VATICAN CITY, 24 MAY 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Benedict XVI received in separate audiences Nikola Gruevski, prime minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, then Ivajlo Kalfin, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the Republic of Bulgaria. Both men, leading delegations from their respective countries, have come to Rome for the commemoration of Sts. Cyril and Methodius.
In his address to the Macedonian delegation, the Pope indicated that the "shining spiritual witness" of Sts. Cyril and Methodius "points to a perennial truth which must be rediscovered to an ever greater degree: only when hope comes from God, is it trustworthy and secure".
"This hope becomes tangible reality when people of good will in all parts of the world, like the brothers Cyril and Methodius, imitating Jesus' example and faithful to His teaching, tirelessly dedicate themselves to laying the foundations of friendly coexistence among peoples, respecting the rights of each and seeking the good of everyone".
In his audience with the delegation from the Republic of Bulgaria, the Holy Father told them that the memory of the two saints "stimulates believers, both Orthodox and Catholics, in their desire to spur the country to probe more deeply into its rich Christian heritage, the origins of which go back to the tireless initiative of these two great evangelisers from Salonika".
"The work of evangelisation, undertaken with apostolic zeal by Sts. Cyril and Methodius in the lands inhabited by the Slav peoples" is still important today, said Pope Benedict, because "it represents a model for the inculturation of faith" valid "even for the post-modern age. The Gospel does not undermine the authentic elements it finds in the various cultural traditions, but helps mankind of all times to recognise and achieve the real good, illuminated by the splendour of truth".
Benedict XVI concluded his remarks by highlighting how "the rediscovery of Christian roots is important for building a society in which the spiritual and cultural values arising from the Gospel remain present", values that "draw nourishment from constant union with God, as is evident from the lives of Sts. Cyril and Methodius who strove relentlessly to weave relationships of mutual understanding and cordiality between different peoples, and between diverse cultures and ecclesial traditions".
AC/CYRIL METHODIUS/BULGARIA:MACEDONIA VIS 20080526 (390)
In his address to the Macedonian delegation, the Pope indicated that the "shining spiritual witness" of Sts. Cyril and Methodius "points to a perennial truth which must be rediscovered to an ever greater degree: only when hope comes from God, is it trustworthy and secure".
"This hope becomes tangible reality when people of good will in all parts of the world, like the brothers Cyril and Methodius, imitating Jesus' example and faithful to His teaching, tirelessly dedicate themselves to laying the foundations of friendly coexistence among peoples, respecting the rights of each and seeking the good of everyone".
In his audience with the delegation from the Republic of Bulgaria, the Holy Father told them that the memory of the two saints "stimulates believers, both Orthodox and Catholics, in their desire to spur the country to probe more deeply into its rich Christian heritage, the origins of which go back to the tireless initiative of these two great evangelisers from Salonika".
"The work of evangelisation, undertaken with apostolic zeal by Sts. Cyril and Methodius in the lands inhabited by the Slav peoples" is still important today, said Pope Benedict, because "it represents a model for the inculturation of faith" valid "even for the post-modern age. The Gospel does not undermine the authentic elements it finds in the various cultural traditions, but helps mankind of all times to recognise and achieve the real good, illuminated by the splendour of truth".
Benedict XVI concluded his remarks by highlighting how "the rediscovery of Christian roots is important for building a society in which the spiritual and cultural values arising from the Gospel remain present", values that "draw nourishment from constant union with God, as is evident from the lives of Sts. Cyril and Methodius who strove relentlessly to weave relationships of mutual understanding and cordiality between different peoples, and between diverse cultures and ecclesial traditions".
AC/CYRIL METHODIUS/BULGARIA:MACEDONIA VIS 20080526 (390)
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