| Vatican City (Fides Service) - This morning the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI received in audience a group of Bishops of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Burundi on the occasion of their five-yearly ad limina visit. In his address the Pope mentioned the Papal Nuncio Archbishop Michael A. Courtney assassinated in December 2003, “faithful to the point of offering his life for the Mission entrusted to him by the Holy Father at the service of your beloved homeland and its local Church”. The Pope also expressed his joy for the “spiritual and missionary vitality of diocesan communities” in Burundi.
Referring to the local Church’s dedication to promoting peace and reconciliation in the country, “particularly in this period of elections” and that all Burundians have suffered greatly because of war the Pope recalled that “many Burundian Christians bore heroic witness to their faith”. And he told the Bishops that diocesan pastoral programmes and synods “can help announce the Gospel and heal memory and hearts, foster solidarity among all Burundians and ban all spirit of revenge and resentment, encourage forgiveness and reconciliation”.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the post synodal Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa, promulgated by Pope John Paul II. Pope Benedict XVI said he hoped the document would be “a magna charter for your commitment to the mission entrusted to you in communion with all the other local Churches!” He encouraged the Burundian Bishops to have special care of the lay faithful “helping them to live their baptism ever more intensely” so they will not feel the need to return to their old religious practices which were not purified by the Spirit of the Lord, or to join religious sects. He urged them to work to guarantee their people sound Christian formation while not neglecting inculturation particularly in the field of translating the Bible and documents of Church teaching.
The Pope ended his address thanking God for the apostolic efforts in Burundi in difficult times by clergy and religious, and catechists, “valid helpers with the apostolate” and the many lay Catholics involved in promoting development of the person and of society through Church social works or in the field of education and healthcare. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 28/5/2005; righe 28, parole 389)
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