Speeches 2001
1. I am pleased to welcome your Excellency on this solemn occasion of the presentation of the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Finland to the Holy See.
I warmly thank you, Mr Ambassador, for the greetings you have conveyed to me from President Tarja Halonen. In return, I would be grateful if you would kindly express my respectful good wishes to her as well as to the Finnish people who are celebrating their national feast today. I pray God to guide the efforts of each one in the work of building a nation that is ever more fraternal and supportive.
2. You recalled, Mr Ambassador, that today Finland is celebrating the 84th anniversary of its Independence, won during the tragedy of the great war that devastated Europe. Your country, that has always been attached to the quest for peace, joined in the project of building Europe and today fully participates in it. As you know, the Holy See is carefully following this development that reveals a spirit of dialogue and negotiation, for it has enabled nations who were formerly enemies to take part first of all in a project of mutual cooperation and later, in a real community of nations. The common currency that will be in use from 1 January is yet another step in this direction. The process of the expansion of the Union to include new member countries in Europe is clearly underway and this is a cause of joy. Can one not think that what takes place on this continent could be an example to many other nations or regions of the world that are still torn by hostility and internal conflicts? I want to congratulate Your country that in this spirit and aware of Europe's moral and political responsibility, it is investing in a very definite way in the defence of human rights and in aid to developing countries.
3. Mr Ambassador, you have also stressed how the international situation that our world has lived for several months gives rise to questions among the civil authorities of nations and among their citizens. Over and above the horrific and intolerable act of terrorism that struck the United States of America, this situation has brought to light the grave tensions that threaten the fragile balance between nations, the situations of injustice that have prevailed for too long, stirring up bitterness and hatred, that have erupted in violence among men and women. As you aptly put it, this situation is leading us to reassess today's world and to question ourselves about our fundamental values.
The European plan we are referring to was not born by chance. It has a history and a soul, forged by an age-old cultural, moral and religious tradition in which the Christian faith has an important place that no one can deny. And if, today, the European States live in accord with the principle of the legitimate autonomy of earthly realities, they cannot and must not forget the tradition that supports them. Europeans have a taste for freedom and a sense of the person, they know of human rights and of each person's fundamental dignity, they aspire to peace. They owe all this largely to their rich history. Europe is called to keep this heritage alive and revive the institutions on which social life is based, marriage and the family. Nor can it proclaim the inalienable rights of the person while at the same time allowing attacks on human life, at its conception or at its end or by manipulations that are contrary to the respect due to the human being. On the contrary, may Europe encourage in every sector a true culture of life !
4. Through you, I am pleased to greet Finland's Catholic community. The community is small and is used to living ecumenically with Christians of other confessions who are more numerous. I encourage Catholics to take their distinctive place in Finnish society, with confidence witnessing to their faith in Christ, developing brotherly ties through prayer and through a common witness with the Christian brothers and sisters of other confessions. I am delighted to know that the Catholic Church is appreciated in your country, not only for her spiritual contribution but also for her social and educational contribution, and I formulate the wish that the new law on religious freedom will make it possible to recognize and promote concretely a greater equality among all the religions offically recognized in Finland.
5. Mr Ambassador, today you are beginning your noble mission of representating your country to the Holy See. Please accept my cordial wishes for your success, and be assured of finding among my collaborators the understanding and support you need !
I cordially invoke an abundance of divine Blessings upon you, upon your family, upon your staff and upon your compatriots.
Thursday, 6 December 2001
Mr Ambassador,
I am pleased to welcome you to the Vatican today as you present the Letters appointing you Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Eritrea to the Holy See. The greetings which you bring from President Isaias Afwerki and from the Government and people of Eritrea are very much appreciated, and I assure you of my own prayerful good wishes for the well-being of your country, especially at this time when it is striving to recover from the ravages of war and to enable its citizens to return to a normal life.
Mentioning the Agreements on Cessation of Hostilities signed by Eritrea and Ethiopia last year, you have commented on the difficulties and tensions that remain in trying to implement fully the provisions of those accords. Certainly, the continued commitment of all parties is absolutely necessary if a just and lasting peace based on reconciliation and cooperation is to be achieved. The international community cannot forget its responsibility in this regard. Even as attention is rivetted on the far-reaching emergency which was unleashed on the world on 11 September last, the more developed countries must nevertheless continue to lend needed support in so many other situations, if global peace and solidarity are to be achieved.
