That the riches of the created world may be preserved, valued, and made available as God’s precious gift to all.

4. Without entering into the merit of specific technical solutions, the Church is nonetheless concerned, as an “expert in humanity”, to call attention to the relationship between the Creator, human beings and the created order. In 1990 John Paul II had spoken of an “ecological crisis” and, in highlighting its primarily ethical character, pointed to the “urgent moral need for a new solidarity”.[7] His appeal is all the more pressing today, in the face of signs of a growing crisis which it would be irresponsible not to take seriously. Can we remain indifferent before the problems associated with such realities as climate change, desertification, the deterioration and loss of productivity in vast agricultural areas, the pollution of rivers and aquifers, the loss of biodiversity, the increase of natural catastrophes and the deforestation of equatorial and tropical regions? Can we disregard the growing phenomenon of “environmental refugees”, people who are forced by the degradation of their natural habitat to forsake it – and often their possessions as well – in order to face the dangers and uncertainties of forced displacement? Can we remain impassive in the face of actual and potential conflicts involving access to natural resources? All these are issues with a profound impact on the exercise of human rights, such as the right to life, food, health and development.

5. It should be evident that the ecological crisis cannot be viewed in isolation from other related questions, since it is closely linked to the notion of development itself and our understanding of man in his relationship to others and to the rest of creation. Prudence would thus dictate a profound, long-term review of our model of development, one which would take into consideration the meaning of the economy and its goals with an eye to correcting its malfunctions and misapplications. The ecological health of the planet calls for this, but it is also demanded by the cultural and moral crisis of humanity whose symptoms have for some time been evident in every part of the world.[8] Humanity needs a profound cultural renewal; it needs to rediscover those values which can serve as the solid basis for building a brighter future for all. Our present crises – be they economic, food-related, environmental or social – are ultimately also moral crises, and all of them are interrelated. They require us to rethink the path which we are travelling together. Specifically, they call for a lifestyle marked by sobriety and solidarity, with new rules and forms of engagement, one which focuses confidently and courageously on strategies that actually work, while decisively rejecting those that have failed. Only in this way can the current crisis become an opportunity for discernment and new strategic planning.

[…]

7. Sad to say, it is all too evident that large numbers of people in different countries and areas of our planet are experiencing increased hardship because of the negligence or refusal of many others to exercise responsible stewardship over the environment. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council reminded us that “God has destined the earth and everything it contains for all peoples and nations”.[14] The goods of creation belong to humanity as a whole. Yet the current pace of environmental exploitation is seriously endangering the supply of certain natural resources not only for the present generation, but above all for generations yet to come.[15] It is not hard to see that environmental degradation is often due to the lack of far-sighted official policies or to the pursuit of myopic economic interests, which then, tragically, become a serious threat to creation. To combat this phenomenon, economic activity needs to consider the fact that “every economic decision has a moral consequence” [16] and thus show increased respect for the environment. When making use of natural resources, we should be concerned for their protection and consider the cost entailed – environmentally and socially – as an essential part of the overall expenses incurred. The international community and national governments are responsible for sending the right signals in order to combat effectively the misuse of the environment. To protect the environment, and to safeguard natural resources and the climate, there is a need to act in accordance with clearly-defined rules, also from the juridical and economic standpoint, while at the same time taking into due account the solidarity we owe to those living in the poorer areas of our world and to future generations.

[…]

11. It is becoming more and more evident that the issue of environmental degradation challenges us to examine our life-style and the prevailing models of consumption and production, which are often unsustainable from a social, environmental and even economic point of view. We can no longer do without a real change of outlook which will result in new life-styles, “in which the quest for truth, beauty, goodness and communion with others for the sake of common growth are the factors which determine consumer choices, savings and investments”.[26] Education for peace must increasingly begin with far-reaching decisions on the part of individuals, families, communities and states. We are all responsible for the protection and care of the environment. This responsibility knows no boundaries. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity it is important for everyone to be committed at his or her proper level, working to overcome the prevalence of particular interests. A special role in raising awareness and in formation belongs to the different groups present in civil society and to the non-governmental organizations which work with determination and generosity for the spread of ecological responsibility, responsibility which should be ever more deeply anchored in respect for “human ecology”. The media also have a responsibility in this regard to offer positive and inspiring models. In a word, concern for the environment calls for a broad global vision of the world; a responsible common effort to move beyond approaches based on selfish nationalistic interests towards a vision constantly open to the needs of all peoples. We cannot remain indifferent to what is happening around us, for the deterioration of any one part of the planet affects us all. Relationships between individuals, social groups and states, like those between human beings and the environment, must be marked by respect and “charity in truth”. In this broader context one can only encourage the efforts of the international community to ensure progressive disarmament and a world free of nuclear weapons, whose presence alone threatens the life of the planet and the ongoing integral development of the present generation and of generations yet to come.

[…]

14. If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation. The quest for peace by people of good will surely would become easier if all acknowledge the indivisible relationship between God, human beings and the whole of creation. In the light of divine Revelation and in fidelity to the Church’s Tradition, Christians have their own contribution to make. They contemplate the cosmos and its marvels in light of the creative work of the Father and the redemptive work of Christ, who by his death and resurrection has reconciled with God “all things, whether on earth or in heaven” (Col 1:20). Christ, crucified and risen, has bestowed his Spirit of holiness upon mankind, to guide the course of history in anticipation of that day when, with the glorious return of the Saviour, there will be “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Pet 3:13), in which justice and peace will dwell for ever. Protecting the natural environment in order to build a world of peace is thus a duty incumbent upon each and all. It is an urgent challenge, one to be faced with renewed and concerted commitment; it is also a providential opportunity to hand down to coming generations the prospect of a better future for all. May this be clear to world leaders and to those at every level who are concerned for the future of humanity: the protection of creation and peacemaking are profoundly linked! For this reason, I invite all believers to raise a fervent prayer to God, the all-powerful Creator and the Father of mercies, so that all men and women may take to heart the urgent appeal: If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation.

There have always been natural disasters which have caused damage and devastation to the human population. The difference between the present situation and previous times is that we are beginning to be aware that many of the climatic ills that affect us have human causes. The power of human beings over nature is today, for the first time in history, a threat to their own survival. This conviction, which is clear to scientists, has gained ground among political leaders, even though there are some who deny the validity of the conclusions which attribute global warming and climate change to human causes. Care for creation, Pope Benedict says in his New Year message for 2010, ‘has become essential today for the peaceful coexistence of humanity’ (1). But there is still a long way to go, as was shown by the breakdown of the ecological summit in Copenhagen in December 2009, where the economic interests of powerful nations took first place, preventing the achievement of more important agreements. The meeting was a disappointment for the world, and will be paid for at a high price, to the detriment of the whole human race.

The Pope’s intention for prayer this month calls on our responsibility to safeguard creation for future generations. He tells us that there is need for ‘a profound revision of the development model, with a vision for the future, reflecting still more on the meaning of the economy and its purpose, to correct its dysfunctions and distortions’ (5), at the same time urging a change of mentality and a revision of our lifestyle. (cf.11)

Today the discourse on social justice must include the theme of ecology; the theme of ecology can no longer leave aside the promotion of justice. Each has a bearing on the other, as the Church’s social doctrine teaches. We have seen very clearly that the nations which consume most, and thereby pollute most, are not those who suffer most from the damage caused to creation. As always it is the poorest, those who have the least resources to defend themselves from climate change, who pay the consequences, at the highest prices. Just as an example: in the regions of the world affected by cyclones, last year there were four times more storms and typhoons than was usual a few years ago. Another example is the dumping of toxic waste, prohibited in the legislation of rich countries, which is done secretly in poor countries where corruption makes it easy to break their own law. The same thing happens with large-scale illegal deforestation in poor countries. The tragic outpouring of oil in the Gulf of Mexico some months ago has made clear the fragility of our defence against disasters of this kind.

The subject of ecology cannot be avoided on the political, cultural and artistic agenda… as also on the religious and ecclesial agenda. It is present in the struggle by Christians for a more just world, in ecumenical dialogue, or in our formation programmes, and so on. The numerous and ever more frequent pronouncements of Pope and bishops on the subject are proof of this.

World movements have arisen to make us more aware of pollution and over-exploitation of creation, for example ‘Planet Hour’, which consists in turning the light off for one hour from 20:30. On March 27, 2010, 121 countries took part. It is not a bad idea for us to take up these initiatives. Let us pray this month with the Holy Father to unite our spiritual force with so many people who struggle to defend the beauty of our creation for the use of everyone, particularly those who will come after us.

That Christians may attain full unity, witnessing to all the universal fatherhood of God

The choice of the theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity the invitation, that is, to a common witness of the Risen Christ in accordance with the mandate he entrusted to his disciples is linked to the memory of the 100th anniversary of the Edinburgh Missionary Conference, in Scotland, widely considered a crucial event in the birth of the modern ecumenical movement. In the summer of 1910, in the Scottish capital, over 1,000 missionaries from diverse branches of Protestantism and Anglicanism, who were joined by one Orthodox guest, met to reflect together on the necessity of achieving unity in order to be credible in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, it is precisely this desire to proclaim Christ to others and to carry his message of reconciliation throughout the world that makes one realize the contradiction posed by division among Christians. Indeed, how can non-believers accept the Gospel proclamation if Christians even if they all call on the same Christ are divided among themselves? Moreover, as we know, the same Teacher, at the end of the Last Supper, had prayed to the Father for his disciples: "That they may all be one... so that the world may believe" (Jn 17: 21). The communion and unity of Christ's disciples is therefore a particularly important condition to enhance the credibility and efficacy of their witness.

Now a century after the Edinburgh event, the intuition of those courageous precursors is still very timely. In a world marked by religious indifference, and even by a growing aversion to the Christian faith, it is necessary to discover a new, intense method of evangelization, not only among the peoples who have never known the Gospel but also among those where Christianity has spread and is part of their history. Unfortunately, the issues that separate us from each other are many, and we hope that they can be resolved through prayer and dialogue. There is, however, a core of the Christian message that we can all proclaim together: the fatherhood of God, the victory of Christ over sin and death with his Cross and Resurrection, and faith in the transforming action of the Spirit. While we journey toward full communion, we are called to offer a common witness in the face of the ever increasingly complex challenges of our time, such as secularization and indifference, relativism and hedonism, the delicate ethical issues concerning the beginning and end of life, the limits of science and technology, the dialogue with other religious traditions. There are also other areas in which we must from now on give a common witness: the safeguard of Creation, the promotion of the common good and of peace, the defense of the centrality of the human person, the commitment to overcome the shortcomings of our time, such as hunger, poverty, illiteracy, and the unequal distribution of goods.

The commitment to unity among Christians is not the work of a few only, nor is it an incidental undertaking for the life of the Church. Each one of us is called to make his or her contribution towards the completion of those steps that lead to full communion among the disciples of Christ, without ever forgetting that this unity is above all a gift from God to be constantly invoked. In fact, the force that supports both unity and the mission flows from the fruitful encounter with the Risen One, just as was the case for St Paul on the road to Damascus, and for the Eleven and the other disciples gathered at Jerusalem. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, grant that her Son's desire may be fulfilled as soon as possible: "That they may all be one... so that the world may believe" (Jn 17: 21).

• See Jn 17:21: ‘that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.’ The unity of Christians from different cultures is a sign of the one God’s fatherhood of all nations, and is a necessary grace in these times in which divisions, intolerance, religious struggles are increasing.

• Division among us, among Christians, is a counter-witness. Visit the international website of Taizé, an ecumenical community founded in France by Brother Roger, which continues to be a prophetic witness to unity among Christians and spiritual renewal: http://www.taize.fr/en

• Often there is religious unity in the locality, on a small scale, among neighbours, while declarations of unity at the official, hierarchical level are difficult and infrequent. Among these last the most recent are

- The agreement with the Orthodox Church in 1997 on the primacy of the Bishop of Rome.

- The Joint Declaration with the Lutherans in 1999 on the doctrine of Justification.

- A common document on the meaning of Sunday was presented on 2 March at Ratisbon, Germany, by the joint commission of the German episcopate and the Orthodox Church in Germany. (Called The Church’s year in the tradition of East and West – Sunday, feast day of Christian origins.)

• The culture, environment or climate of unity starts off from each one of us and ought to go on to touch our neighbourhood, friendship and community groups. If we, each one of the millions of AP members, unite ourselves this month around this petition, in the strength of our daily prayer and offering, we can contribute to the growth of unity by specific common action, by respect for those who think differently, and by a different way of life.

- In face of an increasingly secularised world, indifferent, if not hostile to God….

- In face of the growth of fanaticism and intolerance on the part of groups which call themselves very religious…

- In face of the serious challenges of inhuman poverty and grave injustices in the world…

…..The lack of unity among Christ’s followers in their different denominations becomes more and more absurd.

That all may respect the family and recognize it for its unmatched contribution to the advancement of society.

The family is an indispensable foundation for society and for peoples, just as it is an irreplaceable good for children, whose coming into the world as the fruit of love, of the total and generous gift of their parents, deserve to be born. As Jesus demonstrated by honouring the Virgin Mary and St Joseph, the family occupies a fundamental role in a person's upbringing. It is a true school of humanity and perennial values. No one has given life to himself.

From others we received life, which develops and matures with the truths and values that we learn in our relationship and communion with others. In this regard, the family founded on the indissoluble matrimony of a man and a woman is the expression of the relational, filial and communal dimensions. It is the setting in which men and women can be born with dignity, and can grow and develop in an integral manner (cf. Homily at Holy Mass for the Fifth World Meeting of Families, Valencia, 9 July 2006).

However, this educational task is complicated by a deceptive concept of freedom, in which caprice and the subjective impulses of the individual are exalted to the point of leaving each person locked within the prison of his own self. The true freedom of the human being derives from his creation in the image and likeness of God. For this reason freedom must be exercised responsibly, always opting for the authentic good so that it may become love, a gift of self. For this reason, more than theories, the intimacy and love that are characteristic of the family community are needed. It is at home that people truly learn to live, to value life and health, freedom and peace, justice and truth, work, harmony and respect.

Today more than ever the witness and public commitment of all the baptized is necessary to reaffirm the dignity and the unique, irreplaceable value of the family founded on the marriage of a man and a woman open to life, and also of human life in all of its stages.

Legal and administrative measures must be promoted that support families with their inalienable rights, necessary if they are to continue to carry out their extraordinary mission. The witnesses given at yesterday's celebration show that today too the family can stand firm in the love of God and renew humanity in the new millennium.

If the family, as fundamental unit of society, is damaged or weakened, the whole of society is damaged and weakened. Respect for the central role of the family as institution, in its contribution to the whole of human society, is the intention for prayer which the Holy Father commends to us this month.

Today, particularly in western culture, a crisis is observable in the identity of the family. What can we call ‘family’? Besides the ‘traditional model’ there are single-parent families (living with father only or mother only); those which are the fruit of new unions: living with my mother and her second husband, or with brothers/sisters who are children of my mother’s husband, and other children of my mother and her new husband….. and so on. I might live with my mother, while some of my brothers and sisters live with my original father. Today there can even be homosexual parents. The low birth rate in so many western countries is another indicator of lack of confidence in life, in society and in the family.

If there is a crisis in the family it is because there is also a crisis in parenting. What is the role of father and mother? What kind of relationships and what kind of education should be given to children? How do we define a family today? For us, it is based upon the relationship between one man and one woman, but today there are those who propose other models.

A family without stability in its affective relationships is not capable of giving an upbringing based on Gospel values, nor can it help society. From families with values come political, social and religious leaders with values. The family is the place where we learn to live unconditional love, image of the love of God. In fact very often the family turns into the place where we meet suffering, and where harm is done to people we love. There is need to practise forgiveness, dialogue based on love, acceptance and unconditional understanding, to bring healing and wholeness. This difficult challenge makes the family an exceptional place of learning and preparation for life.

In the Church there are many initiatives at local level to support families, in parishes, movements and schools: pre-sacramental catechesis, especially before marriage; Marriage Encounter; parenting courses; family outings; suggestions for family prayer, and so on. At the same time it is the task of civil government, whatever its religious views, to support the family as institution through suitable legislation and effective measures. Unfortunately today we see many examples to the contrary, especially in Europe. Laws on abortion, divorce, contraception, homosexual marriages, and others, are an attack on the family, are a form of serious blindness, and will bring harmful consequences for coming generations.

Let us not cease to pray intensively this month, in union with the Holy Father, on this delicate and fundamental question. Let us ask ourselves what we are doing, and what more we could do, to support the family. Let us call on the inspiration of the Holy Family of Nazareth, in which we have a simple, hardworking, united model of the family… where God feels at home.

That Christian communities may witness to the presence of Christ in serving those who suffer from disease in those mission territories where the fight against disease is most urgent.

I have been looking forward to spending this time with you, and I am happy to be able to greet you, dear brothers and sisters who bear the burden of sickness and suffering. You are not alone in your pain, for Christ himself is close to all who suffer. He reveals to the sick and infirm their place in the heart of God and in society. The Evangelist Mark gives us the example of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law: “Immediately they told him of her”, it is written, Jesus “came and took her by the hand and lifted her up” (Mk 1:30-31). In this Gospel passage, we see Jesus spending a day with the sick in order to bring them relief. He thereby shows us, through specific actions, his fraternal tenderness and benevolence towards all the broken-hearted, all whose bodies are wounded.

This Centre is named after Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger, a son of Canada who came among you to bring relief to bodies and souls. As I stand here today, I am mindful of all the people in hospitals, in specialized health centres or clinics, who suffer from a disability, mental or physical. I also think of those whose flesh bears the scars of wars and violence. I remember too all the sick and, especially here in Africa, the victims of such diseases as Aids, malaria and tuberculosis. I know how actively engaged the Catholic Church in your country is in the fight against these terrible afflictions, and I encourage you to pursue this urgent task with great determination. To those of you who endure the trials of sickness and suffering, and to all your families, I wish to bring a word of comfort from the Lord, to renew my support, and to invite you to turn towards Christ and towards Mary, whom he has given to us as our mother. She knew suffering, and she followed her Son along the path to Calvary, preserving in her heart that love which Jesus came to bring to all people.

Faced with suffering, sickness and death, it is tempting to cry out in pain, as Job did, whose name means “suffering” (cf. Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job, I,1,15). Even Jesus cried out, shortly before his death (cf. Mk 15:37; Heb 5:7). As our condition deteriorates, our anguish increases; some are tempted to doubt whether God is present in their lives. Job, however, was conscious of God’s presence; his was not a cry of rebellion, but, from the depths of his sorrow, he allowed his trust to grow (cf. Job 19; 42:2-6). His friends, like each of us when faced with the suffering of a loved one, tried to console him, but they used hollow and empty words.

