Vatican City, 24 March 2012 (VIS) - Yesterday at 4.30 p.m. local time
(11.30 p.m. in Rome), Benedict XVI landed at the international airport of
Guanajuato in the Mexican city of Leon, where he was greeted by Felipe
Calderon Hinojosa, president of
Mexico, and by Archbishop Jose Guadalupe Martin Rabago of Leon. Also present
were representatives of the civil authorities and the diplomatic corps, a
number of Mexican prelates and thousands of faithful including a choir and a
mariachi group who sang
for the Pope.
Following the salute of the flag and the playing of the national anthems of
Vatican City State and the United Mexican States, and after listening to an
address by President Calderon Hinojosa, the Holy Father pronounced his first
words on Mexican
soil.
"I am very happy to be here", he said, "and I give thanks to God for
allowing me to realise the desire, kept in my heart for a long time; to
confirm in the faith the People of God of this great nation in their own land.
The affection of the Mexican
people for the Successor of Peter, whom they always remember in their prayers,
is well known. I say this here, considered to be the geographical centre of
your land, which my venerable predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, wanted to
visit during his first
apostolic journey. Although he was not able to come, on that occasion he left
a message of encouragement while flying over its airspace. I am happy to
repeat his words here on land among you: “I am grateful”, he said
in the message,
“to the faithful of El Bajio and Guanajuato for your affection towards
the Pope and your faithfulness to the Lord. May God be with you
lways”".
"With this brief visit, I wish to greet all Mexicans and to include all the
nations and peoples of Latin America, represented here by many bishops. Our
meeting in this place, where the majestic monument to Christ the King on Mount
Cubilete, gives
testimony to the deep roots of the Catholic faith among the Mexican people,
who receive His constant blessings in all their vicissitudes.
"Mexico, and the majority of Latin American nations, have been
commemorating in recent years the bicentennial of their independence. There
have been many religious celebrations in thanksgiving to God for this
important and significant moment. During
these celebrations, as in the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on
the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Most Holy Mary was invoked fervently, she
who gently showed how the Lord loves all people and gave Himself for them
without distinction. Our
Heavenly Mother has kept vigil over the faith of her children in the formation
of these nations and she continues to do so today as new challenges present
themselves.
"I come as a pilgrim of faith, of hope, and of love. I wish to confirm
those who believe in Christ in their faith, by strengthening and encouraging
them to revitalise their faith by listening to the Word of God, celebrating
the Sacraments and living
coherently. In this way, they will be able to share their faith with others as
missionaries to their brothers and sisters and to act as a leaven in society,
contributing to a respectful and peaceful coexistence based on the
incomparable dignity of every
human being, created by God, which no one has the right to forget or
disregard. This dignity is expressed especially in the fundamental right to
freedom of religion, in its full meaning and integrity.
"As a pilgrim of hope, I speak to them in the words of St. Paul: “But
we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep,
that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope”. Confidence in
God offers the
certainty of meeting Him, of receiving His grace; the believer’s hope is
based on this. And, aware of this, we strive to transform the present
structures and events which are less than satisfactory and seem immovable or
insurmountable, while also
helping those who do not see meaning or a future in life. Yes, hope changes
the practical existence of each man and woman in a real way. ... Moreover,
when it takes root in a people, when it is shared, it shines as light that
dispels the darkness which
blinds and takes hold of us. This country and the entire continent are called
to live their hope in God as a profound conviction, transforming it into an
attitude of the heart and a practical commitment to walk together in the
building of a better world".
"Together with faith and hope, the believer in Christ - indeed the whole
Church - lives and practises charity as an essential element of mission. In
its primary meaning, charity “is first of all the simple response to
immediate needs and
specific situations”, as we help those who suffer from hunger, lack
shelter, or are in need in some way in their life. Nobody is excluded on
account of their origin or belief from this mission of the Church, which does
not compete with other
private or public initiatives. In fact, the Church willingly works with those
who pursue the same ends. Nor does she have any aim other than doing good in
an unselfish and respectful way to those in need, who often lack signs of
authentic love".
