JOHN PAUL II: "BE EVANGELIZED BY THE WORD OF CHRIST"

VATICAN CITY, OCT 31, 1999 (VIS) - This morning, John Paul II visited the Roman parish of St. Benedict Joseph Labre. In his homily during Mass he requested those present to "be aware of the great treasure of the Word of God, a treasure entrusted to the Church as a whole and to each individual member of the faithful. Allow yourselves to be evangelized by the word of Christ in order to become, in your turn, evangelizers of your brothers and sisters."

The Pope made a call to the civil authorities that the family "be encouraged and safeguarded, without being confused with other very different types of union. I call upon ecclesial communities and each individual believer to be ever more committed in support of the family and the values it represents, in the certainty that in this way they are effectively aiding the common good."

The Holy Father demonstrated his joy to the parishioners for having transformed their precarious situation, when they had no fixed place of worship, into "an occasion for truly evangelical witness, following the example of your patron, St. Benedict Joseph Labre."

In imitation of this saint, requested the Pope, "may you too know how to preserve the enthusiasm and manner of the early years of your parochial community, characterized by the announcement of the Gospel from door to door and by the celebration of the Eucharist in the entrance halls of buildings. This must remain your pastoral style - even if now you can rejoice in this beautiful new parish church - in keeping with the aims and methods of the Citizens' Mission."

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