Speeches 2005-13 449

449

VIA SATELLITE CONNECTION WITH THE CREW

OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS)

TALK OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

WITH THE ASTRONAUTS IN ORBIT Foconi Hall Saturday, 21 May 2011

Introduction

Dear astronauts,

I am very happy to have this extraordinary opportunity to converse with you during your mission. I am especially grateful to be able to speak to so many of you, as both crews are present on the Space Station at this time.

Humanity is experiencing a period of extremely rapid progress in the fields of scientific knowledge and technical applications. In a sense, you are our representatives – spear-heading humanity’s exploration of new spaces and possibilities for our future, going beyond the limitations of our everyday existence.

We all admire your courage, as well as the discipline and commitment with which you prepared yourselves for this mission. We are convinced you are inspired by noble ideals and that you intend placing the results of your research and endeavours at the disposal of all humanity and for the common good.

This conversation gives me the chance to express my own admiration and appreciation to you and to all those who collaborate in making your mission possible, and to add my heartfelt encouragement to bring it to a safe and successful conclusion.

But this is a conversation, so I must not be the only one doing the talking.

I am very curious to hear you tell me about your experiences and your reflections.

If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you a few questions…

First Question

From the Space Station you have a very different view of the Earth. You fly over different continents and nations several times a day. I think it must be obvious to you how we all live together on one Earth and how absurd it is that we fight and kill each other. I know that Mark Kelly’s wife was a victim of a serious attack and I hope her health continues to improve. When you are contemplating the Earth from up there, do you ever wonder about the way nations and people live together down here, or about how science can contribute to the cause of peace?

Mark Kelly, USA

Well, thank you for the kind words, Your Holiness, and thank you for mentioning my wife Gabby. It’s a very good question: we fly over most of the world and you don’t see borders, but at the same time we realize that people fight with each other and there is a lot of violence in this world and it’s really an unfortunate thing. Usually, people fight over many different things. As we’ve seen in the Middle East right now: it’s somewhat for democracy in certain areas, but usually people fight for resources. And it’s interesting in space … on Earth, people often fight for energy; in space we use solar power and we have fuel cells on the Space Station. You know, the science and the technology that we put into the Space Station to develop a solar power capability, gives us pretty much an unlimited amount of energy. And if those technologies could be adapted more on Earth, we could possibly reduce some of that violence.

Second Question

One of the themes I often return to in my discourses concerns the responsibility we all have towards the future of our planet. I recall the serious risks facing the environment and the survival of future generations. Scientists tell us we have to be careful and from an ethical point of view we must develop our consciences as well.

From your extraordinary observation point, how do you see the situation on Earth?

Do you see signs or phenomena to which we need to be more attentive?

Ron Garan, USA

Well, Your Holiness, it’s a great honour to speak with you and you’re right: it really is an extraordinary vantage point we have up here. On the one hand, we can see how indescribably beautiful the planet that we have been given is; but on the other hand, we can really clearly see how fragile it is. Just the atmosphere, for instance: the atmosphere when viewed from space is paper-thin, and to think that this paper-thin layer is all that separates every living thing from the vacuum of space and is all that protects us, is really a sobering thought. You know, it seems to us that it’s just incredible to view the Earth hanging in the blackness of space and to think that we are all on this together, riding through this beautiful fragile oasis through the universe, it really fills us with a lot of hope to think that all of us on board this incredible orbiting Space Station that was built by the many nations of our international partnership, to accomplish this tremendous feat in orbit, I think … you know, that just shows that by working together and by cooperating we can overcome many of the problems that face our planet, we could solve many of the challenges that face the inhabitants of our planet … it really is a wonderful place to live and work, and it’s a wonderful place to view our beautiful Earth.

Third Question

The experience you are having right now is both extraordinary and very important – even if you must eventually come back down to Earth like all the rest of us.

When you do return, you will be much admired and treated like heroes who speak and act with authority. You will be asked to talk about your experiences. What will be the most important messages you would like to convey – to young people especially – who will live in a world strongly influenced by your experiences and discoveries?

Mike Finchke, USA

Your Holiness, as my colleagues have indicated, we can look down and see our beautiful planet Earth that God has made, and it is the most beautiful planet in the whole Solar System. However, if we look up, we can see the rest of the universe, and the rest of the Universe is out there for us to go explore. And the International Space Station is just one symbol, one example of what human beings can do when we work together constructively. So our message, I think - one of our many messages, but I think one of our most important messages – is to let the children of the planet know, the young people know that there is a whole universe for us to go explore. And when we do it together, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish.

