VATICAN CITY, APR 3, 2006 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, the Pope received prelates from the Episcopal Conference of the Ivory Coast, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit. Having studied the reports presented by the bishops concerning the situation in their country, the Holy Father assured them of his prayers that their nation "may find unity and peace in true fraternity among all her citizens."
"The crisis your country has been through," Benedict XVI went on, "highlighted the divisions that constitute such a deep wound in relations between the various components of society." The resulting violence "dealt a harsh blow to trust between people and the stability of the country, leaving much suffering in its wake. ... In order to recreate true peace, there must be generous forgiveness and true reconciliation among the individuals and groups affected. ... They must begin a courageous dialogue, examining ... the causes that gave rise to the conflict."
"The road to peace," Benedict XVI went on, "is long and difficult, but it is never impossible, and Catholics must take their place in this shared endeavor, because building a world of reconciliation is never something foreign to them."
In order to achieve this aim "it is necessary, in the first place, to restore confidence among Christ's followers, despite their differences of opinion. ... Faced with political or ethnic tensions in diocesan churches, bishops, priests and consecrated people must be models of fraternity and charity for everyone, contributing through word and deed to the construction of a unified and reconciled society."
In this context, the Pope told the bishops that the initial and permanent formation of priests must be their primary concern, encouraging them to ensure that priests had "an intense spiritual life," and to "favor unity and fraternal life among them."
With reference to "the urgent need for the formation of the laity," which the bishops had mentioned in their reports, the Holy Father said: "A deepening of the faith is truly necessary in order to resist the return of ancient practices or the lure of sects, and above all as a testimony to Christian hope in a complicated world of new and grave problems." In this context "the faithful, especially those involved in the intellectual, political or economic spheres, will find in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church a fundamental tool for formation and evangelization."
"For the Church to be an ever clearer sign of what she truly is, and more adapted to her mission, attention must be given to the inculturation of the faith," said the Holy Father. "This process, which is so important for announcing the Gospel to all cultures, must not compromise the specificity and integrity of the faith, rather it must help Christians to understand and experience the gospel message in their own cultures, abandoning practices that run counter to their baptismal promises."
"The weight of traditional mentality," the Pope went on, "is often an obstacle to the acceptance of the Gospel," and among the many questions facing the faithful that of "commitment to the Sacrament of marriage is one of the most important. Polygamy or de facto cohabitation with no kind of religious celebration often constitute great obstacles." Therefore, "it is necessary to continue tirelessly in efforts to ensure that people, especially the young, accept that for Christians marriage is a way to sanctity."
The Pope concluded his address by recognizing the growth of ecclesial movements in the dioceses of the Ivory Coast. They "contribute to providing a renewed missionary drive in Christian communities," he said, and encouraged them to entrust themselves to the generosity of Christ, "remaining always rooted in His Church."
"Nonetheless," he added, "these movements must be subject to enlightened and constant discernment by bishops, in order to guarantee the ecclesiality of their activities and to maintain authentic communion with the universal and diocesan Church."
AL/.../IVORY COAST VIS 20060403 (660)
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