In recent decades a direct link has been noted between peace and development, two of the greatest challenges facing our modern world. In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks and subsequent events, the relationship between authentic development and true peace has been thrown into even clearer perspective. It has become more evident that political and economic relations between nations and peoples need to be built on a new basis. Self-interest and efforts to reinforce positions of dominance must be left aside. Developing nations cannot be perceived as mere sources of raw materials or markets for finished products, but as true partners in a more just international order, partners who have a vital contribution to make to the good of the entire human family.
A higher philosophy of progress is urgently needed. Policies of development cannot be limited to producing material progress alone; they must aim at helping men and women to attain to that true freedom for which all people have a deep and unfailing longing. The quest for freedom arises from a sense of the inestimable dignity and value of the human person, and it is precisely this inalienable worth of each and every person that has to be accepted as the criterion of economic, social and political action. The human person must ever remain the focal point. At all levels of development, a strong and unwavering commitment to inalienable human rights and dignity is required. It is this commitment that the Holy See seeks to foster and strengthen by its presence in the international community.
Furthermore, a correct understanding of the human person is necessary if efforts to foster development and to promote peace are to succeed. The Church has an important contribution to make in this very area. Through her social teaching she seeks to increase awareness of the demands of justice and solidarity. Sharing with the people of our time a profound and ardent desire for a life which is just and dignified in every aspect, the Church is involved in many practical efforts aimed at improving society and responding to concrete human needs. This is the motivation behind her work in the areas of education, health care and social services, all of which she undertakes in faithfulness to her Divine Founder, who "came not to be served but to serve" (Mt 20,28). Here I wish to express my gratitude for your words of appreciation of the positive contribution which the Church has made to Eritrean society, and especially now in efforts to aid the war victims.
Mr Ambassador, during your term of office you will lack no assistance on the part of the Holy See in the discharge of your responsibilities. I offer my good wishes for the success of your efforts to build further on the positive relations already existing between your country and the Holy See, and I pray that Almighty God will bestow abundant blessings upon yourself and the beloved people of Eritrea.
Thursday, 6 December 2001
Mr Ambassador,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you today and accept the Letters of Credence appointing you as the first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Georgia to the Holy See. I thank you for the greetings which you bring from President Eduard Shevardnadze, and I ask you to convey to him, to the Government and to the people of Georgia my good wishes and the assurance of my prayers for the peace and prosperity of the nation. Your presence here today, inaugurating a new period of formal diplomatic relations between Georgia and the Holy See, is a most welcome occasion, filled with hope and promise.
I am grateful for your words of appreciation of the Holy See’s efforts to build peace and bring reconciliation in the face of what you call "the emergence and growth of old and new tensions in many parts of the world". Through its activity, including its diplomatic activity, the Holy See seeks to help all peoples live a fully human life in peace and harmony, with an eye to the integral development of individuals and nations. You have spoken of Georgia’s efforts aimed at "strengthening democratic principles... and securing protection for the fundamental freedoms of citizens"; and these principles and freedoms are also central to the Holy See’s perspective on international issues.
The Holy See’s approach is distinctive because it is not tied to national interest of any kind, but seeks instead the common good of the whole human family. It is a perspective driven not by ideology, but by a vision of the human person, and a conviction that when this vision is undermined or abandoned the very foundation of human society is shaken. It is a vision of freedom, but of freedom linked to truth – in particular, to the truth of the human person, which alone provides a sound basis for constructive political and diplomatic activity. The history of your own nation teaches that freedom is always fragile; and the last century showed dramatically how freedom is eroded once the truth of the human person is denied.
The most destructive of the lies about the human person which the twentieth century produced were born of materialistic views of the world and the person. Communism and Fascism may have foundered, but in their wake we see at times new forms of materialism, less ideologically driven and less spectacular in their manifestations perhaps, but nonetheless destructive in their own way. They stem from a flawed vision of the human person, measured almost exclusively by concern for economic well-being. It is of course right that people should aspire to well-being, but there are other fundamental features of our humanity which must be taken into account.
During my brief but intense visit to Georgia in 1999, I saw clearly that the nation’s spiritual and cultural resources, though they may have been driven underground during the years of Communist oppression, are still vibrant. Even if the process of rebuilding is more difficult and complex than was hoped or imagined a decade ago, Communism did not succeed in alienating Georgian culture completely from its religious sources. I am convinced that these are the surest guarantee of a bright future beyond the difficulties of the present time.
