VALUE PAST SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS, WELCOME NEW ONES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 22, 2003 (VIS) - Bishops from the Episcopal Conference of the Region of North Africa (CERNA) were received by John Paul II this morning as they concluded their "ad limina" visit. Archbishop Henri Teissier of Algiers, president of the conference, gave the Pope a document produced by CERNA entitled "The Churches of the Maghreb in the Year 2000."

The Pope noted in his talk in French that "the world we live in is marked by a multiplication of exchanges, an ever stronger interdependence and an ever greater opening of borders: this is the phenomenon of globalization, with its positive and negative aspects, that nations must learn how to administer in a constructive manner!"

"In what concerns her," he continued, "the Catholic Church knows well the universal dimension which is part of her identity. ... Your dioceses have always been sensitive to this dimension of catholicity and the vital link that joins them to the Universal Church, for the pastors and faithful come from different countries." He noted that in their region "this reality has assumed a new dimension in recent years with the development of relations and exchanges between the North and South of the Sahara," because so many men and women have come to the Maghreb from subsaharan countries.

The Holy Father invited the prelates to value "the richness of the different spiritual traditions that have nourished the Christian history of your countries." These traditions have underscored "one facet or another of the treasure of the Gospel: "a sense of community, the joy of fraternal communion ... and availability for one's neighbor." He urged them to value these spiritual riches but also to "not be afraid of what is new that is brought by our brothers and sisters coming from other continents or cultures."

The Pope underscored the bishops' attention to "the active and important presence of young people in your dioceses, who have come from subsaharan countries to study in universities. Their welcome and participation in Christian communities clearly shows that the Gospel is not linked to one culture."

John Paul II then turned to "the good quality of relations that exist between Christians and the Muslim population" and "the good will of civil authorities with regard to the Church. All that is possible thanks to reciprocal knowledge, encounters in daily life and to exchanges, notably with families." He exhorted the bishops to "continue to encourage these meetings" because "they contribute to the evolution of mentalities on both sides and they help overcome the ready-made images carried still too often by the media."

"In every Christian community, even small and fragile," stated the Pope, "service to charity towards the poorest remains a priority as it is the expression of God's goodness for all men and of that sharing that we are called to live, regardless of race, culture or religion." Show this charity in a special way, he said, in welcoming migrants and "in offering them, in their precarious condition, a time of rest and fraternal conviviality!"

The Holy Father concluded his talk with heartfelt greetings for the priests, religious and laity of the North African countries. He encouraged them in their work, exhorted them to nourish their faith through prayer and appropriate formation, and assured them "of my prayers and paternal affection."

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