Subject: VISnews 111120
Organization: VIS
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 202
ENGLISH
SUNDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 2011
SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S APOSTOLIC TRIP TO BENIN: 19 - 20 NOVEMBER
- To Children: Ask Your Parents to Pray with You
- Scripture Is a Source of Constant Renewal
- God Calls On Us to Respond to the Cry of the Poor
- Church In Africa: amid Her Tribulation, Light of the World
___________________________________________________________
TO CHILDREN: ASK YOUR PARENTS TO PRAY WITH YOU
VATICAN CITY, 19 NOV 2011 (VIS) - Shortly before 5 p.m. today, Benedict XVI
visited the Home of Peace and Happiness in Cotonou, where six sisters of
Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity look after dozens of abandoned and
sick children, and feed may others from the local area who suffer
malnutrition.
The Pope was welcomed by the children with songs and dances. Having prayed
with them he visited the centre then, accompanied by the infants, went on to
the nearby parish church of St. Rita where a further 800 children from the
city were awaiting his arrival. The celebration began with the adoration of
the Blessed Sacrament, after which Bishop Rene-Marie Ehuzu C.I.M. of Porto
Novo arose to pronounce a greeting in the name of all those present. The
Holy Father then delivered his address.
"It is with much joy that I greet you", he said. "Thank you for coming out
in such great numbers! God our Father has gathered us around His Son and our
Brother, Jesus Christ, ... Who loves us very much, is truly present in the
tabernacles of all the churches around the world, in the tabernacles of the
churches in your neighbourhoods and in your parishes. I ask you to visit Him
often to tell Him of your love for Him.
"Some of you have already made your First Holy Communion, and others are
preparing for it", the Pope added. "When I receive Communion, Jesus comes to
live in me. I should welcome Him with love and listen closely to Him. In the
depths of my heart, I can tell Him, for example: 'Jesus, I know that you
love me. Give me your love so that I can love you in return and love others
with your love. I give you all my joys, my troubles and my future.' Do not
hesitate, dear children, to speak of Jesus to others. He is a treasure Whom
you should share generously".
"Prayer", the Pope went on, "is a cry of love directed to God our Father,
with the will to imitate Jesus our Brother. ... Like Jesus, I too can find a
calm place to pray where I can quietly stand before a Cross or a holy
picture in order to speak to Jesus and to listen to Him. I can also use the
Gospels. That way, I keep within my heart a passage which has touched me and
which will guide me throughout the day. To stay with Jesus like this for a
little while lets Him fill me with His love, light and life! This love,
which I receive in prayer, calls me in turn to give it to my parents, to my
friends, to everyone with whom I live, even with those who do not like me,
and those whom I do not appreciate enough. ... Ask your parents to pray with
you!"
"Look! I have this rosary in my pocket", the Holy Father explained. "The
rosary is like a tool that we can use to pray. It is easy to pray the
rosary. Maybe you know how already; if not, ask your parents to help you to
learn how. At the end of this meeting, each one of you will receive a
rosary. When you hold it in your hands, you can pray ... for every important
intention. And now, before I bless you all with great affection, let us pray
together a Hail Mary for children throughout the world, especially for those
who are sick, who are hungry and in places of war".
Having imparted his blessing, the Pope travelled by popemobile to the
apostolic nunciature in Cotonou where he was due to meet with bishops of
Benin.
PV-BENIN/ VIS
20111120 (630)
SCRIPTURE IS A SOURCE OF CONSTANT RENEWAL
VATICAN CITY, 19 NOV 2011 (VIS) - This evening in the chapel of the
apostolic nunciature in Cotonou, the bishops of Benin - a country with ten
dioceses - met with the Pope. In his remarks he reminded them that the
nation is currently celebrating the 150th anniversary of its evangelisation,
which was begun by the Society of African Missions.
"To all the missionaries, bishops, priests, men and women religious, and
lay people who have come from their own homeland or whose origins are in
this country, who have laboured since that time and up to our own day, the
Church is particularly grateful", the Pope said. "They have generously given
their lives, at times in a heroic manner, so that the love of God may be
proclaimed to all.
"The celebration of this Jubilee must be for your communities and for each
of their members, an occasion of profound spiritual renewal", he added. "It
falls to you, as pastors of the People of God, to discern its dimensions in
the light of the Word of God. The Year of Faith, which I announced to
commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II,
will certainly be a propitious occasion for enabling the faithful to
rediscover and to deepen their faith in the Person of the Saviour of Man. It
is because they chose to place Christ at the centre of their lives that, in
the past 150 years, men and women have had the courage to place everything
at the service of the Gospel. Today, this same approach must be at the heart
of the whole Church. ... This attitude requires a constant conversion in
order to give new strength to the prophetic dimension of our proclamation.