In speaking of the process of rebuilding the nation, let me repeat what I said in Tbilisi, that "one of the most difficult challenges of our time is the encounter between tradition and modernity. This dialogue between old and new will in great part determine the future of the younger generation, and therefore the future of the nation" (Address to the World of Culture and Learning, 9 November 1999). The rediscovery of Georgia’s deep spiritual heritage and of your traditional humanism, developed over centuries of Christian life, will be society’s greatest asset in achieving the genuine civic and cultural renewal for which so many of your citizens long.
Mr Ambassador, I am confident that the diplomatic mission which you begin today will help to strengthen the bonds of understanding and cooperation between Georgia and the Holy See. I assure you that the various offices of the Roman Curia will be ready to assist you in the fulfilment of your duties. With every good wish for your personal success and happiness, I invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God upon you and the people of your beloved land.
Thursday, 6 December 2001
Mr Ambassador,
It is with pleasure that I welcome you to the Vatican at the beginning of your mission as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Lesotho to the Holy See. In accepting your Letters of Credence, I ask you to convey to His Majesty King Letsie III and to the Right Hon. Prime Minister my good wishes and the assurance of my prayers for the peace and prosperity of the nation.
The tragic world events of recent times and the crisis in which the international community is now embroiled show more clearly than ever the need for radical personal and social renewal in order to bring greater justice and solidarity to the world. Such renewal will require enormous effort, because of the many imbalances which must be redressed.
This is dramatically true of Africa, whose peoples continue to suffer more than most under the weight of endemic poverty, political instability, social disorientation and mismanagement of resources. Throughout my pontificate, therefore, I have sought to draw attention to Africa’s needs and to the responsibility of the richer nations to contribute more effectively to the development of her peoples; and I do so once again now, lest the troubles in other parts of the world divert attention from the urgent needs of Africa.
Regrettably, the international community’s interest in the continent has not always been motivated by genuine concern for the well-being of her peoples. It is especially disappointing that, with some notable exceptions, little has been done to improve educational opportunities for young people; for this is surely one key to a better future for Africa’s peoples.
The lack of progress means that smaller countries such as Lesotho are especially vulnerable to the economic pressures accompanying the process of globalization. Indeed, there is a danger that globalization will increase the gap between rich and poor, leaving developing countries such as yours to face ever more difficult and almost insurmountable challenges. In such a situation, the Church will continue to work for a globalization of solidarity, in order to ensure that the potential benefits will reach all peoples and all levels of society.
The pressures upon Africa are not only external; for within Africa itself the winds of change are blowing strongly (cf. Ecclesia in Africa ), as people become increasingly aware of their human dignity and the need to defend their rights and freedoms. Many countries are striving to consolidate democracy at every level of public life, and to overcome resistance to the rule of law. Your Excellency has noted that your own country is fully engaged in the process of democratization, which will undoubtedly bring positive results in terms of furthering the values of human dignity and rights, good governance, dialogue and peace. The Holy See is fully supportive of this process, since there is no other foundation upon which a nation can build a future worthy of its citizens.
The process of change now evident in Lesotho is far from superficial. Indeed it goes to the very heart of your culture; for it touches people’s moral sense, which in turn is intimately linked with religion (cf. Veritatis Splendor VS 98). At the core of every culture is the attitude that men and women adopt to the greatest mystery of life – the mystery of God. As I noted in my Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, "Different cultures are basically different ways of facing the question of the meaning of personal existence. When this question is eliminated, the culture and moral life of nations are corrupted" (No. 24). Therefore, as peoples, nations and international bodies seek to improve social and political life, bolster security and foster economic growth, they must not fail at the same time to promote those transcendent values and perspectives which are genuinely religious and which enable individuals, communities and nations to develop in a truly human way. Among the many implications of this is that the human person must be at the centre of all analysis and decision-making, so that the good of the individual and the common good may be effectively safeguarded and promoted.
It is this vision of the person and society which inspires the Catholic Church’s commitment to serve the human family in every part of the world through educational, health care and social assistance programmes. In this regard, I very much appreciate your recognition of the positive influence of the Catholic Church in your country since the days of King Moshoeshoe I; and the Church will not fail to offer every possible assistance as Lesotho strives to move through these turbulent times into a stable and prosperous future.
