VATICAN CITY, 22 MAR 2009 (VIS) - At 9.30 a.m. today Benedict XVI arrived at Cimangola Square, 14 km from the Angolan capital Luanda. Having toured the site by popemobile greeting the thousands of people present, at 10 a.m. he presided at Mass with bishops of the Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA), which brings together the episcopal conferences of Angola and Sao Tome, Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
At the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration, the Pope expressed his condolences for the death of two young people, crushed by the crowds entering the Stadio dos Coquieros for his meeting with Angolan youth yesterday afternoon.
"We entrust these two young people to Jesus", he said," that He may welcome them into His kingdom. I express my solidarity and my most heartfelt condolences to their families and friends because they had come to see me". The Holy Father also gave assurances of his prayers for the 89 people injured in the same incident, "in the hope of their speedy recovery".
In his homily, the Pope commented on the first reading of the Mass, and its summons to the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. "Its vivid description of the destruction and ruin caused by war echoes the personal experience of so many people in this country amid the terrible ravages of the civil war. How true it is that war can 'destroy everything of value'", he said.
"The call to return and rebuild God's Temple has a particular meaning for each of us", he went on. "God is calling us to acknowledge the power of His presence within us, to reappropriate the gift of His love and forgiveness, and to become messengers of that merciful love ... in every sector of social and political life".
Going on to point out that today in Angola is a day of prayer and sacrifice for national reconciliation, the Holy Father said: "The Gospel teaches us that reconciliation ... can only be the fruit of conversion, ... a new way of thinking. It teaches us that only the power of God's love can change our hearts and make us triumph over the power of sin and division".
"It is to preach this message of forgiveness, hope and new life in Christ that I have come to Africa", Pope Benedict explained. Referring then to the forthcoming Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, he asked people "to pray for this intention: that every Christian on this great continent will experience the healing touch of God's merciful love, and that the Church in Africa will become 'for all, through the witness borne by her sons and daughters, a place of true reconciliation'".
"This is the message that the Pope is bringing to you and your children. You have received power from the Holy Spirit to be the builders of a better tomorrow for your beloved country. In Baptism you were given the Spirit in order to be heralds of God's Kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace. ... Be faithful to that gift! Be confident that the Gospel can affirm, purify and ennoble the profound human values present in your native culture and traditions: your strong families, your deep religious sense, your joyful celebration of the gift of life, your appreciation of the wisdom of the elderly and the aspirations of the young. Be grateful, then, for the light of Christ! Be grateful for those who brought it, the generations of missionaries who contributed - and continue to contribute - so much to this country's human and spiritual development".
Benedict XVI then considered today's Gospel which explains how the light of God came into the world but people preferred the darkness to the light. "Tragically, the clouds of evil have also overshadowed Africa. ... We think of the evil of war, the murderous fruits of tribalism and ethnic rivalry, the greed which corrupts men's hearts, enslaves the poor, and robs future generations of the resources they need to create a more equitable and just society - a society truly and authentically African in its genius and values.
"And what", he added, "of that insidious spirit of selfishness which closes individuals in upon themselves, breaks up families, and, by supplanting the great ideals of generosity and self-sacrifice, inevitably leads to hedonism, the escape into false utopias through drug use, sexual irresponsibility, the weakening of the marriage bond and the break-up of families, and the pressure to destroy innocent human life through abortion?
"Yet the word of God is a word of unbounded hope. ... God does not give up on us! He continues to lift our eyes to a future of hope, and He promises us the strength to accomplish it. ... He gave us His commandments, not as a burden, but as a source of freedom: the freedom to become men and women of wisdom, teachers of justice and peace, people who believe in others and seek their authentic good. God created us to live in the light, and to be light for the world around us!"
"Radiate the light of faith, hope and love in your families and communities! Be witnesses of the holy truth that sets men and women free! You know from bitter experience that, in comparison with the sudden, destructive fury of evil, the work of rebuilding is painfully slow and arduous. Living by the truth takes time, effort and perseverance: it has to begin in our own hearts, ... in the little acts by which we demonstrate that we love our neighbours, all our neighbours, regardless of race, ethnicity or language, and by our readiness to work with them to build together on foundations that will endure".
The Pope concluded his homily by addressing young people: "You are the hope of your country's future, the promise of a better tomorrow", he told them. "The Church needs your witness! Do not be afraid to respond generously to God's call, whether it be to serve Him as a priest or a religious, as a Christian parent, or in the many forms of service to others which the Church sets before you".