In the presence of such torment, we feel powerless and we cannot find the right words. Before a brother or sister plunged into the mystery of the Cross, a respectful and compassionate silence, a prayerful presence, a gesture of tenderness and comfort, a kind look, a smile, often achieve more than many words. This was the experience of a small group of men and women, including the Virgin Mary and the Apostle John, who followed Jesus in the depths of his suffering at the time of his Passion and his death on the Cross. Among them, the Gospel tells us, was an African, Simon of Cyrene. He was given the task of helping Jesus to carry his Cross on the way to Golgotha. This man, albeit through no choice of his own, came to the aid of the Man of Sorrows when he had been abandoned by all his followers and handed over to blind violence. History tells us, then, that an African, a son of your continent, took part, at the price of his own suffering, in the infinite suffering of the one who ransomed all men, including his executioners. Simon of Cyrene could not have known that it was his Saviour who stood there before him. He was “drafted in” to assist him (cf. Mk 15:21); he was constrained, forced to do so. It is hard to accept to carry someone else’s cross. Only after the resurrection could he have understood what he had done. Brothers and sisters, it is the same for each of us: in the depths of our anguish, of our own rebellion, Christ offers us his loving presence even if we find it hard to understand that he is at our side. Only the Lord’s final victory will reveal for us the definitive meaning of our trials.

• The vulnerability and need for affection of sick people in the hospital gives us a special opportunity to show them the kind face of the Father and the motherly love of the Church. Perhaps we should learn from our Protestant brothers and sisters, who do this hospital ministry intensively.

• In Africa there is no other institution that does as much for the sick and abandoned as the Catholic Church, in countless works and institutions in every country. Let us pray this month that in Africa and all over the world Christians may live this service as fruit of their union with the merciful Heart of Jesus. May Christians act with awareness that by means of them Christ himself comes close to those who suffer, and in this way he can be received and recognised by the sick. This intention for prayer reminds us of the special relationship that Jesus had with the sick and suffering, which is to be found at the heart of the Gospel.

• Pain and suffering are also a visitation from God, says the Chilean saint, Alberto Hurtado, sj. The experience of sickness, lived in faith, enables us to discover in a new way the mercy of God, one with us in our pain, close to us to give us consolation.

• It is worth noticing that in the countries known as ‘first world’, which are also mission-countries, since there are many people who do not know Jesus Christ, there are a great number of people who suffer from mental illnesses, tiredness and depression which are difficult to cure. The Holy Father calls us to witness to the close presence of Christ to them, also.

That the nations of Latin America may walk in fidelity to the Gospel and progress in justice and peace.

4. “So that in him they may have life”

The peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean have the right to a full life, proper to the children of God, under conditions that are more human: free from the threat of hunger and from every form of violence. For these peoples, their Bishops must promote a culture of life which can permit, in the words of my predecessor Paul VI, “the passage from misery towards the possession of necessities … the acquisition of culture … cooperation for the common good … the acknowledgement by man of supreme values, and of God, their source and their finality” (Populorum Progressio, 21).

In this context I am pleased to recall the Encyclical Populorum Progressio, the fortieth anniversary of which we celebrate this year. This Papal document emphasizes that authentic development must be integral, that is, directed to the promotion of the whole person and of all people (cf. no. 14), and it invites all to overcome grave social inequalities and the enormous differences in access to goods. These peoples are yearning, above all, for the fullness of life that Christ brought us: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10). With this divine life, human existence is likewise developed to the full, in its personal, family, social and cultural dimensions.

[...]

Social and Political problems

Having arrived at this point, we can ask ourselves a question: how can the Church contribute to the solution of urgent social and political problems, and respond to the great challenge of poverty and destitution? The problems of Latin America and the Caribbean, like those of today’s world, are multifaceted and complex, and they cannot be dealt with through generic programmes. Undoubtedly, the fundamental question about the way that the Church, illuminated by faith in Christ, should react to these challenges, is one that concerns us all. In this context, we inevitably speak of the problem of structures, especially those which create injustice. In truth, just structures are a condition without which a just order in society is not possible. But how do they arise? How do they function? Both capitalism and Marxism promised to point out the path for the creation of just structures, and they declared that these, once established, would function by themselves; they declared that not only would they have no need of any prior individual morality, but that they would promote a communal morality. And this ideological promise has been proved false. The facts have clearly demonstrated it. The Marxist system, where it found its way into government, not only left a sad heritage of economic and ecological destruction, but also a painful oppression of souls. And we can also see the same thing happening in the West, where the distance between rich and poor is growing constantly, and giving rise to a worrying degradation of personal dignity through drugs, alcohol and deceptive illusions of happiness.

Just structures are, as I have said, an indispensable condition for a just society, but they neither arise nor function without a moral consensus in society on fundamental values, and on the need to live these values with the necessary sacrifices, even if this goes against personal interest.

Where God is absent—God with the human face of Jesus Christ—these values fail to show themselves with their full force, nor does a consensus arise concerning them. I do not mean that non-believers cannot live a lofty and exemplary morality; I am only saying that a society in which God is absent will not find the necessary consensus on moral values or the strength to live according to the model of these values, even when they are in conflict with private interests.

On the other hand, just structures must be sought and elaborated in the light of fundamental values, with the full engagement of political, economic and social reasoning. They are a question of recta ratio and they do not arise from ideologies nor from their premises. Certainly there exists a great wealth of political experience and expertise on social and economic problems that can highlight the fundamental elements of a just state and the paths that must be avoided. But in different cultural and political situations, amid constant developments in technology and changes in the historical reality of the world, adequate answers must be sought in a rational manner, and a consensus must be created—with the necessary commitments—on the structures that must be established.

1492 was the year when the first conquerors and missionaries from Spain and Portugal arrived on the American continent. A new society, fruit of the meeting of two worlds and two cultures, began to come into being. There were good and bad decisions. There were good examples of evangelising efforts, but also innumerable abuses and injustices against the indigenous and mixed-race population, some reported incidents of genocide, as well as, in a short time, the indescribable horror of African slavery. The new society which had been founded was far from being consistent with the gospel which had arrived with the conquerors.

Different historical circumstances brought it about that between 1810 and 1811 independence movements separated the countries of Latin America from the European crown. A new historical period was opening for these regions. The independence that they won did not mean that the great social injustices or the great problems of poverty of the majority would be solved. The task of a more just society, more faithful to the gospel, was unresolved after these dates and remains unresolved today. All through these 500 years many people have proclaimed Jesus Christ. There has been quite a number of martyrs and prophets, killed or persecuted for the cause of gospel justice. Many have striven to bring society forward to conditions of greater equality and well-being for all, raising their voices to denounce abuses and outrages. In the most recent times, in the dark period of repression by military dictatorships in the last century, many were persecuted, tortured and killed. Prominent among them is Monsignor Oscar Romero, Archbishop of El Salvador, assassinated in a cowardly way in 1980.

This intention for prayer from the Holy Father arrived while these countries, this year and last year, were celebrating their 200 years of independence. The Pope’s voice is added to so many who long for a society in the so-called ‘Catholic continent’ where all may have life in Christ, and life in abundance. The persistence of grave injustices and poverty, corruption and populism, discrimination and class-distinctions, the secularisation and consumerism that belong to the globalized world, and so on, are an attack on the fullness of life of God’s sons and daughters. Following the Master, the Church wants to take on the mission of working in the service of God’s Kingdom, ‘that the countries of Latin America may go forward in fidelity to the Gospel and make progress in social justice and peace.’

That the Holy Spirit may give light and strength to those in many regions of the world who are persecuted and discriminated against because of the Gospel.

4. Called to evangelize even through martyrdom

On this day dedicated to the missions, I recall in prayer those who have consecrated their lives exclusively to the work of evangelization. I mention especially the local Churches and the men and women missionaries who bear witness to and spread the Kingdom of God in situations of persecution, subjected to forms of oppression ranging from social discrimination to prison, torture and death. Even today, not a few are put to death for the sake of his "Name". The words of my venerable Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, continue to speak powerfully to us: "The Jubilee remembrance has presented us with a surprising vista, showing us that our own time is particularly prolific in witnesses, who in different ways were able to live the Gospel in the midst of hostility and persecution, often to the point of the supreme test of shedding their blood" (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 41).

Participation in the mission of Christ is also granted to those who preach the Gospel, for whom is reserved the same destiny as their Master. "Remember the words I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too" (Jn 15:20). The Church walks the same path and suffers the same destiny as Christ, since she acts not on the basis of any human logic or relying on her own strength, but instead she follows the way of the Cross, becoming, in filial obedience to the Father, a witness and a travelling companion for all humanity.

I remind Churches of ancient foundation and those that are more recent that the Lord has sent them to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and he has called them to spread Christ, the Light of the nations, to the far corners of the earth. They must make the Missio ad gentes a pastoral priority.

Wherever there is an “us” which welcomes God’s love, there the light of Christ shines forth, even in the most difficult situations. The Church, like the Virgin Mary, offers the world Jesus, the Son, whom she herself has received as a gift, the One who came to set mankind free from the slavery of sin. Like Mary, the Church does not fear, for that Child is her strength. But she does not keep him for herself: she offers him to all those who seek him with a sincere heart, to the earth’s lowly and afflicted, to the victims of violence, and to all who yearn for peace. Today too, on behalf of a human family profoundly affected by a grave financial crisis, yet even more by a moral crisis, and by the painful wounds of wars and conflicts, the Church, in faithful solidarity with mankind, repeats with the shepherds: “Let us go to Bethlehem” (Lk 2:15), for there we shall find our hope.

The “us” of the Church is alive in the place where Jesus was born, in the Holy Land, inviting its people to abandon every logic of violence and vengeance, and to engage with renewed vigour and generosity in the process which leads to peaceful coexistence. The “us” of the Church is present in the other countries of the Middle East. How can we forget the troubled situation in Iraq and the “little flock” of Christians which lives in the region? At times it is subject to violence and injustice, but it remains determined to make its own contribution to the building of a society opposed to the logic of conflict and the rejection of one’s neighbour. The “us” of the Church is active in Sri Lanka, in the Korean peninsula and in the Philippines, as well as in the other countries of Asia, as a leaven of reconciliation and peace. On the continent of Africa she does not cease to lift her voice to God, imploring an end to every injustice in the Democratic Republic of Congo; she invites the citizens of Guinea and Niger to respect for the rights of every person and to dialogue; she begs those of Madagascar to overcome their internal divisions and to be mutually accepting; and she reminds all men and women that they are called to hope, despite the tragedies, trials and difficulties which still afflict them. In Europe and North America, the “us” of the Church urges people to leave behind the selfish and technicist mentality, to advance the common good and to show respect for the persons who are most defenceless, starting with the unborn. In Honduras she is assisting in process of rebuilding institutions; throughout Latin America, the “us” of the Church is a source of identity, a fullness of truth and of charity which no ideology can replace, a summons to respect for the inalienable rights of each person and his or her integral development, a proclamation of justice and fraternity, a source of unity.

In fidelity to the mandate of her Founder, the Church shows solidarity with the victims of natural disasters and poverty, even within opulent societies. In the face of the exodus of all those who migrate from their homelands and are driven away by hunger, intolerance or environmental degradation, the Church is a presence calling others to an attitude of acceptance and welcome. In a word, the Church everywhere proclaims the Gospel of Christ, despite persecutions, discriminations, attacks and at times hostile indifference. These, in fact, enable her to share the lot of her Master and Lord.

• The twentieth century was the century with the most martyrs for the faith in the Church’s history, with demonstrations of anti-Christian violence on all continents, violence which in many places has still not ceased.

• According to the French organisation Aid to the Church in Need there are 200 million Christians in the world who cannot live their faith freely. Visit their webpage: http://www.aed-france.org/

• What would the map of persecution of Christians in the world today look like? How many countries would there be on the list? India, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Egypt, Belarus, Cuba, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and almost all the Arab countries. There are also many regions in the Latin American and African countries where those who serve and defend the poor in the name of their faith are persecuted and killed. .. Not to mention many European countries, like Spain or France, where at the moment those who want to live their faith meet more and more difficulties, even hostility.

• The persecution of minority groups of any kind, Christian or not (like for example the persecution of certain tribal groups in Myanmar), or discrimination against people because of their religious affiliation, reveals a humanity incapable of dialogue, which is destroying itself, which does not know how to respect opinions and beliefs different from its own.

• The Master has already said this, and we ought not to be surprised: ‘if they have hated me they will hate you as well.’ If our life is too peaceful and nothing disturbs us, if they do not persecute us, if no one feels questioned by our Christian life, perhaps we ought to ask ourselves about the quality of our faith.

• Let us remember Tertullian’s phrase ‘the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church’ Persecution is a sign that we are following the Gospel and sharing in the mystery of the cross, which is the source of hope in the future.

• History shows that when there are difficulties and persecutions vocations abound, but when life is easy and comfortable they are scarce.

We copy for you what Chris Chatteris, from South Africa, commented on the 2010 May Missionary Intention, similar to this year’s: That Christians persecuted for the sake of the Gospel may persevere, sustained by the Holy Spirit, in faithfully witnessing to the love of God for the entire human race.

That through its compelling preaching of the Gospel, the Church may give young people new reasons for life and hope.

We are all aware of the need for hope, not just any kind of hope, but a firm and reliable hope, as I wanted to emphasize in the Encyclical Spe Salvi. Youth is a special time of hope because it looks to the future with a whole range of expectations. When we are young we cherish ideals, dreams and plans. Youth is the time when decisive choices concerning the rest of our lives come to fruition. Perhaps this is why it is the time of life when fundamental questions assert themselves strongly: Why am I here on earth? What is the meaning of life? What will my life be like? And again: How can I attain happiness? Why is there suffering, illness and death? What lies beyond death? These are questions that become insistent when we are faced with obstacles that sometimes seem insurmountable: difficulties with studies, unemployment, family arguments, crises in friendships or in building good loving relationships, illness or disability, lack of adequate resources as a result of the present widespread economic and social crisis. We then ask ourselves: where can I obtain and how can I keep alive the flame of hope burning in my heart?

In search of “the great hope”

Experience shows that personal qualities and material goods are not enough to guarantee the hope which the human spirit is constantly seeking. As I wrote in the Encyclical Spe Salvi, politics, science, technology, economics and all other material resources are not of themselves sufficient to provide the great hope to which we all aspire. This hope “can only be God, who encompasses the whole of reality and who can bestow upon us what we, by ourselves, cannot attain” (no. 31). This is why one of the main consequences of ignoring God is the evident loss of direction that marks our societies, resulting in loneliness and violence, discontent and loss of confidence that can often lead to despair. The word of God issues a warning that is loud and clear: “Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes” (Jer 17:5-6).

The crisis of hope is more likely to affect the younger generations. In socio-cultural environments with few certainties, values or firm points of reference, they find themselves facing difficulties that seem beyond their strength. My dear young friends, I have in mind so many of your contemporaries who have been wounded by life. They often suffer from personal immaturity caused by dysfunctional family situations, by permissive and libertarian elements in their education, and by difficult and traumatic experience. For some – unfortunately a significant number – the almost unavoidable way out involves an alienating escape into dangerous and violent behaviour, dependence on drugs and alcohol, and many other such traps for the unwary. Yet, even for those who find themselves in difficult situations, having been led astray by bad role models, the desire for true love and authentic happiness is not extinguished. But how can we speak of this hope to those young people? We know that it is in God alone that a human person finds true fulfilment. The main task for us all is that of a new evangelization aimed at helping younger generations to rediscover the true face of God, who is Love. To you young people, who are in search of a firm hope, I address the very words that Saint Paul wrote to the persecuted Christians in Rome at that time: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:13). During this Jubilee Year dedicated to the Apostle of the Gentiles on the occasion of the two thousandth anniversary of his birth, let us learn from him how to become credible witnesses of Christian hope.

[...]

The great hope is in Christ

For Paul, hope is not simply an ideal or sentiment, but a living person: Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Profoundly imbued with this certainty, he could write to Timothy: “We have set our hope on the living God” (1 Tim 4:10). The “living God” is the Risen Christ present in our world. He is the true hope: the Christ who lives with us and in us and who calls us to share in his eternal life. If we are not alone, if he is with us, even more, if he is our present and our future, why be afraid? A Christian’s hope is therefore to desire “the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1817).

I would like to conclude this message by addressing myself, in particular, to young Catholic believers: to encourage them to bring the witness of their faith to the digital world. Dear Brothers and Sisters, I ask you to introduce into the culture of this new environment of communications and information technology the values on which you have built your lives. In the early life of the Church, the great Apostles and their disciples brought the Good News of Jesus to the Greek and Roman world. Just as, at that time, a fruitful evangelization required that careful attention be given to understanding the culture and customs of those pagan peoples so that the truth of the gospel would touch their hearts and minds, so also today, the proclamation of Christ in the world of new technologies requires a profound knowledge of this world if the technologies are to serve our mission adequately. It falls, in particular, to young people, who have an almost spontaneous affinity for the new means of communication, to take on the responsibility for the evangelization of this "digital continent". Be sure to announce the Gospel to your contemporaries with enthusiasm. You know their fears and their hopes, their aspirations and their disappointments: the greatest gift you can give to them is to share with them the "Good News" of a God who became man, who suffered, died and rose again to save all people. Human hearts are yearning for a world where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. Our faith can respond to these expectations: may you become its heralds! The Pope accompanies you with his prayers and his blessing.

Offering the good news of the Gospel to the new generation, in a credible and meaningful way, is a permanent and always fascinating challenge for the Church. There is no doubt that we live in a time of confusion and deep crisis, also inside the Church. Intolerance and uncertainty, injustice, wars, violence, poverty and hunger are increasing in the world The dominant western culture is characterised by secularism and materialism, which appears not to need God. But at the same time, perhaps for that very reason, we are protagonists of a time of intense spiritual search on the part of many of our contemporaries. There is a rebirth of spirituality and of desire for God. The progress of science and the abundance of material things have not been able to answer the question about the meaning of life and the most burning needs of the human heart. Today many religious proposals come onto the market to offer responses to the existential emptiness of those who do not want a world without God. So we are at a moment in history which creates an opportunity, a favourable occasion, for the Church and for the Apostleship of Prayer. We want to make use of our rich spiritual tradition, the Fathers of the Church, the Desert Fathers, the mystics of all periods, to give an answer to our contemporaries. There is a need for God, and we have found the hidden treasure. We want and we ought to proclaim it, first from our own witness, telling others what we have discovered. I close by quoting Pope John Paul II, regarding this issue: “People today put more trust in witnesses than in teachers, in experience than in teaching, and in life and in action than in theories. The witness of a Christian life is the first and irreplaceable form of mission: Christ, whose mission we continue, is the ‘witness’ par excellence and the model of all Christian witness.” (Redemptoris Missio 42)

That by proclamation of the Gospel and the witness of their lives, missionaries may bring Christ to those who do not yet know him.

"The nations will walk in its light" (Rev 21:24). The goal of the Church's mission is to illumine all peoples with the light of the Gospel as they journey through history towards God, so that in Him they may reach their full potential and fulfilment. We should have a longing and a passion to illumine all peoples with the light of Christ that shines on the face of the Church, so that all may be gathered into the one human family, under God's loving fatherhood.

It is in this perspective that the disciples of Christ spread throughout the world work, struggle and groan under the burden of suffering, offering their very lives. I strongly reiterate what was so frequently affirmed by my venerable Predecessors: the Church works not to extend her power or assert her dominion, but to lead all people to Christ, the salvation of the world. We seek only to place ourselves at the service of all humanity, especially the suffering and the excluded, because we believe that "the effort to proclaim the Gospel to the people of today... is a service rendered to the Christian community and also to the whole of humanity" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1), which "has experienced marvellous achievements but which seems to have lost its sense of ultimate realities and of existence itself" (Redemptoris Missio, 2).

