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Mr. President,
Distinguished Political and Civil Authorities,
Your Eminences and Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate,
Dear Citizens of the Federal Republic,
My Dear Young People!
With deep joy I find myself for the first time after my election to
the Chair of Peter in my beloved homeland, in Germany. With deep emotion
I thank God who has enabled me to begin my Pastoral Visits outside Italy
with this visit to the nation of my birth. I have come to Cologne for
the Twentieth World Youth Day, which had already been planned by my
Predecessor, the unforgettable Pope John Paul II. I am sincerely
grateful to all present for the warm welcome given to me. My respectful
greeting goes first to the President of the Federal Republic, Mr Horst
Köhler, whom I thank for the gracious words of welcome which he
addressed to me in the name of all the citizens of the Federal Republic
of Germany. I also express my gratitude to the Representatives of the
Government, the Members of the Diplomatic Corps and the civil and
military Authorities. With fraternal affection I greet the Pastor of the
Archdiocese of Cologne, Cardinal Joachim Meisner. My greeting also goes
to the other Bishops, the priests, men and women religious, and to all
those engaged in various pastoral activities in the German-speaking
Dioceses. At this moment I also greet with affection all those living in
the different Länder of the Federal Republic of Germany.
In these days of intense preparation for the World Youth Day, the
Dioceses of Germany, and the Diocese and City of Cologne in particular,
have been enlivened by the presence of very many young people from
different parts of the world. I wish to thank all those who have so
competently and generously helped to organize this worldwide ecclesial
event. I am grateful to the parishes, religious institutes,
associations, civil organizations and the many individuals who have
offered hospitality and so friendly a welcome to the thousands of
pilgrims coming here from different continents. The Church in Germany
and the people of the German Federal Republic can be proud of their long
tradition of openness to the global community; among other things, this
is seen in their many initiatives of solidarity, particularly on behalf
of developing countries.
In this spirit of esteem and acceptance towards all those who come
from different cultures and traditions, we are about to experience World
Youth Day in Cologne. That so many young people have come to meet the
Successor of Peter is a sign of the Church’s vitality. I am happy to be
with them, to confirm their faith and to enliven their hope. At the same
time, I am sure that I will also receive something from them, especially
from their enthusiasm, their sensitivity and their readiness to face the
challenges of the future. And so I greet the young people themselves,
and all those who have welcomed them in these event-filled days. In
addition to intense moments of prayer, reflection and celebration with
them and with all those taking part in the various scheduled events, I
will have an opportunity to meet the Bishops, to whom even now I extend
a warm greeting. I will also meet the representatives of the other
Churches and ecclesial Communities, make a visit to the Synagogue for a
meeting with the Jewish community, and also welcome the representatives
of some Islamic communities. These meetings are important steps along
the journey of dialogue and cooperation in our shared commitment to
building a more just and fraternal future, a future which is truly more
human.
During this World Youth Day we will reflect together on the theme:
"We Have Come To Worship Him" (Mt 2:2). This is a precious
opportunity for thinking more deeply about the meaning of life as a
"pilgrimage," guided by a "star," in search of the Lord. Together we
shall consider the Magi, who, coming from various distant lands, were
among the first to recognize the promised Messiah in Jesus of Nazareth,
the Son of the Virgin Mary, and to bow down in worship before him (cf.
Mt 2:1-12). The ecclesial community and the city of Cologne have
a special link with these emblematic figures. Like the Magi, all
believers – and young people in particular – have been called to set out
on the journey of life in search of truth, justice and love. The
ultimate goal of the journey can only be found through an encounter with
Christ, an encounter which cannot take place without faith. Along this
interior journey we can be guided by the many signs with which a long
and rich Christian tradition has indelibly marked this land of Germany:
from great historical monuments to countless works of art found
throughout the country, from documents preserved in libraries to lively
popular traditions, from philosophical inquiry to the theological
reflection of her many great thinkers, from the spiritual traditions to
the mystical experience of a vast array of Saints. Here we find a rich
cultural and spiritual heritage which even today, in the heart of
Europe, testifies to the fruitfulness of the Christian faith and
tradition. The Diocese and the region of Cologne, in particular, keep
the living memory of great witnesses to Christian civilization. Among
others, I think of Saint Boniface, Saint Ursula, Saint Albert the Great,
and, in more recent times, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith
Stein) and Blessed Adolph Kolping. May these, our illustrious brothers
and sisters in the faith, who down the centuries have held high the
torch of holiness, be "models" and "patrons" of the World Youth Day
which we now celebrate.
To all of you here present I renew my deep gratitude for your
gracious welcome, and I pray to the Lord for the future of the Church
and of society as a whole in this Federal Republic of Germany, so dear
to my heart. May this country’s long history and her great social,
economic and cultural attainments be an incentive to renewed commitment
in the pursuit of authentic progress, solidarity and development, not
only for the German nation, but for the other peoples of the Continent
as well. May the Virgin Mary, who presented the Child Jesus to the Magi
when they arrived in Bethlehem to worship the Saviour, continue to
intercede for us, just as for centuries she has kept watch over the
German people from her many shrines throughout the German Länder. May
the Lord bless everyone here present, together with all the pilgrims and
all who live in this land. May God protect the Federal Republic of
Germany!
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