Fourth Question

Space exploration is a fascinating scientific adventure. I know that you have been installing new equipment to further scientific research and the study of radiation coming from outer space. But I think it is also an adventure of the human spirit, a powerful stimulus to reflect on the origins and on the destiny of the universe and humanity. Believers often look up at the limitless heavens and, meditating on the Creator of it all, they are struck by the mystery of His greatness. That is why the medal I gave Robert (Vittori) as a sign of my own participation in your mission, represents the Creation of Man – as painted by Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. In the midst of your intense work and research, do you ever stop and reflect like this – perhaps even to say a prayer to the Creator? Or will it be easier for you to think about these things once you have returned to Earth?

Roberto Vittori, Italy

Your Holiness, to live on board of the International Space Station, to work as an astronaut on the shuttle Soyuz of the Station, is extremely intense. But we all have an opportunity, when the nights come, to look down on Earth: our planet, the blue planet, is beautiful. Blue is the colour of our planet, blue is the colour of the sky, blue is also the colour of the Italian Air Force, the organization that gave me the opportunity to then join the Italian Space Agency and the European Space Agency. When we have a moment to look down, beauty which is the three-dimensional effect of the beauty of the planet is capturing our heart, is capturing my heart. And I do pray: I do pray for me, for our families, for our future. I took with me the coin and I allow this coin to float in front of me to demonstrate lack of gravity. I shall thank you very much for this opportunity and I’d like to allow this coin to float to my friend and colleague Paolo: he will make return to Earth on the Soyuz. I brought it with me to space and he will take it down to Earth to then give it back to you.

Fifth Question – in Italian – for Paolo Nespoli

La mia ultima domanda è per Paolo. Caro Paolo, so che nei giorni scorsi la tua mamma ti ha lasciato e quando fra pochi giorni tornerai a casa non la troverai più ad aspettarti. Tutti ti siamo stati vicini, anche io ho pregato per lei…Come hai vissuto questo tempio di dolore? Nella vostra Stazione vi sentite lontani e isolati e soffrite un senso di separazione, o vi sentite uniti fra voi e inseriti in una comunità che vi accompagna con attenzione e affetto?

Paolo Nespoli, Italy

Santo Padre, ho sentito le sue preghiere, le vostre preghiere arrivare fino qua su: è vero, siamo fuori da questo mondo, orbitiamo intorno alla Terra ed abbiamo un punto di vantaggio per guardare la Terra e per sentire tutto quello che ci sta attorno. I miei colleghi qui, a bordo della Stazione – Dimitri, Kelly, Ron, Alexander e Andrei – mi sono stati vicini in questo momento importante per me, molto intenso, così come i miei fratelli, le mie sorelle, le mie zie, i miei cugini, i miei parenti sono stati vicini a mia madre negli ultimi momenti. Sono grato di tutto questo. Mi sono sentito lontano ma anche molto vicino, e sicuramente il pensiero di sentire tutti voi vicino a me, uniti in questo momento, è stato di estremo sollievo. Ringrazio anche l’Agenzia spaziale europea e l’Agenzia spaziale americana che hanno messo a disposizione le risorse affinché io abbia potuto parlare con lei negli ultimi momenti.

Final greeting

Dear astronauts,

I thank you warmly for this wonderful opportunity to meet and dialogue with you. You have helped me and many other people to reflect together on important issues that regard the future of humanity. I wish you the very best for your work and for the success of your great mission at the service of science, international collaboration, authentic progress, and for peace in the world. I will continue to follow you in my thoughts and prayers and I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing.



TO A DELEGATION FROM THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA ON THE LITURGICAL MEMORIAL OF STS CYRIL AND METHODIUS Monday, 23 May 2011



Mr President,
Hon. Members of the Government,
Distinguished Authorities,
Venerable Brothers of the Orthodox Church and of the Catholic Church,

I am particularly pleased to welcome you and to extend to each of you my cordial greeting, especially to the President of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Feast of Sts Cyril and Methodius is a cause of joy for all of us. Sent to the Slavic people, these holy brothers announced the Gospel amidst great difficulty always sustained by an unwavering trust in the Lord. They were inspired by the passion to make known the Good News of Christ and for that reason they worked prodigiously to make Christian Doctrine known, recording it in books written in the Slavic language. No doubt this was a decisive factor in the growth and development of the Slavic culture and civilization in general. The witness and teaching of Sts Cyril and Methodius are still relevant for those who serve the Gospel today, and for those who are called to govern the futures of nations.

