VATICAN CITY, OCT 22, 1999 (VIS) - In a press conference held at midday today, the Message of the Second Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops was presented. Entitled "We joyfully witness the 'Gospel of Hope' in Europe," it was published in Italian, English, French, Spanish and German.
Some extracts of the message are given below:
"HOPE IS POSSIBLE. Man cannot live without hope: life would become meaningless and unbearable. But every day this hope is weakened, attacked and destroyed by many forms of suffering, anxiety and death which cut through the heart of many Europeans and throughout our whole Continent. We cannot ignore this challenge."
"For this reason, with the joy and the authority of those who speak in the name of Christ the Lord who has sent us, we make ourselves ambassadors and witnesses of the 'Gospel of Hope' for the whole of Europe.'
"WE BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, THE ONE TRUE HOPE FOR MANKIND AND FOR HISTORY. ... In the communion between ourselves as bishops, with the Holy Father and with all those who have taken part in this synodal gathering, we have lived a deep experience of faith and love."
"WE THANK GOD FOR THE SIGNS OF HOPE PRESENT IN THE CHURCH. ... Hope is real, because Jesus is Emmanuel, God-with-us. He is Risen and is forever alive in His Church, working for the salvation of mankind and society. Our hope is sure: its signs are concrete, visible and in some way tangible, because the Creator Spirit, which the Crucified and Risen Lord left as his first gift to believers, is always present."
"One 'sign of hope' is the many martyrs of all Christian confessions, both from the West and from the East, who have lived in this century and even down to our present day. Their hope was stronger than death! We cannot, nor would we wish to, forget their witness. It is the most precious of gifts and absolutely necessary for us all, for it reminds us that without the Cross there is no salvation, and without sharing in the love of the crucified Christ, who forgives, there is no true Christian life.
"Another 'sign of hope' is the sheer holiness of so many men and women of our time, not only of those who have been officially recognized by the Church, but also those who, in the simplicity of their daily lives, have lived out their fidelity to the Gospel with generous dedication.
"Other 'signs of hope' are:
- "The rediscovered freedom of the Churches of Eastern Europe, due to the prophetic and decisive contribution of the Holy Father. ..."
- "The Church's increased focus on its spiritual mission and its commitment to making evangelization the priority, also in the dealings with social and political realities.
- "The presence and the flowering of new movements and communities. ..."
- "The awakening of renewed dedication to the Gospel and of generous readiness to serve, motivated by the Spirit in the most traditional realities of the Church, such as parishes, among those in consecrated life, in associations of lay faithful, in apostolate and prayer groups and in the various youth communities."
- "The growing presence and activity of women in the structures and life of the Christian community."
"We recognize as a 'sign of hope', the advances made on the ecumenical journey in truth, love and reconciliation, even in the face of great difficulties. With particular satisfaction we welcome the 'Common Declaration on Justification', which will be signed in Augsburg on 31 October 1999 by representatives of our Church and the World Lutheran Federation."
"Another 'sign of hope' is the 'exchange of gifts' between the Churches of the West and of the East."
"LET US BE CONVERTED BY THE LORD AND RESPOND TO OUR VOCATION. ... The serious indifference to religion of so many Europeans; the presence of many even on our Continent who do not yet know Jesus Christ and His Church and who are not baptized; the secularism which poisons a large section of Christians who habitually think, make decisions and live 'as if Christ did not exist'; all this, far from extinguishing our hope, render it more humble and more able to trust in God alone. It is from His mercy that we receive the grace and call to conversion."
"We confidently dare to say: Turn again to the Lord and respond with renewed fervor to the apostolic and missionary vocation received in Baptism! Let us all - bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated and lay faithful, men and women - each according to their gifts and responsibilities, dedicate our hearts and lives to the great and wonderful task of working with Christ for the salvation, freedom, and happiness of everyone, and in particular of our brothers and sisters in Europe!"
"May we rediscover those bonds which unite us with our 'elder brothers' of the Jewish faith; let us be open to a respectful and mature dialogue with those of other religions, intensifying our missionary impulse as we go out into the whole world."
"CALLED AND SENT TO PROCLAIM, CELEBRATE AND SERVE THE 'GOSPEL OF HOPE. ... Let us proclaim the 'Gospel of Hope'! In a world deafened by so many words and often incapable of trusting or believing in anyone, let us renew Peter's profession of faith: 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life'. We, above all, entrust ourselves to this Word, read, meditated upon and prayed in the Holy Scriptures. In our Churches, let us commit ourselves to giving a new impetus to proclamation through the witness of our lives, to preaching, to catechesis, to theological research, to religious culture, and to the dialogue between science and faith."
"Let us serve the 'Gospel of Hope'! In a Europe beset by new varieties of exclusion and by various forms of egoism, the only way to restore hope to the hopeless is by personal and communal works of active charity. Let us, then, dedicate ourselves to love through a life which mirrors and witnesses to the God who is Love. Let us open our hearts to welcome and care for all our brothers and sisters who are suffering or in fear, to the preferential love for the poor, and to the sharing of goods through a more simple way of life."
"LET US RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF HOPE PRESENT IN EUROPE TODAY. ... We are all faced by dramatic and disquieting situations which demonstrate the work of the spirit of evil and those who follow it. How can we forget all the violations to the fundamental rights of individuals, minorities and peoples - especially 'ethnic cleansing' and the prevention of refugees returning to their homes - or the enormous burden of injustice, violence, and death, which threatens our century in its closing years?
"And yet, in this Europe of ours, events occur and reasons exist that give us cause for hope.
"We joyfully recognize the growing openness of peoples to one another, the reconciliation between nations which have long been hostile and at odds, the progressive opening of the unifying process to the countries of Eastern Europe."
"We note as a positive factor the fact that the whole of this process is developing according to democratic procedures, in a peaceful way and in a spirit of freedom, which respects and values legitimate diversity, encouraging and sustaining the move towards the growing unity of Europe.
"We welcome with satisfaction all that has been done to clarify the conditions and methods for respecting human rights.
"Finally, in the context of legitimate and necessary economic and political unity in Europe, while recognizing the signs of hope which are apparent in the consideration given to rights and to the quality of life, we sincerely hope that, creatively keeping to the humanist and Christian traditions of our Continent, the primacy of ethical and spiritual values will be guaranteed."
"As Christians, we wish to be, and we invite you to be, committed Europeans, ready to make our contribution to the Europe of today and tomorrow, treasuring the precious heritage left us by the 'founding fathers' of the united Europe.
"The sincere love which we, as pastors, have for Europe moves us to address some appeals to those ... who have a specific responsibility for the future of our Continent:
- "Do not be silent but raise your voices when the rights of individuals, minorities and peoples are violated, beginning with the right to religious freedom.
- "Give the greatest attention to everything that concerns human life, from conception to natural death, as well as to the family based on marriage. ..."
- "Pursue the process of European integration with courage and urgency, widening the circle of member countries of the Union. ..."
- "Respond to the growing phenomenon of migration with justice and equity and with a great sense of solidarity. See in it a new resource for the future of Europe.
- "Make every effort to guarantee young people a truly human future, with work, culture, and education in moral and spiritual values.
- "Keep Europe open to all countries of the world, continuing in the present context of globalization, to practice various forms of cooperation, not only economic, but also social and cultural. Welcome the appeal, which together with the Holy Father we renew, to wipe out or at least reduce - as some countries have already done - the international debt of developing nations."
"LET US PRAY TOGETHER FOR EUROPE AND THE WORLD." The synod fathers conclude their Message with a brief prayer in which they urge the Church of Europe: "do not be afraid! ... Hope in your Lord and you will never be confounded!"
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