VATICAN CITY, FEB 20, 2006 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received members of the administrative council of the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel.
The Pope greeted Bishop Jean-Pierre Bassene of Kolda. Senegal, president of the administrative council, recalling how the foundation, created in 1980, grew from the solidarity of the faithful, especially in Germany, who responded generously to an appeal launched by John Paul II on May 10, 1980, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, "in favor of the people of the Sahel, who were then facing the consequences of a terrible drought."
"Entrusted to the responsibility of bishops in the countries concerned, and with the goal of fighting against desertification in this region of Africa, the foundation has fully developed as a work of the Church, highlighting through numerous projects carried our over more than 20 years that love for others - which is a task for each member of the faithful, but also for the entire ecclesial community - must be expressed in concrete gestures."
The Holy Father concluded his brief address by encouraging members of the foundation "to continue with determination, thanks to the help of the pontifical Council 'Cor Unum,' this work of Christian brotherhood, which is a service to all human beings and which also contributes to inter-religious dialogue and to the revelation of the love of God to the inhabitants of this land."
AC/SAHEL FOUNDATION/BASSENE VIS 20060220 (240)
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