[...]

2. The Pilgrim Church

The universal Church, which knows neither borders nor frontiers, is aware of her responsibility to proclaim the Gospel to entire peoples (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi, 53). It is the duty of the Church, called to be a seed of hope, to continue Christ's service in the world. The measure of her mission and service is not material or even spiritual needs limited to the sphere of temporal existence, but instead, it is transcendent salvation, fulfilled in the Kingdom of God (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi, 27). This Kingdom, although ultimately eschatological and not of this world (cfr Jn 18:36), is also in this world and within its history a force for justice and peace, for true freedom and respect for the dignity of every human person. The Church wishes to transform the world through the proclamation of the Gospel of love, "that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working … and in this way … cause the light of God to enter into the world" (Deus Caritas Est, 39). With this message I renew my invitation to all the members and institutions of the Church to participate in this mission and this service.

3. Missio ad gentes

The mission of the Church, therefore, is to call all peoples to the salvation accomplished by God through his incarnate Son. It is therefore necessary to renew our commitment to proclaiming the Gospel which is a leaven of freedom and progress, brotherhood, unity and peace (cf. Ad Gentes, 8). I would "confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14), a duty and a mission which the widespread and profound changes in present-day society render ever more urgent. At stake is the eternal salvation of persons, the goal and the fulfilment of human history and the universe. Animated and inspired by the Apostle of the nations, we must realize that God has many people in all the cities visited by the apostles of today (cfr Acts 18:10). In fact "the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him" (Acts 2:39).

The whole Church must be committed to the missio ad gentes, until the salvific sovereignty of Christ is fully accomplished: "At present, it is true, we are not able to see that all things are in subjection to him" (Heb 2:8).

[...]

5. Conclusion

Missionary zeal has always been a sign of the vitality of our Churches (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 2). Nevertheless it must be reaffirmed that evangelization is primarily the work of the Spirit; before being action, it is witness and irradiation of the light of Christ (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 26) on the part of the local Church, which sends men and women beyond her frontiers as missionaries. I therefore ask all Catholics to pray to the Holy Spirit for an increase in the Church's passion for her mission to spread the Kingdom of God and to support missionaries and Christian communities involved in mission, in the front line, often in situations of hostility and persecution.

At the same time I ask everyone, as a credible sign of communion among the Churches, to offer financial assistance, especially in these times of crisis affecting all humanity, to enable the young local Churches to illuminate the nations with the Gospel of charity.

May we be guided in our missionary activity by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of New Evangelization, who brought Christ into the world to be the light of the nations and to carry salvation "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 13:47).

• Today ‘mission countries’ are not defined geographically, or in contradistinction to ‘Christian countries’, as was thought in a previous age. The whole world is mission territory, given that today we see the need for a first or a new evangelisation everywhere. And it seems that a second evangelisation is more difficult than the first. Detaching from neo-paganism is more difficult than evangelising for the first time people who have not yet received Christ’s message.

• The West is beginning to loose the foundation, God Creator of heaven and earth. How can we help our contemporaries to know Jesus Christ, the revelation of God, when God doesn’t exist for them? By proclamation of the Gospel and the testimony of life? Yes, but the proclamation of the Gospel must touch the fundamentals of life, the coordinates of existence which we meet in the Principle and Foundation of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises: Creation, relationship with others, the image of God, interior freedom in face of enslavements, and so on. We want to evangelise the personal anthropology of each one, offering them a new way of living.

• Proclamation of the Gospel and the testimony of life go together. Luke in his Gospel presents the Risen Christ saying that his passion and resurrection and conversion for the forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations (the ‘kerygma’); and that the disciples will be witnesses to all these things. In the Acts of the Apostles also, Luke tells them that they will be witnesses even to the ends of the earth. It is clear that the disciples are those called to be witnesses to his message, to the Good News of salvation and to his Person, making Jesus transparent in their lives.

That those working in communication media may respect the truth, solidarity, and dignity of all people.

The desire for connectedness and the instinct for communication that are so obvious in contemporary culture are best understood as modern manifestations of the basic and enduring propensity of humans to reach beyond themselves and to seek communion with others. In reality, when we open ourselves to others, we are fulfilling our deepest need and becoming more fully human. Loving is, in fact, what we are designed for by our Creator. Naturally, I am not talking about fleeting, shallow relationships, I am talking about the real love that is at the very heart of Jesus’ moral teaching: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" and "You must love your neighbour as yourself" (cf. Mk 12:30-31). In this light, reflecting on the significance of the new technologies, it is important to focus not just on their undoubted capacity to foster contact between people, but on the quality of the content that is put into circulation using these means. I would encourage all people of good will who are active in the emerging environment of digital communication to commit themselves to promoting a culture of respect, dialogue and friendship.

Those who are active in the production and dissemination of new media content, therefore, should strive to respect the dignity and worth of the human person. If the new technologies are to serve the good of individuals and of society, all users will avoid the sharing of words and images that are degrading of human beings, that promote hatred and intolerance, that debase the goodness and intimacy of human sexuality or that exploit the weak and vulnerable.

The new technologies have also opened the way for dialogue between people from different countries, cultures and religions. The new digital arena, the so-called cyberspace, allows them to encounter and to know each other’s traditions and values. Such encounters, if they are to be fruitful, require honest and appropriate forms of expression together with attentive and respectful listening. The dialogue must be rooted in a genuine and mutual searching for truth if it is to realize its potential to promote growth in understanding and tolerance. Life is not just a succession of events or experiences: it is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this - in truth, in goodness, and in beauty - that we find happiness and joy. We must not allow ourselves to be deceived by those who see us merely as consumers in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth.

The concept of friendship has enjoyed a renewed prominence in the vocabulary of the new digital social networks that have emerged in the last few years. The concept is one of the noblest achievements of human culture. It is in and through our friendships that we grow and develop as humans. For this reason, true friendship has always been seen as one of the greatest goods any human person can experience. We should be careful, therefore, never to trivialize the concept or the experience of friendship. It would be sad if our desire to sustain and develop on-line friendships were to be at the cost of our availability to engage with our families, our neighbours and those we meet in the daily reality of our places of work, education and recreation. If the desire for virtual connectedness becomes obsessive, it may in fact function to isolate individuals from real social interaction while also disrupting the patterns of rest, silence and reflection that are necessary for healthy human development.

Friendship is a great human good, but it would be emptied of its ultimate value if it were to be understood as an end in itself. Friends should support and encourage each other in developing their gifts and talents and in putting them at the service of the human community. In this context, it is gratifying to note the emergence of new digital networks that seek to promote human solidarity, peace and justice, human rights and respect for human life and the good of creation. These networks can facilitate forms of co-operation between people from different geographical and cultural contexts that enable them to deepen their common humanity and their sense of shared responsibility for the good of all. We must, therefore, strive to ensure that the digital world, where such networks can be established, is a world that is truly open to all. It would be a tragedy for the future of humanity if the new instruments of communication, which permit the sharing of knowledge and information in a more rapid and effective manner, were not made accessible to those who are already economically and socially marginalized, or if it should contribute only to increasing the gap separating the poor from the new networks that are developing at the service of human socialization and information.

The communications media are powerful and influential weapons in today’s society. Appropriate use of them can do much good in promoting genuine values and in defending human rights. Inappropriate use is made of them when the media are servile to particular interests, whether economic, political or even religious, if these are biased. In this case, the media do not fulfil their mission of service to the truth and to the common good. There is resort to sensationalism instead of balanced reporting, the image of women and of sexuality is manipulated in advertising, to increase sales, truth is distorted to support particular ideologies through lies, information is censored to keep people in ignorance or to promote radical positions. Some of these things are done in liberal societies dominated by the thirst for profit. Others happen more in undemocratic societies which restrict freedom of opinion, which control and combat implacably all communications media which are not controlled by government power. All through history there is a repeated tendency for dictators or dictatorial regimes to censor, sometimes violently, anything which seems to them to be thinking different from their own. Fear and repression take the place of dialogue and freedom.

There are many examples of good journalism, helping to shed light on violent and abusive situations, which would otherwise have been kept in obscurity and impunity. Campaigns in solidarity with groups or regions of the world which are oppressed or struck by catastrophes have helped to alleviate many people’s suffering. We praise and encourage journalism committed to truth and justice, not corrupted by powerful interests.

The Pope asks us to pray this month for the workers in the massive communications media. Let us pray that, Christian or not or non-Christian, they may play their part in building a more just world, with respect for ‘truth, solidarity and the dignity of each person.’ The fact that the Holy Father has chosen this intention for prayer, in union with the 44th World Day of Social Communications, which is celebrated this month, is a sign of the importance he gives to this subject, and indicates his concern at seeing so many examples of inappropriate management of these media. Let us pray that journalism and the communications media may count on many honest and courageous reporters, at the service of the common good. It would be helpful for schools of journalism to give them a suitable ethical formation in human and spiritual values. Let us pray that we ourselves may know how to communicate with each other simply and truthfully, as Jesus did.

That the Lord may help the Church in China persevere in fidelity to the Gospel and grow in unity.

"'Duc in altum' (Lk 5:4). These words ring out for us today, and they invite us to remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm and to look forward to the future with confidence: 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever' (Heb 13:8)" [7]. In China too the Church is called to be a witness of Christ, to look forward with hope, and – in proclaiming the Gospel – to measure up to the new challenges that the Chinese People must face.

The word of God helps us, once again, to discover the mysterious and profound meaning of the Church's path in the world. In fact "the subject of one of the most important visions of the Book of Revelation is [the] Lamb in the act of opening a scroll, previously closed with seven seals that no one had been able to break open. John is even shown in tears, for he finds no one worthy of opening the scroll or reading it (cf. Rev 5:4). History remains indecipherable, incomprehensible. No one can read it. Perhaps John's weeping before the mystery of a history so obscure expresses the Asian Churches' dismay at God's silence in the face of the persecutions to which they were exposed at the time. It is a dismay that can clearly mirror our consternation in the face of the serious difficulties, misunderstandings and hostility that the Church also suffers today in various parts of the world. These are trials that the Church does not of course deserve, just as Jesus himself did not deserve his torture. However, they reveal both the wickedness of man, when he abandons himself to the promptings of evil, and also the superior ordering of events on God's part" [8].

Today, as in the past, to proclaim the Gospel means to preach and bear witness to Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, the new Man, conqueror of sin and death. He enables human beings to enter into a new dimension, where mercy and love shown even to enemies can bear witness to the victory of the Cross over all weakness and human wretchedness. In your country too, the proclamation of Christ crucified and risen will be possible to the extent that, with fidelity to the Gospel, in communion with the Successor of the Apostle Peter and with the universal Church, you are able to put into practice the signs of love and unity ("even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another ... even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me" – Jn 13:34-35; 17:21).

• In a more open political scene than in the past, in the greater part of China evangelisation and the growth of the Church no longer depend on the permission or restrictions of civil authority, but on our own resources and ability to maintain missionaries and witnesses to the Gospel for a people that is well-disposed and in need of God.

• Although it is true that there is still a deep and painful division in the Chinese Church, today 80% of the Catholic bishops have been approved both by the Vatican and by the Chinese government. The official Catholic Church, the Patriotic Church, tolerated by the Chinese state, now has few restrictions on pastoral activity. Today in practice there is no need to be ‘clandestine’ to live the Catholic faith in China. The generous work of priests, lay people, and especially many women religious at the service of the poorest, is abundant and fruitful. Division is produced as a result of this new openness, since it is not easy for those who over many years have endured persecution, suffering and even the deaths of loved ones in order to be faithful to their Church and to the Pope, to incorporate themselves so quickly into the official Church. They maintain that that these changes are motivated above all by political and human reasons, decided by those who are far from the faith, and they are right to some extent. But it is also a fact that the majority of younger Catholics belong to what in their dioceses is the only Catholic Church, within the Patriotic Association, where Jesus Christ is proclaimed and where they grow in faith.

• Today in Chinese society there is proving to be an awakening of interest in religion and a growing search for God. It is said that even members of the government are to be found among the numerous disillusioned and unsatisfied Chinese who are coming to knock on the Church door in search of a different message. Nobody believes any longer in the supposed ideals of a social system which wanted to suppress God and which offers no answers on the deep meaning of life. The corruption which is general and the decline of an authoritarian model have produced unease and a need for new paradigms and new answers. The new material wealth for millions of Chinese, fruit of the rapid and surprising economic growth of the country, has also given no answer to spiritual needs. Conversions to Catholicism are multiplying in many parts of the country. Today China is experiencing a favourable climate for evangelisation, a propitious moment which we do not want to waste.

• Let us pray with the Pope that the Spirit may enlighten both sections of the Church in China, that they may imitate God’s generosity and come to a mutual forgiveness and acceptance which will help them to build a future looking towards God and to the good of the country.

That priests, united to the Heart of Christ, may always be true witnesses to the caring and merciful love of God.

We are celebrating the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and in the liturgy we peer, as it were, into the heart of Jesus opened in death by the spear of the Roman soldier. Jesus’ heart was indeed opened for us and before us – and thus God’s own heart was opened. The liturgy interprets for us the language of Jesus’ heart, which tells us above all that God is the shepherd of mankind, and so it reveals to us Jesus’ priesthood, which is rooted deep within his heart; so too it shows us the perennial foundation and the effective criterion of all priestly ministry, which must always be anchored in the heart of Jesus and lived out from that starting-point. Today I would like to meditate especially on those texts with which the Church in prayer responds to the word of God presented in the readings. In those chants, word (Wort) and response (Antwort) interpenetrate. On the one hand, the chants are themselves drawn from the word of God, yet on the other, they are already our human response to that word, a response in which the word itself is communicated and enters into our lives. The most important of those texts in today’s liturgy is Psalm 23(22) – “The Lord is my shepherd” – in which Israel at prayer received God’s self-revelation as shepherd, and made this the guide of its own life. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”: this first verse expresses joy and gratitude for the fact that God is present to and concerned for us. The reading from the Book of Ezechiel begins with the same theme: “I myself will look after and tend my sheep” (Ez 34:11). God personally looks after me, after us, after all mankind. I am not abandoned, adrift in the universe and in a society which leaves me ever more lost and bewildered. God looks after me. He is not a distant God, for whom my life is worthless. The world’s religions, as far as we can see, have always known that in the end there is only one God. But this God was distant. Evidently he had abandoned the world to other powers and forces, to other divinities. It was with these that one had to deal. The one God was good, yet aloof. He was not dangerous, nor was he very helpful. Consequently one didn’t need to worry about him. He did not lord it over us. Oddly, this kind of thinking re-emerged during the Enlightenment. There was still a recognition that the world presupposes a Creator. Yet this God, after making the world, had evidently withdrawn from it. The world itself had a certain set of laws by which it ran, and God did not, could not, intervene in them. God was only a remote cause. Many perhaps did not even want God to look after them. They did not want God to get in the way. But wherever God’s loving concern is perceived as getting in the way, human beings go awry. It is fine and consoling to know that there is someone who loves me and looks after me. But it is far more important that there is a God who knows me, loves me and is concerned about me. “I know my own and my own know me” (Jn 10:14), the Church says before the Gospel with the Lord’s words. God knows me, he is concerned about me. This thought should make us truly joyful. Let us allow it to penetrate the depths of our being. Then let us also realize what it means: God wants us, as priests, in one tiny moment of history, to share his concern about people. As priests, we want to be persons who share his concern for men and women, who take care of them and provide them with a concrete experience of God’s concern. Whatever the field of activity entrusted to him, the priest, with the Lord, ought to be able to say: “I know my sheep and mine know me”. “To know”, in the idiom of sacred Scripture, never refers to merely exterior knowledge, like the knowledge of someone’s telephone number. “Knowing” means being inwardly close to another person. It means loving him or her. We should strive to “know” men and women as God does and for God’s sake; we should strive to walk with them along the path of God's friendship.

"The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus”, the saintly Curé of Ars would often say.[2] This touching expression makes us reflect, first of all, with heartfelt gratitude on the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself. I think of all those priests who quietly present Christ’s words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole world, striving to be one with the Lord in their thoughts and their will, their sentiments and their style of life. How can I not pay tribute to their apostolic labours, their tireless and hidden service, their universal charity? And how can I not praise the courageous fidelity of so many priests who, even amid difficulties and incomprehension, remain faithful to their vocation as “friends of Christ”, whom he has called by name, chosen and sent?

I still treasure the memory of the first parish priest at whose side I exercised my ministry as a young priest: he left me an example of unreserved devotion to his pastoral duties, even to meeting his own death in the act of bringing viaticum to a gravely ill person. I also recall the countless confreres whom I have met and continue to meet, not least in my pastoral visits to different countries: men generously dedicated to the daily exercise of their priestly ministry. Yet the expression of Saint John Mary also makes us think of Christ’s pierced Heart and the crown of thorns which surrounds it. I also think, therefore, of the countless situations of suffering endured by many priests, either because they themselves share in the manifold human experience of pain or because they encounter misunderstanding from the very persons to whom they minister. How can we not also think of all those priests who are offended in their dignity, obstructed in their mission and persecuted, even at times to offering the supreme testimony of their own blood?

[...]

We priests should feel that the following words, which he put on the lips of Christ, are meant for each of us personally: “I will charge my ministers to proclaim to sinners that I am ever ready to welcome them, that my mercy is infinite”.[24] From Saint John Mary Vianney we can learn to put our unfailing trust in the sacrament of Penance, to set it once more at the centre of our pastoral concerns, and to take up the “dialogue of salvation” which it entails. The Curé of Ars dealt with different penitents in different ways. Those who came to his confessional drawn by a deep and humble longing for God’s forgiveness found in him the encouragement to plunge into the “flood of divine mercy” which sweeps everything away by its vehemence. If someone was troubled by the thought of his own frailty and inconstancy, and fearful of sinning again, the Curé would unveil the mystery of God’s love in these beautiful and touching words: “The good Lord knows everything. Even before you confess, he already knows that you will sin again, yet he still forgives you. How great is the love of our God: he even forces himself to forget the future, so that he can grant us his forgiveness!”.[25] But to those who made a lukewarm and rather indifferent confession of sin, he clearly demonstrated by his own tears of pain how “abominable” this attitude was: “I weep because you don’t weep”,[26] he would say. “If only the Lord were not so good! But he is so good! One would have to be a brute to treat so good a Father this way!”.[27] He awakened repentance in the hearts of the lukewarm by forcing them to see God’s own pain at their sins reflected in the face of the priest who was their confessor. To those who, on the other hand, came to him already desirous of and suited to a deeper spiritual life, he flung open the abyss of God’s love, explaining the untold beauty of living in union with him and dwelling in his presence: “Everything in God’s sight, everything with God, everything to please God… How beautiful it is!”.[28] And he taught them to pray: “My God, grant me the grace to love you as much as I possibly can”.[29]

The Pope’s intention this month invites us to pray lovingly for priests and for their service to God’s people. Let us ask first of all that they may be united with Christ’s Heart. It cannot be otherwise, given that their ministry springs from the Heart of the One Priest, Jesus Christ, mediator of the New Covenant It is in his Heart that Christ has surpassed the old, external, ritual priesthood, and has changed it for an existential priesthood, interior and grounded in love. His Heart itself is the centre and source of the new Covenant. His priesthood is active for ever in heaven, where he never ceases to intercede for us with the Father.

