SPIRITUAL EXERCISES REINFORCE ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST

VATICAN CITY, FEB 15, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was a message from the Holy Father to Bishop Fiorino Tagliaferri, emeritus of Viterbo, Italy, president of the Italian Spiritual Exercises Federation (FIES), which held its national assembly from February 13 to 15.

In his message dated 11 February, the Pope writes that the aim of this meeting was "to ask questions about the 'times of the Spirit for a strong experience of the Father's mercy'."

"The experience of spiritual exercises, thanks to an appropriate time of prayer and reflection and though a type of moderation, self-discipline and sacrifice, strengthens personal attachment to Christ."

The Pope says that "the Father's merciful embrace takes on a particular connotation in the Sacrament which concretely expresses conversion and, with the grace of forgiveness, brings the penitent back to life as a child of God."

"The importance of this FIES meeting is great for all pastoral ministry in Italy. I truly hope that, faithful to its vocation, it might contribute to increasing in the Christian people the desire for the universal call to holiness."

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