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Benedetto
XVI ai vescovi indiani: la Parola di Dio non solo consola
ma promuove la giustizia e la riconciliazione
L’amore
e il rispetto possano animare le relazioni umane a tutti i
livelli: è l'esortazione rivolta stamani da Benedetto XVI
ai vescovi indiani ricevuti in Vaticano per la visita ad
Limina. Il Papa ha sottolineato l’importanza della
proclamazione della Parola di Dio e della carità,
raccomandando anche il rispetto per l’armonia e la
santità della famiglia. Il servizio di Fausta Speranza:
Ascolta
il servizio trasmesso da Radio Vaticana
“May Christ’s faithful in India continue to assist
all those in need...”
Chi crede in Cristo in India continui a sostenere tutti
coloro che sono nel bisogno senza distinzione di razza,
etnia, religione, status sociale: così il Papa ricorda
che tutti sono creati a immagine di Dio e dunque a tutti
si deve uguale rispetto. Benedetto XVI va al cuore
dell’insegnamento di Cristo:
“After all, love is God's gift to humanity, it is his
promise and it is our hope…”
“Dopo tutto – dice – l’amore è il dono di Dio
per l’umanità, la sua promessa e la nostra speranza.”
E dunque ricorda che “i cristiani di tutti i tempi e di
tutti i luoghi sono chiamati a servire il prossimo e ad
amarlo”. Benedetto XVI sottolinea che tra tutte le
importanti responsabilità del vescovo c’è quella
preminente della proclamazione della Parola di Dio che
porta in ogni comunità frutti spirituali.
“the faithful come together for prayer, reflection on
the Scriptures ...”
"I fedeli si ritrovano insieme per la preghiera,
la riflessione sulle Sacre Scritture e per il sostegno dei
fratelli. Il Papa chiede “che ci si impegni in ogni modo
a incoraggiare i singoli così come i gruppi alla
preghiera” che porta alla grazia dei Sacramenti e della
vita liturgica. Il Papa esprime parole di apprezzamento
per l’impegno alla carità cristiana di cui si vedono
significativi segni nella società, per poi citare anche
la formazione che le scuole cristiane assicurano ai
giovani intorno ai valori della pace e della giustizia.
Cita l’impegno di alcune agenzie cristiane alla
promozione dello strumento del microcredito che aiuta i
poveri ad aiutare se stessi ma anche altre forme di
assistenza ai più deboli.
“...the word of God not only consoles but also
challenges believers …”
“La Parola di Dio - spiega il Papa rivolgendosi ai
vescovi dell’India – non è solo parola che consola ma
sfida i credenti a promuovere la giustizia, la
riconciliazione, la pace tra loro stessi e in tutta la
società in cui vivono”. E il Papa incoraggia tutti a
perseverare nella testimonianza degli insegnamenti di
Cristo, per poi chiedere di riflettere sulle “gravi
sfide che minacciano l’unità, l’armonia e la santità
della famiglia” e sull'impegnativo sforzo che bisogna
fare per “costruire una cultura del rispetto del
matrimonio e della vita della famiglia”
DISCORSO DEL PAPA
Dear
Brother Bishops,
I offer
you a warm welcome on the occasion of your visit ad
Limina Apostolorum, a particular moment of grace and a
sign of the communion that exists between the Church in
India and the See of Peter. I wish to thank Archbishop
Maria Callist Soosa Pakiam for the devoted sentiments and
the promise of prayers which he has voiced on your behalf
and in the name of all those whom you serve. Please take
with you my affectionate greeting to the priests, the men
and women religious, and the laity entrusted to your
pastoral care.
The
Second Vatican Council reminds us that, among the more
important responsibilities of Bishops, the proclamation of
the Gospel is pre-eminent (cf. Lumen Gentium, 25).
For the Church, the Body of Christ, proclaims the word of
God which is at work in the hearts of those who believe (cf.
1 Thess 2:13) and she grows by constantly hearing,
celebrating and studying that word (cf. Verbum Domini,
3). It is a source of satisfaction that the proclamation
of God’s word is bearing rich spiritual fruit in your
local Churches, especially through the spread of small
Christian communities in which the faithful come together
for prayer, reflection on the Scriptures and fraternal
support. I encourage you, through your priests and with
the help of qualified lay leaders, to ensure that the
fullness of God’s word, which comes to us in the sacred
Scriptures and the Church’s apostolic tradition, is made
readily available to those who seek to deepen their
knowledge and love of the Lord and their obedience to his
will. Every effort should be made to stress that
individual and group prayer is, by its very nature, born
of, and leads back to, the wellspring of grace found in
the Church’s sacraments and her entire liturgical life.
Nor can it be forgotten that the word of God not only
consoles but also challenges believers, as individuals and
in community, to advance in justice, reconciliation and
peace among themselves and in society as a whole. Through
your personal encouragement and oversight, may the seeds
of God’s word presently being sown in your local
Churches bear abundant fruit for the salvation of souls
and the growth of God’s kingdom.
In
fidelity to the new commandment to love one another as the
Lord has loved us (cf. Jn 13:34), Christians of all
times and places have striven to serve their fellow human
beings selflessly and to love them with all their heart.
After all, love is God's gift to humanity, it is his
promise and it is our hope (cf. Caritas in Veritate,
2). This selfless love finds practical expression in
service to others and to the wider community. In this
light, I am pleased to note the impressive signs of the
Church’s charity in many fields of social activity, a
service borne in a particular way by her priests and
religious. Through their witness to Christian charity, the
Church’s schools prepare young people of all faiths and
none to build a more just and peaceful society. Church
agencies have been instrumental in the promotion of
microcredit, helping the poor to help themselves. In
addition, they promote the Church’s healing and
charitable mission through clinics, orphanages, hospitals
and innumerable other projects aimed at promoting human
dignity and well-being, assisting the poorest and the
weakest, the lonely and the elderly, the abandoned and the
suffering, helping all of them because of the dignity
which is their due as human beings, and for no other
motive than the love of Christ which impels us (cf. 2
Cor 5:14). I encourage you to persevere in this
positive and practical witness, in fidelity to the
Lord’s command and for the sake of the least of our
brothers and sisters. May Christ’s faithful in India
continue to assist all those in need in the communities
around them, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or
social status, out of the conviction that all have been
created in God’s image and all are due equal respect.
As that
gift of God’s "unconditional love" which gives
ultimate meaning to our lives (cf. Spe Salvi, 26),
charity is first experienced by most of us in the family
home. The recent Synod on the Word of God recalled that
the Church, by her proclamation of the Gospel, reveals to
Christian families their true identity in accordance with
God’s plan (cf. Verbum Domini, 85). Families in
your dioceses, which are "domestic churches",
are to be examples of that mutual love, respect and
support which ought to animate human relations at every
level. Insofar as they are attentive to prayer, meditate
on the Scriptures, and participate fully in the
sacramental life of the Church, they will help nourish
that "unconditional love" among themselves and
in the life of their parishes, and will be a source of
great good for the wider community. Many of you have
spoken to me about the grave challenges which threaten to
undermine the unity, harmony and sanctity of the family,
and about the work which must be done to build a culture
of respect for marriage and family life. A sound
catechesis which appeals especially to those preparing for
marriage will do much to nourish the faith of Christian
families and will assist them in giving a vibrant, living
witness to the Church's age-old wisdom regarding marriage,
the family, and the responsible use of God’s gift of
sexuality.
With
these thoughts, dear Brother Bishops, I commend all of you
to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and the
Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Assuring you of my continued
prayers for you and for those entrusted to your pastoral
care, I impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of grace
and peace in the Risen Lord.
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