Mr Ambassador, as you enter the diplomatic community accredited to the Holy See, I assure you that the offices of the Holy See will be ready to offer whatever assistance you may need in the performance of your duties. May your mission serve to strengthen the bonds of understanding and cooperation between your nation and the Holy See. Upon you, your family and the beloved people of Lesotho I invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.
Thursday, 6 December 2001
Your Excellency,
As I accept the Letters accrediting you as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Rwanda, I offer you a cordial welcome to the Vatican. I ask you kindly to convey to President Kagame and to all your fellow citizens the assurance of my closeness as you continue the challenging work of material and spiritual rebuilding after the immense sufferings caused by the genocidal violence of the past decade. May Almighty God inspire in the hearts of all an ever more firm commitment to the moral values of justice, solidarity, reconciliation and forgiveness, which are the only sure foundation for the nation’s rebirth.
I have followed with close interest your country’s continuing efforts to restore national unity on the basis of a new Constitution and social programmes aimed at restoring the rule of law, providing assistance to the surviving victims of the genocide and reintegrating the refugees. The commitment of all Rwandans to social, political and moral renewal, demanding as it is, is essential not only to the future of your country but also, on a larger scale, to the pacification of the entire Great Lakes Region. It is my hope that as Rwanda emerges from the nightmare of the recent past it will have the support of the international community in its efforts to re-establish the structures of civil society and promote an integral economic and human development capable of eliminating the deeper causes of injustice and social unrest.
Your Excellency, if the tragic events of the recent past revealed the destructive power of evil and hatred, the present work of national reconstruction presents an important opportunity for the Rwandan people to bear witness to the even greater power of good ever present in the human heart, a good which expresses itself politically in the pursuit of a just and fraternal society based on unstinting respect for the innate dignity and rights of each human person, regardless of ethnic origin or political views. As the Church’s teaching affirms and experience shows, changes in outward structures and programmes are never enough in themselves: true social renewal requires an underlying renewal of hearts and minds which can change hardened attitudes and inspire practical programmes. This is particularly true in the administration of justice, which must safeguard and promote the common good while scrupulously protecting human rights, the rule of law, fairness and equity in the infliction of punishment, especially by avoiding such drastic measures as recourse to the death penalty. In the end, there can be no peace without a firm resolve to respect and protect life as the most sacred and inviolable human reality: "it is not possible to invoke peace and despise life" (Message for the 2001 World Day of Peace, 19).
The Catholic Church in your country has placed itself at the service of this great moral awakening and of the programme of national reconciliation and renewal. This year the Church in Rwanda commemorates the centenary of its birth, and has just recently celebrated, in union with the universal Church, the Great Jubilee of the birth of Jesus Christ. Both these events have challenged her to a sober assessment of her past, a "purification of memory", and a recommitment to her divine mission. Through her proclamation of the Gospel and her witness to the moral law, the Church seeks to inculcate reverence for God, the Creator of all, an understanding of the sublime destiny of each man and woman, and an awareness of the God-given unity of the human race, a unity which embraces and is enriched by diversity. I deeply appreciate Your Excellency’s expression of gratitude for the Catholic Church’s past and present contribution to Rwandan national life through her programmes of education, charitable assistance and health care. In all these areas, the Church strives to express her own nature as a communion of faith which works through love (cf. Gal Ga 5,6). By calling for a constant conversion of hearts and a sincere examination of consciences, she seeks to be a prophetic voice in Rwandan society. She is moved only by a desire to contribute to the well-being of the nation, in cooperation with the civil authorities, the members of other religious traditions and all men and women of good will.
In Rwanda, as elsewhere on the African continent, the future is already in the hands of the young. Africa’s strong tradition of family life is her most precious resource in preparing the younger generation to take up the challenges of the new century. Rwanda’s families need to be encouraged and given practical support and assistance in their task of shaping the minds and hearts of the young and training them to become responsible and generous members of society. The Rwanda of the future greatly needs the immense enthusiasm and reserves of energy which are unleashed when the young are inspired by high ideals and worthy goals, and are provided with the cultural and spiritual resources to attain them. At every level of national life efforts must be made to combat the threats posed to young people by illiteracy, idleness, drug abuse, and the importation of ways of thinking and patterns of behaviour that run counter to the noblest values of the African tradition. Most importantly, the young need to be provided with concrete examples of integrity, honesty and concern for others, and enabled to see that authentic human happiness and fulfilment comes only through the generous gift of self to others. In this way they will be "craftsmen of a new humanity, where brothers and sisters – members all of the same family – are able at last to live in peace" (Message for the 2001 World Day of Peace, 22).
