THOUSANDS OF DUTCH PILGRIMS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 7, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Basilica, the Pope received thousands of pilgrims from the Netherlands who have come to Rome on a Jubilee pilgrimage.

In his address, the Pope said that "bearing witness to Christ is a task that concerns the Church and the individual faithful at all levels. ... Still today, many of your fellow countrymen and women work in the vast field of the mission and human promotion. They are a sign of blessing for you as they demonstrate the vital and generous nature of your path of faith. Yet they also represent a caution and a reminder to your communities not to diminish their missionary fervor."

"It is important to deepen the communion that the Church in Holland has with Peter's Successor and, through him, with the universal Church. Indeed, it is on the foundation of unity that diversity contributes to reviving and enriching the entire body of Christ. Dialogue in charity and truth must always characterize the relationship that individuals and communities have between themselves and with the Church."

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