S. John Paul II Homil. 292
Ottawa
Thursday, 20 September 1984
1. “Heureux ceux qui ont faim et soif de la justice . . .” (Mt 5,6).
“Heureux les artisans de paix” (Ibid. 5, 9).
À la fin de mon pèlerinage en terre canadienne, dans votre capitale d’Ottawa, en cette messe, nous prions pour la justice et la paix.
Nous prions pour la justice et la paix dans le monde contemporain, en nous référant aux béatitudes prononcées par le Christ, selon l’Evangile de saint Matthieu. Nous prions pour la paix, et le chemin de la paix passe par la justice. C’est pourquoi ceux qui ont sincèrement faim et soif de la justice sont en même temps des artisans de paix.
Je voudrais que ce thème qui oriente notre prière d’aujourd’hui au cours du Sacrifice eucharistique unisse ceux qui y participent, assemblés ce soir par milliers au pied des splendides Monts Gatineau, au bord de la rivière d’Ottawa, autour de Monseigneur Joseph Aurèle Plourde, Archevêque de votre ville, que je salue fraternellement; avec Mme le Gouverneur Général, et les autres autorités civiles, avec les habitants de la Région de la Capitale, tous les Canadiens, et tous ceux qui, au loin, se joignent à nous. Cette rivière a été autrefois la voie d’accès au coeur de votre continent, lorsque se rencontraient les cultures européennes avec les cultures des premiers habitants. Aujourd’hui, je suis au milieu de vous un pèlerin de paix, et je désire, en cette dernière homélie, prolonger tout ce que j’ai dit dans le cadre de ma mission pastorale en terre canadienne. Et c’est une synthèse finale que je voudrais faire en m’appuyant sur les huit béatitudes du Christ.
2. Dans les huit béatitudes se présente à nous, avant tout, une personne: la Personne du divin Maître. C’est de Lui que parle le prophète Isaïe quand il annonce qu’une grande lumière a resplendi sur ceux qui habitent le pays de l’ombre (Is 9,1).
Les mêmes paroles retentissent dans la nuit de Noël: “Oui, un enfant nous est né, un fils nous a été donné; l’insigne du pouvoir est sur son épaule” (Ibid. 9, 5).
293 Le pouvoir dont sont chargées les épaules de l’Enfant né dans la nuit de Bethléem, la majesté de la Croix le confirme. Le Crucifié porte vraiment en lui toute la puissance de la Rédemption du monde.
Et c’est Lui, le Crucifié, qui a été désigné par les noms qu’annonçait Isaïe: “Merveilleux-Conseiller, Dieu-Fort, Père-à-jamais, Prince-de-la-Paix”.
Dieu a confirmé à jamais la puissance de la Rédemption que possédait le Christ crucifié, quand il l’a ressuscité. Le Rédempteur, relevé d’entre les morts, dit aux Apôtres en se séparant d’eux: “Tout pouvoir m’a été donné au ciel et sur la terre. Allez donc! De toutes les nations faites des disciples . . .” (Mt 28,18-19).
Ainsi le Christ se tient à jamais au milieu de l’humanité comme cette “grande lumière” d’Isaïe, qui resplendit “sur ceux qui habitent le pays de l’ombre”.
Il ne cesse d’être le “Prince-de-la-Paix” et en même temps “Merveilleux-Conseiller”. Le point de départ des voies qui conduisent à la justice et à la paix se trouve dans la Rédemption du monde que le Christ a accomplie par la puissance de sa Croix et de la Résurrection.
3. Ce fait est de première importance en notre époque où l’homme, les nations et toute l’humanité cherchent désespérément les voies de la paix. “Genus humanum arte et ratione vivit”: l’homme vit de sagesse, de culture, de moralité. La violence contredit complètement une telle vie. La violence fait naître aussi la juste nécessité de la défense. Et au même moment, la violence menace de destruction ce dont vit l’humanité. Elle menace de mort non seulement des hommes, des millions d’hommes, mais elle menace de mort tout ce qui est humain.
Au milieu de la famille humaine menacée, le Christ se tient sans cesse comme Prince-de-la-Paix, comme Défenseur de ce qui est humain.
L’Evangile des huit béatitudes n’est pas autre chose qu’une défense de ce qui est le plus profondément humain, le plus beau dans l’homme, ce qui est saint en l’homme:
“Heureux les pauvres de coeur . . .
