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| VISITA "AD
LIMINA APOSTOLORUM" DEI PRESULI DELLA CONFERENZA EPISCOPALE
DELL’INDIA, 17.11.2003 |
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Pubblichiamo di seguito il discorso
che il Santo Padre Giovanni Paolo II ha rivolto agli Ecc.mi Presuli
della Conferenza Episcopale dell’India, incontrati questa
mattina e ricevuti nei giorni scorsi, in separate udienze, in occasione
della Visita "ad Limina Apostolorum":
DISCORSO DEL SANTO PADRE
My Dear Brother Bishops,
1. "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures
forever" (Ps 118:1). It is fitting that I use these words from
the Psalms as I welcome you, the Pastors of the Ecclesiastical Provinces
of Madras-Mylapore, Madurai and Pondicherry-Cuddalore, at the conclusion
of this series of Ad Limina visits of the Bishops of India. In particular
I wish to greet Archbishop Arul Das and thank him for the sentiments
he has conveyed on behalf of you all.
My previous addresses to your brother Bishops have frequently examined
the importance of promoting a true spirit of solidarity in the Church
and in society. It is not enough that the Christian community hold
the principle of solidarity as a lofty ideal; rather it must be
seen as the norm for human interaction which, in the words of my
venerable predecessor Pope Pius XII, has been "sealed by the
sacrifice of redemption offered by Jesus Christ on the altar of
the Cross to his Heavenly Father, on behalf of sinful humanity"
(Summi Pontificatus). Being successors of Christ’s Apostles,
we have a primary duty to encourage all men and women to develop
this solidarity into a "spirituality of communion" for
the good of the Church and humanity (cf. Pastores Gregis, 22). As
I share these thoughts with you today, I wish to place my reflections
in the context of this fundamental principle of human and Christian
relations.
2. We cannot hope to spread this spirit of unity among our brothers
and sisters without genuine solidarity among peoples. Like so many
places in the world, India is beset by numerous social problems.
In some ways, these challenges are exacerbated because of the unjust
system of caste division which denies the human dignity of entire
groups of people. In this regard, I repeat what I said during my
first pastoral visit to your country: "Ignorance and prejudice
must be replaced by tolerance and understanding. Indifference and
class struggle must be turned into brotherhood and committed service.
Discrimination based on race, colour, creed, sex or ethnic origin
must be rejected as totally incompatible with human dignity"
(Homily at the Mass in Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi on 2 February
1986).
I commend the many initiatives that have been implemented by the
Bishops’ Conference and individual Churches to fight this
injustice. The brave steps you have taken to remedy this problem,
such as those of the Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council in 1992,
stand out as examples for others to follow. At all times, you must
continue to make certain that special attention is given to those
belonging to the lowest castes, especially the Dalits. They should
never be segregated from other members of society. Any semblance
of a caste-based prejudice in relations between Christians is a
countersign to authentic human solidarity, a threat to genuine spirituality
and a serious hindrance to the Church’s mission of evangelization.
Therefore, customs or traditions that perpetuate or reinforce caste
division should be sensitively reformed so that they may become
an expression of the solidarity of the whole Christian community.
As the Apostle Paul teaches us, "if one member suffers, all
suffer together" (1 Cor 12:26). It is the Church’s obligation
to work unceasingly to change hearts, helping all people to see
every human being as a child of God, a brother or sister of Christ,
and therefore a member of our own family.
3. Genuine communion with God and others leads all Christians to
proclaim the Good News to those who have neither seen nor heard
(cf. 1 Jn 1:1). The Church has been given the unique mission to
serve "the Kingdom by spreading throughout the world the ‘Gospel
values’ which are an expression of the Kingdom and which help
people to accept God’s plan" (Redemptoris Missio, 20).
Indeed, it is this evangelical spirit which encourages even those
of different traditions to work together towards the common goal
of spreading the Gospel (cf. Address to the Syro-Malabar Bishops
of India, 13 May 2003).
