- BENEDICT XVI ARRIVES IN MEXICO AS A PILGRIM OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
- POPE'S VIDEO MESSAGE TO THE FRENCH CHURCH AS SHE MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF VATICAN COUNCIL II
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
_____________________________________
THE
CHURCH IS NOT A POLITICAL PARTY BUT A MORAL ENTITY WHICH SIDES WITH
FREEDOM
Vatican
City, 24 March 2012 (VIS) - Yesterday morning, before boarding his
flight for Mexico, Benedict XVI was greeted at Rome's Fiumicino
airport by Mario Monti, prime minister of Italy. Later, during the
course of the journey, the Holy Father participated in the
traditional in-flight press conference with the more than seventy
journalists accompanying him on the plane. He answered questions on a
wide range of subjects, from drug trafficking and violence in Mexico
to the social situation in Cuba and new evangelisation on the Latin
American continent.
The
Pope noted that his journey was taking him in the footsteps of John
Paul II, who had made five visits to Mexico and one to Cuba, and that
he hoped to continue the work begun by his predecessor. "I share
the joys and hopes, but also the suffering and difficulties" of
the Mexican people, he said. "I am going to bring encouragement
but also to learn, to bring comfort in faith, hope and love; a
commitment to goodness and to the struggle against evil. Let us hope
that the Lord will help us".
A
Mexican journalist asked the Pope how the Church in Mexico can help
to resolve the problem of drug trafficking, which has caused more
than 50,000 deaths in the last five years. The Holy Father replied:
"we are well aware of the beauty of Mexico, but also of this
great problem of drug trafficking and violence. This is certainly a
great responsibility for the Catholic Church in a country that is 80
per cent Catholic. We must do everything we can against this evil,
which is so destructive of humanity and of our young people. The
first thing is to announce God. God the judge. God Who loves us, but
Who asks us to abide in goodness and truth, and to reject evil.
"Therefore,
one great responsibility the Church has is to educate people to moral
responsibility and to unmask evil, to unmask the idolatry of money
which enslaves man. ... We must remember that men and women need the
infinite. If there is no God, they replace Him by creating their own
heavens, a seeming infinity which is really only a lie. This is why
it is so important for God to be present and accessible. ... In this
way the Church can unmask evil, making people aware of God's
goodness, His truth, authentic infinity. This is the great duty
facing the Church".
Another
Mexican journalist pointed out that great social inequalities persist
in Latin America and that the at times the Catholic Church is not
sufficiently encouraged to intervene in this field.
"The
Church must of course ask if she does enough for social justice on
that great continent", the Pope replied. "It is a question
of conscience which we must always pose ourselves. ... What must the
Church do? What can she not do? What must she not do? The Church is
not a political power, she is not a party but a moral entity, a moral
power. ... I reiterate what I have already said. The Church's first
concern is to educate minds in both individual and public ethics,
thus creating the necessary sense of responsibility. Here perhaps
there are some shortcomings. In Latin America, as elsewhere, no small
number of Catholics show a kind of schizophrenia between individual
and public morals. ... We must educate people to overcome this
schizophrenia, educate them not only in ... individual morality, but
also in public morality. This we must seek to do with the social
doctrine of the Church because, of course, such public morality must
be a reasonable morality, shared and shareable by non believers. We,
of course, in the light of faith can better see many things that are
also visible to reason, but it is faith which serves to liberate
reason from the false interests that cloud it. Thus we must use
social doctrine to create fundamental policy models, and so ...
overcome these divisions".
Another
journalist recalled the words used by John Paul II on his trip to
Cuba, "may Cuba open to the world and, and may the world open to
Cuba", and noted that many defenders of human rights had spoken
out in anticipation of Benedict XVI's visit to the island.
The
Pope reiterated the continuity of his ideas with the words of John
Paul II "which are still highly relevant". The visit
marked, he said, "the beginning of a journey of collaboration
and constructive dialogue, a long journey which requires patience but
which is moving forward. It is clear today that Marxist ideology as
it was conceived no longer responds to reality. ... In order to build
a new society new models must be discovered, patiently and
constructively. In this process, which requires patience but also
firmness, we wish to make our contribution in a spirit of dialogue,
in order to avoid traumas and facilitate the way to a fraternal and
just society for all people. Obviously, the Church is always on the
side of freedom, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion. ... The
faithful can also contribute to the progress of this journey".
