(13 Sept 07 - RV) Pope Benedict received the new Ambassador of Slovakia today at the
Papal summer residence in Castelgandolfo. Lydia O'Kane reports...
Pope
Benedict’s speech to the new Ambassador of Slovakia to the Holy See, Jozef Dravecký,
on presentation of his Letter of Credentials. Your Excellency,
I am
very pleased to welcome you to the Vatican and to accept the Letters of Credence by
which you are appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Slovak
Republic to the Holy See. I thank you for the cordial greetings which you have brought
to me from President Gašparovič, and I ask you kindly to convey to him my own respectful
greetings, together with my prayerful good wishes for the well-being and prosperity
of the Republic. Indeed, the bonds uniting the Bishop of Rome to the people of your
country stretch back to the time of Saints Cyril and Methodius, and your presence
here today is but another example of the mutual respect and affection the Holy See
and Slovakia have for one another.
Next year will mark the Fifteenth Anniversary
of diplomatic relations between the Slovak Republic and the Holy See. This cooperation
has been especially fruitful in recent years, as evidenced by your Government’s ratification
of two of the four items contained in the Basic Agreement signed in 2000. I am grateful
for Your Excellency’s reassurance that the Republic is committed to fulfilling the
other two points of the Basic Agreement regarding conscientious objection and the
financing of Church activities. In this regard, I reaffirm the Holy See’s readiness
to assist you and your colleagues in whatever way possible to bring these important
matters to a successful conclusion. A key approved item of the Basic Agreement,
as noted by Your Excellency, concerns education. It is important that States continue
to guarantee the Church the freedom to establish and administer Catholic schools,
affording parents the opportunity to choose a means of education that fosters the
Christian formation of their children. As they grasp Christian teaching, young people
appreciate their personal dignity as creatures made in the image and likeness of God
(Gen 1:27), and thus recognize a purpose and direction for their lives. Indeed,
a solid education that nourishes all the dimensions of the human person, including
the religious and spiritual, is in the interest of both Church and State. In this
way, young people can acquire habits that will enable them to embrace their civic
duties as they enter adulthood.
The combined efforts of Church and civil society
to instruct young people in the ways of goodness are all the more crucial at a time
when they are tempted to disparage the values of marriage and family so vital to their
future happiness and to a nation’s social stability. The family is the nucleus in
which a person first learns human love and cultivates the virtues of responsibility,
generosity and fraternal concern. Strong families are built on the foundation of
strong marriages. Strong societies are built on the foundation of strong families.
Indeed, all civic communities should do what they can to promote economic and social
policies that aid young married couples and facilitate their desire to raise a family.
Far from remaining indifferent to marriage, the State must acknowledge, respect and
support this venerable institution as the stable union between a man and a woman who
willingly embrace a life-long commitment of love and fidelity (cf. Familiaris Consortio,
40). The members of your National Council are engaged in serious discussions on how
to promote marriage and foster family life. The Catholic Bishops, too, in your country
are worried about increases in the rate of divorce and the number of children conceived
out of wedlock. Thanks to the efforts of the Council for Family and Youth, the Conference
of Bishops has expanded educational initiatives that raise awareness of the noble
vocation to marriage, thus preparing young people to assume its responsibilities.
Such programmes open the door to further collaboration between Church and State and
help to ensure a healthy future for your country.
As the Republic strives to
achieve social progress at home, she also looks beyond her borders towards the wider
international community. The rich cultural and spiritual heritage of Slovakia holds
great potential for revitalizing the soul of the European continent. Your Excellency
has drawn attention to the heroic sacrifices made by countless men and women in your
nation’s history who, in times of persecution, laboured at great cost to preserve
the right to life, religious liberty, and the freedom to place oneself at the charitable
service of one’s neighbour (cf. Deus Caritas Est, 28). Such essential values
are imperative to building a peaceful and just European Union. I am confident that
the celebrations marking the 1150th Anniversary of Saints Cyril and Methodius
will renew Slovakia’s vigour to bear witness to these timeless values. In this way,
she will inspire other member States of the European Union to strive for unity while
recognizing diversity, to respect national sovereignty while engaging in joint activity,
and to seek economic progress while upholding social justice.
Your Excellency,
I am confident that the diplomatic ties between the Slovak Republic and the Holy See,
which already enjoy a spirit of goodwill and mutual esteem, will continue to support
the integral development of your nation. I assure you that the various offices of
the Roman Curia are eager to assist you in the fulfilment of your duties. With my
sincere good wishes, I invoke upon you, your family and all the beloved people of
the Slovak Republic abundant divine blessings.