Czech Republic: Pilgrimage and Mission to Heart of Europe

(30 Sep 09 - RV) “A pilgrimage and a mission” to the “heart of Europe”, those were the terms used by Pope Benedict XVI to described his recent Apostolic Voyage to the Czech Republic.

The Pope travelled to the ancient territory of Bohemia and Moravia from September 26^th to 28^th last. There he said that Europe needs God to find hope in the future and he also called on politicians to witness the truth in their lives.

On Wednesday, the Pope told over 10 thousand pilgrims and visitors to St Peter’s Square; “It was a pilgrimage on account of the many saints who bore witness to Christ in the Czech lands through their holy lives, and it was a mission because, at the present time, Europe needs to rediscover the joy and hope that come from following the Lord Jesus. I pray that our liturgical celebrations in Prague’s magnificent Cathedral, in Brno and in Stará Boleslav will have served to deepen the faith and enkindle the Christian commitment of the people of Central Europe, especially the young”.

Pope Benedict thanked the civil and ecclesiastical authorities who contributed to the success of his visit, and went on to highlight how the civil and religious dimensions of society are not juxtaposed, rather, both bring an essential contribution to the” indissoluble bond which must always exist between freedom and truth”.

“I was glad to have the opportunity to meet leaders of other Christian communities and to encourage them in the task of ecumenical dialogue. And it was a pleasure to come together with University Rectors and leading figures from the world of culture. I spoke with them of the need for scholarship to be rooted in truth, an integral truth that shuns the limitations of relativism and determinism. I ask all of you to join me in praying that this visit may bear abundant spiritual fruit for the Czech people and for the unity and peace of the whole continent of Europe”.

Pope Benedict concluded: “Only an integral human formation can counter a new dictatorship; that of relativism combined with the domination of technology".