The priestly Heart of Jesus is also the centre and foundation of the common priesthood of all the faithful which we receive at baptism. Because Jesus is priest in his Heart, all Christians can be priests with him and in him, offering their lives to the Father for their brothers and sisters, uniting their own hearts to his Heart. This is the interior, existential priesthood which the baptised are called to exercise on behalf of others. Thus they become apostles through prayer, offering on the interior altar of the heart the daily tasks lived for God: the work, prayers, joys and sufferings of each day.

The ministerial priesthood is at the service of the baptismal priesthood. We see that in the second part of the Pope’s intention for prayer we are to ask that priests may ‘always be true witnesses to God’s solicitous and merciful love.’ Ordained ministers celebrate the sacraments to nourish the Church’s life. They are shepherds of the people, especially of the poorest. They accompany persons, families, communities, those who are called to reflect Christ’s Heart. In the western Church they are those who follow the path of consecrated celibacy, imitating more closely Jesus who lived celibacy, to be signs of his love for all (in the Eastern Catholic Churches it is normal to find married priests).

Pope Benedict XVI, in his message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in 2008, speaks of the priest’s role in the community:

Among those totally dedicated to the service of the Gospel, are priests, called to preach the word of God, administer the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation, committed to helping the lowly, the sick, the suffering, the poor, and those who experience hardship in areas of the world where there are, at times, many who still have not had a real encounter with Jesus Christ.

The Pope invites us to pray for priests because they are weak human beings, like everyone else, capable of feeling disheartened, sad and lonely. They need the support of our prayers. They also need to feel supported and loved by their communities. So, together with our prayer, we can also promote specific actions designed to consolidate, in parishes, schools and movements, an atmosphere of appreciation and valuing of their priests, not of criticism or antagonism. We want to teach our children and the members of our Christian communities to be close to their priests, to work with them, to offer them closeness and specific support. Creating a climate of affection and respect for the priestly ministry in the Christian community and in families will also have an effect on the priestly vocations that we need, pray for and hope for. (More will be said on this last point in the commentary that follows, in the Missionary Intention for this same month of June, on missionary vocations.)

That the Holy Spirit may bring forth from our communities many missionaries who are ready to be fully consecrated to spreading the Kingdom of God.

1. For the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be celebrated on 13 April 2008, I have chosen the theme: Vocations at the service of the Church on mission. The Risen Jesus gave to the Apostles this command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19), assuring them: “I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28: 20). The Church is missionary in herself and in each one of her members. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, every Christian is called to bear witness and to announce the Gospel, but this missionary dimension is associated in a special and intimate way with the priestly vocation. In the covenant with Israel, God entrusted to certain men, called by him and sent to the people in his name, a mission as prophets and priests. He did so, for example, with Moses: “Come, - God told him - I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people … out of Egypt …when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you will serve God upon this mountain” (Ex 3: 10 and 12). The same happened with the prophets.

[...]

3. Precisely because they have been sent by the Lord, the Twelve are called “Apostles”, destined to walk the roads of the world announcing the Gospel as witnesses to the death and resurrection of Christ. Saint Paul, writing to the Christians of Corinth, says: “We – the Apostles – preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor 1: 23). The Book of the Acts of the Apostles also assigns a very important role in this task of evangelization to other disciples whose missionary vocation arises from providential, sometimes painful, circumstances such as expulsion from their own lands for being followers of Jesus (cf. 8,1-4). The Holy Spirit transforms this trial into an occasion of grace, using it so that the name of the Lord can be preached to other peoples, stretching in this way the horizons of the Christian community. These are men and women who, as Luke writes in the Acts of the Apostles, “have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ” (15: 26). First among them is undoubtedly Paul of Tarsus, called by the Lord himself, hence a true Apostle. The story of Paul, the greatest missionary of all times, brings out in many ways the link between vocation and mission. Accused by his opponents of not being authorized for the apostolate, he makes repeated appeals precisely to the call which he received directly from the Lord (cf. Rom 1: 1; Gal 1: 11-12 and 15-17).

4. In the beginning, and thereafter, what “impels” the Apostles (cf. 2 Cor 5: 14) is always “the love of Christ”. Innumerable missionaries, throughout the centuries, as faithful servants of the Church, docile to the action of the Holy Spirit, have followed in the footsteps of the first disciples. The Second Vatican Council notes: “Although every disciple of Christ, as far in him lies, has the duty of spreading the faith, Christ the Lord always calls whomever he will from among the number of his disciples, to be with him and to be sent by him to preach to the nations [cf. Mk 3: 13-15]” (Decree Ad Gentes, 23). In fact, the love of Christ must be communicated to the brothers by example and words, with all one’s life. My venerable predecessor John Paul II wrote: “The special vocation of missionaries ‘for life’ retains all its validity: it is the model of the Church's missionary commitment, which always stands in need of radical and total self-giving, of new and bold endeavours”. (Encyclical Redemptoris Missio, 66)

[...]

6. There have always been in the Church many men and women who, prompted by the action of the Holy Spirit, choose to live the Gospel in a radical way, professing the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. This multitude of men and women religious, belonging to innumerable Institutes of contemplative and active life, still plays “the main role in the evangelisation of the world” (Ad Gentes, 40). With their continual and community prayer, contemplatives intercede without ceasing for all humanity. Religious of the active life, with their many charitable activities, bring to all a living witness of the love and mercy of God. The Servant of God Paul VI concerning these apostles of our times said: “Thanks to their consecration they are eminently willing and free to leave everything and to go and proclaim the Gospel even to the ends of the earth. They are enterprising and their apostolate is often marked by an originality, by a genius that demands admiration. They are generous: often they are found at the outposts of the mission, and they take the greatest of risks for their health and their very lives. Truly the Church owes them much” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, 69).

• Let us ask, in this intention for prayer, that the Holy Spirit may cause missionary vocations to spring up. But this does not mean a petition that the Holy Spirit may act only in other people, those who will be called to a religious vocation, and not in ourselves as well. He wants to touch our hearts also, and to involve us personally in this petition. It is up to each one of us to make real what we are praying for. It means taking on an active and effective role in promoting vocations. The whole Christian community, not only priests and religious, are responsible for promoting and working for the vocations that we need. We should create in our surroundings what is known as ‘a vocational culture’, that is, an atmosphere in parish and Church that accepts and appreciates religious vocation, that prepares a soil favourable to the growth of vocations.

• In the first place, we can work to create a vocational culture through prayer: may intercession for vocations be heard often in our liturgies. But there are other specific actions that help. We can set up prayer-groups specifically for this intention in parishes and schools, with the mission of keeping the issue present and reminding the rest of the community of it. These groups might ask for the lists of seminarians or religious from the diocese and assign prayer ‘godmothers’ or ‘godfathers’ to each one: members of the community who make themselves responsible for praying specifically for this or that young person. In that way the community will hear the names of its future priests and religious mentioned aloud, and everyone will pray for them. One of the weekly masses in the parish might be set aside as a ‘Mass for vocations’, for example Thursdays, to intensify this prayer for the young seminarians or religious. It will be very helpful for the prayer-sponsors to make personal contact with their ‘god-children’, whom they might get to know at least by letter or telephone.

• The said ‘vocational culture’ enables an atmosphere of appreciation and value for the priest’s role, as has already been said above in the commentary on the general intention of this month of June, for priests. If young people see that in their environment there is appreciation for what a consecrated person is and does, they will be more willing to consider the same option for themselves.

• The specific point for this month is to pray for missionary vocations, that is, people ready to spend their lives on the frontiers of the faith, proclaiming Jesus Christ in difficult areas. We have said before that today we can find these mission territories also in western countries that have been traditionally Catholic. Many of these countries, once rich in vocations, have become pagan, and today the mission lies within their borders.

• Let us ask also in this prayer that the missionary vocation may be consolidated in all Christians, including lay people. Today it is more often that we see lay people who offer their services for a fixed period in a region or country not their own. It is a specific kind of missionary service, different from other kinds of voluntary work, done by lay people adequately prepared, who fulfil a contract made with the diocese or institution which receives them.

That Christ may ease the physical and spiritual sufferings of those who are sick with AIDS, especially in the poorest countries.

Christ, hope for Africa

3. As for the drama of AIDS, I have had the opportunity in other circumstances to stress that it is also symptomatic of a "pathology of the spirit". To fight it responsibly, it is necessary to increase its prevention by teaching respect for the sacred value of life and the correct approach to sexuality.

Indeed, if there are many contagious infections passed on through the blood especially during pregnancy - infections that must be combated with every possible means - those contracted through sexual intercourse are by far the most numerous and can only be avoided by responsible conduct and the observance of the virtue of chastity.

The Bishops participating in the above-mentioned Synod for Africa in 1994, referring to the effect of irresponsible sexual behaviour on the spread of the disease, made a recommendation that I would like to propose anew here: "The companionship, joy, happiness and peace which Christian marriage and fidelity provide, and the safeguard which chastity gives, must be continuously presented to the faithful, particularly the young" (ibid., n. 116).

4. Everyone must feel involved in the battle against AIDS. In this area too, it is the task of government leaders and civil authorities to make available to citizens clear and correct information, and to earmark sufficient resources to provide education in health care for young people. I encourage international organizations to promote initiatives in this field that are inspired by wisdom and solidarity, and always to strive to defend human dignity and to protect the inviolable right to life.

Earnest applause goes to the pharmaceutical industries engaged in keeping low the costs of medicines helpful in the treatment of AIDS. Of course, financial resources are necessary for scientific research in the health-care sector and further resources are required to put the newly discovered drugs on the market, but in the face of emergencies such as AIDS, the preservation of human life must come before any other criterion.

I ask pastoral workers "to bring to their brothers and sisters affected by AIDS all possible material, moral and spiritual comfort. I urgently ask the world's scientists and political leaders, motivated by the love and respect due to every human person, to use every means available in order to put an end to this scourge (ibid., n. 116).

I would like in particular to recall here with admiration the many health-care workers, chaplains and volunteers who, like Good Samaritans, assist persons with AIDS and care for their relatives. In this regard, the service of the thousands of Catholic health-care institutions that go to the help of people in Africa afflicted by every kind of illness, and especially by AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, is invaluable.

In recent years, I have noted that my appeals for persons with AIDS have not been in vain. I have seen with pleasure that various countries and institutions, with a coordinated effort, have supported practical campaigns for its prevention and for the care of the sick.

7. [...]

Mary Most Holy offers us an eloquent anticipation of this eschatological reality, especially through the mysteries of her Immaculate Conception and her Assumption into Heaven. In her, conceived without any shadow of sin, is found full acceptance of the divine will and service to human beings, and consequently, she is full of that deep harmony from which joy flows.

We therefore rightly turn to her, invoking her as "Cause of our joy". What the Virgin gives to us is a joy that endures even in trials. However, as I think of Africa, endowed with immense human, cultural and religious resources but afflicted also by unspeakable suffering, a heartfelt prayer rises to my lips:

O Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Woman of suffering and hope, be kind to every suffering person, obtain fullness of life for each one.

Turn your maternal gaze especially upon those in Africa whose need is extreme, struck down by AIDS or other mortal illness.

Look upon the mothers who are mourning their children; Look upon the grandparents who lack the resources to support their orphaned grandchildren.

Embrace them all, keep them close to your Mother's heart.

Queen of Africa and of the whole world, Virgin Most Holy, pray for us!

The World Resources Report takes now into consideration the percentage of people living with AIDS as one of the clues to estimate the future social and economic growth of nations. The agency provides data in collaboration with the World Bank, the U.N. Development Program, the U.N. Environment Program and the World Resources Institute. From the current state of AIDS, the pandemic has turned out to be a chronic disease to mankind. Once acquired, HIV and AIDS cannot be cured. They remain with us for life. The use of anti-retroviral drugs with their "Lazarus effect" proved effective indeed in reducing HIV activity and influence in the body as long as you keep taking them. Unfortunately they now raise a whole host of problems relating to their potential side effects, the dangers of resistance and the creation of some unjustified sense of optimism. As for their cost, it is desperate for the poorest countries to afford them.

Heart, spirit, mind and soul make one single reality with the body in men and women infected and affected with AIDS. There is rejoicing in the heart when sick experience relief from physical pain. With the support of donors from richer countries, Christians in the poorest unexpectedly succeed to organize themselves to care for their neighbors who suffer from AIDS. They do it in centers and small Christian communities. When for the sake of forgiveness and reconciliation, medical assistance is provided and social concern is shown towards those living with AIDS, then Christ becomes present in their midst. Peace, charity, wellbeing along with pardon are among those new values of the kingdom he came to proclaim. Christians rely on Christ and see him as the one who listens to the Father, and equally listens to the needs, hopes, joys, anguishes and sorrows of those he redeemed. (Is 50, 4-5)

There is a popular saying, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". While caring for the sick, preventive measures should be taken to keep HIV and AIDS away. The bottom line for addressing the pandemic seems education. There is a growing body of proofs and evidence that education protects against HIV infection. The more we provide people with the necessary and relevant education, the less AIDS. The International AIDS Conference opened its 18th session in Vienna on Sunday 18th July 2010. It was told earnestly of innovative methods to check HIV, meaning methods that are less expensive. In its outlook report, the organization asserts that the youth show readiness to be change agents in the prevention revolution.

Thuadingoma Antoine, S.J. (Nairobi, Kenya)
From the Jesuit AIDS foundation for Africa, AJAN

That religious women in mission territories may be witnesses of the joy of the Gospel and living signs of the love of Christ

4. In the beginning, and thereafter, what “impels” the Apostles (cf. 2 Cor 5: 14) is always “the love of Christ”. Innumerable missionaries, throughout the centuries, as faithful servants of the Church, docile to the action of the Holy Spirit, have followed in the footsteps of the first disciples. The Second Vatican Council notes: “Although every disciple of Christ, as far in him lies, has the duty of spreading the faith, Christ the Lord always calls whomever he will from among the number of his disciples, to be with him and to be sent by him to preach to the nations [cf. Mk 3: 13-15]” (Decree Ad Gentes, 23). In fact, the love of Christ must be communicated to the brothers by example and words, with all one’s life. My venerable predecessor John Paul II wrote: “The special vocation of missionaries ‘for life’ retains all its validity: it is the model of the Church's missionary commitment, which always stands in need of radical and total self-giving, of new and bold endeavours”. (Encyclical Redemptoris Missio, 66)

[…]

6. There have always been in the Church many men and women who, prompted by the action of the Holy Spirit, choose to live the Gospel in a radical way, professing the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. This multitude of men and women religious, belonging to innumerable Institutes of contemplative and active life, still plays “the main role in the evangelisation of the world” (Ad Gentes, 40). With their continual and community prayer, contemplatives intercede without ceasing for all humanity. Religious of the active life, with their many charitable activities, bring to all a living witness of the love and mercy of God. The Servant of God Paul VI concerning these apostles of our times said: “Thanks to their consecration they are eminently willing and free to leave everything and to go and proclaim the Gospel even to the ends of the earth. They are enterprising and their apostolate is often marked by an originality, by a genius that demands admiration. They are generous: often they are found at the outposts of the mission, and they take the greatest of risks for their health and their very lives. Truly the Church owes them much” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, 69).

Dear Brothers, consecrated men and women are rightly recognized as “witnesses and artisans of that plan of communion which stands at the centre of history according to God” (Vita Consecrata, 39). Please assure the men and women Religious in your territories of my appreciation of the prophetic contribution they are making to ecclesial life in your nations. I am confident that, faithful to their essential nature and respective charisms, they will bear bold witness to the specifically Christian “gift of self for love of the Lord Jesus and, in him, of every member of the human family” (ibid., 3).

(4.) In a very special way your Dioceses can count on the witness and work of many men and women Religious who, giving freely of themselves, contribute so much to the life and vigour of your communities. Their special consecration to the Lord enables them to bear a particularly effective witness to God's love for his people and makes them living signs of the truth that "the Kingdom of God is at hand" (Mk 1:15). They are an integral element of the Church's life and mission in Nigeria: let them never be absent from your fatherly care and concern; be close to them and cherish their charisms as an extraordinary gift of the Lord.

6. The members of the particular Churches entrusted to your care are citizens of a nation which must now meet several serious challenges as it attempts to implement political and social change. In this context, ever greater significance accrues to your role as leaders in the Catholic community, leaders who recognize the desirability and need for constructive dialogue with all sectors of society regarding the just and solid bases of life in society. Such a dialogue, while seeking to keep open all channels of communication in a spirit of patience and good will, does not prevent you from presenting openly and respectfully the Church's convictions, especially regarding such important matters as justice and impartiality for all citizens, respect for human rights, religious freedom and the objective moral truth which ought to be reflected in civil legislation.

It is of the utmost importance that all Nigerians should work together to ensure that necessary changes may be brought about peacefully and without undue hardship to the weaker segments of the population. In this, it is clear that the zealous efforts of Pastors and faithful, in close cooperation with Christians of other Churches and Ecclesial Communities, play an important role in ensuring a positive outcome to this period of transition. In fact, as the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council noted, common action of this sort "vividly expresses that bond which already unites" Christians and, insofar as all join in service of the common good, it "sets in clearer relief the features of Christ the Servant" (Unitatis Redintegratio, 12).

This month’s intention is set in the context of the missionary task that we all have, of presenting a Church which is mission-oriented and alive. This month the Pope invites us particularly to pray and give thanks for the many women who have offered their lives to the Lord with joy and hope, and out of love, and have done this especially in committing themselves to mission far away from their native country.

Since the first centuries many women have wanted to live this deep union and conformity with Jesus and his cause. Many have done it in their own countries, dedicating themselves to missions in different spheres of life, in education, human development, justice…. and many, also, have left their own country, through a particular call to go to places where the Word of God has not yet been proclaimed. It is for these last, women called to live their missionary task with enthusiasm, generosity and commitment, that we pray this month.

I have twice had the opportunity of sharing and accompanying the Church’s mission in Chad, Africa. I feel that for me this country has become a holy land, a privileged place where the Lord has spoken to my heart, where he has seduced me. There he has allowed me to discover his presence in the fundamentals of life: far from riches and power, he was in humble and simple things, in the joy and sorrow that make up everyday life; in the sufferings and happiness; he was in the searching and the hopes of the poor. It was an opportunity to know myself as a religious sister, to enter into dialogue, despite the language-difficulty and the cultural differences, because God’s love is greater, and goes beyond frontiers of every kind. It was not always easy, it is certainly a sacrificial life, lonely, but for me it was always an opportunity to meet with Christ poor, Christ suffering, Christ my brother.

May the Pope’s petition help us to increase our prayer, to ask the Lord to support and encourage the many religious sisters who serve today in different mission countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America. Let us pray that they may know how to reveal God’s maternal face in the places where they find themselves. Let us ask also that the Lord may continue to send missionary vocations to many women.

