VATICAN - Pope Benedict XVI receives Bishops of Laos and Cambodia: “The Christian faith is not a foreign reality for your peoples... Announcing it to all peoples the Church does not seek to impose herself, instead she demonstrates her respect for all men and women and for the society in which she lives ”

Castel Gandolfo (Agenzia Fides) - “When you return to Laos and Cambodia, carry affectionate greetings from the Successor of Peter to priests, religious, catechists and lay people in your communities. I am aware of their difficulties and of the inward strength which they have all shown in times of trial to live in fidelity to the Lord Jesus and his Church. Today I urge them to remain steadfast in the faith and to bear generous witness to God's love for all their brothers and sisters”. This was part of the speech which Pope Benedict XVI addressed to the Bishops of the Bishops' Conference of Laos and Cambodia, received in audience for their ad limina visit on 6 September at his Summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. The Pope also sent warm greetings to all the people of Laos and Cambodia encouraging their efforts to “ build an ever more fraternal society open to others in which everyone may use the gifts received from the Creator”.
Addressing the Bishops the Holy Father said he was aware that they minister, “under conditions which are often difficult and in very different situations”, and he assured them of his fraternal support and that of the universal Church. “Your closeness to the faithful, above all those most isolated- the Pope said -, is for them encouragement to persevere in the Christian faith and to grow in the discovery of the person of Christ despite the difficulties of daily life. The assistance you receive in various fields from older Churches, especially with regard to pastoral care workers and formation," he continued, "is also an eloquent sign of the solidarity that Christ's disciples should show to one another”.
The Pope then made special mention of the local priests united with the bishops in the work of announcing the Gospel: “In collaboration with missionaries, to whom I express my gratitude for having brought here the message of Jesus and the gift of the faith, your priests lead the people of God with zeal and abnegation. May they all, with a profound spiritual life and an exemplary life, continue to render eloquent witness in the Church and in society!” Benedict XVI said he hoped promotion of priestly and religious vocations would bear abundant fruit and stressed the necessity to guarantee “sound human, spiritual, theological and pastoral formation”.
The Holy Father went on to identify one of the most vital aspects of the pastoral ministry of the bishops of Laos and Cambodia: "the announcement of the Christian faith within a particular culture." In this context he recalled how "the recent celebration of the 450th anniversary of the presence of the Church in Cambodia was an occasion for the faithful to gain a deeper awareness of the long history of Christians in the region. In truth, the Christian faith is not foreign to your peoples. 'Jesus is the Good News for the men and women of every time and place in their search for the meaning of existence and for the truth of their own humanity,' and in her announcement to all peoples, the Church has no wish to impose herself she is simply bearing witness to her respect for all human beings and for the society in which she lives”.
Another important aspect highlighted by the Pope was the identity of Catholics which he said must be shown with respect for the other religious traditions and cultures of the peoples in this region, and “must express itself above all in authentic spiritual experience founded on listening to the Word of God and in reception of the Sacraments of the Church”. In particular, members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and their important pastoral assistance and service of the most needy, “have the fundamental responsibility of reminding everyone of the primacy of God”. In this sense priority must be given to the formation of the faithful, women religious and catechists especially, “to render the evangelisers capable of responding to the challenges of society, fortified by the truth of Christ ”.
In the last part of his address the Pope encouraged the bishops of Cambodia and Laos to intensify education for young people and to give special care to preparation for Christian marriage and the formation of families which are truly “seedbeds of evangelisation where every member experiences the love of God”. The works of the Church to help those in need, appreciated by the people and the authorities, “are an eloquent manifestation of the love God has for all men and women without distinction” said Pope Benedict XVI citing in this regard his Encyclical Deus Caritas est: it is “is very important that the Church's charitable activity maintains all of its splendour and does not become just another form of social assistance” (n. 31).
Benedict XVI concluded his address encouraging the bishops of Cambodia and Laos to put their trust in God - “I invite you to look to the future letting yourselves be guided by Christ and putting all your hope in Him” - and he entrusted the respective dioceses to the maternal intercession of Our Lady, model for all disciples. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 7/9/2007; righe 60, parole 879)