MAKE THE WORD OF GOD REACH ALL PEOPLE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 3, 2002 (VIS) - John Paul II sent a message to Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of Terni-Narni-Amelia, Italy, on the occasion of the Sixth Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Biblical Federation, of which he is president. The theme of the meeting, which is taking place in Beirut, Lebanon from September 3 to 12, is: "You show me the ways of life," taken from the Psalms.

"Trusting in the force and power of the Word of God, the Catholic Bible Federation is given the great responsibility - one belonging to the whole Church - of making the Divine Word accessible to people in all parts of the world so that it can take root and thrive in their hearts."

The Holy Father affirms that the "commitment to bringing about a renewed listening to the Word of God, which is a necessary element of the new evangelization, also reinforces the bonds of unity that already exist among all Christians."

The Pope concludes by urging that this occasion be "a fruitful opportunity to evaluate what has been achieved so far and to determine what needs yet to be done to proclaim the Word of God in a world longing for truth."

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