POPE ADDRESSES COUNCIL PLENARY ON "RICH REALITY OF SHRINES"

VATICAN CITY, JUN 25, 1999 (VIS) - The members, consultors and personnel of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People were welcomed by the Holy Father this morning at the close of their 14th plenary reunion, during which they reflected on the role played in the life of the Church by pilgrimages to shrines.

The Pope told them that, "looking at the rich reality of shrines, it is easy to see how they represent a great gift of God to his Church and all of mankind."

"As 'oases of the spirit'," he continued, "they thus offer the ecclesial community a singularly favorable climate in which to meditate on the Word of God and celebrate the sacraments, especially Penance and the Eucharist. At shrines, it is possible to have rich experiences of faith, as well as to show love for one's brothers through works of charity and service to the needy."

The Holy Father noted that "bishops in various parts of the world have always favored shrines as centers of deep spirituality in which believers not only revive their faith but also become clearly aware of the duties that derive from it in the social field."

"Peace and solidarity among men," remarked John Paul II, "flow from ... a person's reconciliation with God. It is therefore necessary that pilgrims find shrines to be places of concrete opportunities for prayer and silence in order too favor the encounter with God and the intimate experience of the tenderness of His love. Those who especially need this experience are migrants, refugees, the dispersed and those tried by painful and unjust situations; others who need it include seafarers, civil aviation personnel, nomads and circus people; anyone who for any reason is far from their loved ones will draw spiritual comfort from this."

The Pope stressed that, when a shrine welcomes young people, "this should inspire leaders of the ministry of shrines, together with the entire ecclesial community, to offer an even more qualified service, one suitable for their age."

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