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Called
to be leaven on social and moral issues
On Tuesday, 13 May, the Holy Father met in the Clementine Hall with the
Bishops of the Syro-Malankara Church in India, who came to Rome for
their ad limina visit. The following is the Pope's Address to the
Bishops given in English.
Your
Grace,
Dear
Brother Bishops,
1.
"Christo pastorum Principi". Repeating the words
employed by my illustrious predecessor, Pope Pius XI, when he received
your forefathers into full communion just over seventy years ago, I am
pleased to welcome you, the Bishops of the Syro-Malankara Church, on the
occasion of your ad Limina visit. In being with you, I draw
closer to the priests, Religious and lay faithful of your Eparchies.
Indeed, it is fitting that as your community celebrates the Fiftieth
Anniversary of the death of Archbishop Mar Ivanios, a tireless apostle
for unity, you find yourselves at the tombs of the Apostles Peter and
Paul praying with Christ "ut omnes unum sint". I take
this opportunity to greet especially Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios. I am
grateful for the good wishes you have conveyed on behalf of the clergy,
Religious and faithful of the Syro-Malankara Church.
As
we give thanks together for these important landmarks in your ecclesial
life, we are also mindful of the multiple blessings that have been
bestowed on your Church in a relatively short time. You have become one
of the fastest-growing Catholic communities in the world, boasting large
numbers of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and your pusillus
grex is home to many educational and welfare institutions. The new
Law of Christ which compels us to go beyond the boundaries of family,
race, tribe or nation is concretely manifested in your generosity to
others (cf. Mt 5:44).
The Syro-Malankara liturgical tradition is a true treasure
2.
An undaunted commitment to Christian love, so clearly demonstrated in
the Syro-Malankara community, is the product of a strong and vibrant
spirituality. The people of India rightly take pride in their rich
cultural and spiritual heritage, expressed in the innate characteristics
of "contemplation, simplicity, harmony, detachment, non-violence,
discipline, frugal living, the thirst for learning and philosophical
enquiry" which distinguish those living on the subcontinent. These
same traits permeate the Syro-Malankara community, allowing the Church
to "communicate the Gospel in a way which is faithful both to her
own traditions and to the Asian soul" (cf. Ecclesia in Asia,
n. 6).
The
mystical heritage of your continent is not only expressed in the
spiritual life of your faithful but is also seen in your time-honoured
rites. The ancient and revered Syro-Malankara liturgical tradition is a
treasure which reflects the universal nature of Christ's salvific work
in a uniquely Indian context. Your Eucharistic Celebration, like all
celebrations of the Paschal Sacrifice, "contains the Church's
entire spiritual wealth: Christ himself, our Passover and living bread.
Consequently the gaze of the Church is constantly turned to her Lord
present in the Sacrament of the Altar, in which she discovers the full
manifestation of his boundless love" (Ecclesia de Eucharistia,
n. 1).
Called to be 'leaven' on moral and social issues
3.
At a moment of growing secularism and, at times, of blatant disregard
for the sanctity of human life, Bishops are called to remind the people
by their preaching and teaching of the need for an ever deeper
reflection on moral and social issues. The Syro-Malankara presence in
the fields of education and social services places you in an excellent
position to prepare all men and women of good will to face these issues
in a truly human manner. In fact, all Christians are obliged to
participate in this prophetic mission by taking a firm stand against the
current crisis of values and by constantly reminding others of the
universal truths which must be manifest in daily living. More often than
not, this lesson is taught by actions rather than by words. As the
Apostle Paul says: "Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the
spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (1 Cor 14:1).
Responding
to this challenge in a proper fashion necessitates an inculturation of
Christian ethics at all levels of human society; this is a difficult and
delicate task. "By her very mission the Church travels the same
journey as all humanity and shares the same human lot with the world:
she is to be leaven, and as it were the soul of human society in its
renewal by Christ and transformation into the family of God" (cf. Catechism
of the Catholic Church, 854). Your long experience as a small
community of Christians in a predominately non-Christian land has
prepared you to become this "leaven", a fitting instrument of
transformation. The process is never simply an "external" one
but requires an intimate change of cultural values through integration
into Christianity and subsequent insertion into the various human
cultures. This complicated task cannot be accomplished, however, without
adequate reflection and evaluation, ensuring always that Christ's saving
message is never diluted or altered in an attempt to make it more
culturally or socially acceptable (cf. Ecclesia in Asia, n. 21).
Work to foster vocations to priesthood and religious life
4.
Your special ministry, as shepherds of growing flocks, requires close
collaboration with your co-workers. As I wrote in my Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, "priests exist
and act in order to proclaim the Gospel to the world and to build up the
Church in the name of Christ the Head and Shepherd" (n. 15).
Properly trained ambassadors of Christ are necessary for this ministry
of "building up the Church". For this reason Bishops must work
unceasingly to identify and encourage young people to answer the call to
the priesthood and the religious life. In this regard, I pray that you
will continue to do all in your power to ensure that those with priestly
or religious vocations are well prepared. This entails ensuring that the
seminaries under your protection are always models of formation
according to the example of Jesus Christ and his commandment to love
(cf. Jn 15:12). Training must be specifically Christ-centred through the
proclamation of the holy Scriptures and the celebration of the
Sacraments. The same is true of the formation of candidates for
consecrated life. "All are to have appropriate formation and
training which should be Christ-centred... with emphasis on personal
sanctity and witness; their spirituality and lifestyle should be
sensitive to the religious heritage of the people among whom they live
and whom they serve" (Ecclesia in Asia, n. 44). As Bishops,
you are the source of guidance and strength for the religious
communities in your Eparchies. Through close cooperation with religious
superiors you must help to guarantee that the training received by
candidates transforms their hearts, minds and souls in such a way that
they are enabled to give themselves without reservation to the work of
the Church. Your strong leadership will do much to encourage religious
communities to persevere in their edifying example as witnesses to
Christ's joy.
Entrustment to Mary, Queen of the Rosary
5. Dear Brother Bishops, these are some of the thoughts
that your visit evokes. The Solemnity of Easter which we have just
celebrated urges you to allow the Risen Lord to renew continually the
Churches under your care. Entrusting you to Mary, Queen of the Rosary, I
pray that through her intercession the Holy Spirit will indeed fill you
with joy and peace, and I impart my Apostolic Blessing to you and to the
priests, Religious and faithful of your Eparchies.
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