NEW SAINTS WERE "CHAMPIONS" OF EVANGELIZATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 6, 2003 (VIS) - Today at midday in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father received the pilgrims who participated yesterday in the canonization of Blesseds Daniele Comboni, Arnold Janssen and Josef Freinademetz, "three champions of evangelization."

In greeting the Combonian Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus and the Combonian Missionary Sisters Pious Mothers of Nigrizia he noted that they "continue the apostolic activity of St. Daniele Comboni," and expressed the desire that "the project of founding a Catholic university in Sudan, beloved land of Comboni, may continue and be brought to completion."

John Paul II emphasized that St. Arnold Janssen, founder of the Society of the Divine Word and the Congregation of Missionary Sisters, Servants of the Spirit and the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration, "was an ardent animator of the ecclesiastical mission in Central Europe. He gave proof of his courage while opening a missionary house in Steyl, Netherlands, when the Church went through a difficult time due to the so-called 'Kulturkampf'."

He concluded by saying, "through the Society of the Divine Word, providence sent St. Josef Freinademetz to China where he remained until his death. 'All your life for your beloved Chinese': this is the pledge that he made to himself the day of his perpetual profession. He stayed faithful to this motto throughout his life with the help of God. He became Chinese with the Chinese, assuming the mentality, uses and customs. ... May he continue to watch over that nation and the entire Asian continent from heaven."

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