BISHOPS OF BRAZIL: OFFER TEACHING UNITED TO THE MAGISTERIUM

VATICAN CITY, SEP 14, 2002 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II received prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (North/Northwest region) who just completed their "ad limina" visit.

The Pope affirmed that "the ecclesiastical communities need shepherds that are men of faith and who are united among themselves, capable of confronting the challenges of a society tending ever-more toward secularization and consumerism."

"A good portion of people," said the Holy Father, "have received baptism in the Catholic Church," but "sometimes lack a solid and clear faith." In this sense, "indifference toward religious values and ethical principles is a great obstacle for evangelization. All of this is made even more difficult by the presence of sects and new pseudo-religious groups."

"As teachers of doctrine, called to show the way that leads to the Father," he continued, "... do not stop offering the teaching of the Magisterium, united as the successors of the Apostles."

John Paul II recalled that "Christ gave his Church a solid doctrine. ... We have an infinite scientific treasure: the Word of God, preserved by the Church; the grace of Christ, entrusted to his pastors through the administration of the Sacraments."

"It is inevitable that we show our love and veneration to this Church. It is the natural attitude of children toward their mother. Its pastors must show a love of predilection without limits, a self-sacrificing service, capable of renouncing all personal interests to live the same obedience with which Christ suffered on the Cross."

The Pope emphasized the idea that "the episcopate is also rooted in the unity of the Church." He then referred to his letter to the world episcopate in which he stated: "Unity of the Eucharist and unity of the episcopate with Peter, under Peter there are no roots independent of the unity the Church, because Christ instituted the Eucharist and the Episcopate as fundamentally linked truths."

At the end of the speech, the Holy Father spoke about the "importance of giving priority to the formation of vocations, through adequate formation of candidates to the priesthood. At the same time, it is important to make an effort to guide priests in their ministerial duties, with appropriate permanent human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation within the limits of the possibilities of each diocese, or with regional or national initiatives."

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