The life of these men was entirely dedicated to apostolic activity and the divine inspiration of making the message of Revelation accessible and comprehensible to peoples was the uniting cause of diverse traditions and cultures. In the acceptance of God’s plan of salvation, people can rediscover the foundations on which to build a society imbued with the spirit of reconciliation and peaceful coexistence. There can be no real unity without respect for the dignity of every human person and his or her inalienable rights. The Gospel of Christ, as Sts Cyril and Methodius understood, is capable of illuminating every part and dimension of human experience, making it fully human. The Word of God calls us continually to a conversion of heart, so that every decision, every choice, may be purified from selfish interests; and it is precisely from this steadfast conversion to God that it is possible to give birth to a new humanity.

Your annual pilgrimage to Rome is both an occasion for renewing the bonds of friendship between your Nation and the Catholic Church and for reinforcing your country’s commitment to promote its good. Let us invoke the intercession of Sts Cyril and Methodius that the Lord may grant his peace and bless the people of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia!



TO A DELEGATION FROM BULGARIA FOR THE CELEBRATIONS IN HONOUR OF STS CYRIL AND METHODIUS Monday, 23 May 2011



Madam President of Parliament,
Hon. Members of Government,
Distinguished Authorities,
Venerable Brothers of the Orthodox Church and of the Catholic Church,

I wish to address my respectful greeting to the Official Delegation of Bulgaria in Rome — led by the President of the Parliament — as is customary in the context of the liturgical Feast of Sts Cyril and Methodius. This welcome meeting, taking place again this year, offers me the opportunity to highlight the spiritual and cultural relevance of these two distinguished and worthy pioneers of the evangelization of Europe, figures honoured in the East and in the West. Thanks to their courageous preaching along the roads of the Continent, they fostered a vast spiritual renewal and laid the foundations for an authentic promotion of the freedom and unity of Christian Europe. Cyril and Methodius were “living Gospels” and eloquent signs of the goodness of the Lord, and therefore their witness reached the people of their time more easily.

These two great Saints remind the European peoples, who have recently opened themselves to new perspectives of cooperation, that their unity will be strengthened if it is based on their common Christian roots. In fact, in the complex history of Europe, Christianity represents a central and qualifying element. The Christian faith has molded the culture of the Old Continent and is permanently woven into its history, to the point that this would not be understandable if it did not refer to the events which first characterized the long period of evangelization and then the great centuries in which Christianity assumed an ever more significant role.

Therefore, it is important that Europe grow also in a spiritual dimension in line with its salutary history. The unity of the Continent, which is progressively maturing in consciences and is also defining itself on the political front, represents a perspective of great hope. Europeans are called to commit themselves to creating a condition of deep cohesion and of effective cooperation between peoples. To build the new Europe upon a solid base it is not enough to depend on economic interests alone; rather it is necessary to rely on authentic values which are founded on the universal moral law, inscribed on the heart of every person. I warmly wish that the moral and cultural legacy of Sts Cyril and Methodius may always nourish in everyone esteem for the spiritual patrimony of your lands and, at the same time, openness and communion in mutual respect. May this meeting serve to motivate further relations of brotherhood and solidarity. May the Lord bless your dear Country and all of its citizens.