Many of you have expressed the hope that the Church in India will
continue her efforts to remain actively engaged in the "new
evangelization". This is of special importance in modern societies,
in which large portions of the population find themselves in desperate
situations often leading them to seek quick and easy solutions to
complicated problems. This sense of hopelessness may explain, in
part, why so many people, young and old alike, are attracted to
fundamentalist sects offering short-lived emotional fervour and
an assurance of wealth and worldly achievement. Our response to
this must be one of "re-evangelization", and the success
of this depends on our ability to show people the emptiness of such
promises, while convincing them that Christ and his Body share their
sufferings, and reminding them to "seek first his kingdom and
his righteousness" (Mt 6:33).
4. In my recent Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Pastores Gregis,
I noted that the Bishop is the "minister of grace of the high
priesthood", exercising his office through his preaching, spiritual
guidance and celebration of the sacraments (cf. No. 32). As Pastors
of the Lord’s flock, you are keenly aware that you cannot
effectively discharge your duties without dedicated co-workers to
assist you in your office. For this reason, it is essential that
you continue to promote solidarity among the clergy and greater
unity between bishops and their presbyterates. I remain confident
that the priests in your country "will live and work in a spirit
of communion and cooperation with the Bishops and all the faithful,
bearing witness to the love of Jesus declared to be the true mark
of his disciples" (Ecclesia in Asia, 43).
Unfortunately, even those who have been ordained to service can
at times fall victim to unhealthy cultural or societal trends which
undermine their credibility and seriously hamper their mission.
As men of faith, priests must not let the temptation of power or
material gain distract them from their vocations, nor can they permit
ethnic or caste difference to detract from their fundamental charge
to spread the Gospel. As fathers and brothers, Bishops are to love
and respect their priests. Likewise, priests should love and honour
their Bishops. You and your priests are heralds of the Gospel and
builders of unity in India. Personal differences or accidents of
birth must never undermine this essential role (cf. Address to the
Priests of India, Goa, 7 February 1986).
5. A firm commitment to mutual support ensures our unity in mission,
which is founded on Christ himself and "enables us to approach
all cultures, all ideological concepts, all people of good will"
(Redemptor Hominis, 12). We should ever keep in mind the words of
Saint Paul when he taught that "none of us lives to himself,
and none of us dies to himself" (Rom 14:7). The Church also
urges the faithful to enter with prudence and charity into discussion
and collaboration with members of other religions. Once we have
engaged these brothers and sisters of ours, we are able to focus
our efforts towards a lasting solidarity among religions. Together
we shall strive to acknowledge our duty to foster unity and charity
between individuals by reflecting on what we share in common and
what can further promote fellowship among us (cf. Nostra Aetate,
1, 2).
Encouraging the truth requires a profound respect for everything
that has been brought about in man by the Spirit, which "blows
where it wills" (Jn 3:8). The truth which has been revealed
to us obliges us to be its guardian and its teacher. In transmitting
the truth of God we must always maintain "a deep esteem for
man, for his intellect, his will, his conscience and his freedom.
Thus the human person’s dignity itself becomes part of the
content of the proclamation of the truth, being included not necessarily
in words but by an attitude towards it" (cf. Redemptor Hominis,
12). The Catholic Church in India has consistently promoted the
dignity of every person and fostered the corresponding right of
all peoples to religious freedom. Her encouragement of tolerance
and respect of other religions is demonstrated by the many programmes
of interreligious exchange which you have developed on both national
and local levels. I encourage you to continue these frank and helpful
discussions with those of other religions. Such discussions will
help us to cultivate this mutual search for truth, harmony and peace.
6. My dear Brothers, Shepherds of the People of God, at the beginning
of the third millennium let us rededicate ourselves to the work
of bringing men and women together into a unity of purpose and understanding.
It is my prayer that your pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles
Peter and Paul will have renewed the strength you need to develop
an authentic spirituality of communion which teaches all people
how to "make room" for their brothers and sisters while
"bearing each other’s burdens" (cf. Novo Millennio
Ineunte, 43). I commend you, your priests, religious and lay faithful
to the intercession of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and to the protection
of Mary, Mother of the Church. As a pledge of peace and joy in Christ
our Lord, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing. |
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