POPE PLANTS OLIVE TREE IN SOIL FROM FIVE CONTINENTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 22, 2000 (VIS) - At the end of Mass this morning marking World Mission Day and the Jubilee of Missions, the Pope planted an olive tree in a wicker basket containing soil from five continents and hundreds of colored balloons were released as a symbol of the continents where missionaries render their service.

As he addressed the faithful, John Paul II first thanked the bishops, priests, religious and lay people from around the world who had taken part in the World Mission Congress, which preceded today's Jubilee celebrations.

"Every local Church," he said, "is born from mission, and the presence here of representatives from more than 100 countries shows the choral gratitude that is raised to heaven for the gift of evangelization received. In turn, every Church grows and matures when missionaries leave it to proclaim the Gospel to other peoples. This is the meaning of mandate, which today is conferred on many 'missionaries' with the consignment of the cross. Thus, this means at the start of a new millennium, a new courageous departure for a renewed missionary season."

Then, as he planted the olive tree, the Holy Father told the faithful that "from different countries, the congress participants have brought here a little bit of soil, which has been placed together in one container. In this 'soil from all lands', as a memory of this Jubilee day, an olive tree, a symbol of peace, is being planted. The Gospel of Christ is, in fact, the Gospel of peace. May all peoples open themselves to Christ and find the path to peace!"

Before reciting the angelus, the Pope then greeted all those present in seven languages.

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