Mediterranean. Even today, St Cyprian, St Augustine and so many other witnesses of the faith remain undisputed spiritual, intellectual and cultural references.
Today, the members of your communities differ widely, both in their origin and because of the duration of and reasons for their presence in the Maghreb. They thus give an image of the universality of the Church, whose Gospel message is addressed to all nations.
Here, I would like in particular to greet the young Christians of Sub-Saharan Africa who are studying in your countries. May their reciprocal solidarity, with the fraternal support of their guides, help them as disciples of Christ to witness generously to their faith among their brethren.
The vigour and authenticity of the ecclesial witness of the faithful of your Dioceses, in their families and in the places where they work, study or live, requires that Pastors be close to them in their troubles and give them the necessary spiritual assistance.
This will also make the faithful aware of the ecclesial significance of their presence in society, while at the same time they assume the responsibilities incumbent upon them in the community.
By supporting their faith with the celebration of the sacraments and a solid Christian formation, as well as the search for an evangelical perception of the social, cultural and religious situations in the countries, you will enable them to face courageously the often difficult situations they encounter in their daily life and work.
The spiritual quality of Christian communities founded on the certainty that the Lord is always present and acts in and through them is essential if they are to account for the hope that sustains them. United with their Pastors in a climate of brotherly charity, may they truly be places where communion is lived as a manifestation of God's love for all human beings.
In this perspective, interreligious dialogue has an important place in your Dioceses' pastoral activities. As I have already had the opportunity to stress, "we are in great need of an authentic dialogue between religions and between cultures, capable of assisting us, in a spirit of fruitful cooperation, to overcome all the tensions together" (Address to Representatives of Muslim Communities, 25 September 2006; L'Osservatore Romano English edition, 27 September, p. 2).
So, I am delighted to note that with projects for dialogue and meeting places such as study centres and libraries, you are committed with determination to developing and deepening relations of esteem and respect between Christians and Muslims, with a view to fostering reconciliation, justice and peace.
Moreover, Christians and Muslims can find in the sharing of daily life the essential basis for a better mutual knowledge.
Through brotherly participation in one another's joys and sorrows, especially in the most important moments of life, as well as through multiple forms of collaboration in the areas of health care, education and culture or in service to the least, you show an authentic solidarity. This reinforces the bonds of confidence and friendship between people, families and communities.
Among the important issues that confront your region, the emigration of people from Sub-Saharan Africa who attempt to cross the Mediterranean to enter Europe in search of a better life, calls for your collaboration at the service of justice and peace. The situation of these people, particularly worrisome and sometimes dramatic, can only challenge consciences.
The generous help that your diocesan Churches give them contributes to the recognition of their dignity and is a witness borne of the Lord.
I fervently hope that the countries affected by this migration flow may seek the effective means to enable all people to have the hope of building a future for themselves and their families, and that every person's dignity may always be respected.
I would like to further emphasize the importance of consecrated life in your Dioceses. The unselfish devotion of men and women religious in their service to the population, without distinctions of origin or belief, is appreciated by all.
This life, given without reserve in detachment from self and in inner freedom, witnesses first and foremost to a radical belonging to God, which gives rise to the ardent desire to approach one's neighbour and in a privileged way, the most marginalized.
This belonging to Christ acquires an even more radical meaning in the witnessing of monks and nuns, to whom I would like to offer a special greeting and encouragement. Their life of prayer and contemplation is a grace for the Church in your region as a whole. Their discreet fidelity to the population that welcomes them, as the striking example of the community of Tibhirine demonstrated, is an eloquent sign of God's love which they desire to express to all.
The ever broader collaboration of your Dioceses with the Churches of the Middle East and Africa is an invaluable witness for your region, which is a crossroads between Africa, Europe and the Arab world.
The development of such relations will also be an effective implementation of the Church's solidarity in Africa and in the Middle East in her apostolic concern for your region.
Your reception of priests and women religious, whom you take care to train with a view to ecclesial situations often very different from those in their own countries, is a precious pastoral support and an opening to the universal dimension of mission for everyone.
Dear Brothers in the Episcopate, I warmly encourage you in your ministry at the service of the peoples of your region. After the example of Bl. Charles de Foucauld, may the Christians of your countries be credible witnesses of the universal brotherhood which Christ taught to his disciples.
I entrust your communities to the motherly protection of Our Lady of Africa and wholeheartedly impart to you, as well as to the priests, men and women religious and all the faithful of your Dioceses, an affectionate Apostolic Blessing.
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