... This meeting with Christ must be solidly rooted in openness to and
meditation on the Word of God. The Scriptures must have a central place in
the life of the Church and of each Christian. Hence, I encourage you to help
them to rediscover Scripture as a source of constant renewal, so that it may
unify the daily lives of the faithful and be ever more at the heart of every
ecclesial activity".
Pope Benedict went on: "The Church cannot keep this Word of God to
herself; hers is the vocation to announce it to the world. This Jubilee Year
should be a privileged occasion for the Church in Benin to give renewed
vigour to her missionary consciousness. Apostolic zeal, which should animate
all the faithful, is a direct result of their Baptism, and they cannot shirk
their responsibility to profess their faith in Christ and His Gospel
wherever they find themselves, and in their daily lives. ... On the other
hand, as I emphasised in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation 'Verbum
Domini', 'In no way can the Church restrict her pastoral work to the
ordinary maintenance of those who already know the Gospel of Christ.
Missionary outreach is a clear sign of the maturity of an ecclesial
community'. The Church, therefore, must reach out to everyone".
"So that the world may believe this Word which the Church proclaims, it is
indispensable that Christ's disciples be united among themselves. As leaders
and pastors of your people, you are called to have a lively consciousness of
the sacramental fraternity which unites you, and of the unique mission which
has been entrusted to you, so that you may be effective signs and promoters
of unity within your dioceses. ... The difficulties which are met along the
way and which can at times be serious, must never lead to discouragement,
but on the contrary become incentives to the awakening among priests and
bishops of a deep spiritual life".
"The formation of the future priests of your dioceses is a reality to
which you must pay particular attention", the Holy Father told the prelates,
encouraging them "to make it one of your pastoral priorities. It is
absolutely necessary that a solid human, intellectual and spiritual
formation allow young people to attain a personal, psychological and
affective maturity, which prepares them to assume to duties of the
priesthood, especially in the area of interpersonal relations".
"The episcopal ministry to which the Lord has called you has its share of
joys and sorrows. To each of you present here this evening, I would like to
leave a word of hope. In the course of the last 150 years, the Lord has done
great things in the midst of the people of Benin. Be assured that He will
continue to accompany you from day to day in your commitment to the work of
evangelisation. Always be pastors after the heart of God, authentic servants
of the Gospel. It is precisely this that men and women of our times expect
from you".
Following the meeting, the Pope dined with the Beninese bishops in the
apostolic nunciature.
PV-BENIN/ VIS
20111120 (820)
GOD CALLS ON US TO RESPOND TO THE CRY OF THE POOR
VATICAN CITY, 20 NOV 2011 (VIS) - Today, Solemnity of Christ the King, the
Holy Father concelebrated the Eucharist with more than 200 African bishops
and around a thousand Beninese priests at the "Stade de l'amitie" in
Cotonou. Among those present were Thomas Yayi Boni, president of Benin, as
well as many other institutional figures and some 30,000 pilgrims, not just
from Benin but also from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and Burkina Faso. The ceremony
was held in Latin, French, Mina, Yoruba, Dendi, Portuguese and English.
Extracts from Benedict XVI's homily are given below.
"It is a great joy for me to visit for the second time this dear continent
of Africa, coming among you, in Benin, to address to you a message of hope
and of peace. ... Our Eucharistic celebration on the Solemnity of Christ the
King is an occasion to give thanks to God for the 150 years that have passed
since the beginnings of the evangelisation of Benin; it is also an occasion
to express our gratitude to Him for the Second Special Assembly of the Synod
of African Bishops".
"The Gospel which we have just heard tells us that Jesus, the Son of Man,
the ultimate judge of our lives, wished to appear as one who hungers and
thirsts, as a stranger, as one of those who are naked, sick or imprisoned,
ultimately, of those who suffer or are outcast; how we treat them will be
taken as the way we treat Jesus Himself. We do not see here a simple
literary device, or a simple metaphor. Jesus' entire existence is an example
of it. ... He who had nowhere to lay His head, was condemned to death on a
cross. This is the King we celebrate!
"Without a doubt this can appear a little disconcerting to us. Today, like
2000 years ago, accustomed to seeing the signs of royalty in success, power,
money and ability, we find it hard to accept such a king, a king who makes
himself the servant of the little ones, of the most humble, a king whose
throne is a cross. And yet, the Scriptures tell us, in this is the glory of
Christ revealed; it is in the humility of His earthly existence that He
finds His power to judge the world. For Him, to reign is to serve! And what
He asks of us is to follow Him along the way, to serve, to be attentive to
the cry of the poor, the weak, the outcast.
"The baptised know that the decision to follow Christ can entail great
sacrifices, at times even the sacrifice of one's life. However, as St. Paul
reminds us, Christ has overcome death and He brings us with Him in His
resurrection. He introduces us to a new world, a world of freedom and joy.
