To Cardinal Scherer (4 July 1980)

On 4 July 1980, on his arrival at Porto Alegre, the Holy Father greeted Cardinal Vincenzo Scherer, expressing his concern that “in our day the faith has no possibility of survival and diffusion, without a deepening of the faith itself.” 

1. I sincerely thank the beloved pastor of this archdiocese, dear Cardinal Vincenzo Scherer, for the noble words he addressed to me and in which I rediscover the virtues that I already know in him: simplicity, sincerity, absolute fidelity to the Successor of Peter.

I deduce from these words that you were all waiting for this moment. I can tell you that I too have been anxiously awaiting this day when, in the course of my pilgrimage through Brazil, I would come to meet you in Porto Alegre. Blessed be the Lord for this opportunity.
Alongside the most eminent Cardinal Scherer, I greet his auxiliary bishops. I greet my brother bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Rio Grande do Sul. I greet the priests, deacons, religious present here. I greet the faithful of all backgrounds, ages and conditions.

A special greeting to those who have come from further afield - from the neighboring state of Santa Caterina, which I did not have the opportunity to visit this time, from Argentina and Uruguay - to see the Pope. I know he is not my person what matters: what matters is the mission that the Lord wanted to entrust to me. I am happy to know that, beyond the Pope, it is to the successor of Peter and therefore to Peter himself, it is to the Vicar of Christ and therefore to Christ himself, that your homage is addressed.

To him alone be praise and glory for ever and ever.

2. I come therefore as pastor of the universal church, to get to know the sheep up close that the good shepherd, in his designs of love, has entrusted to me. I come as Peter's successor, to give continuity to the mission of confirming his brothers. I come as Vicar of Jesus Christ, bringing his blessing and his peace.

I know that faith is deeply rooted in your land, and is lived with intensity in your hearts. I know that the secret of this great vitality in the faith also lies in the Christianly formed families and in the missionaries, priests of great value, who more than a century ago evangelized this region in depth.

If we want to be convincing witnesses of Jesus Christ, we must seek ever greater authenticity, we must remain firm in the faith. Now, I think (and I have tried to explain it in my apostolic exhortation Catechesi Tradendae ) that in our day the faith has no possibility of survival and diffusion, without a deepening of the faith itself. That is, without a catechesis adapted to the circumstances but always in conformity with the feeling of the church. Therefore I do not want to let pass this opportunity to exhort you, pastors, bishops and priests, you fathers and mothers of families, you teachers to make a courageous and persevering effort of catechesis for children, young people and adults.

3. A word of friendship to the presbytery so widely represented here. I don't need many words to tell you that you are in the Pope's heart: he always prays for you and for you he asks the Lord for the grace of fidelity to the gift he received one day, to make each of you a "sacerdos in aeternum". Live the mystery of the Church's unity, remaining united to your bishops "like the strings to the lyre", to take up the expressive comparison of Saint Ignatius of Antioch. This is the secret of the apostolic fecundity of the priest.

And what about religious men and women? You occupy a place that is yours alone in the body of Christ which is the church. You are the expression and must be the embodiment of his vocation to holiness. May God bless your life, making it bear fruit in his love for him, which will surely be for the benefit of your brothers.

Here in your city I will meet with a group of "called" people and their formators. In the welcome expectation of this meeting, for the moment it is enough for me to tell you that the Church must always keep a profound compassion in her soul: there is a multitude "tired and exhausted, like sheep without a shepherd"; and a prayer: "Lord, send workers into your harvest" (cf. Mt 9:36-38).

I know that your state is rich in vocations, and with you, I thank the Lord. I hope you always know how to appreciate this gift, take on these vocations, help them and mature in the love of God and in unconditional fidelity to the Church, for the good of the whole community.

May God bless your families, rich in beautiful traditions, centers of diffusion of Christian values ​​and reservoirs of nourished vocations.

4. Finally, I greet all the people of Porto Alegre and the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Experience here the harmony of the meeting of many races, fused in an authentic Brazilian spirit. You are a living lesson in the fact that it is possible for man to live in fraternity with his fellow man.

From this archdiocese, born with the title and under the protection of the apostle Peter, the successor of Peter himself greets everyone and invokes God's blessings for everyone, but above all for the elderly, the infirm, those who suffer in body or limb soul, for the children... The Pope embraces you all with sincere affection. The Pope prays for everyone, and blesses everyone.

May the Virgin Mary, "Mother of God" - as you invoke her with love in your cathedral - help you and lead you to her beloved Son.

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