Sister Quena Valdés O., rscj
Chilean Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
who was a missionary in Chad, Africa, for several years

That World Youth Day in Madrid may encourage young people throughout the world to have their lives rooted and built up in Christ.

Dear Friends,

This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the inauguration of World Youth Day in response to the desire of the Venerable John Paul II for an annual gathering of young people of faith from throughout the world. It was a prophetic initiative that has borne abundant fruits, enabling the new generations of Christians to meet one another, to listen to the Word of God, to discover the beauty of the Church, and to have a deep experience of faith. This led many of them in turn to decide to give themselves completely to Christ.

The present 25th World Youth Day is one step along the way leading to the next international encounter of young people, scheduled for Madrid in August 2011. I hope that many of you will be there to experience this grace-filled event.

To prepare ourselves for this celebration, I would like to offer you some reflections on this year’s theme: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mk 10:17). It is drawn from Gospel passage where Jesus meets the rich young man. It is a theme that Pope John Paul II reflected on in 1985, in a very beautiful Letter, the first ever addressed to young people.

1. Jesus meets a young man

“As [Jesus] was setting out on a journey” – the Gospel of Saint Mark tells us – “a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, ‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honour your father and your mother.’ He replied and said to him, ‘Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth’. Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, ‘You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me’. At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions” (Mk 10: 17-22).

This Gospel passage shows us clearly how much Jesus was concerned with young people, with all of you, with your expectations and your hopes, and it shows how much he wants to meet you personally and to engage each of you in conversation. Christ interrupted his journey to stop and answer the young man’s question. He gave his full attention to this youth who was moved with an ardent desire to speak to the “good Teacher” and to learn from him how to journey through life. My Predecessor used this Gospel passage to urge each of you to “develop your own conversation with Christ – a conversation which is of fundamental and essential importance for a young person” (Letter to Young People, No. 2).

2. Jesus looked at him and loved him

In his Gospel account, Saint Mark emphasises that “Jesus, looking at him, loved him” (Mk 10: 21). The Lord’s gaze is at the heart of this very special encounter and the whole Christian experience. To be sure, Christianity is not primarily a moral code. It is an experience of Jesus Christ who loves each of us personally, young and old, poor and rich. He loves us even when we turn away from him.

When Pope John Paul II commented on this scene, he turned to you and added: “May you experience a look like that! May you experience the truth that he, Christ, looks upon you with love!” (Letter to Young People, No. 7). It was love, revealed on the Cross so completely and totally, that led Saint Paul to write in amazement: “He loved me and gave himself up for me” (Gal 2:20). Pope John Paul II wrote that “the awareness that the Father has always loved us in his Son, that Christ always loves each of us, becomes a solid support for our whole human existence” (ibid.). It enables us to overcome all our trials: the realization of our sins, our sufferings and our moments of discouragement.

In this love we find the source of all Christian life and the basic reason for evangelization: if we have really encountered Jesus, we cannot help but bear witness to him before those who have not yet met his gaze!

3. Finding a plan in life

If we look at the young man in the Gospel, we can see that he is much like each of you. You too are rich in talents, energy, dreams and hopes. These are resources which you have in abundance! Your age itself is a great treasure, not only for yourselves but for others too, for the Church and for the world.

The rich young man asks Jesus: “What must I do?” The time of life which you are going through is one of discovery: discovery of the gifts which God has bestowed upon you and your own responsibilities. It is also a time when you are making crucial choices about how you will live your lives. So it is a time to think about the real meaning of life and to ask yourselves: “Am I satisfied with my life? Is there something missing?”

Like the young man in the Gospel story, perhaps you too are experiencing situations of uncertainty, anxiety or suffering, and are yearning for something more than a life of mediocrity. It makes you ask yourselves: “What makes a life successful? What do I need to do? How should I plan my life? “What must I do for my life to have full value and full meaning?” (ibid., No. 3).

Do not be afraid to ask yourselves these questions! Far from troubling you, they are giving voice to the great aspirations that you hold in your hearts. That is why you should listen to them. The answers you give to them must not be superficial, but capable of satisfying the longing you truly feel for life and happiness.

In order to discover the life-project that will make you completely happy, listen to God. He has a loving plan for each one of you. You can confidently ask him: “Lord, what is your plan, as Creator and Father, for my life? What is your will? I want to carry it out”. You can be certain that he will answer you. Do not be afraid of his answer! “For God is greater than our hearts and knows everything” (1 Jn 3:20).

4. Come and follow me!

Jesus invites the rich young man to do much more than merely satisfy his aspirations and personal plans. He says to him: “Come and follow me!” The Christian vocation derives from a love-filled invitation made by the Lord, and it can be lived out only by a love-filled response: “Jesus invites his disciples to give their lives completely, without calculation or personal interest, with unreserved trust in God. The saints accept this demanding invitation and set out with humble docility in following the crucified and risen Christ. Their perfection, in the logic of faith which is at times humanly incomprehensible, consists in no longer putting themselves at the centre but in choosing to go against the tide, by living in line with the Gospel” (Benedict XVI, Homily at Canonizations, 11 October 2009).

Following the example of so many of Christ’s disciples, may you too, dear friends, joyfully welcome his invitation to follow him, and so live your lives intensely and fruitfully in this world. Through Baptism, in fact, he calls each of us to follow him concretely, to love him above all things and to serve him in our brothers and sisters. The rich young man, unfortunately, did not accept Jesus’ invitation and he went away saddened. He did not find the courage to leave behind his material goods in order to find the far greater good proposed by Jesus.

The sadness experienced by the rich young man in the Gospel story is the sadness that arises in the heart of all those who lack the courage to follow Christ and to make the right choice. Yet it is never too late to respond to him!

Jesus never tires of turning to us with love and calling us to be his disciples; to some, however, he proposes an even more radical choice. In this Year for Priests, I would like to urge young men and boys to consider if the Lord is inviting them to a greater gift, along the path of priestly ministry. I ask them to be willing to embrace with generosity and enthusiasm this sign of a special love and to embark on the necessary path of discernment with the help of a priest or a spiritual director. Do not be afraid, then, dear young men and women, if the Lord is calling you to the religious, monastic or missionary life, or a life of special consecration: He knows how to bestow deep joy upon those who respond to him with courage!

I also invite those who feel called to marriage to embrace this vocation with faith, working to lay a solid foundation for a love that is great, faithful and receptive to the gift of life. This vocation is a treasure and grace for society and for the Church.

When I was a young person and first heard of an upcoming World Youth Day, I did not want to go! I was a university student at the time and I was living my life in some ways that were not very rooted in Jesus Christ. But my grandmother, whom I loved very much, convinced me to go. Thank God for grandmothers!

The grace I found at that World Youth Day gathering was what Pope Benedict asks us to pray for this month: that young people be encouraged to have their lives rooted and built up in Jesus Christ. That World Youth Day was a turning point for me in living my faith as a young adult, and was also a time when the seeds of my vocation to religious life and priesthood were planted.

World Youth Day 2011 will take place from August 16-21 in Madrid, Spain. World Youth Day is a weeklong gathering of Catholic youth and young adults held every 2-3 years in different cities around the globe. Pope John Paul II began these events in the 1980's, and the tradition has continued with Pope Benedict XVI. The last three World Youth Days were held in Sydney, Australia (2008); Cologne, Germany (2005); and Toronto, Canada (2002). Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come from all over the world to join in these celebrations of the universal Church.

The Scriptural theme for this World Youth Day is: “Planted and Built Up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith” (Colossians 2:7). Clearly Pope Benedict’s general intention for the month during which World Youth Day is being held refers to this verse from Saint Paul. Paul was writing to the Christians in the Church at Colossae at a time when they had received Christ, but were being tempted to turn to other ways of life that ran counter to an authentic life rooted in Jesus. Isn’t this a challenge for so many young Christians in our own time? It was certainly a challenge for me when my grandmother first introduced me to World Youth Day.

And so we pray with the pope and with our sister and brother apostles of prayer around the world that the hundreds of thousands of young people who gather in Madrid this month may indeed be encouraged – by the pope himself, by their peers gathered in faith and joy, and especially by the love of the Heart of Jesus – to continue to live lives planted and built up in Christ. What a difference this will make in our world!

For more information on World Youth Day 2011 go to: http://en.madrid11.com

Fr. Phil Hurley, S.J.
Apostleship of Prayer, U.S.A.
Youth & Young Adult Director

That Western Christians may be open to the action of the Holy Spirit and rediscover the freshness and enthusiasm of their faith

In receiving this legacy, I was able to state, at the beginning of my Petrine ministry, that the Church is young and open to the future. And I repeat this today, close to the tomb of St Paul. The Church is an immense force for renewal in the world. This is not, of course, because of her own strength but because of the power of the Gospel in which the Holy Spirit of God breathes, God Creator and Redeemer of the world. The challenges of the present time, the historical and social and, especially, the spiritual challenges, are certainly beyond the human capacity. It sometimes seems to us Pastors of the Church that we are reliving the experience of the Apostles when thousands of needy people followed Jesus and he asked them: what can we do for all these people? They were then aware of their powerlessness. Yet Jesus himself had shown them that with faith in God nothing is impossible and that a few loaves and fish, blessed and shared, could satisfy the hunger of all. However, there was not and there is not hunger solely for material food: there is a deeper hunger that only God can satisfy. Human beings of the third millennium want an authentic, full life; they need truth, profound freedom, love freely given. Even in the deserts of the secularized world, man's soul thirsts for God, for the living God. It was for this reason that John Paul II wrote: "The mission of Christ the Redeemer, which is entrusted to the Church, is still very far from completion", and he added: "an overall view of the human race shows that this mission is still only beginning and that we must commit ourselves wholeheartedly to its service" (Encyclical Redemptoris Missio, n. 1). There are regions of the world that are still awaiting a first evangelization; others that have received it, but need a deeper intervention; yet others in which the Gospel put down roots a long time ago, giving rise to a true Christian tradition but in which, in recent centuries with complex dynamics the secularization process has produced a serious crisis of the meaning of the Christian faith and of belonging to the Church.

From this perspective, I have decided to create a new body, in the form of a "Pontifical Council", whose principal task will be to promote a renewed evangelization in the countries where the first proclamation of the faith has already resonated and where Churches with an ancient foundation exist but are experiencing the progressive secularization of society and a sort of "eclipse of the sense of God", which pose a challenge to finding appropriate to propose anew the perennial truth of Christ's Gospel.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, the challenge of the new evangelization calls into question the universal Church and asks us to continue with commitment our search for full Christian unity. An eloquent sign of hope in this regard is the custom of reciprocal visits between the Church of Rome and that of Constantinople for the Feast day of their respective Holy Patrons. Today, therefore, we welcome with renewed joy and gratitude the Delegation sent by Patriarch Bartholomaios I, to whom we address our most cordial greeting. May the intercession of Sts Peter and Paul obtain for the entire Church ardent faith and apostolic courage, to proclaim to the world the truth we all need, the truth that is God, the beginning and end of the universe and of history, the merciful and faithful Father, hope of eternal life. Amen.

The good news of Jesus Christ came from Asia. There were men and women that crossed the Mediterranean towards Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire to spread the word of the gospel, or to the region that is now known as France, like St. Irenaeus in the second century. And so the word of the gospel was spread little by little through Western Europe.

From the beginning of the 12th century the Church was marked by two lines of thought: a “monastic theology” (more biblical and spiritual) and a “scholastic theology” (more rational). These were very prolific and marked the way of thinking about faith and the organisation of the Latin Church. In the IV Lateran Council in 1215, a parish based model of the Church ended up imposing itself, and that lasted through the centuries up to present day. In all their diversity, western Christians have inherited the fruits of this history in which the understanding of their faith and their spiritual path has been carved. It is a history full wounds, fights and reconciliation. It is also a history of generosity and light and of renewed spirituality.

Today, in the middle of a cultural change never seen before in the west and in a context of cultural and religious globalisation, above all with those who arrived from Asia, Christians are left paralysed as if they had lost a freshness and enthusiasm for their faith. A specific way of understanding the Church has disappeared before our eyes. The pastoral model that for so long structured the Church is no longer viable. However, what to many may seem as the end is actually the point of new birth. We are not able to see it, or only very slightly, because we are often trying to reproduce the past. The seed of the Gospel that has been planted patiently is working in our societies. And now, as before, the power of the Gospel begins to emerge from the depths of history. The treasure of the biblical text is now recognised by all. Cultural identity has been knitted together by the Gospel. The impoverishment of the Church has often led it back to its first origins in the Gospel, back to the paths of Galilee. People today have more and more thirst for spiritual life although they do not always follow the path of Christ. Little by little the Church is finding again its roots and its “oriental lung” from which it had moved so far. Yes, our time is a favourable time for the Gospel, a favourable time for our mission!

Throughout history there have always been moments when the original sparkle of the Gospel reappears, like with St. Francis of Assisi or St. Ignatius of Loyola and even with St. Teresa of Lisieux. Today we are again living favourable times. Through reading the Scriptures in communities and through prayer united to sacramental life, the Holy Spirit helps people to rediscover the novelty of the Gospel and to enter into the way of life of Jesus, working for the justice of the Kingdom of God. A fresh and enthusiastic faith cannot be rediscovered unless we let the Holy Spirit guide us to a personal encounter with Jesus, the Risen One.

Father Frédéric Fornos, S.J.
National Secretary of the Apostleship of Prayer in France

That all teachers may know how to communicate love of the truth and instill authentic moral and spiritual values.

Dear Faithful of Rome,

I thought of addressing this Letter to you in order to speak to you about a problem of which you yourselves are aware and to which the various members of our Church are applying themselves: the problem of education. We all have at heart the good of the people we love, especially our children, adolescents and young people. Indeed, we know that it is on them that the future of our City depends. Therefore, it is impossible not to be concerned about the formation of the new generations, about their ability to give their lives a direction and to discern good from evil, and about their health, not only physical but also moral.

Educating, however, has never been an easy task and today seems to be becoming ever more difficult. Parents, teachers, priests and everyone who has direct educational responsibilities are well aware of this. Hence, there is talk of a great "educational emergency", confirmed by the failures we encounter all too often in our efforts to form sound people who can cooperate with others and give their own lives meaning. Thus, it is natural to think of laying the blame on the new generations, as though children born today were different from those born in the past. There is also talk of a "generation gap" which certainly exists and is making itself felt, but is the effect rather than the cause of the failure to transmit certainties and values.

Must we therefore blame today's adults for no longer being able to educate? There is certainly a strong temptation among both parents and teachers as well as educators in general to give up, since they run the risk of not even understanding what their role or rather the mission entrusted to them is.

In fact, it is not only the personal responsibilities of adults or young people, which nonetheless exist and must not be concealed, that are called into question but also a widespread atmosphere, a mindset and form of culture which induce one to have doubt about the value of the human person, about the very meaning of truth and good, and ultimately about the goodness of life. It then becomes difficult to pass on from one generation to the next something that is valid and certain, rules of conduct, credible objectives around which to build life itself.

Dear brothers and sisters of Rome, at this point I would like to say some very simple words to you: Do not be afraid! In fact, none of these difficulties is insurmountable. They are, as it were, the other side of the coin of that great and precious gift which is our freedom, with the responsibility that rightly goes with it. As opposed to what happens in the technical or financial fields, where today's advances can be added to those of the past, no similar accumulation is possible in the area of people's formation and moral growth, because the person's freedom is ever new. As a result, each person and each generation must make his own decision anew, alone. Not even the greatest values of the past can be simply inherited; they must be claimed by us and renewed through an often anguishing personal option.

When the foundations are shaken, however, and essential certainties are lacking, the impelling need for those values once again makes itself felt: thus today, the request for an education which is truly such is in fact increasing. Parents, anxious and often anguished about the future of their children, are asking for it; a great many teachers going through the sorrowful experience of their schools' deterioration are asking for it; society overall, seeing doubts cast on the very foundations of coexistence, is asking for it; children and young people themselves who do not want to be left to face life's challenges on their own are also asking for it in their inmost being. Those who believe in Jesus Christ, moreover, have a further and stronger reason for not being afraid: they know in fact that God does not abandon us, that his love reaches us wherever we are and just as we are, in our wretchedness and weakness, in order to offer us a new possibility of good.

Dear brothers and sisters, to make my considerations more meaningful, it might be useful to identify several common requirements of an authentic education. It needs first of all that closeness and trust which are born from love: I am thinking of the first and fundamental experience of love which children have, or at least should have, from their parents. Yet every true teacher knows that if he is to educate he must give a part of himself, and that it is only in this way that he can help his pupils overcome selfishness and become in their turn capable of authentic love.

In a small child there is already a strong desire to know and to understand, which is expressed in his stream of questions and constant demands for explanations. Therefore, an education would be most impoverished if it were limited to providing notions and information and neglected the important question about the truth, especially that truth which can be a guide in life.

Suffering is also part of the truth of our life. So, by seeking to shield the youngest from every difficulty and experience of suffering, we risk raising brittle and ungenerous people, despite our good intentions: indeed, the capacity for loving corresponds to the capacity for suffering and for suffering together.

We thus arrive, dear friends of Rome, at what is perhaps the most delicate point in the task of education: finding the right balance between freedom and discipline. If no standard of behaviour and rule of life is applied even in small daily matters, the character is not formed and the person will not be ready to face the trials that will come in the future. The educational relationship, however, is first of all the encounter of two kinds of freedom, and successful education means teaching the correct use of freedom. As the child gradually grows up, he becomes an adolescent and then a young person; we must therefore accept the risk of freedom and be constantly attentive in order to help him to correct wrong ideas and choices. However, what we must never do is to support him when he errs, to pretend we do not see the errors or worse, that we share them as if they were the new boundaries of human progress.

Education cannot, therefore, dispense with that authoritativeness which makes the exercise of authority possible. It is the fruit of experience and competence, but is acquired above all with the coherence of one's own life and personal involvement, an expression of true love. The educator is thus a witness of truth and goodness. He too, of course, is fragile and can be mistaken, but he will constantly endeavour to be in tune with his mission.

Dear faithful of Rome, from these simple observations it becomes clear that in education a sense of responsibility is crucial: the responsibility of the educator, of course, but also, as he grows up, the responsibility of the child, the student, the young person who enters the world of work. Those who can measure up to themselves and to others are responsible. Those who believe seek further; indeed, they seek to respond to God who loved them first.

Responsibility is in the first place personal, but there is also a responsibility which we share as citizens in the same city and of one nation, as members of the human family and, if we are believers, as children of the one God and members of the Church. Indeed, ideas, lifestyles, laws, the orientations in general of the society in which we live and the image it has of itself through the mass media exercise a great influence on the formation of the new generations, for good but often also for evil. However, society is not an abstraction; in the end we are ourselves all together, with the orientations, rules and representatives we give one another, although the roles and responsibilities of each person are different. Thus, the contribution of each one of us, of each person, family or social group, is necessary if society, starting with our City of Rome, is to become a more favourable context for education.

Lastly, I would like to offer you a thought which I developed in my recent Encyclical Letter Spe Salvi on Christian hope: the soul of education, as of the whole of life, can only be a dependable hope. Today, our hope is threatened on many sides and we even risk becoming, like the ancient pagans, people "having no hope and without God in the world", as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians of Ephesus (Eph 2: 12). What may be the deepest difficulty for a true educational endeavour consists precisely in this: the fact that at the root of the crisis of education lies a crisis of trust in life.