Your Excellency, throughout the long years of your country’s sufferings and her patient struggle to rebuild after the destruction, I have remained close to her people in prayer. As you now begin your mission to the Holy See, I wish to assure you once more of my esteem and concern for all Rwandans and to express my confidence that justice and fraternal solidarity will prevail. Invoking upon Your Excellency and your fellow-citizens the divine blessings of wisdom and strength, I ask Almighty God to guide your nation in the ways of development and peace.
Thursday, 6 December 2001
Your Excellency,
I am pleased to accept the Letters by which you have been accredited as Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Mauritius to the Holy See. I ask you kindly to convey to President Cassam Uteem and to the Right Honourable Prime Minister my cordial greetings and the assurance of my prayers for your country and its people. Although it is now twelve years since my Pastoral Visit to Mauritius, I still treasure memories of the warm welcome I received from your fellow citizens, and of the striking natural beauty which the Creator has bestowed upon your land.
During my visit I was able to observe for myself your nation’s rich ethnic, religious and cultural diversity, and learn about the efforts being made to promote a civic life marked by tolerance, respect for others and the advancement of the common good. As you and your fellow-citizens prepare to mark the Tenth Anniversary of the establishment of Mauritius as a Republic, these values, deeply rooted in your history and culture, point the way to a future of promise and hope. In the Indian Ocean, your nation has sought to be a model of harmony between diverse groups, and of fruitful cooperation in building a just and welcoming world. By continuing to accept one another in the diversity of their cultures, beliefs, races and languages, the people of Mauritius will become, as I said during my Visit, "the image of a society of peaceful coexistence which can in some way prefigure an international community which would truly be a home for all peoples" (Address in Plaisance, 14 October 1989, No. 3).
Mr Ambassador, you are entering upon your mission to the Holy See at a time when the attention of the world is focused on the issue of global terrorism, which threatens to exacerbate already serious divisions within the human family and to hinder the progress being made towards greater solidarity in international life. The current crisis poses a challenge to all nations, great and small, to renew their efforts to build a culture of peace through dialogue, understanding and cooperation. It is precisely as a means of contributing to this great enterprise that the Holy See is present in the family of nations. The Holy See seeks to affirm the religious and spiritual values which are essential to humanity’s quest to create an international order founded on respect for the specific culture of each people, while at the same time embodying the universal human aspiration to well-being and peace.
As Your Excellency has noted, and your country’s long experience of ethnic, religious and cultural pluralism has shown, the followers of the various religions have an important role to play in serving the cause of peace. Indeed "a relationship with the one God, the common Father of all, cannot fail to bring about a greater sense of human brotherhood and a more fraternal life together" (Message for the 2001 World Day of Peace, 1). Today more than ever, believers are called to join in condemning every attempt to exploit race or religion for the sake of fomenting hatred, violence and division. At the same time, they can lay a firm foundation for authentic social renewal by helping to form consciences in the ways of brotherhood and in respect for the inviolable dignity and rights of each individual. At every level there has to be a firm commitment to eliminating all forms of hostility, prejudice and discord at their very root: in the depths of the human heart.
A fundamental role in building this culture of peace is played by the family, by teachers and by educational institutions. From the beginning of her presence in Mauritius, the Catholic Church, in fidelity to the Gospel, has proclaimed the dignity of the family and its role in God’s plan for human society. Today especially, when the identity and the dignity of the family are being challenged by cultural models alien to the values which have traditionally shaped your society, it is essential that this "fundamental unit of society" receive due acknowledgment and the support necessary if it is to carry out its mission of providing for the sound moral and civic preparation of the citizens who have to build and defend the future of your democracy. Catholic education plays a significant role, not only by helping parents to bring up their children according to the human and spiritual values which guide their lives, but also by training young people to be mature, responsible and productive members of the community. This constitutes a vital service to the common good of the nation.
As you begin your mission at the Holy See, I offer Your Excellency prayerful good wishes for your success in the responsibilities which you are now undertaking in the service of your nation. I likewise assure you of the constant readiness of the offices of the Holy See to be of assistance. Upon you and your family, and upon all the beloved people of Mauritius, I cordially invoke God’s abundant blessings.
