(June 27, 2008) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday encouraged the Catholic communities of
Hong Kong and Macao to a renewed commitment to make Jesus ever more visible in the
Church and better known in society by bearing witness to his love and the truth of
his Gospel. The Pope made the exhortation in an address he delivered to the bishops
of Hong Kong and Macao who were on their ad limina visit to Rome. Such visits are
made by heads of dioceses every 5 years or so to report on the state of their jurisdiction.
Pope Benedict reminded the bishops that all of the Church’s activities are oriented
towards evangelization and may not be separated from the commitment to assist everyone
to encounter Christ in faith, which is the primary aim of evangelization. He said
that it was the right of every man and woman to hear that Jesus Christ loved and gave
Himself for them. Corresponding to this right is also the duty to evangelize. Pope
Benedict observed that in today’s globalized context, there are, on the one hand,
many social and cultural bonds which tend to promote attitudes of world-wide solidarity
and shared responsibility for the good of mankind. On the other hand, there are worrying
signs of fragmentation and individualism dominated by secularism which pushes the
transcendent and the sense of the sacred to the margins and eclipses the very source
of harmony and unity of the universe. The negative aspects of this cultural phenomenon,
the Pope said, call for action aimed at supporting the spiritual and moral ethos of
the people. The task of evangelization in this complex context calls for an adequate
ongoing formation of the clergy. Noting that parents particularly seek out Catholic
schools for the intellectual, spiritual and moral formation of their children, Pope
Benedict urged Church schools to be close to students and to their families in order
to cater to their spiritual needs.