VATICAN - Pope Benedict XVI addresses the Bishops of Mali: “Today diocesan clergy is called to play a more active role in evangelisation in fraternal and confident collaboration with missionaries … priests must live their priestly identity giving themselves wholly to the Lord for disinterested service of their brothers and sisters ”

Castel Gandolfo (Fides Service) - “Your local Churches must know that they have a place in the heart and prayers of the Pope” Pope Benedict XVI told the Bishops of Mali whom he received in audience on Friday 18 May at his Summer residence in Castel Gandolfo for their ad limina visit. The Pope encouraged the priests, religious, catechists and lay faithful to live “with generosity the Gospel of Christ received from their Fathers in the faith ”.
Pope Benedict XVI urged his “Brother Bishops” to guide “the people of God as ardent shepherds, as men of faith, with confidence and being close to all, to instil hope even in the most difficult situations”. He asked them to be for each of their priests “a father, a brother and a friend”. In fact priests co-operate generously in the apostolic mission of the bishop “often living in difficult human and spiritual situations. Today the diocesan clergy is called to play a more active role in evangelisation in fraternal and confident collaboration with missionaries, to whose courageous work I pay homage. Priests must live their priestly identity giving themselves wholly to the Lord for disinterested service of their brothers and sisters never losing heart when difficulties arise”. Priests find the strength for their ministry in prayer and in the sacramental life, which for them represent “an authentic pastoral priority, which will help them respond with determination to the call to holiness received from the Lord and to the mission to guide the faithful along the same path”. Quoting his encyclical Deus Caritas est, Pope Benedict XVI said “ People who pray are not wasting their time, even though the situation appears desperate and seems to call for action alone” (n. 36).
The Holy Father then stressed the importance of formation of priests, which “must be carefully planned” and “cannot be simply transmitting abstract notions”. “It must prepare candidates to the priesthood, and therefore must be effectively linked with the reality of mission and the priestly life. Human formation is the basis of priestly formation. Special attention to ensure their maturity will enable them to freely respond to the life of celibacy and chastity, a precious gift of God, and to be deeply aware of this all through life”.
In preparation for the 2nd Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Africa, the Pope said the faithful must “work to promote reconciliation, justice and peace”, and he said lay Catholics must be aware “of their special mission in the one of the Church ” and they must strive to build “a society of justice, solidarity and brotherhood”. This is why it is "indispensable to form competent lay people to serve the common good”, based on the social doctrine of the Church. The Pontiff recalled the contribution offered by the Church and religious institutes in Malawi in the field of education, to alleviate suffering and in charitable work. “However - the Pope said - all this activity must be the expression of the loving presence of God among those in need”.
In the last part of his address the Pope spoke about pastoral care for married couples: “when the number of Christian marriages is low the Church has the duty to help the baptised, young people in particular, to understand the beauty and dignity of this Sacrament in the life of the Christian”. Lastly Pope Benedict XVI thanked God “for all the young people who hear God's call to serve him in the priesthood and the consecrated life” and he said he was happy to know that “Catholics in Mali have cordial relations with the Muslim co-citizens. It is fundamental to intensify these relations, to foster fruitful friendship and collaboration between Christians and Muslims. With this in mind it is right for the identity proper to each community to be made visible in reciprocal respect, recognition of the religious diversities of the national community and promoting peaceful co-existence at all levels of society.” The Pope concluded his address encouraging the Bishops to carry on their mission at the service of the Gospel of Christ: “The Christian hope with which you are filled is support for the faith and impulse for charity ”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 21/5/2007; righe 52, parole 722)