MAY THE CONTINENT OF HOPE BE THE CONTINENT OF LIFE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 23, 1999 (VIS) - The Pope this morning celebrated Mass in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Mexico City, the largest Marian shrine in the world, where he closed the Synod of Bishops for America. Concelebrants included 500 cardinals, arcbishops and bishops and 5,000 priests.

"Today in this Basilica of Guadalupe, the Marian heart of America," he said in his homily, "we give thanks to God for the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops, ... lived with the Bishop of Rome as a fraternal experience of meeting the Risen Lord, a path to conversion, communion and solidarity in America."

John Paul II said that he had come to Mexico "to place the Apostolic Exhortation 'Ecclesia in America' at the feet of the 'mestiza' Virgin of Tepayac, Star of the New World, who gathers together the pastoral findings and suggestions of the synod, entrusting to the Mother and Queen of this continent, the future of evangelization."

Having spoken in Portuguese and French, the Pope then said in English: "The Church must proclaim the Gospel of life and speak out with prophetic force against the culture of death. May the continent of hope also be the continent of life! This is our cry: life with dignity for all!"

"The time has come," he said, "to banish once and for all from the continent every attack against life. No more violence, terrorism and drug-trafficking! No more torture or other forms of abuse! There must be an end to the unnecessary recourse to the death penalty! No more exploitation of the weak or racial discrimination or ghettoes of poverty! Never again!"

The Holy Father ended his homily in Spanish: "I wish to entrust and offer the future of this continent to Mary Most Holy, Mother of Christ and of the Church. For this reason, I have the joy of announcing here that I have declared that December 12 be celebrated as a liturgical feast in the whole of America in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe."

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