"Unfortunately, the Church can no longer count on the support of society at large
to promote the Christian understanding of marriage as a permanent and indissoluble
union ordered to procreation and the sanctification of the spouses", said Pope Benedict
XVI Thursday in his address to Bishops from India's Syro-Malabar Church, home to 3
million faithful, largely based in the southern state of Kerala.
But he urged
them not to be daunted by this, rather to see it as an opportunity for evangilisation;
"the rapid and dramatic changes which are a part of contemporary society throughout
the world bring with them not only serious challenges, but new possibilities to proclaim
the liberating truth of the Gospel message to transform and elevate all human relationships".
Thier
support, he concluded "for the sound and integral education of young people in the
ways of chastity and responsibility will not only enable them to embrace the true
nature of marriage, but will also benefit Indian culture as a whole".
Below
the full text of Pope Benedict's address Dear Brother Bishops, I offer
you a warm fraternal welcome on the occasion of your visit ad Limina Apostolorum
a moment which is now sadly marked by the death of Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil. Before
you all, I wish again to give thanks to God for his able and willing service over
many years to the whole of the Church in India. May our loving Saviour welcome his
noble soul into paradise, and may he rest in peace in communion with all the saints.
Thank you for the sentiments of respect and esteem offered by Mar Bosco Puthur
on your behalf and in the name of those whom you shepherd. Your presence is an eloquent
expression of the deep spiritual bonds which unite the Syro-Malabar Church to the
Church universal, in fidelity to Christ’s prayer for all his disciples (cf. Jn
17:21). You bring to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul the joys and hopes
of the entire Syro-Malabar Church, which my predecessor the Venerable John Paul II
happily raised to the status of a Major-Archiepiscopal Church in 1992. My greetings
go to the priests, the women and men religious, the members of the lay movements,
the families and in particular the young people who are the hope of the Church. The
Second Vatican Council taught that “Bishops have been designated by the Holy Spirit
to take the place of the Apostles as pastors of souls and, together with the Supreme
Pontiff and subject to his authority, they are commissioned to perpetuate the work
of Christ, the eternal Pastor” (Christus Dominus, 1). Today’s encounter thus
forms an essential part of your pilgrimage ad Limina Apostolorum; it is also
an occasion to intensify the awareness of the divine gift and responsibility received
in the ordination by which you became members of the College of Bishops. I join you
in seeking the intercession of the Apostles for your ministry. They, who were the
first to receive the charge of caring for Christ’s flock, continue to guide and watch
over the Church from their place in heaven and remain a model and inspiration to all
Bishops by their holiness of life, teaching and example. Your visit also provides
a precious opportunity to give thanks to God for the gift of communion in the apostolic
faith and in the life of the Spirit which unites you among yourselves and with your
people. With divine inspiration and grace on the one hand, and with humble prayers
and efforts on the other, this precious gift of fellowship with the Triune God and
with one another will grow ever richer and deeper. Each Bishop, for his part, is
called to be a minister of unity (cf. ibid., 6) in his particular church and
within the universal Church. This responsibility is of special importance in a country
like India where the unity of the Church is reflected in the rich diversity of her
rites and traditions. I encourage you to do all you can to continue to foster the
communion between yourselves and all Catholic Bishops throughout the world, and to
be the living expression of that fellowship among your priests and faithful. Let
the gentle command of Saint Paul continue to guide your hearts and your apostolic
endeavours: “Let love be genuine, hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good, love
one another with brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honour. Live in
harmony with one another” (Rom 12:9-10,16). Thus will the unity of the Triune
God be proclaimed and lived in the world, and thus will our new life in Christ be
experienced always more profoundly, to the benefit of the entire Catholic Church. Within
this mystery of loving communion, a privileged expression of sharing in the divine
life is through sacramental marriage and family life. The rapid and dramatic changes
which are a part of contemporary society throughout the world bring with them not
only serious challenges, but new possibilities to proclaim the liberating truth of
the Gospel message to transform and elevate all human relationships. Your support,
dear Brother Bishops, and that of your priests and communities for the sound and integral
education of young people in the ways of chastity and responsibility will not only
enable them to embrace the true nature of marriage, but will also benefit Indian culture
as a whole. Unfortunately, the Church can no longer count on the support of society
at large to promote the Christian understanding of marriage as a permanent and indissoluble
union ordered to procreation and the sanctification of the spouses. Have your families
look to the Lord and his saving word for a complete and truly positive vision of life
and marital relations, so necessary for the good of the whole human family. Let your
preaching and catechesis in this field be patient and constant. At the heart of
many of the works of education and charity exercised in your Eparchies are the various
communities of men and women religious who devote themselves to the service of God
and their neighbour. I wish to express the Church’s appreciation for the charity,
faith and hard work of these religious, who by professing and living the evangelical
counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience offer an example of complete devotion
to the divine Master and thus help considerably to equip your faithful for every good
work (cf. 2 Tim 3:17). The vocation to religious life and the pursuit of perfect
charity is attractive in every age, but it should be nourished by a constant spiritual
renewal which is to be fostered by superiors who devote great care to the human, intellectual
and spiritual formation of their fellow religious (cf. Perfectae Caritatis,
11). The Church insists that preparation for religious profession is to be marked
by long and careful discernment with the goal of ensuring, before final vows are made,
that each candidate is firmly rooted in Christ, solid in his or her capacity for genuine
commitment and joyful in the gift of self to Jesus Christ and his Church. Furthermore,
by its nature, formation is never completed, but is ongoing and must be an integral
part of the daily life of each individual and community. Much needs to be done in
this area, utilizing the many resources available in your Church, above all through
deeper training in the practice of prayer, the particular spiritual and liturgical
traditions of the Syro-Malabar rite, and the intellectual demands of a solid pastoral
practice. I encourage you, in close collaboration with religious superiors, to plan
effectively for such a solid ongoing formation, so that religious men and women continue
to be powerful witnesses to the presence of God in the world and to our eternal destiny,
so that the complete gift of self to God through religious life may shine with all
its beauty and purity before men. With these thoughts, dear Brother Bishops, I
once again express my fraternal affection and esteem. Commending you to the intercession
of Saint Thomas, Apostle of India, I assure you of my prayers for you and for those
entrusted to your pastoral care. To all I impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge
of grace and peace in the Lord. From the Vatican, 7 April 2011