Heureux les doux . . .
Heureux ceux qui pleurent . . .
294 Heureux les miséricordieux . . .
Heureux les coeurs purs . . .
Heureux ceux qui sont persécutés pour la justice . . .
Heureux êtes-vous si l’on vous insulte, si l’on vous persécute et si l’on dit faussement toute sorte de mal contre vous, à cause de moi. C’est ainsi en effet qu’on a persécuté les prophètes” (Mt 5,3-5 Mt 5,7-8 Mt 5,10-12).
4. L’Evangile des huit béatitudes est une constante affirmation de ce qui est le plus profondément humain, de ce qui est héroïque en l’homme. L’Evangile des huit béatitudes est lié fermement à la Croix et à la Résurrection du Christ. Et c’est seulement à la lumière de la Croix et de la Résurrection que ce qui est humain, que ce qui est héroïque en l’homme retrouve sa force et sa puissance. Aucune forme du matérialisme historique ne lui donne ni fondement ni garantie. Le matérialisme ne peut que mettre en doute, amoindrir, piétiner, détruire, briser ce qui est le plus profondément humain.
L’Evangile des huit béatitudes est, à sa racine même, lié au Mystère: à la réalité de la Rédemption du monde.
Oui, seule la réalité de la Résurrection du monde constitue le fondement des béatitudes, et de ces deux béatitudes réellement importantes en ce temps de menaces:
“Heureux ceux qui ont faim et soif de la justice . . .”.
“Heureux les artisans de paix . . .”.
La conscience de la Rédemption pénètre jusqu’au fond le coeur des hommes tourmentés par les menaces qui pèsent aujourd’hui sur le monde.
Si nous savons accueillir l’Evangile des béatitudes du Christ, nous n’avons pas peur de faire face à ces menaces.
295 5. La conscience morale de l’humanité découvre, par des voies diverses, le lien qui existe entre la justice et la paix. Il faut accomplir tous les efforts nécessaires pour que cette conscience retrouvée au prix d’énormes sacrifices depuis la dernière guerre mondiale, ne se trouve pas submergée à nouveau par le déploiement de la violence.
L’homme contemporain, les nations, l’humanité, cherchent inlassablement les chemins qui mènent à la justice et à la paix. Sans relâche, l’Eglise participe à cette grande tâche. Les Eglises particulières, les épiscopats y participent. Le Siège apostolique y participe. C’est là un devoir humain, chrétien, apostolique.
6. Pope John XXIII addressed a remarkable appeal to the world in his Encyclical "Pacem in Terris". There he analysed at length the conditions for peace, and he invited us to become artisans of peace and justice in all the spheres in which the human community acts.
In its turn, the Second Vatican Council, when it considers the place of the Church in the context of the modern world, again takes up this reflection; it asks us to safeguard peace and to build up the community of nations (Gaudium et Spes, II. V).
Pope Paul VI did not cease to act in that sense. To the General Assembly of the United Nations he issued this prophetic cry: "War never again!". He emphasized the links between peace and the development of peoples, of which I have spoken a few days ago in Edmonton. Paul VI also instituted the World Day of Peace on January 1. From that time on, at the beginning of each year, all are called to prayer and action for peace; it is the occasion for the Pope to renew his appeals to all people, so that they may opt for peace and take the necessary steps to overcome tensions and to dispel growing dangers.
Shortly after my election, I was able to answer the invitation of the United Nations and to assure the international community not only that the Apostolic See supports their efforts but that "the Catholic Church in every place on earth proclaims a message of peace, prays for peace, educates for peace" (Ioannis Pauli PP. II, Allocutio ad Nationum Unitarum Legatos habita, 10, die 2 oct. 1979: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, II, 2 (1979) 528).
Today, I renew my appeal. For we know that, after the world war, tensions and confrontations have not ceased, that they provoke wars which, while localized, are no less murderous. And we know that the sources of the conflicts are found wherever injustice kills, or wherever the dignity of people is scoffed at. To build peace we must establish justice.
What moral conscience could resign itself, without reacting, when there exist "frightful disparities between excessively rich individuals and groups on the one hand, and on the other hand the majority made up of the poor or indeed of the destitute . . ."? (Ibid., n.19: l.c., p. 536).
What moral conscience could resign itself to superficial arrangements which cover over injustice, as long as somewhere on the planet man is wounded "in his most personal belief, in his view of the world, in his religious faith, and in the sphere of what are known as civil liberties"? ((Ibid.)
