VATICAN - The Pope receives participants at a meeting of the Union of Aid Agencies for Eastern Catholic Churches: “Your visit brings to mind the situation of the Christian communities in the Churches of the East, in our times sorely tried because of wars, terrorism and other difficulties ”

Vatican City (Fides Service) - “Your visit brings to mind the situation of the Christian communities in the Churches of the East, in our times sorely tried because of wars, terrorism and other difficulties.” Receiving in audience this morning 24 June participants at a meeting of the Union of Aid Agencies for Eastern Catholic Churches" (R.O.A.C.O.), Pope John Paul II voiced his sympathy with the suffering Christian communities of the Eastern Catholic Churches, encouraging all who through ROACO work to ensure these Churches support and aid. “To your generous action in favour of the people of Iraq, during this session you added particular attention for the Greek Catholic Church in Rumania - the Pope said -. I thank you for your concern. Yours is a valuable service of solidarity towards those in need. To fulfil it in the best possible manner it is from the Eucharist that you will draw the necessary strength.”
The Pope asked them to persevere in prayer to bring peace to the Peoples living in the land of Jesus: “May these Christians so sorely tried by prolonged violence and many other problems which produce economic impoverishment, social conflict, human and cultural dejection, never lack the support of the whole Catholic Church. Thanks to collections taken on Good Friday it has been possible to meet the urgent necessities and nourish a spirit of hospitality and reciprocal respect, favouring the maturation of a common will for reconciliation. All this cannot fail to help build the longed for peace.”
Lastly the Pope recalled that one of the most important tasks of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches is to sustain the pastoral life and evangelising work of the Eastern Catholic Churches, in particular the formation of formators: “Your contribution in this regard must consider the needs, often great, of seminaries and houses of formation and how priorities vary from one ecclesial community to another. This Congregation makes a remarkable effort, also economic, to prepare priests, follow seminarians, men and women Religious, lay men and women so that these Churches, having overcome the conditionings of the past, are now able to rely on qualified priests and responsible and competent lay persons.” At the end of his address the Pope invoked the Lord Jesus and His heavenly Mother, loved and everywhere venerated in the ancient Churches of the east, to help these brothers and sisters in the faith to respond with courage to the challenges of new evangelisation”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 24/6/2004 - Righe 29; Parole 401)