Vatican City, 2 March 2015 (VIS) –
This morning, the prelates of the Regional Episcopal Conference of
North Africa (C.E.R.N.A), which encompasses the dioceses of Morocco,
Algeria, Tunisia and Libya were received in audience by the Pope at
the end of their “ad Limina” visit. The Holy Father handed them a
written address in which he recalls that the history of the region
has been marked by many saintly figures from St. Cyprian and St.
Augustine, a “spiritual patrimony for all the Church”, to Blessed
Charles de Foucauld, who died one hundred years ago next year.
“For several years your region has
been experiencing significant changes, which offer hope that
aspirations to greater freedom and dignity may be fulfilled and which
favour greater freedom of conscience”, continues Francis. “But at
times these events have led to outbursts of violence. I wish to
mention, in particular, the courage, loyalty and perseverance of the
bishops of Libya, as well as the priests, consecrated persons and
laypeople who stay in this country despite the many dangers. They are
genuine witnesses of the Gospel. I thank them with all my heart and
encourage them to continue their efforts in contributing to peace and
reconciliation throughout the region”.
“Your episcopal conference … is an
important forum for exchange and dialogue, but it must also be a tool
for communion, for deepening fraternal relations and mutual trust”,
the Pope writes. “The pilgrimage to Rome is a good opportunity to
renew your joint commitment in the service of the Church's mission in
each of your countries. You carry out this mission with your priests,
your direct collaborators. They are from many countries and at times
it is difficult for them to adapt to new situations. Therefore, it is
particularly important to be close to them and to be attentive to
their continuing formation so that they can live their ministry fully
and serenely. … Men and women religious also have a special place
in the life and in the mission of your Church, and I thank them for
their witness of fraternal life and their generous commitment to the
service of their brothers and sisters”.
“At the heart of your mission and at
the origin of your hope there is, above all, the personal encounter
with Jesus Christ and the certainty that He is at work in the world
where you have been sent on His behalf. The evangelical vitality of
your dioceses depends, therefore, on the quality of your spiritual
and sacramental life”, observes the Holy Father, who alongside the
saints from the region, mentions also “the men and women religious
who have offered everything to God and to their brothers, to the
point of sacrificing their own lives”. He highlights the bishops'
responsibility for developing this spiritual legacy firstly among the
faithful, but also opening it up to all. “I am pleased to hear that
in recent years, various Christian shrines have been restored in
Algeria. By welcoming all, kindly and without proselytising, your
communities show that they wish to be a Church with open doors,
always reaching out”.
“Universality is a feature of these
Churches, where the faithful come from many countries to form living
communities. … This offers the opportunity to admire God's work,
which spreads among all peoples and all cultures”, writes the
Pontiff, who goes on to greet the many students from sub-Saharan
Africa, whom he invites to “stay firm in the faith” so as to be
able to establish “bonds of friendship, trust and respect” with
all persons, “thus contributing to the construction of a more
fraternal world”.
Interreligious dialogue is also very
important in the life of these Churches, and Francis stresses that in
this field “the imagination of charity can open up countless ways
of bringing the breath of the Gospel to the most diverse cultures and
social sectors. As you are aware, mutual ignorance is the source of
many misunderstandings and even conflicts. … The most effective
antidote to any form of violence is education in the discovery and
acceptance of difference as richness and fertility. Therefore, it is
essential that priests, religious and laypeople in your dioceses are
well-prepared in this area”.
In this regard, the Pope notes his
satisfaction that the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic
Studies (PISAI), born in Tunisia, will celebrate its fiftieth
anniversary this year. He invites the bishops to “support and make
use of this institution when necessary, to experience language and
culture” and to “deepen dialogue in truth and love between
Christians and Muslims”. This dialogue is also experienced by
bishops on a day-to-day basis with Christians of other confessions,
and Francis therefore expresses his desire that the Al Mowafaqa
Ecumenical Institute, founded in Morocco to promote ecumenical and
interreligious dialogue may also contribute to greater mutual
awareness.
“A Church of encounter and dialogue,
you also wish to be at the service of all without distinction. Often
with modest means, you manifest the charity of Christ and all the
Church towards the poor, the sick, the elderly, women in need and the
imprisoned. Thank you for your work in the assistance of the many
immigrants from Africa who seek in your countries a place of transit
or of welcome. Recognising their human dignity and working to awaken
consciences before so many human tragedies, you show God's love for
each one of them”.
“Dear brothers in the episcopate”,
he concluded, “I wish to assure you of the support of all the
Church in your mission. You are in the 'peripheries', with your
special service of making manifest the presence of Christ and His
Church in this region. Your testimony of life in simplicity and
poverty is an eminent sign for all the Church. Be assured that the
Successor of Peter accompanies you on your rough road, and encourages
you always to be men of hope”.
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