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ZENIT - The World Seen From Rome
Code: ZE04090221
Date: 2004-09-02
John Paul II’s Address to U.S. Bishops of Boston and Hartford
CASTEL GANDOLFO, SEPT. 2, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address John Paul II
delivered on Thursday to the U.S. bishops of Boston and Hartford on the occasion
of their "ad limina” visit, which every diocesan head must make every
five years to report on the diocese.
* * *
Dear Brother Bishops,
1. Through the gift of God we have become "ministers of the Gospel" and
received the grace "to preach to the nations the unfathomable riches of
Jesus Christ". Echoing these words of the Apostle Paul (cf. Eph 3:7-8),
and in a spirit of gratitude for our common calling, I warmly welcome you,
my brother Bishops of the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston and Hartford,
on the occasion of your quinquennial visit to the tombs of the Apostles and
the See of Peter. Taking up once again my series of reflections on the teaching
office entrusted to Bishops within the communion of the People of God, I wish
to consider some particular concerns facing the Church in the United States
as she carries out her duty to proclaim the Gospel and to lead all people to
the fullness of faith, freedom and salvation in Christ.
2. Throughout these reflections on the exercise of the munus episcopale
propheticum I have more than once drawn attention to the importance of
the evangelization of culture. A fundamental challenge in this area is surely
that of bringing about a fruitful encounter between the Gospel and the new
global culture which is rapidly taking shape as a result of unprecedented growth
in communications and the expansion of a world economy. I am convinced that
the Church in the United States can play a critical role in meeting this challenge,
since this emerging reality is in many ways the fruit of contemporary Western,
and particularly American, experiences, attitudes and ideals. The new evangelization
calls for a clear discernment of the profound spiritual needs and aspirations
of a culture which, for all its aspects of materialism and relativism, is nonetheless
profoundly attracted to the primordially religious dimension of the human experience
and is struggling to rediscover its spiritual roots.
For the Church in America, the evangelization of culture can thus offer a unique
contribution to the Church’s mission ad gentes in our day. Through her
preaching, her catechesis and her public witness, the Church in your country
is challenged to develop a new kerygmatic style, one capable of appealing to
the spiritual needs of contemporary men and women and of offering them a clear
and convincing response grounded in the truth of the Gospel. Catholics of all
ages must be helped to appreciate more fully the distinctiveness of the Christian
message, its capacity to satisfy the deepest yearnings of the human heart in
every age, and the beauty of its summons to a life completely centered on faith
in the Triune God, obedience to his revealed word and loving configuration
to Christ’s paschal mystery, in which we see disclosed the full measure of
our humanity and our supernatural call to fulfillment in love (cf. Gaudium
et Spes, 22).
3. The Church in the United States has long been committed to making her
voice heard in public debate in the defense of fundamental human rights, the
dignity of the person and the ethical requirements of a just and well-ordered
society. In a pluralistic nation like your own, this has necessarily
involved practical cooperation with men and women of various religious beliefs,
and with all people of good will, in the service of the common good. I am deeply
appreciative of your continuing efforts to promote ecumenical and inter-religious
dialogue on every level of the Church’s life, not only as a means of overcoming
misunderstandings between believers, but also for fostering a sense of common
responsibility for the building of a future of peace. As the tragic events
of 11 September 2001 have made clear, the building of a global culture of solidarity
and respect for human dignity is one of the great moral tasks confronting humanity
today. In the end, it is in the conversion of hearts and the spiritual
renewal of humanity that the hope of a better tomorrow lies, and here the witness,
example and cooperation of religious believers has a unique role to play.
4. I also wish to express my personal gratitude for the traditional generosity
of the faithful of the United States to the Church’s mission ad gentes through
the training and sending forth of generations of missionaries and through the
contributions of countless Catholics to the foreign missions. I encourage you
to make every effort to revive this powerful manifestation of solidarity with
the universal Church. History bears witness that a sustained commitment to
the mission ad gentes renews the whole Church, strengthens the faith
of individuals and communities, reinforces their Christian identity, and gives
rise to fresh enthusiasm for overcoming the challenges and difficulties of
the moment (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 2). May the Church in your country
discover the sources for a profound interior renewal through a revitalization
of missionary zeal, above all by promoting vocations to missionary Institutes
and proposing, especially to young people, the lofty ideal of a life completely
devoted to the Gospel.
5. More than once in the course of these meetings I have told you of my admiration
for the outstanding contribution which the Catholic community in the United
States has made to the spread of the Gospel, the care of the poor, the sick
and those in need, and the defense of fundamental human and Christian values.
Today I wish to encourage you, and through you, all the Catholics of America,
to continue to bear faithful testimony to the truth of Christ and the power
of his grace to inspire wisdom, reconcile differences, heal wounds and point
to a future of hope. The Church in your country has been chastened by the events
of the past two years, and much effort has rightly been expended on understanding
and addressing the issues of sexual abuse which have cast a shadow on her life
and ministry. As you continue to confront the significant spiritual and material
challenges which your local Churches are experiencing in this regard, I ask
you to encourage all the faithful – clergy, religious and lay – to persevere
in their public witness of faith and hope, so that Christ’s light, which can
never be dimmed (cf. Jn 1:5), will continue to shine forth in and through the
Church’s entire life and ministry.
In a particular way I would ask you to be strongly supportive of your brother
priests, many of whom have suffered deeply because of the much-publicized failings
of some of the Church’s ministers. I would ask you also to convey my personal
gratitude for the generous and selfless service which mark the lives of so
many American priests, as well as my deep appreciation of their daily efforts
to be models of holiness and pastoral charity in the Christian communities
entrusted to their care. In a very real way the renewal of the Church is linked
to the renewal of the priesthood (cf. Optatam Totius, 1). For this reason
I ask you to make every effort to be present as a father and a brother in the
midst of your priests, to show heartfelt gratitude for their ministry, to join
them frequently in prayer and to encourage them in fidelity to their noble
vocation as men completely consecrated to the service of the Lord and his Church.
In a word, tell your priests that I hold them in my heart!
6. At the conclusion of these reflections on our responsibility for the Church’s
prophetic witness before the world, I once more express my conviction, born
of faith, that God is even now preparing a great springtime for the Gospel
(cf. Redemptoris Missio, 86), and that this calls all of us to "open
the doors to Christ" in every aspect of our life and activity. As I suggested
in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, ours is the wonderful
yet demanding responsibility of reflecting Christ, the light of the world.
Indeed, "this is a daunting task if we consider our human weakness, which
so often renders us opaque and full of shadows. But it is a task we can accomplish
if we remain ever turned to the light of Christ and open to the grace which
makes us a new creation" (op. cit., 54).
Dear Brother Bishops, as I set this challenge before you, I assure you once
more of my confidence and my fraternal affection. Entrusting you and the clergy,
religious, and lay faithful of your particular Churches to the loving intercession
of Mary, Mother of the Church, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as
a pledge of strength and peace in the Lord.
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