Speech of Pope Benedict XVI to the Ambassador to the Holy See from the Kindgom of
the Netherlands
Text of the Speech of Pope Benedict XVI to the Ambassador to the Holy See
from the Kindgom of the Netherlands
Baroness Henriette Johanna Cornelia
Maria van Lynden-Leijten
Your Excellency,
I am pleased to welcome
you to the Vatican and to accept the Letters accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Holy See. I would like
to express my gratitude for the good wishes that you bring from Queen Beatrix. For
my part, please convey to Her Majesty my cordial greetings and assure her of my continuing
prayers for all the people of your nation. In a world that is ever more closely
interconnected, the Holy See’s diplomatic relations with individual states afford
many opportunities for cooperation on important global issues. In this light, the
Holy See values its links with the Netherlands and looks forward to strengthening
them further in years to come. Your country, as a founder member of the European
Economic Community and home to several international juridical institutions, has long
been at the forefront of moves to strengthen international cooperation for the greater
good of the human family. Hence the mission on which you are about to embark is rich
in opportunities for joint action to promote peace and prosperity in the light of
the desire that both the Holy See and the Netherlands have, to help the human person. The
defence and promotion of freedom is a key element in humanitarian engagement of this
kind, and it is one to which both the Holy See and the Kingdom of the Netherlands
frequently draw attention. It must be understood, though, that freedom needs to be
anchored in truth – the truth of the nature of the human person – and it needs to
be directed towards the good of individuals and of society. In the financial crisis
of the past twelve months, the whole world has been able to observe the consequences
of exaggerated individualism that tends to favour single-minded pursuit of perceived
personal advantage to the exclusion of other goods. There has been much reflection
on the need for a sound ethical approach to the processes of economic and political
integration, and more people are coming to recognize that globalization needs to be
steered towards the goal of integral human development of individuals, communities
and peoples – shaped not by mechanical or deterministic forces but by humanitarian
values that are open to transcendence (cf. Caritas in Veritate, 42). Our world needs
to “reappropriate the true meaning of freedom, which is not an intoxication with total
autonomy, but a response to the call of being” (ibid., 70). Hence the Holy See’s
conviction regarding the irreplaceable role of faith communities in public life and
in public debate. While some of the Dutch population would declare itself agnostic
or even atheist, more than half of it professes Christianity, and the growing numbers
of immigrants who follow other religious traditions make it more necessary than ever
for civil authorities to acknowledge the place of religion in Dutch society. An indication
that your Government does so is the fact that faith schools receive state support
in your country, and rightly so, since such institutions are called to make a significant
contribution to mutual understanding and social cohesion by transmitting the values
that are rooted in a transcendent vision of human dignity. Even more basic than
schools in this regard are families built on the foundation of a stable and fruitful
marriage between a man and a woman. Nothing can equal or replace the formative value
of growing up in a secure family environment, learning to respect and foster the personal
dignity of others, acquiring the capacity for “acceptance, encounter and dialogue,
disinterested availability, generous service and deep solidarity” (Familiaris Consortio,
43; cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 221) – in short, learning
to love. A society, on the other hand, which encourages alternative models of domestic
life for the sake of a supposed diversity, is likely to store up social consequences
that are not conducive to integral human development (cf. Caritas in Veritate, 44,
51). The Catholic Church in your country is eager to play its part in supporting
and promoting stable family life, as the Dutch Bishops’ Conference stated in its recent
document on the pastoral care of young people and the family. It is my earnest hope
that the Catholic contribution to ethical debate will be heard and heeded by all sectors
of Dutch society, so that the noble culture that has distinguished your country for
centuries may continue to be known for its solidarity with the poor and the vulnerable,
its promotion of authentic freedom and its respect for the dignity and inestimable
value of every human life. Your Excellency, in offering my best wishes for the
success of your mission, I would like to assure you that the various departments of
the Roman Curia are ready to provide help and support in the fulfilment of your duties.
Upon Your Excellency, your family and all the people of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,
I cordially invoke God’s abundant blessings.