PAPAL MESSAGE: COMMITMENT OF LAY PEOPLE TO CHARITY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 2002 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message that the Pope wrote to Bishop Michele Pennisi of Piazza Armerina, Italy on the occasion of the celebration of a congress November 9 and 10 in Enna, Sicily on the theme, "The spirituality and commitment of lay people in charity, foundation for justice and authentic human promotion."

In the Message, which is dated November 8, the Pope writes that "charity brings about a spirit of fraternity in the Church, called to be a home and school of communion."
"In the vast field of this renewed 'imagination of charity', lay Christians have an irreplaceable role and are called to animate with the evangelical spirit all fields of social life. For this reason, they will have to keep their gaze fixed on Christ, being ever more capable of authentic contemplative prayer. It is necessary to constantly start with Him and to recognize His face in our most needy and marginalized brothers."

MESS;LAY; CHARITY;...;PENNISI;VIS;20021111;Word: 170;