Vatican City, 1 December 2014 (VIS) –
This morning Pope Francis received the prelates of the Swiss Bishops'
Conference at the end of their five-yearly “ad Limina” visit and
handed them the text of the discourse he had prepared in advance, in
which he referred to the country's long Christian tradition and the
responsibility of prelates to keep faith strong. “Without living
faith in the risen Christ, your beautiful churches and monasteries
will gradually transform into museums; all the commendable works and
institutions lose their soul, leaving behind only empty spaces and
abandoned people”, he writes. “The mission that has been
entrusted to you is to nurture your flock, proceeding in accordance
with current circumstances. … The People of God cannot exist
without their pastors, bishops and priests; the Lord has given the
Church the gift of the apostolic succession in the service of the
unity of faith and its full transmission”.
In this way, the Pope encourages them
to continue their efforts in the formation of the seminarians, which
constitutes the challenge for the future of the Church, and invites
them to pay attention to their priests, especially in the case of
estrangement or when the meaning of episcopal paternity appears to be
forgotten. “A humble, honest and fraternal dialogue often enables a
new beginning”, he writes. Similarly, he urges the bishops to
acknowledge the support and efforts of the laity, differentiating
between the common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial
priesthood. He encourages them to continue in the formation of the
baptised regarding the truths of faith and their importance to
liturgy, the parish, family and life, and to carefully select
personnel to permit the laity to be truly integrated in and to take
their rightful place in the Church.
The Holy Father mentions that the
Church was born in Pentecost when the apostles went out and spoke in
all languages thus reaching all mankind through the power of the Holy
Spirit, and he recalls the Redeemer's invitation to preach the Gospel
to all, proclaiming the Good News without bending to the whims of
man. Finally, he imparts his apostolic blessing and expresses his
hope that they may continue to cultivate God's field with diligence
and patience, maintaining their passion for the truth, and he
encourages them to entrust the future of evangelisation in their
country to the Virgin Mary and to the intercession of St. Nicolas de
Flue, St. Maurice, and their companions.
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