Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – In the afternoon, on July 17, the Holy Father Benedict XVI traveled to the Port of Rose Bay where he was greeted by traditional songs and dances from the Aboriginal Elders of Australia’s aboriginal population. The Pope later boarded the boat “Sydney 2000” to travel from the port to Barangaroo, for a Welcoming Ceremony with the youth. There, a group of aboriginal Australians and a group of youth from the Pacific Islands sang various indigenous songs and “Tu Es Petrus.” After greeting the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, and the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Philip Edward Wilson, he Holy Father gave his first address to the youth.
He said: “Wherever we are from, we are here at last in Sydney. And together we stand in our world as God’s family, disciples of Christ, empowered by his Spirit to be witnesses of his love and truth for everyone!” The Holy Father thanked the Aboriginal Elders for their reception and he said he was “deeply moved” knowing the suffering and injustices that have taken place in that land, “but aware too of the healing and hope that are now at work.”
“Standing before me I see a vibrant image of the universal Church,” Benedict XVI said, as he addressed the youth present. “The variety of nations and cultures from which you hail shows that indeed Christ’s Good News is for everyone; it has reached the ends of the earth. Yet I know too that a good number of you are still seeking a spiritual homeland. Some of you, most welcome among us, are not Catholic or Christian. Others of you perhaps hover at the edge of parish and Church life. To you I wish to offer encouragement: step forward into Christ’s loving embrace; recognize the Church as your home. No one need remain on the outside, for from the day of Pentecost the Church has been one and universal.” The Pope said that he was especially thinking of the sick or mentally ill, young people in prison, those struggling on the margins of our societies, and those who for whatever reason feel alienated from the Church. “To them I say: Jesus is close to you! Feel his healing embrace, his compassion and mercy!”
The Pope then recalled the coming of Pentecost as it is told in the Acts of the Apostles: “At that extraordinary moment, which gave birth to the Church, the confusion and fear that had gripped Christ’s disciples were transformed into a vigorous conviction and sense of purpose. They felt impelled to speak of their encounter with the risen Jesus whom they had come to call affectionately, the Lord... And ever since, men and women have set out to tell the same story, witnessing to Christ’s truth and love, and contributing to the Church’s mission.”
The Holy Father told them to think of those pioneering Priests, Sisters and Brothers who came to Australia from various parts of the world, “some still in their late teens... Their whole lives were a selfless Christian witness. They became the humble but tenacious builders of so much of the social and spiritual heritage which still today brings goodness, compassion and purpose to these nations. And they went on to inspire another generation.” Here, Benedict XVI mentioned Blessed Mary MacKillop and Blessed Peter To Rot, encouraging the youth to look to their grandparents and parents as their “first teachers in the faith.”
During his flight to Australia, the Pope said he had greatly appreciated the “wondrous” view of our planet: “The sparkle of the Mediterranean, the grandeur of the north African desert, the lushness of Asia’s forestation, the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, the horizon upon which the sun rose and set, and the majestic splendour of Australia’s natural beauty... Immersed in such beauty, who could not echo the words of the Psalmist in praise of the Creator: "how majestic is your name in all the earth?" (Ps 8:1). And there is more – something hardly perceivable from the sky – men and women, made in nothing less than God’s own image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26). At the heart of the marvel of creation are you and I, the human family.”
Benedict XVI reflected on the “scars which mark the surface of our earth: erosion, deforestation, the squandering of the world’s mineral and ocean resources in order to fuel an insatiable consumption.” And in referring to mankind, the apex of God’s creation, the Pope mentioned that “Every day we encounter the genius of human achievement... the quality and enjoyment of people’s lives in many ways are steadily rising.” Not only the natural but also the social environment, “has its scars; wounds indicating that something is amiss.” Among these are alcohol and drug abuse, and the exaltation of violence and sexual degradation, “often presented through television and the internet as entertainment,” and relativism, that leads to pure experience, detached from any consideration of what is good or true.
“Dear friends, life is not governed by chance; it is not random. Your very existence has been willed by God, blessed and given a purpose!... Do not be fooled by those who see you as just another consumer in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth. Christ offers more! Indeed he offers everything! Only he who is the Truth can be the Way and hence also the Life. Thus the ‘way’ which the Apostles brought to the ends of the earth is life in Christ. This is the life of the Church. And the entrance to this life, to the Christian way, is Baptism.”
In concluding his address, the Pope reflected on Baptism, mentioning that this sacrament “is a grace; it is God’s work.” He encouraged the youth, saying: “Dear friends, in your homes, schools and universities, in your places of work and recreation, remember that you are a new creation!” “As Christians you stand in this world knowing that God has a human face - Jesus Christ - the "way" who satisfies all human yearning, and the "life" to which we are called to bear witness, walking always in his light.”
The Holy Father also mentioned that “the task of witness is not easy” and that nowadays many “claim that God should be left on the sidelines, and that religion and faith, while fine for individuals, should either be excluded from the public forum altogether or included only in the pursuit of limited pragmatic goals.” This secularist vision “seeks to explain human life and shape society with little or no reference to the Creator... If God is irrelevant to public life, then society will be shaped in a godless image, and debate and policy concerning the public good will be driven more by consequences than by principles grounded in truth.” Experience shows that “turning our back on the Creator’s plan provokes a disorder which has inevitable repercussions on the rest of the created order” and in society itself.
The Pope continued: “God’s creation is one and it is good. The concerns for non-violence, sustainable development, justice and peace, and care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity. They cannot, however, be understood apart from a profound reflection upon the innate dignity of every human life from conception to natural death: a dignity conferred by God himself and thus inviolable. Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses, and the pain of false promises. Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. This is the work of the Holy Spirit! This is the hope held out by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to bear witness to this reality that you were created anew at Baptism and strengthened through the gifts of the Spirit at Confirmation. Let this be the message that you bring from Sydney to the world!” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 17/7/2008)