Finally
the Holy Father responded to a question about new evangelisation in
Latin America, in the light of the Aparecida Conference.
"The
path of new evangelisation began with Vatican Council II. This was
the fundamental intention of Blessed John XXIII, it was also
emphasised by John Paul II and its importance in a world undergoing
such great changes has become even more evident. The Gospel must be
expressed in new was. ... There is a condition which exists
throughout the world: secularisation, the absence of God, the
difficulty of seeing Him as a reality which concerns us. ... It is
today, in the context of modern day rationality, that we can
rediscover God as a fundamental guide for life, the fundamental hope
for life, the foundation of the values upon which our society rests.
... I think it is very important to announce a God Who responds to
our reason. ... However, we also have to take account of concrete
reality. It is important to bear in mind that, in Latin America as a
whole, religion is a question not of reason but of the heart. ... Yet
this intuition of the heart must be linked to the rationality of
faith, and to the profundity of faith that goes beyond reason. We
must not lose the heart, but unite heart and reason, ... only in this
way is the human being complete".
BENEDICT
XVI ARRIVES IN MEXICO AS A PILGRIM OF FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
Vatican
City, 24 March 2012 (VIS) - Yesterday at 4.30 p.m. local time (11.30
p.m. in Rome), Benedict XVI landed at the international airport of
Guanajuato in the Mexican city of Leon, where he was greeted by
Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, president of Mexico, and by Archbishop Jose
Guadalupe Martin Rabago of Leon. Also present were representatives of
the civil authorities and the diplomatic corps, a number of Mexican
prelates and thousands of faithful including a choir and a mariachi
group who sang for the Pope.
Following
the salute of the flag and the playing of the national anthems of
Vatican City State and the United Mexican States, and after listening
to an address by President Calderon Hinojosa, the Holy Father
pronounced his first words on Mexican soil.
"I
am very happy to be here", he said, "and I give thanks to
God for allowing me to realise the desire, kept in my heart for a
long time; to confirm in the faith the People of God of this great
nation in their own land. The affection of the Mexican people for the
Successor of Peter, whom they always remember in their prayers, is
well known. I say this here, considered to be the geographical centre
of your land, which my venerable predecessor, Blessed John Paul II,
wanted to visit during his first apostolic journey. Although he was
not able to come, on that occasion he left a message of encouragement
while flying over its airspace. I am happy to repeat his words here
on land among you: “I am grateful”, he said in the message, “to
the faithful of El Bajio and Guanajuato for your affection towards
the Pope and your faithfulness to the Lord. May God be with you
always”".
"With
this brief visit, I wish to greet all Mexicans and to include all the
nations and peoples of Latin America, represented here by many
bishops. Our meeting in this place, where the majestic monument to
Christ the King on Mount Cubilete, gives testimony to the deep roots
of the Catholic faith among the Mexican people, who receive His
constant blessings in all their vicissitudes.
"Mexico,
and the majority of Latin American nations, have been commemorating
in recent years the bicentennial of their independence. There have
been many religious celebrations in thanksgiving to God for this
important and significant moment. During these celebrations, as in
the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on the Feast of Our Lady
of Guadalupe, Most Holy Mary was invoked fervently, she who gently
showed how the Lord loves all people and gave Himself for them
without distinction. Our Heavenly Mother has kept vigil over the
faith of her children in the formation of these nations and she
continues to do so today as new challenges present themselves.
"I
come as a pilgrim of faith, of hope, and of love. I wish to confirm
those who believe in Christ in their faith, by strengthening and
encouraging them to revitalise their faith by listening to the Word
of God, celebrating the Sacraments and living coherently. In this
way, they will be able to share their faith with others as
missionaries to their brothers and sisters and to act as a leaven in
society, contributing to a respectful and peaceful coexistence based
on the incomparable dignity of every human being, created by God,
which no one has the right to forget or disregard. This dignity is
expressed especially in the fundamental right to freedom of religion,
in its full meaning and integrity.
"As
a pilgrim of hope, I speak to them in the words of St. Paul: “But
we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are
asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope”.
Confidence in God offers the certainty of meeting Him, of receiving
His grace; the believer’s hope is based on this. And, aware of
this, we strive to transform the present structures and events which
are less than satisfactory and seem immovable or insurmountable,
while also helping those who do not see meaning or a future in life.
