(12 Dec 08 - RV) Pope Benedict met on Friday with the bishops of Taiwan. The Pope
encouraged the efforts of the bishops in evangelization in this, the 150th
anniversary of the introduction of the Gospel to the island. He also spoke of the
importance of proper catchesis for the faithful. He also spoke of the Church in China.
We have this report... Full Text of Pope
Benedict's Remarks
My Dear Brother Bishops, To all of you, I extend greetings
of peace and joy in the Lord Jesus. By his grace, you have come to this city to venerate
the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul as a sign of your communion with the Church
in Rome, which “presides over the universal communion of charity” (Pastores Gregis,
57; cf. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Romanos, 1:1). It is in this spirit of charity
that I welcome you today and encourage the Catholic faithful in Taiwan to persevere
in faith, hope and love. “Comfort, give comfort to my people” (Is 40:1). These
words, re-echoed in the Church’s liturgy this week, neatly summarize my message to
you today. You are never alone! United to the Father through the Son and in the
Holy Spirit, you, together with all your Brothers in the Episcopate, are graced with
that “affective collegiality” that strengthens you to preach the Gospel and care for
the needs of the Lord’s flock (cf. Pastores Gregis, 8). Indeed, your celebration
of the 150th Anniversary of Catholic Evangelization in Taiwan is an occasion
to manifest ever more eagerly your oneness with each other and with our Lord as you
together promote the Church’s common apostolate. This unity of mind and heart is
evidenced by your desire to cooperate more closely in spreading the Gospel among non-believers
and forming those already initiated into the Church through Baptism and Confirmation.
I am pleased to note that you continue to coordinate a variety of institutions for
this purpose, with due emphasis on the parish, the “prime mover and pre-eminent place
for catechesis” (Catechesi Tradendae, 67). As Bishops, you are well aware of your
vital role in this regard. Your office of teaching is inseparable from those of sanctifying
and governing, and it is integral to what Saint Augustine calls the amoris officium:
the “office of love” (Saint Augustine, In Ioannem, 123). Crucial to this end is the
formation of priests, who are ordained to assist you in exercising this “office of
love” for the good of God’s people. These programmes are to be ongoing so that priests
may continually refocus on the meaning of their mission and embrace it with fidelity
and generosity. Such programmes must also be designed with due consideration for
the variety of ages, life conditions and duties found among your clergy. Priority
must also be given to the thorough preparation of catechists. Once again, it is essential
to take into consideration the array of settings in which they work and to furnish
them with the necessary resources so that they may follow the example of Jesus in
speaking the truth straightforwardly and in a way readily accessible to all (cf. Mk
4:11). With their active support, you will be able to draw up well-planned catechetical
programmes that employ a progressive and gradual methodology, so that from year to
year an ever-deepening encounter with the Triune God may be fostered among your people.
Effective catechesis inevitably builds stronger families, which in turn give birth
to new priestly vocations. Indeed, the family is that “domestic Church” where the
Gospel of Jesus is first heard and the art of Christian living first practised (cf.
Lumen Gentium, 11). The Church, at every level, must cherish and foster the gift
of priesthood so that young men will generously respond to the Lord’s call to become
labourers in the vineyard. Parents, pastors, teachers, parish leaders, and all the
members of the Church must set before young people the radical decision to follow
Christ, so that in finding him, they find themselves (cf. Sacramentum Caritatis, 25). The
family, as you know, is that “first and vital cell”: the prototype for every level
of society (cf. Apostolicam Actuositatem, 11). Your recent Pastoral Letter Social
Concern and Evangelization underscores the Church’s need to engage actively in the
promotion of family life. Founded on an irrevocable covenant, the family leads people
to discover goodness, beauty and truth, so that they may perceive their unique destiny
and learn how to contribute to the building up of a civilization of love. Your deep
concern for the good of families and society as a whole, my Brothers, moves you to
assist couples in preserving the indissolubility of their marital promises. Never
tire in promoting just civil legislation and policies that protect the sacredness
of marriage. Safeguard this sacrament from all that can harm it, especially the deliberate
taking of life in its most vulnerable stages. The Church’s solicitude for the weak
similarly compels her to give special attention to migrants. In several recent pastoral
letters, you have indicated the essential role of the parish in serving migrants and
raising awareness of their needs. I am also pleased to note that the Church in Taiwan
has been actively advocating laws and policies that protect the human rights of migrants.
As you know, many of those who arrive on your shores not only share in the fullness
of the Catholic communion, but also carry with them the unique cultural heritage of
their respective places of origin. I encourage you to continue welcoming them with
affection so that they may receive the assiduous pastoral care that will assure them
of their belonging to the “family of the faith” (Gal 6:10). My dear Brother Bishops,
by the providence of Almighty God, you have been appointed to keep watch over that
family of faith. Your apostolic bond with the Successor of Peter entails a pastoral
responsibility for the universal Church across the globe. This particularly means,
in your case, a loving concern for Catholics on the mainland, whom I constantly hold
in prayer. You and the Christian faithful in Taiwan are a living sign that, in a
justly ordered society, one need not fear to be a faithful Catholic and a good citizen.
I pray that as part of the great Chinese Catholic family, you will continue to be
spiritually united with your brethren on the mainland. Dear Brothers, I am well
aware that the obstacles you face can seem overwhelming. Yet there are many clear
signs – Taiwan Youth Day and the Conference on Creative Evangelization are but two
recent examples – of the Gospel’s power to convert, heal and save. May the words
of the prophet Isaiah never fail to enliven your hearts: “Fear not! Here is your
God!” (Is 40:9). The Lord indeed dwells among us! He continues to teach us by his
word and feed us with his Body and Blood. The expectation of his return stirs us
to voice the cry raised by Isaiah and echoed by John the Baptist: “Prepare the way
of the Lord!” (cf. Is 40:3). I am confident that your faithful celebration of the
Holy Sacrifice will prepare you and your people to meet the Lord when he comes again. Entrusting
you and the people under your care to the maternal protection of Mary, Help of Christians,
I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.