"In these days I will pray to the Lord and to Our Lady of Guadalupe for all
of you so that you may be true to the faith which you have received and to its
best traditions. I will pray especially for those in need, particularly for
those who suffer
because of old and new rivalries, resentments and all forms of violence. I
know that I am in a country which is proud of its hospitality and wishes no
one to feel unwelcome. I already knew this, and now I can see it and feel it
in my heart. I sincerely
hope that many Mexicans who live far from their homeland will feel the same
way and that nothing will cause them to forget it or to lose the wish to see
it growth in harmony and in authentic integral development".
Having concluded his address, the Holy Father travelled by popemobile to
Miraflores College where he spent the night.
___________________________________________________________
POPE'S VIDEO MESSAGE TO THE FRENCH CHURCH AS SHE MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF
VATICAN COUNCIL II
Vatican City, 24 March 2012 (VIS) - The French Episcopal Conference has
organised a meeting on the theme: "Joy and Hope, Fifty Years after Vatican
Council II". The event is being held in the French shrine of Lourdes on 24 and
25 March, and is being
attended by French bishops and some 2,500 lay people, religious and priests
from all over the country. For the occasion, Benedict XVI recorded a video
message which was projected this morning before the first session began.
Extracts of the message are
given below.
"Vatican Council II was a genuine sign of God for our time. If we know how
to interpret and accept it within the tradition of the Church, and under the
secure guidance of the Magisterium, it will become an increasingly important
driving force for the
future of the Church. For this reason I hope this anniversary will be - for
you and for the entire Church in France - an occasion of spiritual and
pastoral renewal".
"This renewal, which is part of a continuous and ongoing process, takes
many forms. For the Year of the Faith, to which I have called the entire
Church, we must seek a more conscious faith and renew our adherence to the
Gospel. To this end, we must
become increasingly open to the person of Christ, and rediscover the pleasure
of the Word of God in order to achieve a profound conversion of heart and walk
the paths of the world, proclaiming the Gospel of hope to the men and women of
our time, in
respectful dialogue with everyone. May this time of grace also make it
possible to consolidate communion within the great family of the Catholic
Church, and contribute to restoring unity among all Christians, which was one
of the main objectives of the
Council".
"The renewal of the Church also includes the witness of Christians' own
lives, that the Word of Truth the Lord left us may shine forth. If you
approach witnesses of faith such as St. Bernadette the humble seer of Lourdes,
Pauline Jaricot who gave new
missionary drive to the Church, and many others who have made the soil of
France fruitful, you will gain a deeper knowledge of Christ. ... St. Joan of
Arc, the sixth centenary of whose birth falls this year, is one shining
example. She brought the
Gospel into the most dramatic events of the history of France and of her time.
Rediscovering the joy of believing and the enthusiasm of communicating the
power and beauty of the faith is a fundamental challenge of the new
evangelisation to which the
whole Church is called".
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 24 March 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed :
- Archbishop Santo Gangemi, apostolic nuncio to the Solomon Islands, also
as apostolic nuncio to Papua New Guinea.
- Msgr. Wieslaw Smigiel of the clergy of Pelplin, Poland, head of pastoral
theology at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, as auxiliary of
Pelplin (area 12,890, population 780,000, Catholics 730,000, priests 569,
permanent deacons 1,
religious 292). The bishop-elect was born in Swiec nad Wilsa, Poland in 1969
and ordained a priest in 1994. He has worked in pastoral care and education,
as well as serving for two years as secretary and chaplain to the bishop of
Pelplin.
___________________________________________________________
Per ulteriori informazioni e per la ricerca di documenti consultare il
sito: www.wisnews.org e www.vatican.va
Il servizio
del VIS viene inviato soltanto agli indirizzi di posta
elettronica che
ne hanno
fatto richiesta. Se per qualunque motivo
non si desidera continuare a
riceverlo, si prega di visitare nostra pagina
dinizio:
http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/v
s/italinde.php
Copyright (VIS): Le notizie contenute nei servizi del Vatican
Information Service possono essere riprodotte parzialmente o totalmente
citando la fonte: V.I.S. - Vatican Information Service.