I cannot finish this Letter, therefore, without a warm invitation to place our hope in God. He alone is the hope that withstands every disappointment; his love alone cannot be destroyed by death; his justice and mercy alone can heal injustices and recompense the suffering experienced. Hope that is addressed to God is never hope for oneself alone, it is always also hope for others; it does not isolate us but renders us supportive in goodness and encourages us to educate one another in truth and in love.

I express my affection for you and assure you of my special remembrance in prayer, as I impart my Blessing to you all.

Perhaps one of the questions most discussed in our century and our world today is education, teaching and learning… We scarcely feel certain of choosing the word to describe it, still less do we agree about the most suitable methodology, about the hierarchy of objectives, about the priorities of the values involved in it! It is a subject for great intellectual, political and economic discussions in some parts of the world, and a subject glaringly absent in others. Millions of illiterate women, millions of children without education, millions of schools destroyed by war….

While in Europe we have heated debates on the advantages and disadvantages of applying the Bologna agreements on higher education, thousands of children in Africa walk barefoot for hours to attend school. But wherever the place may be, we meet the figure of the teacher, the educator: in the west, a figure who has suffered an alarming devaluation and a progressive lack of recognition, for whom the Pope invites us to pray, and to pray something very specific – that s/he may know how to convey love and truth. For education is not solely, or chiefly, instruction, transmission of information, but care for an individual person whom we look at every day, and to whom we want to offer something more than a collection of information directed only to the head.

The teacher has to take on a mission as valuable as it is difficult. Each life is a potential history and the possibility of a new world in the making. We do not know the influence that each person who comes to our classrooms may have in our society. It is possible to hold back and crush this future, or to support it, foster it and leave it open.

The challenge to the teacher is growing: to teach to learn, teach to think, teach to discern, to integrate; to mature his or her own conscience to the point of being able to teach love of truth. And for that s/he has to be able to arouse desire to know about things and about life, has to be able to introduce the pupil into reality and invite him or her both to immersion in the mysterious inner world of each one, and to openness to the mystery of the world and of the other person; to educate men and women who are passionate about seeking truth. Not philosophical truth, not truth considered as a selection of contents imposed on others, but the truth offered by the Gospel, which is inseparable from love, which is shown in the close coherence between doing and saying, between knowing and working, in the testimony of a life which exists in order to be for others.

Certainly there are ample reasons to pray for teachers. To them is entrusted the difficult task of journeying towards this truth, showing that it is lovable, which is to say, arousing fascination with it to the point where truth itself shapes the one who seeks it, in such a way that s/he feels impelled to put it into action, with joy and happiness. This truth has been revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Only this truth is lovable, worthy of faith, way and life. And finally it is only the Spirit who can guide us towards it.

Sister Nurya Gayol, Handmaid of the Sacred Heart
Teacher in Comillas University, Madrid

That the Christian communities of Asia may proclaim the Gospel with fervor, witnessing to its beauty with the joy of faith.

Dear Brother Bishops,

The Church in your countries has made remarkable progress since the arrival of missionaries in the region over four hundred years ago, and their return to Mongolia just fifteen years ago. This growth is due in no small part to the outstanding witness of the Korean Martyrs and others throughout Asia who remained steadfastly faithful to Christ and his Church. The endurance of their testimony speaks eloquently of the fundamental concept of communio that unifies and vivifies ecclesial life in all its dimensions.

The Evangelist John’s numerous exhortations to abide in the love and truth of Christ evoke the image of a sure and safe dwelling place. God first loves us and we, drawn towards his gift of living water, “constantly drink anew from the original source, which is Jesus Christ, from whose pierced heart flows the love of God” (Deus Caritas Est, 7). Yet Saint John also had to urge his communities to remain in that love, for already some had been enticed by the distractions which lead to interior weakness and eventual detachment from the communio of believers.

This admonition to remain in Christ’s love also has a particular significance for you today. Your reports attest to the lure of materialism and the negative effects of a secularist mentality. When men and women are drawn away from the Lord’s dwelling place they inevitably wander in a wilderness of individual isolation and social fragmentation, for “it is only in the Word made flesh that the mystery of man truly becomes clear” (Gaudium et Spes, 22).

Dear Brothers, from this perspective it is evident that to be effective shepherds of hope you must strive to ensure that the bond of communion which unites Christ to all the baptized is safeguarded and experienced as the heart of the mystery of the Church (cf. Ecclesia in Asia, 24). With their eyes fixed on the Lord, the faithful must echo anew the Martyrs’ cry of faith: “we know and believe the love God has for us” (1 Jn 4:16). Such faith is sustained and nurtured by an ongoing encounter with Jesus Christ who comes to men and women through the Church: the sign and sacrament of communion with God and of unity among all people (cf. Lumen Gentium, 1). The gateway to this mystery of communion with God is of course Baptism. This sacrament of initiation, far more than a social ritual or welcome into a particular community, is the initiative of God (cf. Rite of Baptism, 98). Those reborn through the waters of new life enter the door of the universal Church and are drawn into the dynamism of the life of faith. Indeed, the profound importance of this sacrament underscores your growing concern that not a few of the numerous adults received into the Church in your region every year fail to maintain a commitment to “the full participation in liturgical celebrations which is … a right and obligation by reason of … Baptism” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 14). I encourage you to ensure, especially through a joyous mystagogia, that the “flame of faith” is kept “alive in the hearts” (Rite of Baptism, 100) of the newly baptized.

The word communio also refers of course to the Eucharistic centre of the Church as Saint Paul eloquently teaches (cf. 1 Cor 10:16-17). The Eucharist roots our understanding of the Church in the intimate encounter between Jesus and humanity and reveals the source of ecclesial unity: Christ’s act of giving himself to us makes us his body. The commemoration of Christ’s death and resurrection in the Eucharist is the “supreme sacramental manifestation of communio in the Church” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 38) whereby local Churches allow themselves to be drawn into the open arms of the Lord and strengthened in unity within the one Body (cf. Sacramentum Caritatis, 15).

Your programmes designed to highlight the importance of Sunday Mass should be infused with a sound and stimulating catechesis on the Eucharist. This will foster a renewed understanding of the authentic dynamism of Christian life among your faithful. I join you in urging the laity – and in a special way the young people in your region – to explore the depth and breadth of our Eucharistic communion. Gathered every Sunday in the Lord’s House, we are consumed by Christ’s love and truth and empowered to bring hope to the world.

Asia is the largest, most populous, and possibly most culturally diverse continent in the world. In Asia, one finds the new economic giants, China and India, and other global centers of prosperity, like South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong. The largest Muslim nation in the world is Indonesia, with its population of over 230 million people, 87% of whom are Sunni Muslims. Millions of its people still live under repressive regimes like that of Myanmar; countless others continue to suffer from war and violence in places like Afghanistan and Iraq; hundreds of millions of poor, particularly those affected by natural disasters like the recent floods in Pakistan, are among Asia’s teeming millions.

Asia is the birthplace of the great religions of the world, and over a billion Asians have embraced Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism and Islam for centuries. By contrast, however, the Catholic church remains a “little flock,” a tiny percentage of the populations of Asia, with the exception of the Philippines and East Timor, which are largely Catholic. At the same time, these ancient Asian religions and cultural traditions also find themselves confronted by a growing secularization of cultures, particularly as a global, postmodern, and consumerist culture is spread by modern means of communication. It is striking, for example, that a place like Japan, till this year the second largest economy in the world, is also the place with the largest number of suicides every year—claiming around 30,000 lives each year.

In all of this, we see that Asia, so crucial for the future of the world’s history, is searching for fuller life: life with meaning and hope, life free from poverty and war, life in freedom and peace. As Pope John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Asia (1999) reminds us, the fullness of life which Asia is seeking is a gift that Jesus wants to share with the peoples of Asia: Jesus came “that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (Jn 10:10) Thus, Pope John Paul II called “Christ’s disciples in Asia” to a “new commitment to mission.” (Ecclesia in Asia, No. 4) This mission can only be successful if it carried out with fervor and inner conviction: “A fire can only be lit by something that is itself on fire.” (Ecclesia in Asia, No. 23)

Moreover, this mission is not about imposing new beliefs or moral codes on others, in a spirit of competition or superiority. Rather, as Ecclesia in Asia reminds us, the Gospel is a gift which Christians in Asia have gratefully received. To proclaim the Gospel in Asia means sharing a gift: sharing the joy of having found the source of life, meaning and love in Jesus. It involves showing how beautiful human life can be when it is touched and transformed by the Good News of Jesus.

In Asia, where there are so many diverse and ancient religious traditions, and where, Jesus and his Gospel have often been perceived as “foreign,” the words of Pope Paul VI ring particularly true: "People today put more trust in witnesses than in teachers, in experience than in teaching, and in life and action than in theories". The peoples of Asia will only be drawn to the Gospel if they see the transformed lives of those who believe in Jesus: their joy, their respect and humility, their freedom from fear, their loving compassion and service to the poor.

With these motivations, then, let us accompany the Holy Father this month in his prayer for the Christian Communities in Asia and their joy in announcing the Gospel.

Father Danny Huang, S.J.
Assistant to the Jesuit Father General, for the region of Asia

That the terminally ill may be supported by their faith in God and the love of their brothers and sisters.

Once again the Church turns her eyes to those who suffer and calls attention to the incurably ill, many of whom are dying from terminal diseases. They are found on every continent, particularly in places where poverty and hardship cause immense misery and grief. Conscious of these sufferings, I will be spiritually present at the World Day of the Sick, united with those meeting to discuss the plight of the incurably ill in our world and encouraging the efforts of Christian communities in their witness to the Lord’s tenderness and mercy.

Sickness inevitably brings with it a moment of crisis and sober confrontation with one’s own personal situation. Advances in the health sciences often provide the means necessary to meet this challenge, at least with regard to its physical aspects. Human life, however, has intrinsic limitations, and sooner or later it ends in death. This is an experience to which each human being is called, and one for which he or she must be prepared. Despite the advances of science, a cure cannot be found for every illness, and thus, in hospitals, hospices and homes throughout the world we encounter the sufferings of our many brothers and sisters who are incurably and often terminally ill. In addition, many millions of people in our world still experience insanitary living conditions and lack access to much-needed medical resources, often of the most basic kind, with the result that the number of human beings considered “incurable” is greatly increased.

The Church wishes to support the incurably and terminally ill by calling for just social policies which can help to eliminate the causes of many diseases and by urging improved care for the dying and those for whom no medical remedy is available. There is a need to promote policies which create conditions where human beings can bear even incurable illnesses and death in a dignified manner. Here it is necessary to stress once again the need for more palliative care centres which provide integral care, offering the sick the human assistance and spiritual accompaniment they need. This is a right belonging to every human being, one which we must all be committed to defend.

Here I would like to encourage the efforts of those who work daily to ensure that the incurably and terminally ill, together with their families, receive adequate and loving care. The Church, following the example of the Good Samaritan, has always shown particular concern for the infirm. Through her individual members and institutions, she continues to stand alongside the suffering and to attend the dying, striving to preserve their dignity at these significant moments of human existence. Many such individuals – health care professionals, pastoral agents and volunteers – and institutions throughout the world are tirelessly serving the sick, in hospitals and in palliative care units, on city streets, in housing projects and parishes.

I now turn to you, my dear brothers and sisters suffering from incurable and terminal diseases. I encourage you to contemplate the sufferings of Christ crucified, and, in union with him, to turn to the Father with complete trust that all life, and your lives in particular, are in his hands. Trust that your sufferings, united to those of Christ, will prove fruitful for the needs of the Church and the world. I ask the Lord to strengthen your faith in his love, especially during these trials that you are experiencing. It is my hope that, wherever you are, you will always find the spiritual encouragement and strength needed to nourish your faith and bring you closer to the Father of Life. Through her priests and pastoral workers, the Church wishes to assist you and stand at your side, helping you in your hour of need, and thus making present Christ’s own loving mercy towards those who suffer.

In conclusion, I ask ecclesial communities throughout the world, and particularly those dedicated to the service of the infirm, to continue, with the help of Mary, Salus Infirmorum, to bear effective witness to the loving concern of God our Father. May the Blessed Virgin, our Mother, comfort those who are ill and sustain all who have devoted their lives, as Good Samaritans, to healing the physical and spiritual wounds of those who suffer. United to each of you in thought and prayer, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of strength and peace in the Lord.

Tres testimonios venidos de Chile

When the Chilean saint Alberto Hurtado was given the news that he had terminal cancer at the age of 52, his reaction was jubilant. ‘I’ve got the first prize in the lottery’, he exclaimed immediately. He knew that the hour was coming in his life to go to the Father, to unite his life with God for ever, as he had always wanted.

At the funeral Mass for little Macarena, dead of cancer when she was five years old, he mother spoke, and said with a strong voice, completely at peace, and with a smile on her lips: ‘I thank God for giving me this wonderful daughter for five years. Through her joy, her laughter, and her tenderness, during those years she showed us the beauty of God. She was the Lord’s instrument to transform our lives and show us what is really important. The hard struggle against her illness, the long hours spent in the hospital, the solidarity of friends and relatives, allowed us to discover the most essential things in life. Before this, we used to give too much importance to appearances, economic success, other people’s opinions. Now we have learned to value real friendship, being together as a family, the enjoyment of each day and each moment as a wonderful, magic gift. Macarena has been the means to bring us close to God’s gentle, inexhaustible love, which never abandoned us for a moment, which is interested in our lives. Now we feel ourselves stronger in faith and closer to the Lord than we were before, and we know that we are sheltered by his tenderness. Without being rich, thanks to his amazing providence we were able to pay for a very expensive treatment, and now we are not even in debt. In my own name and in my husband’s, we give infinite thanks to the Lord for our daughter and for all that we have lived through with her during these years. And thank you to all of you.’

A 42-year-old mother died of cancer leaving five children aged between 7 and 17. The widower, her husband, spoke at the funeral Mass to give thanks, in a peaceful and sincere voice:

‘I thank the Lord’ (as he spoke he pointed to the crucifix at the end of the church) for the beautiful 19 years I had with Carolina, whom I loved with all my heart. I give thanks for all the moments that we shared, which were a wonderful gift to me. Her laugh, her wit, her self-denial and unselfish commitment to caring for our lovely children, have taught me how to live. I give thanks for her family, which took me in as one of them, and showed me how to live rooted in God. I give thanks in a special way for the five wonderful children whom we had, and whom she has now left in my care. The coming task is difficult, but she won’t be able to get out of it, she’ll have to do her share from heaven.

I am at peace because she passed on to me the enormous interior peace which she had in the final moments. I felt very strongly a complete surrender into the hands of God, before whom we are not standing as in a trial of strength, but as before someone who is accompanying us with great love. It’s true that we always prayed that she would be cured, but in those days I also thought about Our Lady and Jesus himself, who accepted God’s will, ‘Thy will be done.’

May I end with a recommendation to all those who are here today: love one another very much, make the most of those who are close to us, enjoy them, and love one another.

True, these three testimonies may seem surprising and unusual. News of a terminal illness is usually the worst possible news, and sadness and confusion are a perfectly normal reaction. But there are also many, like the protagonists in these accounts, who have been able to live a liberating spiritual process through the suffering, to discover that powerlessness and sickness can also be the occasion of a visit from God.

The Holy Father asks us to pray this month that we may know how to accompany and be close to those affected by this sorrow, and help them to go through this process, knowing and feeling themselves sustained by the Father’s love. It is also the Church’s mission, which is to say our mission, to strengthen the faith of our sick brothers and sisters, and to show them by our love that God has not abandoned them.

That the celebration of World Mission Day may foster in the People of God a passion for evangelization with the willingness to support the missions with prayer and economic aid for the poorest Churches.

The month of October, with the celebration of World Mission Sunday, offers to diocesan and parish communities, institutes of consecrated life, ecclesial movements and the entire People of God an opportunity to renew the commitment to proclaim the Gospel and to give pastoral activities greater missionary perspective. This annual event invites us to live intensely the liturgical and catechetical, charitable and cultural processes through which Jesus Christ summons us to the banquet of his word and of the Eucharist, to taste the gift of his presence, to be formed at his school and to live ever more closely united to him, our teacher and Lord. He himself tells us, "He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him" (Jn 14: 21). Only on the basis of this encounter with the Love of God that changes life can we live in communion with him and with one another and offer our brothers and sisters a credible witness, accounting for the hope that is in us (cf. 1 Pt 3: 15). An adult faith, capable of entrusting itself totally to God with a filial attitude fostered by prayer, meditation on the word of God and study of the truth of the faith, is a prerequisite for furthering a new humanism founded on the Gospel of Jesus.

[...]

"We wish to see Jesus" (Jn 12: 21), is the request in John's Gospel that some Greeks, who had arrived in Jerusalem for the paschal pilgrimage, address to the Apostle Philip. It also resonates in our hearts during this month of October which reminds us that the commitment to, and task of, Gospel proclamation is a duty of the whole Church, "by her very nature missionary" (Ad gentes, n. 2), and invites us to become champions of the newness of life made up of authentic relationships in communities founded on the Gospel. In a multiethnic society that is experiencing increasingly disturbing forms of loneliness and indifference, Christians must learn to offer signs of hope and to become universal brethren, cultivating the great ideals that transform history and, without false illusions or useless fears, must strive to make the planet a home for all peoples.

Like the Greek pilgrims of two thousand years ago, the people of our time too, even perhaps unbeknown to them, ask believers not only to "speak" of Jesus, but to "make Jesus seen", to make the face of the Redeemer shine out in every corner of the earth before the generations of the new millennium and especially before the young people of every continent, the privileged ones to whom the Gospel proclamation is intended. They must perceive that Christians bring Christ's word because he is the truth, because they have found in him the meaning and the truth for their own lives.

These considerations refer to the missionary mandate that all the baptized and the entire Church have received but that cannot be fulfilled without a profound personal, community and pastoral conversion. In fact, awareness of the call to proclaim the Gospel not only encourages every individual member of the faithful but also all diocesan and parish communities to integral renewal and ever greater openness to missionary cooperation among the Churches, to promote the proclamation of the Gospel in the heart of every person, of every people, culture, race and nationality in every place. This awareness is nourished through the work of Fidei Donum priests, consecrated people, catechists and lay missionaries in the constant endeavour to encourage ecclesial communion so that even the phenomenon of "interculturality" may be integrated in a model of unity in which the Gospel is a leaven of freedom and progress, a source of brotherhood, humility and peace (cf. Ad gentes, n. 8). The Church in fact "is in the nature of sacrament a sign and instrument, that is, of communion with God and of unity among all men" (Lumen gentium, n. 1).

Ecclesial communion is born from the encounter with the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who, through the Church's proclamation reaches out to human beings and creates fellowship with himself and hence with the Father and the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Jn 1: 3). Christ establishes the new relationship between man and God. "He reveals to us that "God is love' (1 Jn 4: 8) and at the same time teaches us that the fundamental law of human perfection, and consequently of the transformation of the world, is the new commandment of love. He assures those who trust in the charity of God that the way of love is open to all men and that the effort to establish a universal brotherhood will not be in vain" (Gaudium et spes, n. 38).