Thursday, 6 December 2001
Mr Ambassador,
1. I am pleased to welcome Your Excellency for the presentation of the Letters accrediting you to the Holy See as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Mali. I thank you for the cordial greetings you have just addressed to me in your name and on behalf of the President of Mali. I should be grateful if you would convey my best wishes to President Alpha Oumar Konaré for his well being and for the fulfillment of his lofty mission at the service of the people of Mali. I ask Almighty God to bless the efforts of all who are committed to building a society founded on the values of justice and peace and which recognizes the rights of all the nation's members.
2. In your address, Mr Ambassador, you emphasized the rewarding and friendly relations that exist between your country and the Holy See. They are based on our common conviction that the fundamental dignity and rights of the human person should be protected and defended at all times and in all circumstances. After the dark days that a few months ago made a deep impression on the conscience of humanity, I would like to acknowledge the constant efforts your nation has made to serve the cause of peace, not only within its boundaries, but also with sustained diplomatic action across the entire African continent. In this perspective, it is right to stress the importance of the meeting of the Organization for African Unity, that you hosted in your capital Bamako in November 2000, that dealt with the reduction of the proliferation of small weapons. At a time when your country is resolutely engaged in the process of building a democratic society, I express the wish that setting up and organizing a state of rights will let each person enjoy his prerogatives as a citizen, freely and with respect for a legitimate pluralism. It will also contribute to the common good that presupposes, in particular, a respect for the values and religious traditions of each one that will contribute to national unity and to the maintenance of peace and harmony among all the members of society.
To introduce and develop a culture of peace is a demanding and noble duty for a nation that identifies with humanity's vocation to acknowledge that it constitutes one family. This duty requires each nation to make courageous decisions, to fight all forms of selfishness whose effects can be noted in the economic and social imbalances and in the absence of trust that often undermine relations of healthy cooperation between individuals and peoples. On this topic, I have often had the opportunity to recall that "there is no true peace without fairness, truth, justice and solidarity.
Failure awaits every plan which would separate two indivisible and interdependent rights: the right to peace and the right to an integral development born of solidarity" (Message for World Day of Peace 2000, n. 13). To remedy the serious injustices that keep nations poor, I ask rich countries to support the efforts of the poorest ones in particular by helping set up the appropriate structures for development and the means of formation. Indeed, developing countries must be helped for their own sake and not for the particular interests of nations to which they would be indebted. It would be possible to implement this globalization of solidarity that I appeal for and which represents a great opportunity, not only for the economic growth of humanity, but also for its cultural and moral development.
3. The Catholic Church, for her part, is eager to play an active role in the life of the people of Mali, in the hope of making a specific contribution to fostering the good of the national community. In the name of the mission of Gospel service that she received from Jesus Christ, she wants to encourage any process that will lead to the total fulfilment of persons and peoples, in conformity with their vocation. The Church has always believed that education is a unique place for the healthy growth of the young generations, helping to open them to the values of love, respect, freedom, justice and solidarity. In the context of education, as in that of health care or social assistance, the Catholic Church will continue to strive for the common good, together with all the members of civil society.
This prospect implies that she possess the material means and recognition that will allow her to carry out her mission without discrimination among those entrusted to her care. To enable young people who benefit from this integral education to take part actively in society's progress towards a more fraternal life, it is necessary to stand up for the family, an essential value of African culture, which "has vital and organic links with society, since it is its foundation and nourishes it continually through its role of service to life: it is from the family that citizens come to birth and it is within the family that they find the first school of the social virtues that are the animating principle of the existence and development of society itself" (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris consortio FC 42). Lastly, it is very much to be hoped that this integral education will enable Christians and Muslims to establish relations of mutual respect, trust and friendship, for a fruitful cooperation in harmony and reciprocal esteem. May they find the necessary strength in the true heritage of their religious traditions in order to collaborate in the development of their country in solidarity!
4. Permit me, Mr Ambassador, through you to greet warmly the bishops, priests, men and women religious, catechists and Catholic faithful of your country. I encourage them to put their hope increasingly in Christ, to bear a living witness to the love of God among their brothers and sisters. I invite them to work enthusiastically, through dialogue and involvement in the city's life to be rid of the causes of division, to build a society that is more and more equitable and united.
5. At the time that you are beginning your mission to the Holy See, I offer you my cordial wishes for the noble task that awaits you. Let me assure you that you will find the attentive and understanding welcome here, with my collaborators, and I cordially invoke an abundance of divine Blessings upon you, your family and staff, upon the people of Mali and upon the authorities who preside over the destiny of your nation.
Speeches 2001