Discourse of Pope Benedict XVI to the Ambassador to the Holy See from the Republic
of the Latvia, Mr. Einars Semanis
Discourse to the Ambassador from Latvia, Mr. Einars Semanis
Mr
Ambassador, In welcoming you to the Vatican and accepting the Letters of Credence
by which you are appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to the Holy See, I
am pleased to express my satisfaction at the cordial relations which we continue to
enjoy. I am grateful to Your Excellency for transmitting the courteous greeting of
your President, Mr Valdis Zatlers, and I would ask you kindly to reciprocate and to
convey my own good wishes to him and to all the people of the Republic. From
its unique position on the Baltic shores, Latvia has played an important role in the
commercial and cultural evolution of Europe. This influence has not waned even when
its people were deprived, for long and difficult periods, of their status as a sovereign
nation. Now that its national identity is no longer under question, and its people
again enjoy their freedom, Latvia can offer much to the international community. You
mentioned, Mr Ambassador, the twentieth anniversary of the emergence of the “Baltic
Way” according to which Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia expressed the wish to return
fully to Europe. This historic gesture was an act of trust in the essential values
of freedom, truth, justice and solidarity which, based on a Christian tradition and
outlook, built up European culture and shaped its most important institutions. Having
become a member of the European Union in 2004, Latvia too is now called to share in
the continent’s task of finding the means towards greater international collaboration
to consolidate the freedom, peace and prosperity of its peoples. Mr Ambassador,
you also highlighted the important moments and the fruits of the Christian history
of your country, which was named Terra Mariana by Pope Innocent III in the year 1205.
I pray that Latvia, inspired by such an affectionate and powerful appellation, may
remain faithful to the principles and values that the first Christian witnesses brought
to your country, including Saint Meinhard and the other wise and zealous pastors who
evangelized your nation. Christians of all the Churches and Ecclesial Communities
in Latvia are called to contribute to the political and cultural life of the nation
as well as to work for the visible unity of Christ’s Mystical Body. My predecessor,
the late Pope John Paul II, on his historic visit to your land in 1993, supported
the quest for greater Christian unity as a buttress to national unity and as a priority
for renewal (cf. Address at Marian Shrine of Aglona, 9 September 1993). It is greatly
to be hoped that such a renewal take place soon for the good of the nation as a whole. The
Latvian people, who are known to cherish their land, and are careful to protect it
from environmental degradation, also draw inspiration from their own folklore and
culture as a solid basis for their concern for the land in all its aspects. By employing
their ingenuity and by cultivating the resources God has given them, by extolling
human dignity and respecting human life, and by promoting man’s vocation to build
up a humanism open to spiritual and transcendent values (cf. Caritas in Veritate,
18), Latvia will surely become a model of development that protects the dignity of
the human person while being sensitive to the requirements of a sustainable economy. The
recent global economic downturn has had serious effects on the nation’s economy, generating
poverty and unemployment in some areas and leaving no little uncertainty about the
future. It is my sincere hope that the Latvian people may take heart as they and
their leaders seek effective ways to weather this crisis and to rebuild Latvia’s economic
strength. Such times demand courage and resolve. Your compatriots, Mr Ambassador,
are aware that some radical measures may be necessary to uphold the common good even
at the cost of restrictions, renunciation and sacrifice. On the other hand, such an
exercise can only succeed – and be socially acceptable – when it is completed in a
spirit of genuine justice and equity and with special attention to those who are most
vulnerable. I pray that the resilient spirit of the Latvian people may continue to
sustain them. Finally, Your Excellency, I am confident that the cordial relations
between the Holy See and Latvia, re-established sixteen years ago after a long breach
desired by neither party, will help to promote fraternity, respect and dialogue.
In offering my good wishes at the beginning of your mission as Ambassador to the Holy
See, I assure you of the readiness of the Roman Curia to assist you in your important
task. May Almighty God bestow his abundant blessings upon you and upon all the people
of Latvia. From the Vatican, 17 December 2009