POPE WELCOMES BISHOPS OF BANGLADESH AT END OF "AD LIMINA"

VATICAN CITY, MAY 15, 2001 (VIS) - The Pope this morning welcomed the bishops of Bangladesh as they conclude their "ad limina" visit to Rome. This quinquennial visit allows a country's bishops to meet not only with the Holy Father but with officials from various congregations and councils in the Roman Curia, in order to assess the particular situation of the Church in their country.

In his talk to the bishops, the Pope highlighted the situation in Bangladesh, noting that "the Catholic community in Bangladesh is small" but shows "enthusiasm and fervor." He remarked that priestly "vocations continue to grow in number" and added that "the Church in Bangladesh is blessed with a great number of male and female religious, ... active in the fields of education, health care and various social apostolates."

Bangladesh has a total population of just over 124 million people, of whom 252,000, or .20 percent, are Catholic. There is 1 archdiocese, 5 dioceses, 8 bishops, 253 priests, 98 seminarians, 1,070 religious and 6,724 catechists.

During the Jubilee Year, John Paul II observed, "two of the more significant projects which you undertook were the Jubilee Bible and the Bengali translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church." He invited the bishops "to make the new edition of the Bible easily available and to help individuals and families to read it prayerfully by encouraging the ancient and ever valid tradition of 'lectio divina' in a way which will be readily understood and accessible to all."

"Given the particular situation in which you live," the Pope went on, "interreligious dialogue is an integral part of your mission. More frequent contacts between Christians and Muslims, and greater understanding of each other's religious traditions and values, should help to overcome attitudes of suspicion and distrust."

The Pope praised the efforts of the Church in Bangladesh, especially efforts by the laity, to help the poor, the marginalized and the suffering. He urged the prelates to make the Church's social doctrine "more widely known and implemented" as a "contribution to alleviating the causes of poverty."

Pope John Paul dedicated his concluding remarks to the family, considered by the bishops of Bangladesh as "a priority sector of pastoral care." Highlighting Asian family values "such as filial respect, love and care for the aged and the sick and love of children," he encouraged the pastors "to continue to reflect on ways of strengthening and promoting the family, founded upon marriage, as the community with the mission of guarding, revealing and communicating life and love."

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