450

HOLY ROSARY WITH THE BISHOPS OF THE ITALIAN EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE

AND ENTRUSTMENT OF ITALY TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

ON THE OCCASION OF THE 150th ANNIVERSARY

OF THE COUNTRY'S POLITICAL UNION

Basilica of Saint Mary Major Thursday, 26 May 2011




Dear and Venerable Brother Bishops, Brothers and Sisters,

You are gathered in this magnificent Basilica — the place where spirituality and art merge together in an age-old alliance — to share an intense moment of prayer, entrusting to the maternal protection of Mary, Mater Unitatis, the whole Italian people, 150 years after the country’s political unity. It is significant that this initiative has been prepared by similar meetings in your dioceses: in this way too you express the Church’s concern to be close to this beloved Nation and its future. In turn, we feel in communion with every community, even with the smallest, in which the tradition of dedicating the month of May to Marian devotion is kept alive. This finds expression in very many signs: shrines, churches, works of art, and especially in the prayer of the Holy Rosary, through which the People of God give thanks for the gifts they continually receive from the Lord, through the intercession of Mary Most Holy, and entreat him for their many needs. Prayer — which culminates in the Liturgy, whose form is guarded by the living Tradition of the Church — is always to make space for God: his action involves us in the history of salvation. This evening, in particular, we have been invited, in Mary’s school, to walk in the footsteps of Jesus: to descend with Him into the Jordan River, so that the Spirit may confirm in us the grace of Baptism; to sit at the banquet of Cana, in order to receive from Him the “good wine” of the celebration, to enter the Synagogue of Nazareth, just like the poor to whom the joyful message of the Kingdom of God is addressed; further, to climb Mount Tabor, in order to live the Cross in the light of Easter, and, finally, to participate in the Upper Room in the new and eternal sacrifice, which, anticipating the new heaven and new earth, regenerates the whole of Creation. This Basilica was the first in the West to be dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God. On entering, my thoughts went back to the first day of the year 2000, when Bl. John Paul II opened the Holy Door, entrusting the Jubilee Year to Mary that she might keep watch over the path of those who recognized themselves as pilgrims of grace and mercy. Today, as pilgrims, we too do not hesitate to wish to cross the threshold of that most sacred “Door” which is Christ and we want to ask the Virgin Mary to support our journey and intercede for us. As the Son of God, Christ is the form of man: he is his deepest truth, the sap that nourishes a history that would otherwise be irredeemably compromised. Prayer helps us to recognize in him the centre of our life, to remain in his presence, to conform our will to his, to do “whatever he tells us” (cf. Jn 2,5), convinced of his fidelity. This is the essential task of the Church, whom he crowned as mystical bride, as shown in the splendour of the apse. Mary is the model: it is she who holds out the mirror in which we are invited to recognize our identity. Her life is a call which brings us back to listening to and welcoming the Word through faith to give praise to the Lord, before whom our only possible greatness is that which is expressed in filial obedience: “Let it be done to me according to your word” (Lc 1,38). Mary entrusted herself: she is the “blessed one” (cf. Lc 1,42), who is such for having believed (cf. Lc 1,45), to the point of having so put on Christ as to enter the “seventh day”, sharing in the repose of God. The dispositions of her heart: the listening, welcome, humility, the faithfulness, praise and waiting — correspond to the inner attitude and gestures that shape Christian life. The Church nourishes herself on them, aware that they express what God expects from her.

On the bronze Holy Door of this Basilica a representation of the Council of Ephesus is engraved. This building, dating back in its original nucleus to the fifth century, is linked to that ecumenical assembly, celebrated in the year 431. At Ephesus the whole Church defended and confirmed for Mary the title of Theotokos, Mother of God: a title of Christological content, which refers to the mystery of the Incarnation, and expresses in the Son the unity of his human nature with the divine. Moreover, it is the person and advent of Jesus of Nazareth which illuminates the Old Testament and the very face of Mary herself. In her one finds the homogeneous design that interweaves the two Testaments. In the personal events of her life there is the synthesis of the history of an entire people, placing the Church in continuity with ancient Israel. Within this perspective, the meaning of individual events make sense, starting from those stories of the great women of the Old Testament, in whose life a humiliated, defeated and deported people is represented. These are the same women, however, who personify hope; they are the “the holy remnant”, the sign that God’s plan is not an abstract idea, but that it finds its counterpart in a pure response, in a freedom that gives itself without holding anything back, in a “yes” which is full acceptance and perfect gift. Mary is the highest expression of this. On her, Virgin, the creative power of the Holy Spirit descends, the same Spirit which “in the beginning” hovered over the formless abyss (cf. Gen Gn 1,1) and through which God called being out of nothingness, the Spirit which renders fruitful and shapes creation. By opening herself to his action, Mary gives birth to the Son, the presence of God who comes to dwell within history and who opens it to a new and definitive beginning, that is the possibility for every human being to be reborn from above, to live the will of God and therefore to realize his or her potential completely.

