VATICAN CITY, SEP 28, 2006 (VIS) - Today, Benedict XVI received the credentials for Hans-Henning Horstmann, the new ambassador from the Federal Republic of Germany to the Holy See. In his speech to the diplomat, the Pope recalled his recent apostolic journey to his birthplace and, once again, thanked the German authorities who collaborated to its successful outcome.
The Holy Father then referred to the strong community feeling of those sharing the same beliefs that he experienced during his travels and asserted: "Where a community prospers and persons become strong through the message of faith, also the common life of the person in society, reinforcing the citizen in his availability in taking on the responsibility for the sense of common good, is established".
With reference to the universal mission of the Holy See, Benedict XVI stated that the "Holy See wants to work together with all those persons of good will to serve the person, his dignity, his integrity and his liberty". He also underlined that the center of the Church's pastoral solicitude is the salvation of man and the human society.
"Faith in Jesus Christ, announced by the Church, can only be achieved through freedom. Therefore tolerance and cultural openness must be mutual. However, tolerance should never be confused with indifference, any type of indifference is radically opposed to the Christian interest on the human person and his salvation".
He continued, quoting the words of the homily he gave in the Neue Messe of Munchen: "The tolerance which we urgently need includes the fear of God - respect for what others hold sacred. This respect for what others hold sacred demands that we ourselves learn once more the fear of God. But this sense of respect can be reborn in the Western world only if faith in God is reborn, if God become once more present to us and in us".
Speaking about the relations between the German Federal Republic and the Holy See, the Pope first mentioned the safekeeping of matrimony and the family, and pointed out that the concept of married life has changed in public politics, since the legislator assigns new forms of family that endanger the integrity of the family. Another constant worry is abortion, as well as the ethical problems within the context of research on cell stems in modern therapy.
Benedict XVI recalled that Germany was converted into a new nation for many peoples, endangered in their countries of origin for religious or political reasons. Because of this, the Pope asked that political asylum be guaranteed according to a principle of justice and reasserted the Holy See's solicitude for an adequate promotion of integration.
CD/CREDENTIALS/GERMANY:HORSTMANN VIS 20060928 (450)
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