The Church becomes "communion" on the basis of the Eucharist in which Christ, present in bread and in wine with his sacrifice of love builds the Church as his Body, uniting us with the Triune God and with one another (cf. 1 Cor 10: 16ff.). In the Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis I wrote, "The love that we celebrate in the sacrament is not something we can keep to ourselves. By its very nature it demands to be shared with everyone. What the world needs is God's love; it needs to encounter Christ and to believe in him" (n. 84). For this reason the Eucharist is not only the source and summit of the Church's life, but also of her mission: "an authentically Eucharistic Church is a missionary Church" (ibid.), which can bring all to communion with God, proclaiming with conviction "that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us" (1 Jn 1: 3).

Dear friends, on this World Mission Sunday in which the heart's gaze extends to the immense spaces of mission, let us all be protagonists of the Church's commitment to proclaim the Gospel. The missionary impulse has always been a sign of vitality for our Churches (cf. Encyclical Letter, Redemptoris missio, n. 2), with their cooperation and their unique witness of unity, brotherhood and solidarity that gives credibility to heralds of the Love that saves!

I therefore renew to everyone the invitation to pray and, despite financial difficulties, to offer fraternal and concrete help to support the young Churches. This act of love and sharing, which the precious service of the Pontifical Missionary Societies to which I express my gratitude will see to allocating, will support the formation of priests, seminarians and catechists in the most distant mission lands and will encourage the young ecclesial communities.

At the end of this annual Message for World Mission Sunday, I would like with special affection to express my gratitude to missionaries who bear witness to the coming of the Kingdom of God in the most remote and challenging places, often with their lives. To them, who are in the vanguard of the Gospel's proclamation, every believer offers friendship, closeness and support. May God who loves a cheerful giver (cf. 2 Cor 9: 7) fill them with spiritual fervour and deep joy.

[...]

We pray that the celebration of World Mission Day may foster in the people of God a passion for evangelization with the willingness to support the mission with prayer and economic aid for the poorest Churches.

What happens when there is a “celebration” in human society or in the Church?

Let’s recall for a moment the event of the World Soccer Games. It was held last year in South Africa. All over the world, even in small villages, children, young people, adults and even old people gathered in front of TV sets to watch the exciting games. Thousands of cheerful fans gathered in different stadiums in South Africa to cheer the players on and, accompanied by the sound of “vuvuzela”, show support, either by enthusiastic participation in the victory or strong disappointment in the defeat. Through this celebration, however, many of us have experienced a “new meaning” in the tradition of sports: we have lived an exciting event in a country different from our own country; we have come to know the living conditions of the people in South Africa; we have experienced a new kind of brotherhood and companionship; many have renewed their passion for playing soccer; and have shared their own experience with friends, creating an atmosphere of enthusiasm for this sport. Besides, many have spent money to buy “soccer balls”, “soccer shoes” and “soccer T-shirts” to show their enthusiasm and support. This is what happens in human society.

And what happens in the Church? Let’s recall the “celebration” on the occasion of the death of venerable Pope John Paul II or of blessed Mother Theresa. Thousands and thousands of people, Christians and non-Christmas gathered around the remains of their beloved Pope or of their beloved Mother Theresa, and they considered the “meaning” and the “charisma” of their lives spent totally for others through many physical and spiritual sufferings, and yet always with courage spending their lives as Jesus did: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13).

What will the celebration of Mission Sunday be like this year?

It will gather together the members of the Church, the People of God. It will help them to experience once again and re-capture the “mandate” of Jesus: “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to every creature…” (Mk. 16:15). It will stir up our enthusiasm by helping us realize that in just 2000 years millions of people have already received the Good News and have made the choice of entering the Church, celebrating together the merciful and faithful love of God. It will strengthen our commitment to bring the Good News to many more people who are not yet Christians. According to the international Bulletin of Missionary Research by David Barrett, 2009, the World Population is estimated to be around 6,814,826,683. The population of Christians including Catholics and Protestants is 33.3%. About half of these are Catholic. Those who have not yet received the proclamation of the Good News are around 1,967,000,000.

Mission Sunday should stir up our commitment to give ourselves out, what we are and what we have, in the name of Jesus, sharing with generosity, giving one’s talents and one’s own resources, including money, to help people in need.

We are one family, the mystical Body of Christ. We want to “celebrate” this reality：

- We are one, united with Christ, “one body, many parts”.(1Co 12:12ff)

- We are one, empowered by Christ’s saving grace and by the coming of the Holy Spirit

- We are one, attentive to and concerned about the concrete situation of each other.

- We are one, and therefore we are committed to give ourselves out, to assist the weaker members of this Mystical Body and those more in need.

And to conclude, I would like to share the experience of celebrating Mission Sunday in my parish in Italy, when I was a young lay man. We gathered around the Eucharist in prayer and adoration, pondering what Jesus commissioned to his disciples: “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations. (Mt. 28:19ff)”

We committed ourselves to share leaflets and paper-boxes on the theme of evangelization prepared for the occasion. We shared them among our classmates and students in the school, in the streets and market places, going two by two, with a colorful T-shirt and a great smile. We invited people to give small change and even paper money of larger denominations to help with the living expenses of people in poor areas far from our home, to help with expenses for studies, scholarships and adoptions, and to help buy medicines and provide medical assistance.

We committed ourselves to do this for the whole month of October. We had a first evaluation of our work on the eve of Mission Sunday with a written report. We made the report public during the Sunday Masses, sharing with people how many pamphlets and paper-boxes where distributed and how much money was received as a donation. Then, in prayer in front of Jesus in the Eucharist, we committed ourselves to do the same work and even more until the end of October. Finally, we had a second evaluation, and we offered what was done to Jesus, in the Eucharist. The whole month of October became for us a “Month for Evangelization.”

During the whole process we had the experience of being apostles, of being sent on mission, of becoming companions and friends to each other, and we experienced also the love and power of Jesus in moving the hearts of so many people who prayed (Acts 6:5;1:24;Phil 4:6) and gave money with generosity to help the work of evangelization.(1Co 16:1ff; Rm 15:26-28; Gal 2:10;2Co 8:9; Acts 24:17) We are very thankful to God for experiencing a great joy and a new sense of being Church.

Gino Picca, S.J.
Italian missionary, National Secretary for AP/EYM in Taiwan,
where he has been the last 40 years.

That the Eastern Catholic Churches and their venerable traditions may be known and esteemed as a spiritual treasure for the whole Church.

Today, the Pope once again thanks the Eastern-rite Catholics for their fidelity paid with blood, concerning which wonderful pages have remained down the centuries until the contemporary martyrology! He assures them in turn that he wishes to stay at their side. And he reaffirms his profound esteem for the Eastern Catholic Churches, for their special role as "living witnesses to this tradition", (cf. Orientalium Ecclesiarum, n. 1).

Without a constant relationship with the tradition of her origins, in fact, there is no future for Christ's Church. It is the Eastern Churches in particular which preserve the echo of the first Gospel proclamation; the most ancient memories of the signs worked by the Lord; the first reflections of the Easter light and the flickering flame of Pentecost that was never extinguished.

Their spiritual patrimony, rooted in the teaching of the Apostles and Fathers, has given rise to venerable liturgical, theological and disciplinary traditions, demonstrating the capacity of the "thought of Christ" for making cultures and history fruitful.

For this very reason, like my Predecessors, I regard the Churches of Orthodoxy with esteem and affection: "A particularly close link already binds us. We have almost everything in common; and above all, we have in common the true longing for unity" (Orientale Lumen, n. 3). The hope that wells up from the depths of the heart is that this yearning may soon find its complete fulfilment.

The universal Church also finds in the patrimony of her origins the capacity for speaking unanimously and convincingly to the men and women of today: "The words of the West need the words of the East, so that God's word may ever more clearly reveal its unfathomable riches" (Orientale Lumen, n. 28).

It was the Second Ecumenical Vatican Council which expressed the hope that the Eastern Churches might "flourish and fulfil with new apostolic strength the task entrusted to them" (Orientalium Ecclesiarum, n. 1) "of fostering the unity of all Christians, in particular of Eastern Christians, according to the... Decree "On Ecumenism', by prayer above all, by their example [of life], by their scrupulous fidelity to the ancient traditions of the East, by better knowledge of each other, by working together, and by a brotherly attitude towards persons and things" (ibid., n. 24).

Thanks to a centuries-old way of life, they will first have to take on the interreligious challenge in a spirit of truth, respect and reciprocity, so that different cultures and traditions may find mutual hospitality in the name of the one God (cf. Acts 2: 9-11).

[...]

I reaffirm the irreversibility of the ecumenical option and the inevitability of the interreligious encounter. I praise the most correct application of synodal collegiality and the regular ascertainment of ecclesial growth inspired by the new-found religious freedom.

The Pope has very much at heart the priority of formation as well as the renewal of the family, youth and vocational ministries and the appreciation of the pastoral care of culture and of charity. The charitable movement, which the Congregation is supervising by the Pope's mandate so that the Holy Land and other Eastern regions can receive in an orderly and balanced manner the necessary spiritual and material support for their ordinary ecclesial life and special needs, must continue, indeed, must grow.

Finally, an intelligent effort is also required to deal with the serious phenomenon of migration, which sometimes deprives the sorely-tried communities of their best resources. It is essential to guarantee migrants a satisfactory welcome in their new context and the indispensable link with their own religious tradition.

[...]

Many educated Catholics have the vaguest idea as to what Eastern Catholic Churches are. They are often quite unsure as to whether they owe allegiance to the Pope or some Patriarch, without realizing that there are Patriarchs in communion with Rome, such as the Maronite and the Chaldean. These Catholics are even more surprised to discover that there is a married clergy in most of these Churches with the blessing of the Pope and that these Churches are largely self-governing. The way they celebrate is quite different from that of the Latin rite: each of these Churches has a different liturgical calendar with special saints, special feasts and fasts and so forth. The surprise is due to the fact that the vast majority of Catholics belong to the Latin Church, yet there are other Churches within the Catholic fold celebrating in a different way but recognizing the Pope as the head of the catholic Catholic Church.

The importance of these Churches is enormous, not only because of the invaluable patrimony they guard, which goes back to the times of the Fathers, but also because they can help Catholics to understand what the Orthodox Churches are. Some of these Churches, such as the Maronite and the Italo-Albanian, claim never to have broken with the Catholic Church, others, such as the Malabarese, to have recognized Rome as soon as the opportunity offered itself. Most of them, however, have broken off from Orthodox Churches after the council of Trent in the sixteenth century in order to be in communion with the universal Church.

In spite of their importance, all these Churches form a small minority in comparison with the Catholic Church which uses the Latin liturgy, and, as with all minorities, it has taken centuries for their rights to be fully respected. The Magna Carta of their rights was given them by Leo XIII's Orientalium Dignitas in 1894. But, as one Melkite Patriarch, Maximus IV Sayegh, put it at the time of Vatican II, it will take about yet another hundred years before Catholics will fully realize that these Eastern Catholic Churches exist.

The prayers of Pope Benedict want to shorten those hundred years.

An important but relatively unknown instrument to help the Holy Father in upholding their rights and aid these Churches themselves to preserve their patrimony and remain open to the ecumenical challenges of our times is the Jesuit-run Pontifical Institute of Oriental Studies, Rome, in St Mary Major’s Square.

Without entering into detail, we may say that Eastern Catholic Churches fall into four groups.

Fr. Edward G. Farrugia, S.J.
Dean and professor at the Pontifical Oriental Institute of Rome

That the African continent may find strength in Christ to pursue justice and reconciliation as set forth by the second Synod of African Bishops.

[...]

The whole Church looks to our meeting today in anticipation of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, which, God willing, will be celebrated next October, on the theme: “The Church in Africa in Service to Reconciliation, Justice and Peace: ‘You are the Salt of the Earth … You are the Light of the World’ (Mt 5:13-14)”.

[...]

I would now like to suggest some reflections about the specific theme of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, namely: reconciliation, justice and peace.

According to the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, “the Church, in Christ, is in the nature of sacrament – a sign and instrument of communion with God and of unity among all men and women” (Lumen Gentium, 1). To carry out her mission well, the Church must be a community of persons reconciled with God and among themselves. In this way, she can proclaim the Good News of reconciliation to contemporary society, which unfortunately experiences in many places conflicts, acts of violence, war and hatred. Your continent, sadly, has not been spared, and it has been and continues to be a theatre of grave tragedies which cry out for true reconciliation between peoples, ethnic groups and individuals. For us Christians, this reconciliation is rooted in the merciful love of God the Father, and it is accomplished through the person of Christ Jesus who, in the Holy Spirit, has offered the grace of reconciliation to all. Its consequences will be shown, then, in the justice and peace which are indispensable for building a better world.

Truly, what is more dramatic, in the present socio-political and economic context of the African continent, than the often savage conflicts between ethnic groups or peoples bound by brotherhood? And if the Synod of 1994 insisted on the Church as Family of God, what can this year’s Synod contribute to the building up of Africa, thirsting for reconciliation and in pursuit of justice and peace? The local or regional wars, massacres and genocides perpetrated on the continent must challenge us in a special way: if it is true that in Jesus Christ we belong to the same family and share the same life – since in our veins there flows the Blood of Christ himself, who has made us children of God, members of God’s Family – there must no longer be hatred, injustice and internecine war.

Cognizant of the growth of violence and the emergence of selfishness in Africa, Cardinal Bernardin Gantin of venerable memory called in 1988 for a theology of fraternity as a response to the pressing appeals of the poor and the little ones (L’Osservatore Romano, French edition, 12 April 1988, pp. 4-5). Perhaps he had in mind the words of the African Lactantius, written at the dawn of the fourth century: “The first duty of justice is to recognize others as brothers and sisters. Indeed, if the same God created us and gave us birth in the same condition, in view of righteousness and life eternal, we are surely united by bonds of brotherhood: whoever does not acknowledge those bonds is unjust” (Divine Institutions 54, 4-5: S.C. 335, p. 210). The Church, as the Family of God in Africa, made a preferential option for the poor at the First Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. In this way she showed that the situation of dehumanization and oppression afflicting the African peoples is not irreversible; on the contrary, she set before everyone a challenge: that of conversion, holiness and integrity.

The Son, through whom God speaks to us, is himself the Word made flesh. This was the subject of the discussions at the recent Twelfth General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Having become flesh, this Word is at the origin of all that we are and all that we do; he is the foundation of every life. It is therefore on the basis of this Word that we need to enhance African traditions, and to correct and perfect their concept of life, humanity and the family. Christ Jesus, the Word of life, is the source and fulfilment of all our lives, for the Lord Jesus is the one mediator and redeemer.

It is urgent that Christian communities increasingly become places of profound listening to the word of God and meditative reading of sacred Scripture. It is through such meditative and communitarian reading in the Church that every Christian encounters the Risen Christ, who speaks to him and offers renewed hope in the fullness of life which he gives to the world.

As for the Eucharist, it makes the Lord truly present in history. Through the reality of his Body and his Blood, the whole Christ makes himself substantially present in our lives. He is with us always, until the end of time (cf. Mt 28:20) and he sends us back to our daily lives so that we can fill them with his presence. In the Eucharist, it becomes clearly evident that our life is a relationship of communion with God, with our brothers and sisters, and with all creation. The Eucharist is the source of a unity reconciled in peace.

The word of life and the Bread of life offer light and nourishment as medicine and food for our journey in fidelity to the Teacher and Shepherd of our souls, so that the Church in Africa can carry out the service of reconciliation, justice and peace, in accordance with the programme of life provided by the Lord himself: “You are the salt of the earth … You are the light of the world” (Mt 5:13-14). If they are truly to be this, the faithful must undergo conversion and follow Jesus Christ; they must become his disciples in order to be witnesses of his saving power. During his earthly life, Jesus was “mighty in deed and word” (Lk 24:19). By his resurrection, he has subjected to himself every authority and power (cf. Col 2:15), every power of evil, in order to set free those who are baptized in his name. “For freedom Christ has set us free” (Gal 5:1). The Christian vocation consists in letting oneself be freed by Jesus Christ. He has conquered sin and death and he offers to all the fullness of life. In the Lord Jesus there is no more Jew or Gentile, man or woman (cf. Gal 3:28). In his flesh he has reconciled all peoples. In the power of the Holy Spirit, I appeal to everyone: “Be reconciled to God!” (2 Cor 5:20). No ethnic or cultural difference, no difference of race, sex or religion must become a cause for dispute among you. You are all children of the one God, our Father, who is in heaven. With this conviction, it will then be possible to build a more just and peaceful Africa, an Africa worthy of the legitimate expectations of all its children.

The second Synod of African Bishops took place in Rome in October 2009, fifteen years after the first synod in 1994. One wondered if it were not too soon to convoke a second synod. Among the reasons which worked in favour of holding a second synod, there was mention of the armed conflicts which have shed blood over a large part of Africa before and after the year 2000. From North to South, from East to West of Africa, armed conflicts, religious syncretism, political instability … have characterised the end of the second millennium and the beginning of the third in Africa. The general lack of peace has shown that people were still far from living as reconciled sons and daughters. Justice was still a long way from being a reality. So a second synod turned out to be necessary!

The synod fathers worked out 57 propositions, on the basis of which the Holy Father would publish the apostolic exhortation. They did not cease to affirm the need to speed up reconciliation among the peoples whose hearts are wounded and torn. Their healing is not simply a necessity, but a matter of urgency. In its preaching, the Church in Africa must insist still more on love of the other. For we have experienced a kind of contradiction, when brothers of the same country, the same race, the same village, have taken up arms to kill each other, going against the principle of African solidarity and that of Christian charity. It must also be recognised that certain conflicts in Africa have been orchestrated by remote control from outside. Arms are made and sold from the West, where certain sectors find it profitable to maintain conflicts in Africa. The synod fathers asked the sister churches of the West to use their influence to gain everyone’s support to establish true peace in Africa.

One important pastoral action to put in place, as suggested by the bishops, is the institution of an annual day of reconciliation. The initiative would make a contribution to greater awareness of the need for reconciliation among individuals and among peoples. The sacrament of reconciliation continues to be the privileged place of reconciliation with oneself, with others and with God. Indeed, it is a direct preparation for communion with the body and blood of Christ. There is a call to rediscover the liberating power of this sacrament, which is also the sacrament of healing. One reaps the benefits only from personal experience. Those who approach the Lord’s table agree by that very fact to live as brothers and sisters reconciled with one another. How is it possible to be in communion with the body of Christ and at the same time to nurse grudges against one’s brother or sister? Participation in this sacrament necessarily opens one to the other, and commits one to struggle for justice, for a better world. May faith and communion with Christ help the Church in Africa to hasten true justice and true reconciliation. May it become more and more the ‘spiritual lung’ of the universal Church.

Fr. Rigobert Kyungu, S.J.
National Secretary of the Apostleship of Prayer in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Coordinator of the AP and EYM in Africa

That all peoples may grow in harmony and peace through mutual understanding and respect.

[...]

