Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “Communion with the Bishop of Rome, guarantee of ecclesial unity, allows the communities entrusted to your pastoral care, although minorities, to feel 'cum Petro and sub Petro,' living part of the Body of Christ extended throughout the whole world. Unity, which is a gift of Christ, grows and develops in fact amidst the concrete situations of the various local churches.” With these words, the Holy Father Benedict XVI addressed the Bishops of Russia on their Ad Limina visit on January 29. The Pope expressed his appreciation for the Bishops' effort in “re-launching participation in the liturgy and the Sacraments, to catechesis, to the formation of priests, and to the preparation of a mature and responsible laity capable of becoming an evangelical ferment in families and in civil society. Unfortunately in Russia, as in other parts of the world, there is a crisis of the family, followed by a drop in the birth rate, along with the rest of the problems that modern society must face.” Attention was especially given to the youth, to whom the Russian Catholic community “is called to transmit the pure wealth of holiness and fidelity to Christ and to the human and spiritual values that are at the basis of efficient human and evangelical progress.”
In light of so many concerns that arise on a daily basis, the Holy Father exhorted the Bishops not to be discouraged, but to encourage one another and their collaborators, “in an authentic spirit of faith.” “Continue to promote and tend vocations to the priestly and religious life,” the Pope said. “Take care of the formation of priests, with the same care that Saint Paul had for his disciple Timothy, that they may become authentic “men of God” (cfr. 1 Tm 6:11). Be fathers and examples of service to your brethren... Look to the formation of consecrated people and the spiritual development of the lay faithful, that they may come to consider their lives as a response to a universal call to sanctity, which must find expression in coherent evangelical witness in all the circumstances of daily life.”
Making reference to the specific context that is lived in Catholic communities, “that is, in a country where the majority of the population is marked by a long-standing Orthodox tradition with a rich religious and cultural inheritance,” the Pope highlighted the need for “a renewed commitment to dialogue with our Orthodox brothers and sisters,” and added “in these days, I feel especially close to pir dear brothers and sisters of the Russian Orthodox Church, who are celebrating the election of Metropolitan Kirill, as the new Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. I send him my warmest salutations for the delicate ecclesial task with which he has been entrusted. I ask the Lord to help us all on the path towards reconciliation and fraternal love.” The Pope then encouraged them to collaborate in areas of common interest in the education of future generations: “It is important that Christians unite to face the great cultural and ethical challenges of the present moment, which concern the dignity and the inalienable rights of the person, the defense of life at all stages, the protection of the family, and other pressing economic and social questions.”
The Holy Father concluded his address by expressing his profound gratitude to the Bishops for their episcopal ministry, in full fidelity to the Magisterium and assured them of his daily prayers for them. “Through you, I send my thanks also to the priests, religious and lay people who collaborate with you in the service of Christ and His Gospel...and I impart my heartfelt Apostolic Blessing on each of you, extending it to the priests, religious, and the entire Catholic community that bears witness to Christ among the people of the Russian Federation.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 30/1/2009)
