INVITE THE FAITHFUL TO ACCEPT CHURCH TEACHINGS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 19, 2002 (VIS) - This morning the Pope received prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Northeast region V) who just completed their "ad limina" visit.

John Paul II told the bishops that "the Gospel preached with fidelity by pastors, as 'teachers of faith' and defenders of the truth which sets people free, is something that will always lay the groundwork, as the common denominator, for each one of our meetings. I know well the difficulties that you encounter in carrying out your pastoral ministry: the lack of jobs, homes, ... problems with basic education, ... social inequality and the aggressive presence of sects."

"One cannot think about the challenges of the Church in Brazil by limiting oneself to certain questions - important but circumstantial - related to local politics, to the unjust seizure of land, and to the environment. To claim a participatory political model for the Church where decisions are voted on by a 'base', limited to society's poor and outcasts, not taking into account the presence of all the members of the People of God, would spoil the original redeeming sense urged by Christ."

The Holy Father emphasized that it is a "fundamental duty of the bishop, as pastor, to invite the members of the local Churches entrusted to him, to fully accept the teaching of the Church, respecting questions of faith and morality. ... A clear and unanimous teaching on questions will not cease to influence in a positive way in the necessary return to the sacrament of Reconciliation, which unfortunately today - even in the Catholic regions of your country - has been somewhat abandoned."

Referring later to the sacrament of Baptism, "the first sacrament of Christian initiation," the Pope said that it must "be seen above all as a 'free gift from God the Father'."

"Another indispensable duty of your priestly ministry," he continued, "consists in reaffirming the vital role of the Eucharist as 'font and center of all Christian life'. ... The shortage of priests and their unequal distribution, as well as the worrisome drop in the number of those who attend Sunday Mass regularly is a constant challenge for your Churches. It is evident that this situation prompts a provisional solution, in order not to leave the community abandoned, with the risk of progressive spiritual empoverishment."

The Holy Father ended by highlighting that "to look after priests is a very demanding service, especially when the fruits of pastoral work take a long time in coming, with the possible temptation to be discouraged or sad. Many pastors have the impression of working not in an evangelical vineyard but in an arid prairie. ... In the face of the enormous mission that has been entrusted to us, never allow yourselves to be overcome by fatigue or discouragement, because the Risen Lord walks with you and makes your efforts fruitful."

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