Will we be peacemakers hungering for justice if we consent without reacting to "the breathtaking spiral of armaments . . ." presented as being "at the service of world peace" (Ibid., n. 22: l.c., p. 539), while the arms race is a real threat of death and while its economic cost deprives so many countries of the effective means for their development?
Our duty remains urgent at this time. We shall be peacemakers if our conscience makes us aware of the dangers, energetic to winning acceptance for dialogue and sharing, attentive to respecting the point of view of others at the same moment that we defend our own rights, faithful to love for humanity, and receptive to the gift of God!
296 We shall be disciples of Christ and true brothers and sisters among ourselves if together we take our part in the thrust of civilization which for centuries has been in one direction: that of guaranteeing "the objective rights of the spirit, of human conscience and of human creativity, including man’s relationship with God" (Ibid., n.19; l.c., p.537). We shall be peacemakers if all our action is based on respect for the One who calls us to live according to the law of his Kingdom, and from whom all power comes (Jn 19,11).
7. In this way, therefore, one cannot permit the moral conscience of humanity to give in to violence. It is necessary to maintain that close link which unites peace and justice, peace and the defence of the inviolable rights of individuals and of nations!
It is necessary to protect people from death - millions of people - from nuclear death and death from starvation. It is necessary to protect from death all that is human!
With this intention, today our prayer for justice and peace rests upon the Gospel of the Eight Beatitudes.
In a word what does this Gospel proclaim? Let us read it one more time:
"How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God.
297 Happy the peacemakers: they shall be called children of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven" (Mt 5,1-12).
Let us allow ourselves to be seized by the Spirit of Christ. May he fill us with the truth of these words, with the power of the love that inspires them! May our prayer enable us not only to seek peace, but to bring our will into harmony with the will of God as it is revealed to us by Christ. For peace among people will always be precarious if we are not at peace with God, if we do not conform ourselves in our most inner being to the plan of God for the history of the world. May our justice be the reflection of his justice! Recognizing our sinfulness, let us allow God to reconcile us with himself, the author of life, and, at the same time, with our brothers and sisters. This reconciliation, which we cannot fully realize by ourselves, we shall attain by grace if we faithfully unite ourselves to the immense supplication of those who pray.
8. In a word, then, what does the Gospel of the Eight Beatitudes proclaim?
It says that the poor in spirit, the gentle, the merciful, those who hunger and thirst for justice, the peacemakers - all these are invincible! It says that the final victory belongs to them! To them belongs the Kingdom of Truth, of Justice, of Love and of Peace! May their weakness, their difficulty in surmounting what divides and opposes, not deject them. Human forces are not enough to apply the Gospel, but the strength of Christ permits the purification and the conversion of hearts, for he gave himself so that humanity might possess his peace!
And it is this perspective which Christ by this Gospel and Redemption has truly opened up to those who practise his Beatitudes.
Ecoutez-moi, vous qui, en diverses parties du monde, souffrez la persécution pour le Christ!
Vous les pauvres sur qui pèse l’oppression et l’injustice comme si vous étiez quotidiennement laminés par les systèmes qui écrasent l’humanité!
Vous tous qui êtes vraiment des hommes de bonne volonté!
Nous disons que le Christ est Merveilleux-Conseiller.
298 Nous disons que le Christ est Prince-de-la-Paix.
Nous disons que le Christ est le Crucifié et le Ressuscité.
“L’insigne du pouvoir est sur son épaule”.
“Son pouvoir s’étendra . . . pour son Royaume. Il sera solidement établi sur le droit et la justice” (Is 9,6).
“Que ton Règne vienne”!
Sunday, 14 October 1984
1. “Il regno dei cieli è simile a un re che fece un banchetto di nozze per suo figlio” (Mt 22,2).
A queste nozze speciali il Padre eterno invita tutti i popoli e tutte le nazioni della terra.
Due secoli fa è stato invitato il popolo coreano. Nello scorso mese di maggio ho avuto la gioia di celebrare in Corea il bicentenario di quella cristianità.
Il popolo coreano ha risposto all’invito al mistico banchetto del Padre celeste mostrando nel proprio cuore una straordinaria disponibilità e un edificante impegno, che oggi sono premiati con una splendida fioritura della comunità ecclesiale.
