Pope Benedict: Church in India a friend of the poor
Pope Benedict XVI on Monday told Bishops from India the Church in India should continue
bringing attention to the promotion of basic rights, and to affirm the dignity of
each and every human person. The Pope said, like Christ, the Church welcomes
without exception all who approach her to hear the divine message of peace, hope and
salvation.
The full remarks of Pope Benedict XVI to the group of Bishops
from India
Dear Brother Bishops, I offer you a warm fraternal welcome
on the occasion of your visit ad Limina Apostolorum, a joyful opportunity to strengthen
the bonds of communion shared between the Church in India and the See of Peter. I
wish to thank the Most Reverend Vincent Concessao for his kind words offered on your
behalf and in the name of those entrusted to your pastoral care. My cordial greetings
also go to the priests, the men and women religious, and laity of your various Dioceses.
Please assure them of my prayers and spiritual solicitude. The most significant
concrete resources of the Churches that you lead are not to be found in their buildings,
schools, orphanages, convents or rectories, but in the men, women and children of
the Church in India who bring the faith to life, who bear witness to the loving presence
of God through lives of holiness. As part of its ancient and rich heritage, India
has a long and distinguished Christian presence which has contributed to Indian society
and benefited your culture in innumerable ways, enriching the lives of countless fellow
citizens, not just those who are Catholic. The enormous blessing of faith in God
and in his Son, Jesus Christ, to which the members of the Church bear witness in your
country, motivates them to acts of selflessness, kindness, love and charity (cf. 2
Cor 5:14). Most importantly, the Church in India proclaims its faith and love to
society at large, and puts these into action through a concern for all people, in
every aspect of their spiritual and material lives. Whether her members be rich or
poor, old or young, male or female, of ancient Christian heritage or newly welcomed
into the faith, the Church cannot but see in the faith of her members, individually
and collectively, a great sign of hope for India and for its future. In particular,
the Catholic Church is the friend of the poor. Like Christ, she welcomes without
exception all who approach her to hear the divine message of peace, hope and salvation.
Moreover, in obedience to the Lord, she continues to do so without regard for “tribe
and tongue and people and nation” (cf. Rev 5:9), for in Christ, we “are one body”
(cf. Rom 12:5). It is thus imperative that the clergy, religious and catechists in
your dioceses be attentive to the diverse linguistic, cultural and economic circumstances
of those whom they serve. Furthermore, if the local churches ensure that an appropriate
formation is given to those who, genuinely motivated by a love of God and neighbour,
wish to become Christians, they will remain faithful to Christ’s command to “make
disciples of all nations” (cf. Mt 28:19). Even though you, dear brothers, must take
into account the challenges that the missionary nature of the Church entails, you
must always be prepared to spread the Kingdom of God and to walk in the footsteps
of Christ, who was himself misunderstood, despised, falsely accused and who suffered
for the sake of truth. Do not be deterred when such trials arise in your own ministry,
and in that of your priests and religious. Our belief in the certainty of Christ’s
Resurrection gives us confidence and courage to face all that may come and to press
forward, building the Kingdom of God, aided as always by the grace of the sacraments
and through prayerful meditation on the Scriptures. God welcomes everyone, without
distinction, into union with him through the Church. So too, I pray that the Church
in India will continue to welcome everyone, above all the poor, and to be an exemplary
bridge between men and God. Finally, my dear brother Bishops, I note with gratitude
the various efforts the local churches in India have made in commemoration of the
twenty-fifth anniversary of the first Apostolic Visit of Pope John Paul II to your
country. During those memorable days, he had several notable encounters with leaders
of other religious traditions. Manifesting his personal respect for his interlocutors,
this blessed Pope gave an authentic witness to the value of interreligious dialogue.
I renew the sentiments he expressed so well, “To work for the attainment and preservation
of all human rights, including the basic right to worship God according to the dictates
of an upright conscience and to profess that faith externally, must become ever more
a subject of interreligious collaboration at all levels” (John Paul II, Meeting with
Representatives of the different religious and cultural traditions and with the youth
at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, 2 February 1986). I encourage you, dear brothers, to
carry forward the Church’s efforts to promote the well-being of Indian society through
continued attention to the promotion of basic rights – rights shared by all humanity
– and by inviting your fellow Christians and the followers of other religious traditions
to take up the challenge of affirming the dignity of each and every human person.
This dignity, expressed in respect for and promotion of the innate moral, spiritual
and material rights of the person, is not merely a concession granted by any earthly
authority. It is the gift of the Creator, and stems from the fact that we are created
in his image and likeness. I pray that the followers of Christ in India will continue
to be promoters of justice, bearers of peace, people of respectful dialogue, and lovers
of the truth about God and about man. With these thoughts, dear brother Bishops,
I renew to you my sentiments of affection and esteem. I commend all of you to the
intercession of Blessed Pope John Paul, who surely brings his affection for India
before the throne of our heavenly Father. Assuring you of my prayers for you and for
those entrusted to your pastoral care, I am pleased to impart my Apostolic Blessing
as a pledge of grace and peace in the Lord.