Yes, hope changes the practical existence of each man and woman in a
real way. ... Moreover, when it takes root in a people, when it is
shared, it shines as light that dispels the darkness which blinds and
takes hold of us. This country and the entire continent are called to
live their hope in God as a profound conviction, transforming it into
an attitude of the heart and a practical commitment to walk together
in the building of a better world".
"Together
with faith and hope, the believer in Christ - indeed the whole Church
- lives and practises charity as an essential element of mission. In
its primary meaning, charity “is first of all the simple response
to immediate needs and specific situations”, as we help those who
suffer from hunger, lack shelter, or are in need in some way in their
life. Nobody is excluded on account of their origin or belief from
this mission of the Church, which does not compete with other private
or public initiatives. In fact, the Church willingly works with those
who pursue the same ends. Nor does she have any aim other than doing
good in an unselfish and respectful way to those in need, who often
lack signs of authentic love".
"In
these days I will pray to the Lord and to Our Lady of Guadalupe for
all of you so that you may be true to the faith which you have
received and to its best traditions. I will pray especially for those
in need, particularly for those who suffer because of old and new
rivalries, resentments and all forms of violence. I know that I am in
a country which is proud of its hospitality and wishes no one to feel
unwelcome. I already knew this, and now I can see it and feel it in
my heart. I sincerely hope that many Mexicans who live far from their
homeland will feel the same way and that nothing will cause them to
forget it or to lose the wish to see it growth in harmony and in
authentic integral development".
Having
concluded his address, the Holy Father travelled by popemobile to
Miraflores College where he spent the night.
POPE'S
VIDEO MESSAGE TO THE FRENCH CHURCH AS SHE MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF
VATICAN COUNCIL II
Vatican
City, 24 March 2012 (VIS) - The French Episcopal Conference has
organised a meeting on the theme: "Joy and Hope, Fifty Years
after Vatican Council II". The event is being held in the French
shrine of Lourdes on 24 and 25 March, and is being attended by French
bishops and some 2,500 lay people, religious and priests from all
over the country. For the occasion, Benedict XVI recorded a video
message which was projected this morning before the first session
began. Extracts of the message are given below.
"Vatican
Council II was a genuine sign of God for our time. If we know how to
interpret and accept it within the tradition of the Church, and under
the secure guidance of the Magisterium, it will become an
increasingly important driving force for the future of the Church.
For this reason I hope this anniversary will be - for you and for the
entire Church in France - an occasion of spiritual and pastoral
renewal".
"This
renewal, which is part of a continuous and ongoing process, takes
many forms. For the Year of the Faith, to which I have called the
entire Church, we must seek a more conscious faith and renew our
adherence to the Gospel. To this end, we must become increasingly
open to the person of Christ, and rediscover the pleasure of the Word
of God in order to achieve a profound conversion of heart and walk
the paths of the world, proclaiming the Gospel of hope to the men and
women of our time, in respectful dialogue with everyone. May this
time of grace also make it possible to consolidate communion within
the great family of the Catholic Church, and contribute to restoring
unity among all Christians, which was one of the main objectives of
the Council".
"The
renewal of the Church also includes the witness of Christians' own
lives, that the Word of Truth the Lord left us may shine forth. If
you approach witnesses of faith such as St. Bernadette the humble
seer of Lourdes, Pauline Jaricot who gave new missionary drive to the
Church, and many others who have made the soil of France fruitful,
you will gain a deeper knowledge of Christ. ... St. Joan of Arc, the
sixth centenary of whose birth falls this year, is one shining
example. She brought the Gospel into the most dramatic events of the
history of France and of her time. Rediscovering the joy of believing
and the enthusiasm of communicating the power and beauty of the faith
is a fundamental challenge of the new evangelisation to which the
whole Church is called".
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 24 March 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed :
-
Archbishop Santo Gangemi, apostolic nuncio to the Solomon Islands,
also as apostolic nuncio to Papua New Guinea.
-
Msgr. Wieslaw Smigiel of the clergy of Pelplin, Poland, head of
pastoral theology at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin,
as auxiliary of Pelplin (area 12,890, population 780,000, Catholics
730,000, priests 569, permanent deacons 1, religious 292). The
bishop-elect was born in Swiec nad Wilsa, Poland in 1969 and ordained
a priest in 1994. He has worked in pastoral care and education, as
well as serving for two years as secretary and chaplain to the bishop
of Pelplin.
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