299 In Corea la fede fu recata - caso unico nella storia - spontaneamente dai coreani stessi. Il cammino dei coreani verso la fede infatti è cominciato grazie all’iniziativa autoctona di alcuni laici. Tale cammino ci fa comprendere di quanta importanza, ai fini della salvezza eterna, sia rivestita l’aspirazione naturale della ragione umana alla verità. Fu infatti, come sappiamo, una leale ricerca della verità a spingere quei laici - era un gruppo di letterati e “filosofi” - a prendere contatti, non senza gravi rischi, con Pechino, laddove avevano sentito parlare della presenza di uomini, alcuni dei quali cattolici, che avrebbero potuto illuminarli sulla nuova fede da essi conosciuta mediante i nuovi libri. Questi laici, uomini e donne, giustamente considerati i “fondatori della Chiesa” in Corea, per ben 56 anni, dal 1779 al 1835, senza l’aiuto di sacerdoti - tranne la presenza assai breve di due sacerdoti cinesi - hanno diffuso il Vangelo nella loro patria fino all’arrivo dei missionari francesi nel 1836, e hanno offerto e sacrificato la vita per la loro fede in Cristo.
E quel Figlio di Dio che, venendo sulla terra tanti secoli prima, aveva detto: “Chiunque è dalla verità, ascolta la mia voce” (Jn 18,37), non poté deluderli nella loro ricerca, anzi, con la sua parola divina, li illuminò molto al di là di quanto essi all’inizio si attendevano. Li illuminò e li fortificò. Dette loro quello Spirito di fortezza che già li aveva guidati, senza che essi stessi se ne fossero resi conto nel cammino verso il Verbo di verità e verso il Padre.
È per questo Spirito di fortezza, che essi rimasero ben saldi in Cristo, pronti a perdere ogni bene, anche quello della vita, pur di non perdere lui, Gesù salvatore.
2. La Chiesa in terra coreana ha reso, specie nel corso dei primi cent’anni, una straordinaria testimonianza alla fede in Cristo, come ne sono prova le numerose schiere dei martiri.
Come è noto, durante l’Eucaristia giubilare del 6 maggio scorso a Seoul, mi è stato dato di canonizzare 103 martiri della Corea.
Questi martiri della Corea costituiscono un numero piccolo, ma particolarmente significativo, tra le migliaia e migliaia che vengono ricordati dalla storia.
Ciò che ci riempie di profonda ammirazione, almeno nelle testimonianze più eroiche che ci sono riferite, è l’eccezionale serenità e la misteriosa gioia delle quali, per uno speciale dono di Dio, essi furono capaci pur davanti alla prospettiva di crudeli tormenti e della morte. La fortezza dei martiri della Corea richiama alla memoria quella di cui si parla circa i primi secoli cristiani. In essi lo splendore particolare della testimonianza sembra risentire in qualche modo della disciplina orientale concernente l’autodominio e il distacco ascetico dai beni di questo mondo, compresa la stessa vita fisica, completando nella loro carne “quello che manca ai patimenti di Cristo, a favore del suo corpo che è la Chiesa” (Col 1,24).
3. L’évangile d’aujourd’hui nous parle des serviteurs que le roi envoya pour appeler les invités aux noces de son Fils: “Allez aux croisées des chemins: tous ceux que vous rencontrerez, invitez-les au repas de noce” (Mt 22,9).
Beaucoup de fils et filles de France ont accompli un grand service missionnaire à l’égard de la jeune Eglise de Corée.
En effet, le Pape Grégoire XVI, ayant reçu une lettre de la communauté de laïcs qui demandait l’envoi de prêtres, s’adressa en 1827 à la Société des Missions étrangères de Paris, qui connaissait un moment de forte expansion missionnaire, en lui proposant de répondre à la demande. Parmi les volontaires qui se présentèrent, il y eut le premier évêque désigné par le Saint-Siège comme Vicaire Apostolique pour la terre de Corée, Mgr Barthélemy Bruguière. Mais il mourut avant de rejoindre son lieu de destination.
Par contre le martyre attendait les Français courageux qui dès l’année suivante, en 1836 commencèrent leur activité en Corée: Pierre Maubant et Jacques Chastan. Et de même furent martyrisés le second Vicaire Apostolique, Mgr Laurent Imbert, arrivé en 1837, puis Mgr Siméon Berneux, Mgr Antoine Daveluy, et d’autres héros français, dont nous avons inscrit les noms, comme vous le savez, “dans le livre de la vie” (Ph 4,3 Ap 3,5 Ap 13,8 Ap 21,27).