Faith, in fact, is not alienation; the experiences that defile human dignity and the quality of social life are quite different! In every historical period the encounter with the ever new word of the Gospel has been a well spring of civilization, has built bridges between peoples and has enriched the fabric of our cities, expressing itself in culture, the arts and, not least, in myriad forms of charity. Italy, now celebrating 150 years of political unity, can be rightly proud of the presence and action of the Church. The Church does not seek privileges nor aims to replace the responsibility of political institutions; she respects the legitimate secularity of the State, is careful to support the fundamental human rights. These include, first of all, ethical requirements and hence openness to transcendence, which together constitute values prior to any state jurisdiction, insofar as they are written into the nature of the human person. In this perspective, the Church — made firm by collegial reflection and direct, practical experience — continues to make her own contribution to the construction of the common good, reminding everyone of their duty to promote and protect human life in all its stages and actively to support the family; this remains, in fact, the first reality in which free and responsible people can grow up, shaped by those core values that open us to fraternity and which help us to deal with life’s trials. Not least among these is the difficulty today to find to full-time and decent employment: I join, therefore, with all who call on the political and business world to make every effort to overcome the widespread lack of job security, which hinders young people from planning a normal family life, with serious damage to the authentic and harmonious development of society.

Dear Brother Bishops, the anniversary of this foundational event of the united State has found you quick to recall the details of a shared memory and sensitive in pointing out the elements of a future perspective. Do not hesitate to encourage the lay faithful to overcome any spirit of closure, distraction and indifference, and to participate personally in public life. Encourage training initiatives inspired by the social teaching of the Church, so that those who are called to political and administrative responsibilities do not fall victim to the temptation to exploit their position for personal gain or the thirst for power. Support the vast network of social groups and associations that promote all kinds of cultural, social and charitable works. Renew opportunities for the North and South to meet, as a sign of their mutual cooperation. Help the North to recover the original motivations behind this vast cooperative, Christian inspired movement which has promoted a culture of solidarity and economic development. In the same way, stir up the South to put into circulation, for the benefit of all, the resources and the qualities it has and those traits of warmth and hospitality that characterize it. Continue to cultivate a spirit of sincere and loyal cooperation with the State, knowing that this rapport is beneficial both for the Church and the whole Country. Your words and actions are to be a source of encouragement and inspiration to those called to manage the complexities that characterize the present time. In a time when the demand for solid spiritual benchmarks is emerging with ever greater force, you need to know how to pass on to all what is distinctive in Christian experience: God’s victory over evil and death as a horizon that shines a light of hope on the present. By adopting education as the main area for the pastoral commitment of this decade, you wished to express the assurance that Christian life — the upright life of the Gospel — is in fact the testimony of a fulfilled life. In this perspective you are ensuring a service which is not only religious or ecclesial, but also social, helping in the construction of the human city. Take heart, then! Despite all the difficulties, “with God nothing will be impossible” (Lc 1,37), to the One who continues to do “great things” (Lc 1,49) by means of those who, like Mary, know how to surrender themselves to him with unconditional availability.

Let us place all the Italian people under the protection of the Mater Unitatis, that the Lord might grant them the valuable gifts of peace and brotherhood, and, therefore, of joint development. Help the political leaders to live this anniversary of Unity as an opportunity to reinforce the national bond and to overcome any type of prejudiced opposition: the diverse and legitimate sensibilities, experiences and perspectives can be recomposed in a broader framework in order to seek together what really leads to the good of the Nation. The example of Mary opens the way to a more just, mature and responsible society, one which is able to rediscover the deep values of the human heart. May the Mother of God encourage young people, support families, comfort the sick, implore for everyone a renewed outpouring of the Spirit, helping us even in these times to recognize and follow the Lord, who is the true good of life, because he is life itself.

I wholeheartedly bless you and your community.




TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS Clementine Hall Friday, 27 May 2011

Your Eminences,
Brother Bishops and Priests,
Dear Friends,

I am pleased to have this opportunity to join you on the occasion of your General Assembly. I thank Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, President of Caritas Internationalis, for his kind words on your behalf, and I offer a cordial greeting to all of you and to the entire Caritas family. I also assure you of my gratitude and my prayerful good wishes for the works of Christian charity which you accomplish in countries throughout the world.

The primary reason for our meeting today is to thank God for the many graces poured out on the Church in the sixty years which have passed since the foundation of Caritas Internationalis. Following the horrors and devastation of the Second World War, Venerable Pius XII wanted to demonstrate the solidarity and concern of the entire Church in the face of so many situations of conflict and emergency in the world. He did this by creating an agency which, at the level of the universal Church, would promote greater communication, coordination and cooperation among the Church’s numerous charitable agencies in the various countries (cf. John Paul II, Chirograph Durante l’Ultima Cena, 16 September 2004, No. 1). Blessed John Paul II further strengthened the bonds linking the individual national Caritas agencies to one another and to the Holy See by granting public canonical juridical personality to Caritas Internationalis (ibid., 3). As a result, the international agency took on a particular role in the heart of the ecclesial community and was called to share, in collaboration with the ecclesiastical hierarchy, in the Church’s mission of making manifest, through practical charity, that love which is God himself. Within the limits of the proper ends assigned to it, Caritas Internationalis thus carries out in the name of the Church a specific task for the common good (cf. Code of Canon Law CIC 116 § 1).

