VATICAN - Pope Benedict XVI addresses Military Ordinaries: “The Church is by nature missionary and her first task is evangelisation which aims to announce and bear witness to Christ and promote in every environment and culture his Gospel of peace and love”

Vatican City (Fides Service) - This morning, the Holy Father received participants in the fifth international congress of Military Ordinaries. The congress marks the twentieth anniversary of the Apostolic Constitution "Spirituali Militum Curae," promulgated by Servant of God John Paul II. In his address Pope Benedict XVI said “The Church is by nature missionary and her first task is evangelisation which aims to announce and bear witness to Christ and promote his Gospel of peace and love in every environment and culture. Also in the military world the Church is called to be "salt", "light" and "leaven", to use the images to which Jesus referred, so that mentalities and structures may tend more fully to build peace”.
Referring to the “Spirituali militum curae”, promulgated 21 April 1986 by Pope John Paul II which updated the canonical rules for spiritual assistance to military in the light of Vatican II, Pope Benedict XVI said “two fundamental values are highlighted in the Document: the value of the person and the value of peace”. “Giving first place to the person means giving priority to the soldiers’ Christian formation, accompanying them and their families on the path of Christian initiation, the vocational path, maturation in faith and witness; and at the same time foster forms of fraternity and community also in prayer liturgical and non, appropriate for the environment and conditions of military life”.
With regard to the value of peace the Pope quoted Vatican II: “Those too who devote themselves to the military service of their country should regard themselves as the agents of security and freedom of peoples. As long as they fulfil this role properly, they are making a genuine contribution to the establishment of peace» (Gaudium et spes, 79). He urged the Bishops to see that military Chaplains are “authentic experts and teachers of what the Church teaches and practices with regard to the construction of peace in the world”.
Pope Benedict XVI then underlined that the Church’s teaching on peace is “an essential aspect of her social doctrine, starting from ancient roots, which has developed in the last century in a sort of "crescendo"… This insistent call for peace has influenced western culture promoting the ideal that armed forces must be "exclusively at the service of defence, security and freedom of the peoples". Unfortunately sometimes other interests - economic and political - fomented by international tension, cause this constructive tendency to meet obstacles and delays, as can be seen by difficulties encountered in processes of disarmament. From within the military world the Church will continue to offer her service for the formation of consciences, certain that the Word of God, generously sown and courageously accompanied by service of charity and truth, will produce fruit when the time is right”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 26/10/2006 - Righe 32, parole 445)