300 Ces Martyrs missionnaires ont fraternisé avec ceux de Corée dans un unique témoignage de foi qui montre à quel point la charité a une valeur qui ne connaît pas les barrières ou les limites de la nationalité ou de la culture. Celui qui aime vraiment sa patrie ne peut considérer comme un “étranger” le chrétien d’un autre pays. Et de même tout vrai chrétien considère d’une certaine façon comme ses compatriotes les hommes des autres pays. De même que les missionnaires français surent reconnaître des frères dans les Coréens, de même les Coréens surent reconnaître des frères dans les Français. La meilleure façon d’aimer sa propre patrie et de respecter celle des autres tient justement dans le partage de cet esprit de “catholicité”, c’est-à-dire d’authentique universalité, de cet amour pour l’homme enseigné par l’Evangile et qui est un don de Dieu à l’humanité entière.
C’est pourquoi l’Evangile est ouvert à toute forme de culture: il féconde de l’intérieur les qualités spirituelles et les dons qui sont propres aux diverses cultures (Gaudium et Spes GS 53).
4. Where should this reflection on the heroic witness of the Martyrs lead us, today, in order that it may not remain a merely abstract recollection of them?
Even today, in spite of the universal affirmation of the principle of religious freedom, proclaimed by international organizations, so many of our brothers and sisters, in not a few areas of the world, are subjected to misunderstanding, banishment, harassment and physical and moral violence because of their faith in Christ. In not a few nations, Christians, as well as the followers of other religions, are looked upon and treated as second-class citizens. They are viewed with suspicion and deprived of fundamental freedoms.
In this solemn and important celebration in honor of the 103 Martyrs of Korea I appeal to the authorities concerned and ask them to ensure that the religious freedom of their subjects is respected at every level. Their people cannot and must not be discriminated against by reason of their faith! Christians are, and intend to remain, loyal and exemplary citizens, but "firm in the faith" (1P 5,9), ready and willing to promote and contribute to the moral and civil progress of their countries with all their capabilities!
This celebration is also meant to be a dutiful and grateful exaltation by the whole Church of the untiring and generous work carried out, in the past as in the present, by the missionaries - priests, men and women religious, lay men and lay women - who have left their homeland, family, affections and human ideals in order to give a ready response to Christ’s call and to spread his Gospel throughout the world! This missionary dynamism, which is part of the very reality of the Church, can adopt, in the course of time, different methods and instruments to permit the Gospel message to have greater incisiveness and effectiveness according to the various circumstances. But this dynamism will always be founded on and animated by an intense faith and an immense charity, and sustained and enlightened by the teachings of the Church.
In this sense the witness of the Martyrs of Korea is in essence, still today, a fully valid and shining example for all missionaries, to whom I renew my own gratitude and the gratitude of the entire People of God!
5. The text of the second reading of this Mass, taken from Saint Paul, illustrates very well the spirituality of the apostle-missionary-martyr.
There are surprising similarities between what we see in many of the Martyrs of Korea and the personality of the great Apostle of the Gentiles: total dedication to the cause of Christ; unbreakable courage and a spirit of sacrifice for the defense of that cause to its final consequences; an unrestrainable and unshakable desire to share the interior joy of one’s own Christian experience with the greatest number of souls possible, without ever succumbing to misunderstanding or discouragement.
"I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich . . ." (Ph 4,12). Paul was ready for everything and, at the same time, he was detached from everything. One thing alone concerned him: to be and to remain with Christ. Everything else was viewed as secondary and directed to that absolute goal, in relation to that supreme and unrenounceable value. From Jesus himself he received the strength for this complete detachment. Through grace Jesus held him close to himself. It was also this way with the Martyrs of Korea.
6. Oggi i figli e le figlie della Corea e quelli della Chiesa in Francia gridano insieme: “Possa il Padre del Signore nostro Gesù Cristo illuminare gli occhi della nostra mente per farci comprendere a quale speranza ci ha chiamati” (cf. Ef 1, 17-18).