Out of concern for children, especially those whose future is compromised by exploitation and the malice of unscrupulous adults, I wish on this World Day of Peace to encourage everyone to reflect on the theme: The Human Person, the Heart of Peace. I am convinced that respect for the person promotes peace and that, in building peace, the foundations are laid for an authentic integral humanism. In this way a serene future is prepared for coming generations.

The human person and peace: gift and task

2. Sacred Scripture affirms that “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Gen 1:27). As one created in the image of God, each individual human being has the dignity of a person; he or she is not just something, but someone, capable of self-knowledge, self-possession, free self-giving and entering into communion with others. At the same time, each person is called, by grace, to a covenant with the Creator, called to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his place(1). From this supernatural perspective, one can understand the task entrusted to human beings to mature in the ability to love and to contribute to the progress of the world, renewing it in justice and in peace. In a striking synthesis, Saint Augustine teaches that “God created us without our aid; but he did not choose to save us without our aid(2).” Consequently all human beings have the duty to cultivate an awareness of this twofold aspect of gift and task.

3. Likewise, peace is both gift and task. If it is true that peace between individuals and peoples—the ability to live together and to build relationships of justice and solidarity—calls for unfailing commitment on our part, it is also true, and indeed more so, that peace is a gift from God. Peace is an aspect of God's activity, made manifest both in the creation of an orderly and harmonious universe and also in the redemption of humanity that needs to be rescued from the disorder of sin. Creation and Redemption thus provide a key that helps us begin to understand the meaning of our life on earth. My venerable predecessor Pope John Paul II, addressing the General Assembly of the United Nations on 5 October 1995, stated that “we do not live in an irrational or meaningless world... there is a moral logic which is built into human life and which makes possible dialogue between individuals and peoples(3) .” The transcendent “grammar”, that is to say the body of rules for individual action and the reciprocal relationships of persons in accordance with justice and solidarity, is inscribed on human consciences, in which the wise plan of God is reflected. As I recently had occasion to reaffirm: “we believe that at the beginning of everything is the Eternal Word, Reason and not Unreason(4).” Peace is thus also a task demanding of everyone a personal response consistent with God's plan. The criterion inspiring this response can only be respect for the “grammar” written on human hearts by the divine Creator.

From this standpoint, the norms of the natural law should not be viewed as externally imposed decrees, as restraints upon human freedom. Rather, they should be welcomed as a call to carry out faithfully the universal divine plan inscribed in the nature of human beings. Guided by these norms, all peoples —within their respective cultures—can draw near to the greatest mystery, which is the mystery of God. Today too, recognition and respect for natural law represents the foundation for a dialogue between the followers of the different religions and between believers and non-believers. As a great point of convergence, this is also a fundamental presupposition for authentic peace.

The right to life and to religious freedom

4. The duty to respect the dignity of each human being, in whose nature the image of the Creator is reflected, means in consequence that the person can not be disposed of at will. Those with greater political, technical, or economic power may not use that power to violate the rights of others who are less fortunate. Peace is based on respect for the rights of all. Conscious of this, the Church champions the fundamental rights of each person. In particular she promotes and defends respect for the life and the religious freedom of everyone. Respect for the right to life at every stage firmly establishes a principle of decisive importance: life is a gift which is not completely at the disposal of the subject. Similarly, the affirmation of the right to religious freedom places the human being in a relationship with a transcendent principle which withdraws him from human caprice. The right to life and to the free expression of personal faith in God is not subject to the power of man. Peace requires the establishment of a clear boundary between what is at man's disposal and what is not: in this way unacceptable intrusions into the patrimony of specifically human values will be avoided.

5. As far as the right to life is concerned, we must denounce its widespread violation in our society: alongside the victims of armed conflicts, terrorism and the different forms of violence, there are the silent deaths caused by hunger, abortion, experimentation on human embryos and euthanasia. How can we fail to see in all this an attack on peace? Abortion and embryonic experimentation constitute a direct denial of that attitude of acceptance of others which is indispensable for establishing lasting relationships of peace. As far as the free expression of personal faith is concerned, another disturbing symptom of lack of peace in the world is represented by the difficulties that both Christians and the followers of other religions frequently encounter in publicly and freely professing their religious convictions. Speaking of Christians in particular, I must point out with pain that not only are they at times prevented from doing so; in some States they are actually persecuted, and even recently tragic cases of ferocious violence have been recorded. There are regimes that impose a single religion upon everyone, while secular regimes often lead not so much to violent persecution as to systematic cultural denigration of religious beliefs. In both instances, a fundamental human right is not being respected, with serious repercussions for peaceful coexistence. This can only promote a mentality and culture that is not conducive to peace.

The natural equality of all persons

6. At the origin of many tensions that threaten peace are surely the many unjust inequalities still tragically present in our world. Particularly insidious among these are, on the one hand, inequality in access to essential goods like food, water, shelter, health; on the other hand, there are persistent inequalities between men and women in the exercise of basic human rights.

A fundamental element of building peace is the recognition of the essential equality of human persons springing from their common transcendental dignity. Equality on this level is a good belonging to all, inscribed in that natural “grammar” which is deducible from the divine plan of creation; it is a good that cannot be ignored or scorned without causing serious repercussions which put peace at risk. The extremely grave deprivation afflicting many peoples, especially in Africa, lies at the root of violent reactions and thus inflicts a terrible wound on peace.

7. Similarly, inadequate consideration for the condition of women helps to create instability in the fabric of society. I think of the exploitation of women who are treated as objects, and of the many ways that a lack of respect is shown for their dignity; I also think —in a different context—of the mindset persisting in some cultures, where women are still firmly subordinated to the arbitrary decisions of men, with grave consequences for their personal dignity and for the exercise of their fundamental freedoms. There can be no illusion of a secure peace until these forms of discrimination are also overcome, since they injure the personal dignity impressed by the Creator upon every human being(5).

[...]

The Holy Father asks us this month to pray for peace and harmony between the peoples of the earth. He suggests to us two ways of reaching this: knowledge of one another and mutual respect. This will lay the foundations for authentic personal, national and international reconciliation. So we share with you a reflection by Fr. Elias López sj, an expert on the subject, who is working in Rome at the moment on the central team of the Jesuit Refugee Service.

There is no relationship of love and concord (con-cordia, which means literally ‘oneness of heart’) without mutual knowledge and respect. What is not truly known is not truly loved. That is not truly known which is not respected in equality and in difference, in a way that gives life to everyone. Reconciliation is needed when this mutual relationship of deep knowledge and discerned respect is broken. Reconciliation is one of the tasks that presents itself always as a challenge in the heart of every Christian, every family and social group, between peoples and nations.

We all receive a vocation to be big, strong arms to embrace the broken world and ‘re-con-cile’ it. The meaning of this word is to ‘call to come back together’ those who are divided by violence and injustice. John Paul II expressed clearly how we Christians understand the way of reconciliation in building peace; he says ‘There is no peace without justice, nor justice without forgiveness.’ The reconciliation process, which sometimes involves several generations, implies healing the discriminatory and unjust relations which violate human rights and the dignity of children of the God who makes us all equal, creatures of God with absolute value.

This healing reconciliation of relationships is grounded in the radical love of Jesus who said on the cross ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ To heal the evil radically it is necessary to ‘give excessively’ (that is what ‘par-don’ means). This is the love to the end that Jesus showed on the cross. Therefore Benedict XVI says that radical evil is conquered by pardon, as God in Jesus pardoned the radical evil of the cross, which represents so many crosses which are still killing humanity today: ethnic, ecological, religious discrimination, wars, and the degradation of the environment.

Prayer is putting oneself into direct contact with the source of divine love, which is able to pardon the unpardonable, and so to heal every wound of division and injustice. In the unfathomable love of God, mysteriously, complete reconciliation is possible. This is our faith and hope, this is our joy. It is not hate that has the last word, but Love and Peace.

Elias López, S.J.

That children and young people may be messengers of the Gospel and that they may be respected and preserved from all violence and exploitation.

[...]

The image of the Child Jesus calls to mind the mystery of the Incarnation, of the all-powerful God who became man and who lived for thirty years in the lowly family of Nazareth, entrusted by Providence to the watchful care of Mary and Joseph. My thoughts turn to your own families and to all the families in the world, in their joys and difficulties. Our reflections should lead us to prayer, as we call upon the Child Jesus for the gift of unity and harmony for all families. We think especially of young families who have to work so hard to offer their children security and a decent future. We pray for families in difficulty, struggling with illness and suffering, for those in crisis, divided or torn apart by strife or infidelity. We entrust them all to the Holy Infant of Prague, knowing how important their stability and harmony is for the true progress of society and for the future of humanity.

The figure of the Child Jesus, the tender infant, brings home to us God’s closeness and his love. We come to understand how precious we are in his eyes, because it is through him that we in our turn have become children of God. Every human being is a child of God and therefore our brother or sister, to be welcomed and respected. May our society grasp this truth! Every human person would then be appreciated not for what he has, but for who he is, since in the face of every human being, without distinction of race or culture, God’s image shines forth.

This is especially true of children. In the Holy Infant of Prague we contemplate the beauty of childhood and the fondness that Jesus Christ has always shown for little ones, as we read in the Gospel (cf. Mk 10:13-16). Yet how many children are neither loved, nor welcomed nor respected! How many of them suffer violence and every kind of exploitation by the unscrupulous! May children always be accorded the respect and attention that are due to them: they are the future and the hope of humanity!

Dear children, I now want to say a special word to you and to your families. You have come here in large numbers to meet me, and for this I thank you most warmly. You are greatly loved by the Child Jesus, and you should return his love by following his example: be obedient, good and kind. Learn to be, like him, a source of joy to your parents. Be true friends of Jesus, and always turn to him in trust. Pray to him for yourselves, for your parents, relations, teachers and friends, and pray also for me. Thank you once again for your welcome. I bless you from my heart and I invoke upon all of you the protection of the Holy Infant Jesus, his Immaculate Mother and Saint Joseph.

Since the Holy Father asks us to pray ‘That children and young people may be messengers of the Gospel, and that their dignity may always be respected and preserved from all violence and exploitation’, let us allow the young people to speak for themselves. We share with you two kinds of testimony from young people, some from victims of violence and abuse, which illustrates what happens when what the Pope asks of us is not fulfilled, and then from young people who have learned to be ‘messengers of the Gospel.’

Testimonies from children received by Caritas Congo together with Caritas Italy

SATAN’S GUARD

I was with my mother and my sisters on the way to the well, to draw water and buy rice. Suddenly the Mai-Mai jumped out of the forest and shouted at us to lie down on the ground, without making a sound. They played with my smallest sister’s hair, with their rifles, shouting at her to stop crying… then they fired dozens of shots all over her body. My mother begged them to stop – and they killed her as well, with a shot in the heart. I was taken away as a cook and sex-slave. For months they forced me to go with 5-6 men a day, sometimes all together. At night they put me to guard Satan and his collaborators, because they said they were Kings of darkness, and no-one could take away their power. I ran away and found refuge in this school. I have found my grandmother, and now I live with her. I have had no news of my father and my brothers

MULASI

PAINS IN THE SPLEEN, GUNSHOTS IN THE EARS

They took me together with two friends. They were enrolled as spies and thieves, I as a soldier, because I was stronger. Now I suffer from pains in the spleen and chest, and I still hear the noise of guns in my ears, because they made me carry round very heavy weapons which launched projectiles as loud as bombs. They sent me out to shoot at everything and everyone, without a just reason… to get food and things, to destroy houses and people.

YULU

SOMETIMES FIVE, SOMETIMES A HUNDRED

I’m afraid that I have caught sexual diseases because I always have pains in my stomach. The Mai-Mai raped me, 12 at a time. I thought I was going to die. They threw me on the ground so hard that I have partly lost my hearing. They used me as a cook and chanteuse. Since then I have nightmares every night, I feel worthless. I still feel their weight on me, like indelible scars, and sometimes I want to tear my skin off. Now I am grown up, but I’d still like someone to tell me bed-time stories to put me to sleep. .. I’d like to be able to feel the normal sensations that other people feel, to stop the ceaseless torment of my memories, to begin to have peaceful dreams. Like them.

NGELIMA

*Extracts from stories collected by Paola Brigantini in the course of the training sessions on ‘Communication in the processes of detraumatisation,’ given from 25-31 July 2008 in the schools of Kindu, Katako, Basoko, Mabala, and Mangobo (Maniema Region, Democratic Republic of Congo) for psycho-social assistants, and during the meeting with children who had been child-soldiers and sex-slaves.

Witness of a young girl abducted in Uganda, forced to be a child-soldier

I am speaking on behalf of World Vision, a Christian relief and development organization that provides on-the-ground assistance to children and families in need, regardless of who they are. […] Since 1986, a rebel group called the Lord’s Resistance Army, or "LRA", led by Joseph Kony, has waged war against the current Ugandan government, and against us, the children of northern Uganda. Kony has abducted more than 30,000 children, forcing them to serve as soldiers and "forced concubines" within their ranks. I was once one of those children. But by God’s grace, I am alive and with you today.

My Story

In October 1996, the LRA attacked St. Mary’s College, a girls' boarding school in Aboke Town, in the Apac District, in northern Uganda. They abducted 139 girls--including myself. I was 15-years-old at the time.

One of the nuns who ran the school, Sister Rachelle Fassera, followed the rebels into the bush, pleading for our release. The rebels released 109 of my classmates, but the LRA refused to let me go. I was forced to stay, along with 29 others.

I was forcibly marched into southern Sudan. We walked for four days and four nights. In southern Sudan, the LRA had bases that were run and protected by forces allied with the Sudanese government in Khartoum.

I, and the other girls captured with me, were trained to assemble and disassemble, clean and use guns. We were used as slave labor by the LRA and Sudanese government soldiers. We were forcibly given to senior LRA commanders as so-called "wives."

For seven months, I was held in captivity by the LRA, always looking for an opportunity to escape. I constantly prayed that God would allow me to see my family once more before I died. I desperately wanted to finish my education, but hope seemed distant. I saw two other children who had tried, unsuccessfully, to escape. They were brutally murdered in front of me as a warning.

One night, we were forced to raid a village, and I was directed to help steal food and water. I fainted from thirst. I woke up hours later, buried alive in a shallow grave. The Ugandan soldiers, along with the SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army) attacked the base of the LRA, allowing me a chance to escape.

I walked for three days, living on soil and leaves before I found another group of children who had also escaped. I persuaded eight of them to join me, and we eventually found a group of villagers who took care of us, before helping us connect with the Ugandan army to return home.

I escaped, alive, from the LRA, but five of my classmates died in captivity. The others gradually managed to escape over the past ten years; some are infected with HIV/AIDS; many of them have children by the commanders who abused them. Ten years later, two of my friends are still held hostage by the LRA.

So I thank God for allowing me to see my family again. I thank Him for allowing me to continue on with my education. I went back to St. Mary’s to finish high school, and then I began studying at Uganda Christian University, in southern Uganda near the capital city, Kampala. I have since transferred to Gordon College in Boston, where I am now working on my undergraduate degree in Communications. When I finish my education I would like to work for one year and then continue on to graduate school to study International Relations and Conflict Resolution. I want to be part of the people struggling day and night to try to bring peace in the world.

Unfortunately, my story is not uncommon. In fact, it has become so common that abduction is now a fear which daily defines the lives of children who live in the war-affected areas. Because there is no protection for children in northern Uganda, they have created their own way to cope. Thousands of children walk each evening, by themselves, to towns, as far as 10 miles away, to find safety from the LRA. They sleep on the streets of town centers and in makeshift camps. These children are now known as "night commuters." Recently, there has been a decline in the number of attacks by the LRA, so the number of night commuters has been reduced. But just as the LRA kidnapped me in the middle of the night, they usually abduct children under the cover of darkness. Because of this, most children in northern Uganda are now afraid to sleep in their own beds at night.

See more: http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/learn/globalissues-uganda-grace

Testimony by Claire Boche, 16 years old, a member of EYM in France, in May, 2010

The reason I have decided to write you this message is to share the immense joy and happiness which fills me. It is Happiness in a multitude of things, in the ordinary, in small details, like in a smile, and happiness at the heart of great meetings. Yes, happiness in all things! And that’s what it is, truly, I was struck by the light of Christ and this changed my life and my vision of life.

Because of course I am aware that things in themselves have not changed, my school is the same as it always was, my class mates are without doubt the same and the routine (taking the metro, work, going to bed, etc.) is the same. It is my vision of everything that has changed! My vision of each and every person and the way we embark on every new day! This life which has been given to us – which he gives to us – is a crazy adventure. Finally this adventure takes me beyond anything I could believe.....that Little Light of God which fills every day, it is there at the heart of the gift of life that is coming forward. It was always there, I know, but before I was inattentive and indifferent to it.

Now I know it is there, this little light, this presence of God in all things, and this changes our lives. At the beginning it wasn’t so obvious, it even seemed impossible. There is no magic button, no sudden BOOM! and then everything becomes immediately more beautiful....no, this happened slowly as you can see from the e-mails I have sent you. Little by little I welcomed and made mine this Little Light, this overflowing love, this new explosion of beauty that lights up the heart and spirit and that was not “normal” for me. Of course God does not impose himself on us, he arrived gradually, without noise, but with such power and impact!

Before God was one thing and my life another, now I know that every single day’s path is by His side. After a few weeks I learnt to say thank you to God...yes, thank you. It is not so obvious to say thank you when everything in life seems so unstable, it is much easier to have one’s list of requests...and so in the end I realised that every day there are infinite things to be thankful to God for.

So, I have discovered, with prayer, with this other vision of the world, with the EYM team that accompanies me...I have discovered. And I open my eyes on to a marvellous world that is not grey as I used to think.... Nothing is for sure and nothing will be discovered for once and for always but I am there and I go forward with a smile, with confidence!

My smile almost never leaves me now and I feel that God is not a heavy weight (like when you’re embarrassed to say you are Catholic, or when mass is just an obligation). No, He is like a column or a trampoline that supports me once and again and inspires me to go deeper down the path of life. Down His path! And there you can find happiness, in our hearts! The longer I carry this Little Light in my heart the further away I am from indifference and the happier I am... I see I become richer as I give myself out!

Testimonies from the young people - Mission Camp Jordan – EYM 2009

‘I have grown in confidence and in responsibility… I can speak of the Gospel and of Christ without being afraid. I really am a disciple of Christ and I want to continue the mission in my personal life with those around

Georges Adam – aged 16

‘I have understood the importance of life, parents and friends …. I am no longer really attached to material things.’

Jhon-Jacques Charo – aged 16

‘I have discovered that God is present in me all the time! I have rediscovered what it means to be a Christian.’

Youmna Abboud – aged 17

‘I realised how lucky I am to be a Lebanese Christian… I take back with me the happiness of having sown joy in the little children’

Karen Abou Assi – aged 16

‘I have discovered how many people there are who are deeply hurt but have kept their faith! How many people there are who need our prayers…. I have understood that God is what counts most in life… He is present in each moment of my life. We ought to trust him completely and entrust our lives to him.’

Grace Fakhry – aged 19

‘I am a new being! I am taking away with me satisfaction, interior peace, the joy of serving, friendship, and so many happy memories!’

Nour Nakhoul – aged 19