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Venerable Brothers,
I am particularly glad to meet you at the end of your visit ad
limina Apostolorum. I welcome your greeting, expressed by Archbishop
Tomash Peta. I greet each one of you, the Bishops and the Delegate
for Greek-Catholic faithful in Kazakhstan, the Apostolic
Administrator in Kyrgyzstan, the Apostolic Administrator in
Uzbekistan, the Superior of the Missio sui iuris in Takjikistan and
the Superior of the Missio sui iuris in Turkmenistan. I am also
grateful to you for bringing me the greeting of the faithful
entrusted to your pastoral care in the Region of Central Asia. I
assure you that the Successor of Peter follows your ministry with
constant prayer and brotherly affection. This house, the house of
the Bishop of Rome, is also yours.
I listened to each one of you with great interest and attention,
hearing about your communities' achievements, commitments, projects
and aspirations, and, of course, also the problems and difficulties
that you confront in your pastoral action. Let us thank the Lord
that the flame of the faith is still burning in believers' hearts
despite the harsh pressure in the years of the atheist and Communist
regime. This is thanks to the self-denial of zealous priests,
religious and lay people. Communities can be reduced to a "little
flock". You must not be discouraged, dear Brothers! Look at the
first communities of the Lord's disciples. Although they were small
they did not withdraw into themselves but, impelled by Christ's love,
did not hesitate to shoulder the burdens of the poor and to meet the
needs of the sick, joyfully proclaiming and witnessing to the Gospel
to all. Today too, as then, it is the Holy Spirit who leads the
Church onwards. Therefore, let yourselves be guided by him and keep
alive in the Christian people the flame of faith; preserve and make
the most of the worthwhile pastoral and apostolic experiences of the
past; continue to teach everyone to listen to the Word of God,
inculcate - especially in young people - love for the Eucharist and
Marian devotion and spread the practice of the Rosary among families.
Furthermore, seek with patience and courage new forms and methods
for the apostolate, concerned to put them into practice in
accordance with today's needs, bearing in mind the language and
culture of the faithful entrusted to your care. This will demand
ever stronger unity among you as Pastors and among the clergy.
Your commitment to achieving this will certainly be more effective
and efficient if you do not act alone but seek to increasingly
involve the priests, your first collaborators, men and women
religious, as well as the lay people dedicated to the various
pastoral projects. Then remember that it is first and foremost these
cooperators of yours, labourers, like you, in the Lord's vineyard,
to whom you must listen and pay attention. Be available, therefore,
and willing to meet their expectations, support them in difficult
moments and invite them to place ever greater trust in Providence
who never abandons us, especially in times of trial; be beside them
when they traverse situations of human and spiritual loneliness. May
all things be founded on constant recourse to God in prayer and a
constant effort for unity among yourselves, as well as in each one
of your respective and different communities.
All these things appear even more necessary in order to face the
challenges to the proclamation of the Good News and consistent
practice of Christian life posed by today's globalized society in
your regions too. Here I would like to recall that in addition to
the difficulties I mentioned earlier, almost everywhere in the world
disturbing phenomena are seriously threatening security and peace. I
am referring in particular to the scourges of violence and terrorism,
to the spread of extremism and fundamentalism. Of course, it is
necessary to combat these scourges with legislation. Yet the force
of the law can never be transformed into injustice, nor can the free
practice of religions be limited, because professing one's own faith
freely is one of the fundamental and universally recognized human
rights.
Then I feel it is helpful to reaffirm that the Church does not
impose but rather freely proposes the Catholic faith, well aware
that conversion is the mysterious fruit of the Holy Spirit's action.
Faith is a gift and the work of God. For this very reason every type
of proselytism that forces, induces or entices someone to embrace
the faith by unworthy devices is strictly forbidden (cf. Ad Gentes,
n. 13). A person can open himself to the faith after mature and
responsible reflection and must be able to achieve this intimate
inspiration freely. This is not only for the individual's benefit
but indeed for that of the whole of society, for the faithful
observance of the divine precepts is helpful in building a more just
and supportive coexistence.
Dear Brothers, I encourage you to persevere in the work you have
undertaken, wisely making the most of the contributions of all. I
take this opportunity to thank the priests and religious who work in
the various ecclesiastical circumscriptions, and in particular: the
Franciscans in the Diocese of the Most Blessed Trinity in Almaty,
the Jesuits in Kyrgyzstan, the Conventual Franciscans in Uzbekistan,
the religious of the Institute of the Incarnate Word in the Missio
sui iuris in Tadjikistan, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the
Missio sui iuris in Turkmenistan. I also ask other religious
families to make a generous contribution by sending personnel and
means to bring to completion the apostolic work in the vast regions
of Central Asia. I repeat to each one of you that the Pope is with
you and supports you in your ministry. May Mary, Queen of Apostles,
always watch over you and over your communities. May you always be
accompanied by my prayers as I warmly bless you all.
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