301 Ecco la luce della vostra vita: la speranza della salvezza e del regno di Dio. Questa è la verità che deve guidare i nostri passi, facendoci superare tutti gli ostacoli che si oppongono a tale prospettiva: prepararsi ad attendere il regno del Signore, guardare sempre al di là della morte, e rendersi degni, con una vita santa, della terra nuova dei viventi. Il Signore Gesù sia la nostra guida. Diciamo anche noi con i martiri coreani e francesi: il Signore è mio Pastore! Egli mi rinfranca, mi sorregge e mi guida. Con lui non manco di nulla. Amen!
Trinidad and Tobago - Tuesday, 5 February 1985
1. Glory to you, O Trinity!
Permit me to begin, dear brothers and sisters, by venerating the Most Holy Trinity, whose name your country bears: Trinidad and Tobago. You are called by the name of God, One and Three, the name of God who is love. And in this most holy name is your glory.
In the name of the Most Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit -I greet you all. I greet you as the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of the Apostle Peter who, by the pilgrimages he has undertaken, visits the communities of the Church in the different parts of the world. Accept this visit and the apostolic ministry that it expresses as a sign of my pastoral love in Christ.
It is a great joy to have this opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist with such a large gathering of the faithful of the Catholic Church in this nation. At the same time, I extend special greetings to the representatives of other Christian communions and to the followers of other religions who are assembled with us today. I assure you of my fraternal respect and esteem for you all.
While praising God for this blessed moment, I also want you to know that I regret that I cannot be with you for a longer period of time. I am especially sorry that there is not enough time to visit the island of Tobago. Yet I am pleased to know that many from Tobago are able to be present at this Eucharistic celebration, and I ask you, when you return to your homes, to take to all your neighbours and friends the cordial greetings and prayerful good wishes of the Pope.
2. In the Gospel which we have just listened to, Jesus says to his disciples: «Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can preach there too: because that is why I came» (Marc.1, 38).
During the years of his public ministry, Jesus of Nazareth divided his time between prayer and proclaiming the Gospel. Great crowds of people would often surround him, in particular the sick and those tormented by evil spirits. This is what happened on the occasion when Jesus, after healing Simon Peter's mother-in-law, stayed on for a while longer in their home. «The whole town came crowding round the door», Saint Mark tells us, «and he cured many who were suffering from diseases» (Ibid. 1, 33). However, after a brief stay he left that place, so that he could go to other places in Galilee with the word of the Gospel and the ministry of salvation. Truly the words then spoken by Simon Peter were prophetic: «Everybody is looking for you» (Ibid. 1, 37).
3. Afterwards, the ministry of the Good News was passed on to the Apostles, and they in turn felt the same need to become «all things to all men». In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul explains how he must preach the Gospel. With deep conviction he writes: «I should be punished if I did not preach it!» (1Co 9,16). He emphasizes the fact that he «offers the Good News free». And he adds: «I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could . . . For the weak I made myself weak . . . And I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessings» (Ibid. 9, 19. 22-23).
4. The word of God in today's liturgy directs us to the very beginnings of evangelization, to make it clear that you, too, dear brothers and sisters, are called to be sharers in the Gospel and in its blessings. The very name of your country shows it: Trinidad and Tobago, the country of the Most Holy Trinity!
302 The early attempts at proclaiming the Gospel here met with serious difficulties and setbacks. The first missionaries to come were two Dominican friars. In 1513, however, they were tragically killed, because they had been mistakenly associated with slave-traders who had been kidnapping native people and selling them into slavery abroad.
More than fifty years passed before the Gospel was preached here again. Among the new missionaries was Saint Louis Bertrand. However, after a relatively brief period, evangelization was once more interrupted. Later on, Franciscans, Jesuits and Capuchins - in addition to the Dominicans - sought, despite numerous hard-ships, to plant the seed of the Gospel in the hearts of your ancestors.
In the first part of the nineteenth century, the valiant efforts of the missionaries made it possible through the grace of God for the first Vicar Apostolic to be appointed. Finally, in 1850, the Archdiocese of Port of Spain was established, and the Vicar Apostolic Patrick Smith was appointed as the first Archbishop. The work of evangelization now moved forward steadily. In addition to the religious already mentioned, important contributions have also been made by the Augustinians, the Holy Ghost Congregation, Benedictine Monks, Presentation Brothers, De La Salle Brothers, Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny, Corpus Christi Carmelite Sisters, Sisters of the Holy Faith, Dominican Sisters and Contemplative Nuns, Sisters of Mercy and Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother.
Mention should also be made of the zealous efforts of Anglican missionaries and other non-Catholic Christians.
