Vatican City, 2 February 2015 (VIS) -
“You have come to Rome with your youth, but also with your heroism.
Indeed, among you there are some young brothers, but mostly prelates
who have experienced the sad period of persecution. Thank you for
your witness to Jesus Christ and for your service to God's holy
people”, writes the Holy Father in the discourse handed out at the
end of his audience with the Lithuanian Bishops' Conference today,
following their five-yearly “ad Limina” visit.
“Lithuania has always had pastors who
are close to their flock and united with them”, he continues.
“Throughout the history of the nation, they have accompanied their
people with care, not only in their journey of faith and in facing
material difficulties, but also in the civil and social construction
of society; the foundations of its history and identity are found in
the strength of the Gospel and the love of the Holy Mother of God.
You are the heirs to this history, this heritage of pastoral charity,
and you show this with the energy of your action, the communion you
inspire and your perseverance in pursuing the goals the Spirit
indicates to you”.
“Dear brothers, I know your apostolic
labours. If for a long period the Church in your country was
oppressed by regimes based on ideologies contrary to human dignity
and freedom, today you must face others, more insidious, such as
secularism and relativism. Therefore, alongside tireless proclamation
of the Gospel and Christian values, you must not forget to maintain
constructive dialogue with all, even those who do not belong to the
Church or who are distant from religious experience. Ensure that
Christian communities are always places of welcome, of open and
constructive exchange, a stimulus for society as a whole in the
pursuit of the common good”.
Francis does not overlook the ceaseless
efforts and attention paid by the Lithuanian bishops to the clergy,
and he invites them to pray that God might give them “generous
priests capable of sacrifice and devotion”, as well as “convinced
laypersons who know how to take responsibility within the ecclesial
community and to make a valid Christian contribution to civil
society”, to be encouraged by the bishops “with the strength of
mature faith, in the civil, cultural, political and social fields”.
The Pope also remarks that the Church
is engaged in reflection on the beauty and value of the family, and
the challenges it faces in our time. He encourages the bishops, as
pastors, to make their contribution to “this great work of
discernment”, and above all to pay attention to the pastoral
ministry of the family, so that couples “feel the closeness of the
Christian community and are helped not to conform to the mentality of
this world, but instead to continually renew themselves in the spirit
of the Gospel”. He adds, “indeed, in your country, which is now a
full member of the European Union, is exposed to an influx of
ideologies that seek to introduce elements of destabilisation of
families, the result of a misunderstood sense of personal freedom.
Centuries-old Lithuanian traditions will help you to respond, in
accordance with reason and faith, to these challenges”.
He then goes on to recommend special
attention to vocations to the priesthood and to consecrated life, and
encourages the Church in Lithuania to pray tirelessly to this end. He
also urges adequate formation, both initial and continuing, of
priests, consecrated persons and seminarians, as well as the active
initiation of contact with them, to avoid leaving them alone with
their difficulties. He concludes by exhorting care for the poor. “In
Lithuania too, despite current economic development, there are many
people in need, unemployed, sick, and abandoned. Be close to them.
And do not forget that there are many, especially the young, who for
various reasons leave the country to find a new path abroad. Their
growing number and their needs require attention and pastoral care on
the part of the Bishops' Conference, also to ensure the preservation
of their faith and Lithuanian religious traditions”.
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