BE MEN OF HOPE IN THE FACE OF AN "ECLIPSE OF THE SENSE OF GOD"

VATICAN CITY, SEP 13, 2004 (VIS) - The bishops of New Zealand concluded their "ad limina" visit today with an audience at Castelgandolfo with the Holy Father who told them that their visit "from an island nation so distant ... 'safeguards legitimate differences and yet is vigilant to ensure that particularity not only does not harm unity but serves it'."

   He said that "New Zealand enjoys a proud heritage, steeped in rich cultural diversity, yet like many other countries is today suffering the effects of unrestrained secularism. ... Your own reports indeed unequivocally indicate the pressing need for Christ's liberating message in a society experiencing the tragic consequences of the eclipse of the sense of God: the drift away from the Church; the undermining of family life; the facilitation of abortion and prostitution; a misguided vision of life which seeks pleasure and 'success' rather than goodness and wisdom."

  "Faced with such disquieting developments," the Pope affirmed, "New Zealanders look to you to be men of hope, preaching and teaching with passion the splendor of Christ's truth which dispels the darkness and illuminates the true path of life."

  He said that all the faithful "are called to share in your witness," especially "through joyful participation in worship." However, said the Pope, "the weakening in Sunday Mass observance, of which each of you has spoken with profound concern, dims the light of witness to Christ's presence in your country. When Sunday becomes subordinate to a popular concept of 'weekend' and is unduly dominated by entertainment and sport, rather than being truly sanctified and revitalized, people remain trapped in a relentless and often meaningless pursuit of novelty and fail to experience the freshness of Christ's 'living water'

  "From her sacred liturgy," continued the Holy Father, "the Church draws strength and inspiration for her mission to evangelize. … It is a duty that no single believer can ignore.  Sent by the Lord himself into the vineyard - the home, schools, the workplace, civic organizations - Christ's disciples find no time for 'standing idle in the marketplace' nor can they be so absorbed by the internal aspects of parish life that they are distracted from the command to evangelize others actively."

  Remarking that the bishops' "pastoral letters are a fine example of the way in which you earnestly seek to present the truth of Christ in the public arena," he encouraged them "to continue to ensure that your statements clearly convey the whole of the Church's magisterial teaching," especially in "defending the sanctity and uniqueness of marriage. ... The institution of marriage necessarily entails the complementarity of husbands and wives who participate in God's creative activity through the bearing and raising of children. ... Any attempt to equate marriage with other forms of cohabitation violates its unique role in God's plan for humanity."

  John Paul II acknowledged "the outstanding contribution of your Catholic schools" saying "they must be active agents of evangelization at the heart of parish life!" He noted that "catechesis and religious education today is a taxing apostolate" and asked the prelates "to ensure that your tertiary education chaplaincies are vibrant sources of sound catechesis."
AL/.../NEW ZEALAND                        VIS 20040913 (520)