Today, so much still binds us to the world of the past, so many fears hold
us prisoners and prevent us from living in freedom and happiness. Let us
allow Christ to free us from the world of the past!"
"The words of the Gospel are truly words of hope, because the King of the
universe has drawn near to us, the servant of the least and lowliest. Here I
would like to greet with affection all those persons who are suffering,
those who are sick, those affected by AIDS or by other illnesses, to all
those forgotten by society. Have courage! The Pope is close to you in his
thoughts and prayers. Have courage! Jesus wanted to identify Himself with
the poor, with the sick; He wanted to share your suffering and to see you as
His brothers and sisters, to free you from every affliction, from all
suffering. Every sick person, every poor person deserves our respect and our
love because, through them, God shows us the way to heaven".
Christians, builders of peace
"This morning, I invite you once again to rejoice with me. One hundred and
fifty years ago the cross of Christ was raised in your country, and the
Gospel was proclaimed for the first time. ... Everyone who has received this
marvellous gift of faith, this gift of an encounter with the risen Lord,
feels in turn the need to proclaim it to others. ... And this duty is always
urgent! After 150 years, many are those who have not heard the message of
salvation in Christ! Many, too, are those who are hesitant to open their
hearts to the Xord of God! Many are those whose faith is weak".
"The Church in Benin has received much from her missionaries: she must in
turn carry this message of hope to people who do not know or who no longer
know the Lord Jesus. ... The Christian is a tireless builder of communion,
peace and solidarity, gifts which Jesus Himself has given us. By being
faithful to Him, we will cooperate in the realisation of God's plan of
salvation for humanity".
"I urge you, therefore, to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ, to be
authentically converted to Him. He alone gives us the true life and can
liberate us for all our fears and sluggishness, from all our anguish. ...
May Jesus Christ give you strength to live as Christians and to find ways to
transmit generously to new generations what you have received from your
fathers in faith!"
The Holy Father then addressed some words in English to pilgrims from
Ghana, Nigeria and neighbouring countries. "Christ reigns from the Cross
and, with His arms open wide, He embraces all the peoples of the world and
draws them into unity. Through the Cross, He breaks down the walls of
division, He reconciles us with each other and with the Father. We pray
today for the people of Africa, that all may be able to live in justice,
peace and the joy of the Kingdom of God".
Finally, the Pope had words for Portuguese-speaking pilgrims, whom he
invited "to renew your decision to belong to Christ and to serve His Kingdom
of reconciliation, justice and peace".
PV-BENIN/ VIS
20111120 (1030)
CHURCH IN AFRICA: AMID HER TRIBULATION, LIGHT OF THE WORLD
VATICAN CITY, 20 NOV 2011 (VIS) - Following this morning's Mass, the Holy
Father consigned the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Africae munus" to
presidents of national and regional episcopal conferences in Africa, and to
presidents of the synods of Eastern Catholic Churches.
"Upon the reception of this Exhortation, the phase of assimilation and
application of its theological, ecclesiological, spiritual and pastoral data
begins at the local level. This text seeks to promote, encourage and
consolidate the various local initiatives already in place. It seeks as well
to inspire other initiatives for the upbuilding of the Catholic Church in
Africa", the Holy Father explained.
"One of the first missions of the Church is the proclamation of Jesus
Christ and His Gospel 'ad gentes'. ... I hope that this Exhortation will
guide you in the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus in Africa. It is not
just a message or a word. It is above all openness and adhesion to a person:
Jesus Christ the incarnate Word. He alone possesses the words of life
eternal! Following the example of Christ, all Christians are called to
reflect the mercy of the Father and the light of the Holy Spirit.
Evangelisation presupposes and brings with it reconciliation and it promotes
peace and justice.
"Dear Church in Africa", the Holy Father added in conclusion, "become ever
more fully the salt of the earth, this earth which Jesus Christ blessed with
His presence when He took refuge here! Be the salt of the African earth,
blessed by the blood of so many matters, men, women and children, witnesses
of the Christian faith even to the supreme gift of their lives! Become the
light of the world, the light in Africa which seeks, amid tribulations, the
path of peace and justice for all its citizens. Your light is Jesus, the
Christ, 'the Light of the World'. May God bless you, dear Africa!"
The Holy Father then prayed the Angelus, entrusting to the Virgin Mary,
Our Lady of Africa, "the new chapter now opening for the Church on this
continent, asking her to accompany the future evangelisation of Africa as a
whole".
"Dear brothers and sisters of Africa, this land which sheltered the Holy
Family, may you continue to cultivate Christian family values. At a time
when so many families are separated, in exile, grief-stricken as a result of
unending conflicts, may you be artisans of reconciliation and hope. With
Mary, Our Lady of the Magnificat, may you always abide in joy. May this joy
remain deep within hearts of your families and your countries!"
PV-BENIN/ VIS
20111120 (440)
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