Vatican City, 24 March 2014 (VIS) –
Gratitude for the great work of evangelisation that is taking place
in Guinea, despite a lack of material resources, and invitations to
unity, reconciliation and dialogue with members of other religions
were the key points of the Pope's address to the bishops of the
Episcopal Conference of Guinea, whom he received in audience this
morning, at the end of their “ad limina” visit.
“Christ's disciples form a living
body that manifests the joy of the Gospel by the enthusiasm of faith,
although the conditions under which the Good News is proclaimed are
often difficult”, the Pope writes. “From a purely human point of
view the means of evangelisation may seem ridiculous. Far from being
discouraged, you must remember that this is the work of Jesus
Himself, beyond all that we are able to discover and understand.
However, for the Gospel to profoundly touch and convert hearts, we
must remember that only if we are united in love can we give witness
to the truth of the Gospel. … Discord between Christians is the
greatest obstacle to evangelisation. It favours the development of
groups that exploit poverty and credulity to propose easy but
illusory problems to the problems faced by the people. In a world
afflicted by many ethnic, political and religious conflicts,
communities must be 'authentically fraternal and reconciled' for
their witness to be 'luminous and attractive'. God will give us the
grace, if we know how to receive it, to render unity greater than
conflict”.
Pope Francis goes on to remark that,
for the proclamation of the Gospel to be fruitful, all existence must
be coherent with what is proclaimed. He thanks the bishops for having
instituted centres for the formation of laypersons and catechists for
this purpose, and he urged them to support families in which
Christian marriage must be lived without ambiguity, given that
polygamy is very widespread within the country. He also suggests that
they encourage the young to “bear witness to their faith, by
committing themselves within society, thereby demonstrating their
attachment to their country. In collaboration with the different
actors in social life, they must always be artisans of peace and
reconciliation in the fight against the extreme poverty that Guinea
faces. In this respect, despite difficulties, I encourage you to
deepen your relationships with your Muslim compatriots, mutually
learning to accept different ways of being, thinking and expressing
oneself”.
The Pope turns his attention also to
the religious who in Guinea “express the love of Christ in works of
aid for the population, both in healthcare and in education and
instruction … accomplishing a true act of evangelisation, and
giving authentic testimony of God's tenderness towards all mankind,
especially the poorest and weakest; a witness that touches hearts and
firmly entrenches faith”. Despite a lack of resources, Francis
urges the prelates always to support them, “both spiritually and
materially so that they may courageously persevere in their work of
evangelisation and social promotion”.
The final paragraphs of the Pope's
address are dedicated to priests, who are however still few in number
in Guinea. The Holy Father congratulates them for the recent opening
of the “Benedict XVI” major seminary which offers hope for the
future and emphasises that the example of priests who live their
vocation with joy is essential for ensuring that the new priests
“learn to live truly the requirements of ecclesiastical celibacy,
and the proper relationship with material goods, rejecting
worldliness and careerism – for the priesthood is not a means of
social mobility – as well as a real engagement with the poorest”.
No comments:
Post a Comment