AUDIENCE FOR BISHOPS FROM MOZAMBIQUE ON "AD LIMINA" VISIT

VATICAN CITY, MAR 20, 1999 (VIS) - The Pope this morning received prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique who have just completed their "ad limina" visit.

At the beginning of his speech in Portuguese, the Holy Father gave thanks to God for the increase in priestly ordinations in the dioceses of Mozambique. Faced with the impossibility of being able to accept all young people who desire to enter the seminary due to of a lack of place, he said: "God must inspire you with ways and means to welcome vocations which are sent to you and which you so much need."

"Seminarians need to meet each other, 'to be' with their pastor and vice versa. ... A seminarian and priest, strengthened by prayer, mutual support and friendship, favor the spirit of obedience, which makes the priest receptive to carrying out the pastoral work entrusted to him by his bishop. ... Simplicity and self-denial must be the characteristics of those who follow the Lord."

John Paul II expressed his joy for "the invaluable service of consecrated people" and the flourishing of religious vocations in Mozambique. Sisters "cannot be seen as the priest's female counterparts, because their vocation is not to guide the flock, but to keep the ideal of the Beatitudes alive, anticipating the definitive condition of the Kingdom of God through the practice of the evangelical counsels."

The Holy Father encouraged bishops "to show interest for all (priests), independently of age, condition or nationality, be they natives or foreigners."

"The unity of all citizens, without distinction of race or creed, founded on the love of a common fatherland, should be ardently sought so as to work together for the integral development of the nation, in peace and justice. May young people not be afraid to commit themselves to the future of their country!"

The Pope emphasized that the greatest challenge has always been "the urgency of evangelization. ... Now that the Church in Mozambique today has solid foundations, the time has come for a great number of missionaries to come back to your country where millions of people have still not been evangelized, to 'proclaim the Good News to all.'"

In conclusion, the Pontiff asked God "to free the hearts of all citizens of Mozambique from hate, resentment and revenge, to reach the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 truly and deeply reconciled, in peace with God and with other people. This reconciliation, as Christians know, has its source of grace and strength in the Eucharist."

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