| WYD: Fill the World with
Saints Since
the first settlers, Catholic contribution ever ready to serve God and
neighbors
On Thursday morning, 17 July [2008],
after spending the night at Cathedral House where he was staying during
his Visit as a guest of Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, the
Holy Father celebrated Holy Mass privately in the Chapel. Cathedral
House is part of the complex of St Mary's Cathedral, which is Sydney's
largest church and is dedicated to Our Lady Help of Christians. The
Gothic-style Cathedral stands on the site of a chapel dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin that was built in 1821. It became a Cathedral in 1835 but
was destroyed by fire in 1865. The foundation stone of the new building
was laid in 1869 and Pius IX made it a Minor Basilica in 1930.
The Pope was driven to Government
House, an elegant 19th-century building also in the Gothic style,
most of which is open to the public. The State Rooms used by Heads of
State and members of the Royal Family on official visits are on the
first floor. The Holy Father was welcomed in the garden by H.E.
Major-General John Jeffery, the Governor-General, and the Hon. Mr Kevin
Rudd, Prime Minister, with their respective wives. Also present were
Archbishop Phillip Wilson, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops'
Conference, Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney and Bishop
Anthony Fisher, Coordinator for the World Youth Day, and other
Australian Bishops. The following is the text of the Pope's Discourse.
Your Excellencies,
Dear Australian Friends,
It is with great joy that I greet you today. I would like to thank the
Governor-General, Major-General Michael Jeffery and Prime Minister Rudd
for honouring me by their presence at this ceremony and for welcoming me
so graciously. As you know, I have been able to enjoy some quiet days
since my arrival in Australia last Sunday. I am most grateful for the
hospitality that has been extended to me. Now I look forward to this
evening’s "Welcome to Country" by the indigenous people and to
celebrating the great events which form the purpose of my Apostolic
Visit: the Twenty-Third World Youth Day.
Some might ask what motivates thousands of young people to undertake
what is for many a long and demanding journey in order to participate in
an event of this kind. Ever since the first World Youth Day in 1986, it
has been evident that vast numbers of young people appreciate the
opportunity to come together to deepen their faith in Christ and to
share with one another a joyful experience of communion in his Church.
They long to hear the word of God, and to learn more about their
Christian faith. They are eager to take part in an event which brings
into focus the high ideals that inspire them, and they return home
filled with hope and renewed in their resolve to contribute to the
building of a better world. For me it is a joy to be with them, to pray
with them and to celebrate the Eucharist with them. World Youth Day
fills me with confidence for the future of the Church and the future of
our world.
It seems particularly appropriate to celebrate World Youth Day here,
since the Church in Australia, as well as being the youngest of any
continent, is also one of the most cosmopolitan. Since the first
European settlement here in the late eighteenth century, this country
has become a home not only to generations of Europeans, but to people
from every corner of the globe. The immense diversity of the Australian
population today gives a particular vibrancy to what may still be
considered, in comparison with much of the rest of the world, a young
nation. Yet for thousands of years before the arrival of Western
settlers, the sole inhabitants of the land were indigenous peoples, the
Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Their ancient heritage forms an
essential part of the cultural landscape of modern Australia. Thanks to
the Australian Government’s courageous decision to acknowledge the
injustices committed against the indigenous peoples in the past,
concrete steps are now being taken to achieve reconciliation based on
mutual respect. Rightly, you are seeking to close the gap between
indigenous and non-indigenous Australians regarding life expectancy,
educational achievement and economic opportunity! This example of
reconciliation offers hope to peoples all over the world who long to see
their rights affirmed and their contribution to society acknowledged and
promoted.
The settlers who came here from Europe have always included a
significant proportion of Catholics, and we may be justly proud of the
contribution they have made to the building up of the nation,
particularly in the fields of education and healthcare. One of the most
outstanding figures in this country’s history is Blessed Mary MacKillop,
at whose tomb I shall pray later this morning. I know that her
perseverance in the face of adversity, her plea for justice on behalf of
those unfairly treated and her practical example of holiness have become
a source of inspiration for all Australians. Generations have reason to
be grateful to her and to the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred
Heart and other religious congregations for the network of schools that
they established here and for the witness of their consecrated life. In
today’s more secular environment, the Catholic community continues to
make an important contribution to national life, not only through
education and healthcare, but especially by highlighting the spiritual
dimension of the questions that feature prominently in contemporary
debate.
With many thousands of young people visiting Australia at this time, it
is appropriate to reflect upon the kind of world we are handing on to
future generations. In the words of your national anthem, this land
"abounds in nature’s gifts, of beauty rich and rare". The wonder of
God’s creation reminds us of the need to protect the environment and to
exercise responsible stewardship of the goods of the earth. In this
connection I note that Australia is making a serious commitment to
address its responsibility to care for the natural environment. Likewise
with regard to the human environment, this country has generously
supported international peace-keeping operations, contributing to
conflict resolution in the Pacific, in South-East Asia and elsewhere.
Owing to the many religious traditions represented in Australia, this is
particularly fertile ground for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.
I look forward to meeting local representatives of different Christian
communities and other religions during my stay, so as to encourage this
important work, a sign of the reconciling action of the Spirit who
impels us to seek unity in truth and charity.
First and foremost, though, I am here to meet the young, from Australia
and from all over the world, and to pray for a renewed outpouring of the
Holy Spirit upon all those taking part in our celebrations. The theme
chosen for World Youth Day 2008 is taken from words spoken by Jesus
himself to his disciples, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles: "You
shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you
shall be my witnesses to the ends of the earth" (1:9). I pray that the
Holy Spirit will bring spiritual renewal to this land, to the Australian
people, to the Church throughout Oceania and indeed to the ends of the
earth. Young people today face a bewildering variety of life-choices, so
that they sometimes find it hard to know how best to channel their
idealism and their energy. It is the Spirit who gives the wisdom to
discern the right path and the courage to follow it. He crowns our poor
efforts with his divine gifts, just as the wind filling the sails sweeps
the ship forward, far surpassing what the oarsmen can achieve through
their laborious rowing. In this way, the Spirit enables men and women in
every land and in every generation to become saints. Through the
Spirit’s action, may the young people gathered here for World Youth Day
have the courage to become saints! This is what the world needs more
than anything else.
Dear Australian friends, once again I thank you for your generous
welcome and I look forward to spending these days with you and with the
young people of the world. May God bless all who are present, all the
pilgrims and all who live in this land. And may he always bless and
protect the Commonwealth of Australia.
|