5. The abundant fruit of this evangelization is clearly evident today. With 380,000 faithful, the Archdiocese of Port of Spain is the largest of all the dioceses of the Antilles Episcopal Conference. You have catechetical and pastoral centres, a well-equipped radio and television studio, a weekly Catholic newspaper and other important publications. In addition there are numerous thriving lay organizations and a number of community development projects for assisting the youth and the poor. You can boast of an excellent Catholic school system and well-developed catechetical programmes, thanks to the valued contributions of your lay teachers and the zealous evangelical witness of all the religious who serve you with great generosity. Above all, you are a community united in the love of Christ and the unity of his Church. I am especially pleased to kn?w of the way that the laity have taken an increasingly active role in the mission of the Church in this country.
What also brings special joy to my heart is the now increasing number of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. With the Regional Seminary here in Trinidad and Tobago, you provide for the formation of diocesan priests not only for your own country but for other dioceses of the Caribbean as well.
6. As you gratefully acknowledge the fruits of evangelization which are abundantly evident in your nation, there remain some significant problems which you must face as the end of the twentieth century draws near. So many obstacles threaten family life in countries throughout the world, and your society unfortunately is no exception. Families suffer from such evils as conjugal infidelity and divorce, while the very life of the unborn is snuffed out by the unspeakable crime of abortion. Always remember that respect for the sacredness of life is a guarantee of stability for the human community. No society can survive - no nation can last - unless all human life is honoured and protected.
The beguiling attraction of materialism and consumerism has not bypassed you either, with its empty promises of happiness, which instead lead only to disillusionment and a loss of self-respect. Young people especially are vulnerable to the dangerous enticement of drugs, alcohol and pre-marital sex. But, dear young people of Trinidad and Tobago, I urge you to reject the deception of the evil one, and to seek instead to build your future not on such shaky foundations but on the solid rock of authentic moral and religious values, on generous love, on the full truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Saviour of the world. It is he who through his Gospel teaches us how to live in accordance with the will of our Father in heaven.
As the Church here faces these and other problems, I am heartened to know that you are strengthened in your efforts by a good spirit of ecumenism among Christians, and a true sense of fraternal cooperation with members of other religions. Continue to find strength, too, in your all-night prayer vigils and in the special Year of Prayer, Fasting and Repentance which you have recently begun.
7. «Praise the Lord Jerusalem! Zion, praise your God!» (Ps 147,12).
These words from the psalm which we have sung in today's liturgy reflect the joy of Jerusalem: the city particularly loved and visited by God. The Church takes up this same song of praise and, like Jerusalem, glorifies God for all his works in the created world, for the whole order of the universe. However, first of all, the Church, following the example of Jerusalem, glorifies God for the word of his revelation:
303 «He makes his word known to Jacob,
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations.
He has not taught them his decrees» (Ibid. 19-20).
As I make this pastoral visit today, I wish this thanksgiving of Jerusalem and the Church to be repeated here together with you. Together let us give thanks to God, to the Most Holy Trinity, for the gift of Revelation and for the grace of faith which for many generations has dwelt in your souls.
Let us give thanks to Jesus Christ, because his Apostles have reached here in the person of their successors. Let us thank Mary his Mother because she has become Mother of the inhabitants of Trinidad and Tobago. Let us praise God for Saint Louis Bertrand and for all the zealous missionaries who proclaimed the Good News of salvation in this country. Praise to the Most Holy Trinity for having given the precious gift of faith to each of you and to your forebears! With one heart and one voice let us acclaim: «Praise ? the Lord Jerusalem! Zion, praise your God!» (Ibid. 12).
8. It is my fervent desire that the Gospel inheritance will always remain in your midst: with its power to lift up the downtrodden and weary, to bring healing and hope, to give meaning to life; with its power to bring about conversion and reconciliation. And I pray that this Gospel of salvation will be extended through catechesis and ever more fully embraced in Christian living. This is my deepest wish for your entire community.
I am grateful to you for your hospitality and your cordial welcome. May this meeting strengthen your unity with the Church in Rome, which remains the centre of universal unity (Cfr. S. IRENAEI Adversus Haereses, 3, 3, 2).
Once again, in the words of Saint Paul, I assure you that I have come «for the sake of the Gospel» (1Co 9,23), so that you may all have a share in its blessings!
The love of God the Father, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all! Amen.
S. John Paul II Homil. 292