Being in the heart of the Church, being able in a certain way to speak and act in her name for the common good, entails particular responsibilities in terms of the Christian life, both personal and in community. Only on the basis of a daily commitment to accept and to live fully the love of God can one promote the dignity of each and every human being. In my first Encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, I reaffirmed how critical the witness of charity is for the Church in our day. Through such witness, seen in the daily lives of her members, the Church reaches out to millions of persons and makes it possible for them to recognize and sense the love of God, who is always close to every man and woman in need. For us Christians, God himself is the source of charity; and charity is understood not merely as generic benevolence but as self-giving, even to the sacrifice of one’s life for others in imitation of the example of Jesus Christ. The Church prolongs Christ’s saving mission in time and space: she wishes to reach out to every human being, moved by a concern that every individual come to know that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (cf. Rom Rm 8,35).

Caritas Internationalis differs from other social agencies in that it is ecclesial; it shares in the mission of the Church. This is what the Popes have always wanted and this is what your General Assembly is called forcefully to re-affirm. It should be noted that Caritas Internationalis is basically made up of the various national Caritas agencies. In comparison with many Church institutions and associations devoted to charity, Caritas is distinctive; despite the variety of canonical forms taken by the national agencies, all of them offer an outstanding aid to Bishops in their pastoral exercise of charity. This entails a particular ecclesial responsibility: that of letting oneself be guided by the Church’s Pastors. Since Caritas Internationalis has a universal profile and is canonically a public juridical person, the Holy See is also responsible for following its activity and exercising oversight to ensure that its humanitarian and charitable activity, and the content of its documents, are completely in accord with the Apostolic See and the Church’s Magisterium, and that it is administered in a competent and transparent manner. This distinctive identity remains the strength of Caritas Internationalis, and is what makes it uniquely effective.

I would also like to emphasize that your mission enables you to play an important role on the international level. The experience you have garnered in these years has taught you to be advocates within the international community of a sound anthropological vision, one nourished by Catholic teaching and committed to defending the dignity of all human life. Without a transcendent foundation, without a reference to God the Creator, without an appreciation of our eternal destiny, we risk falling prey to harmful ideologies. All that you say and do, the witness of your lives and activities, remains important and contributes to the advancement of the integral good of the human person. Caritas Internationalis is an organization charged with fostering communion between the universal Church and the particular Churches, as well as communion between all the faithful in the exercise of charity; at the same time it is called to help bring the Church’s message to political and social life internationally. In the political sphere - and in all those areas directly affecting the lives of the poor - the faithful, especially the laity, enjoy broad freedom of activity. No one can claim to speak “officially” in the name of the entire lay faithful, or of all Catholics, in matters freely open to discussion (cf. Gaudium et Spes GS 43 GS 88). On the other hand, all Catholics, and indeed all men and women, are called to act with purified consciences and generous hearts in resolutely promoting those values which I have often referred to as “non-negotiable”. Caritas Internationalis, then, is called to work in converting people’s hearts in openness towards all our brothers and sisters, so that everyone, in full respect for his or her freedom and in the full acceptance of his or her personal responsibilities, may always and everywhere act for the common good, generously giving the best of himself or herself in the service of his or her brothers and sisters, particularly those in greatest need.

It is within this greater horizon, then, and in close collaboration with the Church’s Pastors who are ultimately responsible for her witness of charity (cf. Deus Caritas Est ), that the national Caritas agencies are called to continue their vital witness to the mystery of God’s healing and transforming love made manifest in Jesus Christ. The same holds true for Caritas Internationalis, which can rest assured that it will enjoy the assistance and support of the Holy See – particularly through the competent dicastery, the Pontifical Council Cor Unum – as it strives to carry out its mission.

Dear friends, as I entrust these thoughts to your reflection, I once more thank you for your generous efforts in the service of our brothers and sisters in need. To you, to your co-workers and to all engaged in the vast network of Catholic charities, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of strength and peace in the Lord.


Speeches 2005-13 449