Trust in God's promises, and live in His truth", the Holy Father concluded. "In this way, you will build something destined to endure, and leave to future generations a lasting inheritance of reconciliation, justice and peace".
PV-ANGOLA/MASS/LUANDA VIS 20090323 (1090)
At the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration, the Pope expressed his condolences for the death of two young people, crushed by the crowds entering the Stadio dos Coquieros for his meeting with Angolan youth yesterday afternoon.
"We entrust these two young people to Jesus", he said," that He may welcome them into His kingdom. I express my solidarity and my most heartfelt condolences to their families and friends because they had come to see me". The Holy Father also gave assurances of his prayers for the 89 people injured in the same incident, "in the hope of their speedy recovery".
In his homily, the Pope commented on the first reading of the Mass, and its summons to the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. "Its vivid description of the destruction and ruin caused by war echoes the personal experience of so many people in this country amid the terrible ravages of the civil war. How true it is that war can 'destroy everything of value'", he said.
"The call to return and rebuild God's Temple has a particular meaning for each of us", he went on. "God is calling us to acknowledge the power of His presence within us, to reappropriate the gift of His love and forgiveness, and to become messengers of that merciful love ... in every sector of social and political life".
Going on to point out that today in Angola is a day of prayer and sacrifice for national reconciliation, the Holy Father said: "The Gospel teaches us that reconciliation ... can only be the fruit of conversion, ... a new way of thinking. It teaches us that only the power of God's love can change our hearts and make us triumph over the power of sin and division".
"It is to preach this message of forgiveness, hope and new life in Christ that I have come to Africa", Pope Benedict explained. Referring then to the forthcoming Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, he asked people "to pray for this intention: that every Christian on this great continent will experience the healing touch of God's merciful love, and that the Church in Africa will become 'for all, through the witness borne by her sons and daughters, a place of true reconciliation'".
"This is the message that the Pope is bringing to you and your children. You have received power from the Holy Spirit to be the builders of a better tomorrow for your beloved country. In Baptism you were given the Spirit in order to be heralds of God's Kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace. ... Be faithful to that gift! Be confident that the Gospel can affirm, purify and ennoble the profound human values present in your native culture and traditions: your strong families, your deep religious sense, your joyful celebration of the gift of life, your appreciation of the wisdom of the elderly and the aspirations of the young. Be grateful, then, for the light of Christ! Be grateful for those who brought it, the generations of missionaries who contributed - and continue to contribute - so much to this country's human and spiritual development".
Benedict XVI then considered today's Gospel which explains how the light of God came into the world but people preferred the darkness to the light. "Tragically, the clouds of evil have also overshadowed Africa. ... We think of the evil of war, the murderous fruits of tribalism and ethnic rivalry, the greed which corrupts men's hearts, enslaves the poor, and robs future generations of the resources they need to create a more equitable and just society - a society truly and authentically African in its genius and values.
"And what", he added, "of that insidious spirit of selfishness which closes individuals in upon themselves, breaks up families, and, by supplanting the great ideals of generosity and self-sacrifice, inevitably leads to hedonism, the escape into false utopias through drug use, sexual irresponsibility, the weakening of the marriage bond and the break-up of families, and the pressure to destroy innocent human life through abortion?
"Yet the word of God is a word of unbounded hope. ... God does not give up on us! He continues to lift our eyes to a future of hope, and He promises us the strength to accomplish it. ... He gave us His commandments, not as a burden, but as a source of freedom: the freedom to become men and women of wisdom, teachers of justice and peace, people who believe in others and seek their authentic good. God created us to live in the light, and to be light for the world around us!"
"Radiate the light of faith, hope and love in your families and communities! Be witnesses of the holy truth that sets men and women free! You know from bitter experience that, in comparison with the sudden, destructive fury of evil, the work of rebuilding is painfully slow and arduous. Living by the truth takes time, effort and perseverance: it has to begin in our own hearts, ... in the little acts by which we demonstrate that we love our neighbours, all our neighbours, regardless of race, ethnicity or language, and by our readiness to work with them to build together on foundations that will endure".
The Pope concluded his homily by addressing young people: "You are the hope of your country's future, the promise of a better tomorrow", he told them. "The Church needs your witness! Do not be afraid to respond generously to God's call, whether it be to serve Him as a priest or a religious, as a Christian parent, or in the many forms of service to others which the Church sets before you".
Trust in God's promises, and live in His truth", the Holy Father concluded. "In this way, you will build something destined to endure, and leave to future generations a lasting inheritance of reconciliation, justice and peace".
PV-ANGOLA/MASS/LUANDA VIS 20090323 (1090)
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