VATICAN CITY, SEP 3, 1999 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the bishops of Zambia at the end of their "ad limina" visit. He congratulated them for the great flourishing of the Church in their country, at the same time encouraging them to consolidate the natural family, "ecclesia domestica", as well as the spiritual family of the Church, "ecclesia publica".
The Pope began his address by recalling his visit to Zambia, a decade ago. He said: "In the ten years since my visit, the situation on the African continent ... has grown more dramatic. This is at times forgotten by the world at large, but it never ceases to weigh heavily upon the heart of the Church and of the Pope. The age-old human scourges of war, famine, poverty and disease continue to strike at Africa's peoples. ... The wars in neighboring lands have wounded Zambia, not least because of so many displaced persons seeking refuge in your country. The shadow of AIDS spreads across the continent and is reaping a fearful harvest of death. The capacity to deal with these problems is further restricted by the crushing burden of foreign debt".
"Yet is clear from your quinquennial reports that, in the midst of this suffering, the Church in Zambia has remained steadfast, and grows with new life and vigor. ... Your country has recently celebrated the centenary of its evangelization; and, after a hundred years of growth, the Church is increasingly present, fulfilling her religious mission. ... But as wise shepherds of the Church you are also aware that (there exists) the still more fundamental task of strengthening the natural family in its sacred task as 'ecclesia domestica', and the spiritual family of the Church in its sacred task as 'ecclesia publica'".
The Pope continued: "In Zambia, as elsewhere, families are now facing an array of pressures, the roots of which are political, social, economic and even cultural". Among these he listed unemployment, the lack of educational opportunities, polygamy and irresponsible sexual activity which is aggravating the AIDS crisis. He then went on: "All these factors demean human dignity in a way that makes the commitment of marriage increasingly difficult, since it is the nature of marriage to be grounded upon a deep sense of the value of human life and human dignity".
John Paul II recalled that "no society can flourish unless the family flourishes". Consequently, "all the Church's resources and institutions must be mobilized to help Zambian families live faithfully and generously as true 'domestic churches'".
Going on to refer to the "spiritual family of the Church", the Pope underlined that the Church, by permeating all aspects of life with the Gospel of salvation, will in many ways "be a sign of contradiction in a situation where the powers of alienation are unmistakable". Addressing priests, he said, "this will demand that you yourselves have a deeply spiritual vision of things, and live 'holy and blameless and irreproachable' lives before the Lord".
Insisting on the primary necessity of the permanent formation of clergy and religious, the Holy Father asserted that "unceasing personal conversion is an essential component of all Christian life, and for priests this involves a definite spirit of detachment from the things and attitudes of the world. This is most clearly signalled by priestly celibacy ... (which) must be carefully safeguarded. This means that any behavior which might give scandal must be carefully avoided or corrected where necessary".
Having recalled that one of the most positive signs in the Church in Zambia is the growing number of vocations, the Pope exhorted the bishops in that country "that great care be exercised in the selection of candidates and in their formation. ... Religious life, like the priesthood, runs the risk of becoming a means for social advancement or a source of prestige. Candidates must not succumb to the temptation of thinking of themselves as better than others, or of wanting to rise to a higher level of material welfare".
Ecumenism and the dialogue with Islam, which is growing in influence in Zambia, were other themes of the Pope's discourse. He underlined the need for a twofold response from the Church, "on the one hand, strong and continuing evangelization and catechesis of the Catholic people, and on the other hand a sincere openness to interreligious dialogue".
Pope John Paul's closing remarks were dedicated to the challenge of fundamentalist sects which, he said, "tend to flourish in times of social dislocation and cultural alienation when anxiety and the temptation to hopelessness take hold; they are also strongest when the experience of the Church as family is weakest". In order to counteract their illusory promises, the Pope concluded, "the Church in Zambia needs programs offering the faithful clear and correct catechesis which will give them a deeper grasp of the saving truths of the faith and of the true promises of Christ".
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